Village should have notified residents October 16th 2014
Boyd Loving
On Wednesday, Oct. 8, Village Council members voted unanimously to award a $4,000 professional service contract for completion of a land survey in connection with the planned purchase of property on which a new children’s playground will likely be constructed. The property to be surveyed, and being considered for purchase, is located on Highwood Avenue near its intersection with South Broad Street.
Immediately following the unanimous vote, which took place during a public meeting, I asked Village Council members whether those who own property near the intersection of Highwood Avenue and South Broad Street had yet been informed of the council’s plan to construct a public playground on Highwood Avenue. I was informed that no such notification has yet been made; village officials are not “ready” to meet with nearby property owners yet.
Frankly, I’m perplexed. The Ridgewood News just published an article about the proposed playground. The issue has been mentioned during two recent Village Council meetings. And, a firm was just awarded a $4,000 taxpayer funded contract in connection with services that must be undertaken prior to property acquisition. But people who own property in the noted area have not been told a thing?
Whether village officials are “ready” or not, now is clearly the right time to be “ready.” Adjacent and nearby property owners must be made aware of the village’s intent with respect to acquisition of property(ies) and facility design/construction before the train leaves its current stop.
OCTOBER 10, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014, 12:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Occupation: Freelance writer and Ridgewood Village Council member.Age: 34.
How long I have lived in Ridgewood: Four years.
Interests and hobbies: Writing, hunting, fishing, cooking.
My favorite place to relax in Ridgewood: It’s difficult to narrow it down to just one place in Ridgewood. Depending on my mood, I might enjoy spending an afternoon at Graydon with my son Hunter, grilling in my backyard or taking a walk through the downtown.
A “perfect day” in Ridgewood would include: The Village’s Fourth of July celebration is pretty close to perfection thanks to the many great volunteers who work so hard all year long to make that day happen for all of us in Ridgewood.
The best-kept secret in the village: You can always find a parking space if you’re willing to walk.
The best thing about Ridgewood: Its residents.
One thing I would like to change in the village: I would like to finally see some progress made in offering additional parking downtown so you don’t have to walk as far after finding a space.
The best part of my job: My schedule is very flexible, and I don’t have to commute.
The most difficult part of my job: Deciding what to write about.
The big decision I’m currently wrestling with: I’m a new father and a councilman. I have several big decisions ahead.
Ridgewood’s Valley Hospital sues over rejection of expansion project
OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:53 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 11:56 PM BY MARY JO LAYTON STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
The Valley Hospital filed suit Friday against the Ridgewood Planning Board for rejecting its proposal to nearly double in size, arguing the board illegally sided with neighborhood opponents rather than permitting an upgrade for “an inherently beneficial regional hospital.”
For Valley, the lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Hackensack is an attempt to end a protracted and costly stalemate with the village — its expansion plans have been defeated two times in the last four years.
09/30/147:30PMBoard of Adjustment Special Public Meeting 10/01/147:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session 10/07/147:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 10/08/148:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting 10/14/147:30PMBoard of Adjustment Regular Public Meeting 10/21/147:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 10/22/147:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session
Ridgewood BOE MEETS ON OCTOBER 20
The next Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the September 22, 2014 Regular Public Meeting.
Yard Signs Are Available for Scott Garrett for Congress email me at [email protected] with your name address and how many we can deliver them too you (Ridgewood Area)
School Crossing Guard Positions Available – Contact Ridgewood Police Dept.
The Ridgewood Police Department is accepting applications for School Crossing Guard Positions. Applications are Available at the Police Desk located at 131 North Maple Avenue Ridgewood NJ. P/T position, 10 hours per week (2 hours per day) starting at $17.49/hr. Send application to Police Chief John Ward, Ridgewood Police Dept, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450 or return the application to the Police Records Room. The Village of Ridgewood is an EOE and civil service community. 201/652-3900
The Ridgewood Taxpayers’ Association is still looking to reactivate.
The Ridgewood Taxpayers’ Association is a non-profit corporation.
organized in the state of New Jersey in 1993 .
The purposes of the Ridgewood Taxpayers’ Association are as follows :
*To monitor and analyze of the Village and Board of Education ;
*To provide recommendations to the Village and BOE on how to operate on a cost effective basis ;
*To monitor the actions taken by the state of New Jersey , Bergen County the BOE and any governmental entity which has or may have an impact on the taxes of the Village of Ridgewood ;
*To provide information to the citizens of the Village of Ridgewood on the operation of their government and costs associated therewith :
*To promote local, regional and state legislation for the fair taxation of Ridgewood residents ;
*To evaluate candidates for public office .
Membership is available to residents of Ridgewood or anyone who maintains a business address in the Village of Ridgewood .
The Ridgewood Taxpayers’ Association is looking for Board Members and those interested should email there resume and a short cover letter to:[email protected]
Wildscape Clean Up – All Volunteers Welcome – October 5th
Ridgewood Wildscape Assn. Annual Community River Cleanup
to be held Sunday, October 5, 12:45-3PM. Wear old clothes. All equipment provided by the Village of Ridgewood. HoHoKus Brook between Ridgewood Ave-Overbrook Road.
Meet at the Ridgewood High School Parking Lot 12:45. ridgewoodwildscape.org
Downtown Tree Well Report 9.22.14 – Volunteers Welcome
9/22/14 Update; Oak, Chestnut and Broad still need to be weeded and mulched, but I need to work on labeling and identifying the trees before they lose their leaves. Tomorrow I am going to work on labeling wells and identifying trees. I am going to start on Maple and work my way up Ridgewood and down. I will initially label the wells in a inconspicuous place with a permanent marker. Once I have all trees counted I will investigate a more obvious and tasteful labeling method. I will have sheets to fill out for each tree and my plan is to take a picture of each tree that will help identify the species and condition. I would appreciate any and all help. This should be cleaner (and quicker) than weeding and mulching.
Ridgewood set to honor Roger Wiegand voice of public input
Any one have a Favorite Roger Wiegand Story ?
SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014, 1:21 AM BY CHRIS HARRIS STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Week after week for years, Roger Wiegand would stand at the lectern in Village Hall with arms folded to address the council.But the voice at the podium made his final comments to Ridgewood’s governing body last fall, after which he soon took ill. Wiegand, a lifelong resident, died in April. And since his death, the council has been considering ways to honor him.
Now, along with members of Wiegand’s family, village officials will gather tonight in the council chambers for a brief reception honoring his memory.
The Village Council also plans to name a portion of South Irving Street “Wiegand Way.”
During the event at 5:30, the speaker’s lectern — Wiegand’s platform — will be affixed with a plaque honoring the outspoken resident.
AUGUST 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014, 1:21 AM BY CHRIS HARRIS STAFF WRITER THE RECORD Print
RIDGEWOOD — Officials have notified the owners of six residential properties, deemed to be abandoned, that they need to make improvements to them soon or the village will take action.
Some of the properties have been on the village’s radar for more than a decade.
One of the homes, on Daniel Court, has become the residence of raccoons and other wildlife, officials said.
Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck read through the list after saying that village officials have twice notified the properties’ owners with “the reasons why they have met the abandoned property criteria.”
The village has requested these owners “work with [officials] on a rehabilitation plan,” Hauck said.
The properties on the village’s abandoned homes list include the modern town house on Daniel Court, whose door is covered with shut-off notices from Ridgewood Water; a shuttered and neglected ranch on Fairway Road; and a dingy but otherwise prim two-story home on North Monroe Street.
The properties do not appear to be occupied. Knocks on doors were not answered, and calls to the last known owners were unreturned.
The Village Council in June adopted the state’s “Abandoned Property and Rehabilitation Act” as part of Ridgewood’s own village code.
According to the state, an “abandoned” property is most often defined as “any property that has not been legally occupied for a period of six months.”
Such homes must also either be in need of rehabilitation or determined by a public officer to be a “public nuisance.”
Readers says The fact is, people that take issue with our elected officials tend to be activists and serial volunteers.
I find it interesting that Council apologists assume that anyone that disagrees with them is lazy and ignorant. After all, we didn’t run for Council ourselves and we don’t serve on the Planning Board so therefore all we must do is put signs on our lawn and complain.
The fact is, people that take issue with our elected officials tend to be activists and serial volunteers. We tend to take enough time to formulate an educated opinion on the issues that face our town. We also tend to act on those opinions by attending meetings, participating in the process and yes, posting here. We tend to take enough time to formulate an educated opinion on the issues that face our town. We also tend to act on those opinions by attending meetings, participating in the process and yes, posting here.
Ridgewood council weighs costs of turf versus grass
AUGUST 14, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014, 3:48 PM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER
Artificial turf appears to cost less to maintain than grass, at least on Maple Field.
According to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, an estimated $121,500 was spent maintaining the turf on Maple Field during an eight-year period from 2006 to 2014.
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
TAKEN FROM THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG (Archived ) You should read the whole article.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.
Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years . Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.
Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.
Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?
Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.
Reader says it only fair that the Sports Groups step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation of the turf fields
If the sports clubs have gotten so much value out of the fields, I would think it only fair that they step up and contribute to maintenance and depreciation. It shouldn’t always be the VC or BOE (the rest of us). Given that maintenance seems to be running about $100K year and depreciation another $200K for $1.5M to replace the carpets after a flood-shortened 7 year life, the sports clubs should be contributing on the order of $100K.
Raise dues if you have to — it’s part of the true cost of doing business.
And did they ever contribute everything they had promised for the lights?
Readers Say Turf Fields Exacerbate Village Flooding
Is seems ever time it rans now , significance damage is done to our playing fields and Village property .
We were told the turf fie;ds would drain faster , well yes they sure do but the water still needs some place to go like the Village Hall , the Ridgewood library .
Since the Village Hall Rebuilding Fiasco , and the addition of turf fields along the Ho Ho Kus brook the 50 year flood has now become an almost yearly event .
Is it time to recognize the damage to the environment all this turf is doing ?
The problem is not just the fields at Stevens ,Maple and the RHS Stadium but the many turf fields all along the banks of our rivers all over Bergen County . Again the water needs some place to go .
Maple Park flooded over into Meadowbrook on Aug. 1.
Police had to direct traffic. I was part of the directed traffic on my way home from the library. It was scary and dangerous driving through the flooded street. That’s why the police had to be called out.
I was coming home from the library where my shoes and socks and pants had gotten soaking wet as I had to wade to my car, in leg deep water. Note: Not ankle deep; leg deep, above the ankles.
Before Maple Field was turned artificial, REAC had done a report stating that artificial turf is safe for Maple field and good for the environment.
If the rains had continued the new village hall and new library would have been flooded.
Flooding was not supposed to occur there. Supposedly Ridgewood engineering experts had designed the buildings to prevent flooding.
You know what, the members of REAC should pay to have the artificial truf (grass) removed from Maple Field and real, mother nature’s grass replanted.
Trust me as they say: The kids will profit by playing on real grass.
Readers not impressed with Mayor Aronsohn’s Move to Squash Free Speech
The Council would rather hear themselves talking than hear those who pay the bills talking.
What objective criteria are being used to determine whether a remark is personally abusive or offensive? Answer: there are no objective criteria to determine such. This is a subjective call based upon the whim of our mayor.
Remarks that are either personally abusive or offensive. “With the Three Amigos that anything that doesn’t tout the accomplishments .
Aronsohn and Pucciarel , and Hauck regularly put down their colleagues on the council for no good reason. Usually they are trying to cow somebody into refraining from accurately describing the three amigo’s actual behavior, or what they should have done but didn’t, or explaining why what they did or failed to do was ethically or legally or morally wrong. So they basically want to disarm their political opponents while retaining complete flexibility to fillet people they don’t like with impunity. How and why do we put up with this transparently mendacity behavior in our elected officials?the Council would rather hear themselves talking than hear those who pay the bills talking.
“Manner of Addressing the Council” – Village of Ridgewood Ordinance 3-19 July 15 2014 Boyd Loving
Ridgewood NJ, During last week’s Village Council Work Session, Mayor Paul Aronsohn publicly announced his plan to begin enforcing certain provisions of Village Ordinance 3-19 (“Manner of Addressing the Council”), specifically those sections that prohibit: 1) persons from addressing any remark or question to a specific Council member and 2) remarks that are either personally abusive or offensive.
Here’s the complete version of 3-19 as posted on the Village’s web site.
Read it before you go to the podium and comply while you’re up there, otherwise Aronsohn might personally give you the hook.
§ 3-19Manner of addressing Council.[Amended 1-11-1994 by Ord. No. 2442]
A. Persons other than Council members may be permitted to address the Council in the proper order of business. A person present may, upon recognition by the Chair, be heard either upon ordinances upon second reading or at the time of petitions and oral communications from the public and at such other times as the Council may, by majority vote of those present, specifically permit. No person shall address any remark or question to any specific Council member, nor shall any person be permitted to address the Chair while a motion is pending. A Council member may, through the Chair, respond to any communication or address received pursuant to this section.
B. Except upon consent of the Council, by the majority vote of those present, each person addressing the Council pursuant to this section shall be required to limit his remarks to five minutes and shall at no time engage in any personally offensive or abusive remarks. On a hearing on ordinances on second reading, a person who has previously addressed the Council on the issue may be permitted a period of no more than an additional five minutes, after all others desirous of speaking on the issue have had an opportunity to do so, provided the comments of the speaker are not repetitive. The Chair shall call any speaker to order who violates any provision of this section.
