march 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. By supporting community efforts to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental equity, Sustainable Jersey is empowering communities to build a better world for future generations.
https://www.sustainablejersey.com/
photos courtesy of Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47
March 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47 members participated in the 30th annual Super Science Saturday at Ridgewood High School. This year attendees could have forced a door using our battery powered Hurst tool and viewed various other tools while learning about fire safety.
Pictured here is Lieutenant Young with the Hurst spreaders and Lieutenants Young and Krug speaking to a few of the visitors who stopped by our display. We look forward to next year!
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page
March 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A half dozen uniformed Ridgewood PD Patrol Officers and a uniformed patrol supervisor conducted a door to door canvass of a residential neighborhood in the vicinity of a South Maple Avenue, Ridgewood garden apartment complex at which a female toddler was fortunately found wandering outdoors during Wednesday morning’s, 03/07, snow storm. Within 10-15 minutes, officers located a guardian/parent about one (1) block away from where the child had been spotted by a concerned resident. After being reunited, Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Sean Amoruso walked the uninjured child and guardian/parent back to the child’s residence.
March 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Village offices are closed March 7th, 2018 due to inclement weather.
All Village offices will be closed on March 7th, 2018 due to inclement weather. As always, the Police Department, on the second floor of Village Hall, will be open.
VILLAGE COUNCIL – MARCH 7TH Work Session is CANCELLED
The Village Council Work Session scheduled for March 7th is cancelled. It is rescheduled to March 13th at 8PM.
CURBSIDE BULK PICK UP AND GARBAGE COLLECTION – MARCH 7, 8, 9
EAST SIDE CURBSIDE BULK PICK UP – MARCH 7, 2018 – After reviewing weather forecasts, curbside bulk pick up will be collected on Wednesday, March 7th. Our crews will begin collection earlier than usual, so please have your bulk placed curbside on Tuesday night, for an early morning pick up. We will make every effort to complete the collection, weather permitting. If you are able to wait until the next scheduled East side bulk pick up, scheduled for March 21st, it would be greatly appreciated.
GARBAGE COLLECTION – MARCH 8 AND 9, 2018 – To ensure the safety of sanitation staff, with the forecast of a heavy snow predicted for Wednesday and the early morning hours of Thursday, all garbage cans must be placed at the end of your driveway on March 8th and 9th. Rear yard garbage collection will resume next week, and we remind you that you must have a clear path shoveled to your garbage containers. Thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping our Village employees safe.
All Ridgewood Public Schools will be closed tomorrow 3/7/18. All afterschool activities will be cancelled as well.
March 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Curbside Bulk Pick Up and Garbage Collection – March 7, 8, 9 .
EAST SIDE CURBSIDE BULK PICK UP – MARCH 7, 2018 – After reviewing weather forecasts, curbside bulk pick up will be collected on Wednesday, March 7th. Our crews will begin collection earlier than usual, so please have your bulk placed curbside on Tuesday night, for an early morning pick up. We will make every effort to complete the collection, weather permitting. If you are able to wait until the next scheduled East side bulk pick up, scheduled for March 21st, it would be greatly appreciated.
GARBAGE COLLECTION – MARCH 8 AND 9, 2018 – To ensure the safety of sanitation staff, with the forecast of a heavy snow predicted for Wednesday and the early morning hours of Thursday, all garbage cans must be placed at the end of your driveway on March 8th and 9th. Rear yard garbage collection will resume next week, and we remind you that you must have a clear path shoveled to your garbage containers. Thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping our Village employees safe.
March 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is implementing its Severe Weather Schedule Level 1 on its rail system for Wednesday, March 7, as heavy, wet snow is forecasted in the area. Cross-honoring is in effect for rail, bus and private carriers and light rail service for Wednesday, March 7. Customers should check njtransit.com for updates.
A “Severe Weather Rail Schedule’’ is a limited weekday rail schedule utilized during weather events or other emergency situations. The “Severe Weather Schedules’’ were created last year for customers to clearly identify their travel options. These schedules can be found online and are also available in our printed timetables.
Bus and light rail services are anticipated to operate regular weekday schedules as weather conditions permit.
IMPORTANT: Due to the projected rapid snow accumulation in conjunction with local and county travel bans in place, there is the potential for all North and Central Jersey bus service — including bus service to/from PABT — to be suspended before the afternoon peak travel period. Customers should closely monitor njtransit.com, My Transit alerts, social media and broadcast news reports for the latest status of the system.
For customers of Bus Route Nos. 196/197, on Wednesday, March 7, NJ TRANSIT rail will cross-honor bus passes and tickets on the Port Jervis Line trains to/from Harriman, Tuxedo and Sloatsburg. Bus service to/from Warwick, N.Y., will originate/terminate at West Milford Park & Ride due to weather conditions. Bus 196 will operate on a snow detour and will not operate on Skyline Drive. Additionally, Shortline Bus will not be operating in Orange County, N.Y.
Access Link Regions 2 (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem) and 3 (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland , S. Ocean) will operate on a regular schedule as long as weather conditions allow. Access Link Regions 4 (Mercer, Middlesex, North Ocean), 5 (Essex, Morris, Somerset, Union), 6(Bergen, Passaic, Hudson) are canceled.
NJ TRANSIT will have personnel and assets in position to address any issues that may arise during or after the storm, which is expected to bring snow totals as high as 12 inches to certain counties in northern New Jersey.
NJ TRANSIT’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will open during the early morning hours tomorrow and remain open throughout the day as key personnel monitor any impacts on the system throughout the storm’s duration.
Customers are strongly advised to monitor the status of the system by checking njtransit.com frequently. Customers are also encouraged to sign up for My Transit Alerts, which provide customized notifications via email or text message based on a customer’s preferred mode of travel. My Transit alerts can be accessed by creating a free account on njtransit.com. In addition, customers are advised to monitor NJ TRANSIT’s social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook, as well as tune in to broadcast traffic reports for the latest information.
Important Notes:
Cross-honoring will be in effect for Wednesday, March 7 on NJ TRANSIT bus and private carriers, rail and light rail services. At this time, it is not anticipated that there will be cross-honoring on PATH or NY Waterway ferries.
Regular weekday service for bus, light rail and Access Link will operate as long as conditions allow.
Stay connected during your commute through Facebook and Twitter. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information. While we make every effort to respond to comments posted on our social media channels, we recommend that you contact our Customer Service team directly with critical or time-sensitive issues.
Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
Facebook: facebook.com/NJTRANSIT
Before starting your trip, visit the Travel Alerts page at njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. This information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
Customers are encouraged to sign up for the My Transit alert system on njtransit.com, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone.
Allow extra time getting to and from your destination. Use extreme caution when walking on exposed sidewalks or station platforms and when boarding trains and buses.
Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood’s Interfaith Clergy Council retreat with Rabbi Noam Marans, American Jewish Committee Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations. Ridgewood’s Interfaith Clergy Council works with the spiritual leaders of the Village’s diverse faith communities. Collaborating on a number of programs and activities throughout the year, The Council, including Village officials, works to advance mutual understanding, acceptance of difference and genuine respect among all residents. Rabbi Marans spoke about his experience coming to Ridgewood as young Rabbi in the mid 1980’s; reflecting on his sixteen years at Temple Israel, Village community, family life, and working to foster a strong Interfaith community.
Rabbi Noam Marans – AJC
Minister Nolan Palsma – Upper Ridgewood Community Church
Rabbi David Fine – Temple Israel
Reverend Judy Wheeler and Don Wheeler Emmanuel Baptist Church
Reverend Joan Hoeberichts – Heart Circle Sangha
Pastor Joanne Van Sant – Friends to Friends
Reverend Bruce Ballantine – First Presbyterian Church
Reverend Mack Brandon, Pastor, Metropolitan AME Zion. Church
Chief Jacqueline Luthcke, Ridgewood Police Department
Mayor Susan Knudsen, Village of Ridgewood
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Historical Society & Schoolhouse Museum to display a plaster copy of Napoleon Bonaparte’s death mask in our Memento Mori section of our exhibit “The Thread of Life.” Bonaparte died in 1821 in exile on the British island of Saint Helena. At that time it was a common practice to make a death mask of notable figures who passed away. Napoleon’s physician, François Carlo Antommarchi, cast one mask and later produced copies.
Come and see this fascinating artifact, on loan from Mark Wright, with your own eyes! Opening day of the exhibit is this Sunday March 11, at 2 pm.
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood bog
Ridgewood NJ, According to the American Community Survey, telecommuting doubled from 2005 to 2014 and employers in 2017 were more likely to be looking for live-work-play communities that offer affordability as well as lifestyle benefits for their employees.
The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, educational attainment, income, language proficiency, migration, disability, employment, and housing characteristics.
PlanSmart NJ, says New Jersey is the most exited state in the nation, with owner-occupied home ownership down by 100,000 in the years since the Great Recession. We need a new policy approach, one prepared to grapple with the following realities: New Jersey has five new renters for every three homeowners; New Jersey has 14 million square feet of empty office space; New Jersey has seven million square feet of empty retail. At our current rate, it will take more than 20 years to re-tenant these stranded assets.
PlanSmart NJ is an independent, non-profit planning and research organization committed to improving the quality of community life through the advancement of sound land use planning and regional cooperation.
Jim Hughes, the dean at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and co-author Joseph Seneca put it most succinctly in their recent work on New Jersey’s postsuburban economy: “New Jersey’s core advantage in the late 20th century – a suburban-dominated, automobile-dependent economy and lifestyle – is (now) regarded as a disadvantage.”
The report for all its gloom offers barely a mention of the elephant in the room , the oversized property taxes and very high taxes in general on residents which will continue to raise as the tax base disappears .
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Department of Community Affairs ,the average residential property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,690 in 2017.Property taxes in New Jersey range from a low, low $1,277 to a high, high of $31,415 in 2017.
Glen Rock , Ho Ho Kus and Ridgewood made the list of highest property taxes in the state , with Glen Rock coming in at number 27 with an average, $15,801 in real estate taxes. Ho-Ho-Kus, came in in 26th place , with an average tax bill was $15,952 and the Village of Ridgewood placed 17th with an average property tax bill of $17,661.
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Nation Weather Service a winter storm warning is in effect from 10 pm tonight till 4 am Thursday night .
* WHAT…Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, except 10 to 15 inches across interior portions of
the Lower Hudson Valley, and most of interior southern Connecticut. Locally higher amounts are possible.
* WHERE…New York City, Northeast New Jersey, The Lower Hudson Valley, Southwestern Connecticut, Middlesex, Nassau and
northwestern Suffolk Counties.
* WHEN…From 10 PM this evening to 4 AM EST Thursday.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Travel will be very difficult to impossible, including during the evening commute on Wednesday.
Be prepared for significant reductions in visibility at times.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you
must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Check local Department of
Transportation information services for the latest road conditions.
The problem with “studies” is that they always seem to come out supporting the entity that paid for the study. See the study that showed that building huge apartment complexes will not add any children to the school system because they will be marketed to empty nesters. Or (my favorite) the one that showed that building apartment complexes will IMPROVE traffic conditions in the CBD because none of the residents will have cars and will take the train everywhere.
March 6,2018
Bill McCandless
Ridgewood NJ, Have facts ever mattered more in public conversations? There are some hard questions for the Village Council after reading the parking facts in the many reports Ridgewood has paid for from respected experts. The facts are clear and not in dispute: we have an excess of CBD parking, poorly priced, and poorly promoted.
Why is the council pushing to add parking when there are as many, if not more, open CBD parking spots as the proposed garage would add?
Why is the council ignoring these facts and Gerrymandering the results to try and say otherwise?
Why add more $10,000,000 in more parking when the failed valet project proved parking is plentiful and easy to find?
Where is the concern for the village taxpayer as they get set to double all parking revenue, a million dollars annually in new parking fees?
Why would the village council say there is a shortage of parking when the facts conclusively prove otherwise?
Please email the council and ask if the parking facts matter.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Read the sources for yourself, you already paid for them:
Walker 2015: https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2015walkerFinal.pdf
Walker 2018: https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/images/Ridgewood/Projects/HudsonStParkingDeck/Hudson_Street_Parking_Garage_Prel._Fin._Analysis.pdf
Valet: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2018/02/11/ridgewood-loses-23-000-valet-parking-test-run/307789002/
March 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD, N.J.—Mayor Susan Knudsen and Deputy Mayor Michael Sedon are certified to run for both open seats on the Ridgewood Village Council in this May 8th municipal election.
Both incumbents share a view of the future that includes smart, organic development which fits into the character of the Village while maintaining that history and charm responsible for drawing so many current residents to our town.
“As we embark on a complete rewrite of our current, outdated Master Plan few councils have had the opportunity to impact the Village’s future development as we do right now,” Sedon said. “For too many years long-range planning has been conducted through a hodgepodge of mostly contested Master Plan amendments. Rewriting this document will allow us to memorialize what we have today in the Village, and it will guide growth and development for the next 50 years.”
Knudsen focuses on taxes, services and the future, “Village Council members are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars; our charge is to ensure each and every tax dollar is used prudently and responsibly while delivering reliable and quality services,” Knudsen said. “Looking toward the future, we are working diligently to make certain Ridgewood remains a wonderful place to live, work, raise a family and age in place for generations to come.”
Long-time resident Knudsen was elected to the Ridgewood Village Council in 2014, serving as mayor since 2016. Knudsen is a member of the Ridgewood Planning Board, Site Plan Exemption Committee, Historic Preservation Commission and Master Plan Advisory Committee. Knudsen also serves on the Community Access Network supporting our special needs community, Project Pride, Community Relations Advisory Board, Fourth of July Committee, Village Interfaith Group and Special Projects Task Force. She is also a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and is a long time member of the Ridgewood High School Jamboree Scholarship Program providing need-based scholarship opportunities to graduating seniors. Prior to being elected in 2014, Knudsen served as the Zoning Board of Adjustment Vice-chairman.
Currently Sedon is working as a freelance writer, and he is also a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, member of the Ridgewood Knights of Columbus and serves on the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, Green Team, Shade Tree Commission, Community Center Advisory Board and the Special Projects Task Force. He has served on the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee and the Open Space Committee.
After settling most of the major issues of the past such as housing densities, the hospital expansion and critical infrastructure repair and attention, Knudsen and Sedon feel the time is right to guide the Village into the future with proven leadership and openness to listen to our residents providing a level of transparency in government that lets citizens become a meaningful part of the process.
Knudsen and Sedon have worked to keep taxes stable in their first four years serving the Village, while staying committed to modernizing Ridgewood Water, maintaining services and ending years of expensive litigation.
They have allocated $2 million each year toward paving our roads, oversaw a much improved leaf collection process, worked with all stakeholders to arrive at a compromise to develop new park lands, planted hundreds of new street trees and continue to support our Central Business District.
Proven leadership, a willingness to listen to and respect residents and a track record of accomplishment, Knudsen and Sedon remain energized and committed to moving Ridgewood forward while respecting and maintaining the history and character of the Village that makes Ridgewood special.
March 4,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Not many people realize their homeowner’s insurance coverage often does not cover their external sewer lines. This means should a problem arise, they are left responsible to pay for repairs and damage completely out of pocket. The good news is
Bey MGA, who recently announced their launch, is answering the call for help in this area. The New York based company, offer low-cost sewer line insurance coverage in NY, NJ, PA and IL, that delivers both security and peace of mind, to forward-thinking homeowners. 2018 will see the service expand to also be available to TX, OK, GA, TN, and AR customers.
Bey MGA is a new company offering affordable insurance coverage that protects our customers from unexpected and potentially catastrophic expenses that can result from an unexpected sewer line failure.
“We are here to insure the gap that currently exists in most basic homeowner insurance,” commented Michael Averill, Executive Vice President of Bey MGA. “The fact is homes across the US are
aging and that means it is only a matter of time, not if – but when, their sewer line breaks. Without insurance coverage in this area, the costs can truly be catastrophic.”
According to the company, the exterior sewer line is the piece of line that runs from the foundation of a home out to where the homeowner’s property ends. Of course, with time, this section of sewer line ages and sooner or later experiences problems. With homeowner’s insurance only providing coverage for sewer line within the home, this makes the coverage offered by Bey MGA quite needed and vital. Bey MGA uses a top-rated insurance carrier and covers breaks or tears in the outside sewer line (subject to the policy’s provisions) up to policy limits. A number of different sewer line insurance options are available, and professionals from the company’s customer service team
are always willing to discuss what may be the optimal choice for a homeowner based on their needs and resources available.
A recent Bey MGA insurance client from New York remarked, after experiencing a sewage line break, “I just have to say that you guys are wonderful! Not only was your claim team considerate, they walked us through the process
step-by-step. Within an hour, your adjuster was working with our plumber. Within two days, our repairs were complete, and our lives were back to normal.”
For more information be sure to visit https://www.beymga.com.
