Tag: Village Hall

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Village Council Moves to Approve Turf Field for Schedler Property

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VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL
REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
AUGUST 12, 2015
8:00 P.M.

1.   Call to Order – Mayor

2.   Statement of Compliance with the Open Public       Meetings Act

3.   Roll Call – Village Clerk

4.   Flag Salute and Moment of Silence

5.   Acceptance of Financial Reports

6.   Approval of Minutes

7.   Proclamations

A.              Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2015   Statewide Crackdown
B.              Declare September Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
C.              Declare September National Preparedness Month

8.   Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 5 minutes      per person – 30 minutes in total)

9.   Motion to Suspend Regular Public Meeting and           Convene Special Work Session

10.  Special Work Session – See Attached Agenda

11.  Motion to Adjourn Special Work Session and             Reconvene Regular Public Meeting

12.  Manager’s Report

13.  Village Council Reports

14.  ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION

3494 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – 15             Minute Parking Meter – Establishes a third
15-minute parking meter on the east side of          North Walnut Street, closest to East Ridgewood            Avenue
3495 – Capital Ordinance – Construction of Handicapped          Ramp at Graydon Pool Parking Lot ($35,000)–          Appropriates this money for the construction of            a handicapped ramp at the Graydon Pool parking          lot. The amount appropriated will be paid back            through a Community Development Block Grant.
3496 – Amend Chapter 249 – Streets and Sidewalks –          Barricades –Establishes the use of Village           barricades in residential areas as well as in           the Central Business District for various events
3497 – Amend Chapter 145 – Fees – Establish Deposit         Fees for Use of Barricades – Establishes a              deposit fee of $125 for the use of barricades in   residential areas and $500 as a one-time fee for     the use of Village barricades by groups,              churches, and non-profits. This deposit will be            returned as long as the barricades are returned        and are not damaged. If the barricades are not             returned or are damaged, the deposit will pay             for the replacement or repair of the barricades.
3498 – Establish Policy for Maintenance of Tree Wells –     Establishes a policy whereby the owner of a           property is responsible for the maintenance of            the interior of the tree wells located in/on the        sidewalk by weeding, removing debris and             maintaining the overall clean appearance of the          tree wells
3499 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic –                U-Turn Prohibition and Parking Restrictions at           Willard School –Establishes no U-Turns on               portions of Morningside Road and California           Street; no parking on portions of Morningside              Road and no stopping or standing areas on                 portions of Morningside Road in the area of           Willard School

15.  ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING

3485 – Prohibit U-Turns in Various Locations in Central     Business District
3486 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic –               Establish Stop Signs at Westbrook Road and             Norgate Drive
3487 – Amend Chapter 265 – Additional Valet Parking         Loading Zone – Chestnut Street
3488 – Lease of 1057 Hillcrest Road

16.  RESOLUTIONS

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 15-228 THROUGH
15-256 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL.  THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:

15-228    Title 59 Approval – Snowplowing Services –           Approves the plans and specifications for               Snowplowing Services (November 1, 2015                 through May 1, 2016, inclusive) in the                    Village of Ridgewood, prepared by the                Engineering Division, pursuant to Title 59
15-229    Award Contract – Snowplowing Services –                  Awards a contract to the lowest responsible            bidder, ConQuest Construction, 20 Carver               Avenue, Westwood, NJ
15-230    Award Contract – Snow Removal – Sidewalk and              Deck      Clearing Services – Awards a contract to        the lowest responsible bidder, Downes Tree               Service, Inc., 65 Royal Avenue, Hawthorne, NJ
15-231    Award Contract – Printing Services ($50,000)              –Awards a contract to Ridgewood Press, 609            Franklin Turnpike, Ridgewood, NJ. This is            necessary due to payments exceeding $17,500            with this vendor during the 2015 calendar            year.
15-232    Award Contract – Emergency Repairs of Graydon        Pool      Well (NTE $15,118.75) – Awards an                    emergency contract to Rinbrand Well Drilling              Co., Inc., 14 Waldron Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ
15-233    Award Professional Services Contract –                    Consulting Engineering Services – Ridgewood               Water (NTE $147,300) – Awards a no-bid                professional services contract to Arcadis              U.S., Inc., 17-17 Route 208 North, Fair Lawn,        NJ.  The required Pay to Play forms have been        filed.
15-234    Award Professional Services Contract –                    Emergency     Laboratory Services – Water                Department (NTE $33,865) – Awards a no-bid            professional services contract to Agra                 Environmental Laboratory Services, 90½ West               Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ.  The required           Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-235    Award Professional Services Contract – Lead               and Copper and Water Quality Parameter                   Testing &      Compliance Services – Ridgewood            Water (NTE $68,100) – Awards a no-bid                   professional services contract to Agra                    Environmental Laboratory Services, 90½ West               Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ.  The required           Pay to Play forms have been filed.
15-236    Award Professional Services Contract –                    Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of            Surface Water – Ridgewood Water (NTE $88,250)         – Awards a no-bid professional services                contract to Leggette, Brashears & Graham,            Inc., 600 East Crescent Avenue, Upper Saddle              River, NJ.  The required Pay to Play forms             have been filed.
15-237    Title 59 Approval – Siding Repairs to Traffic        and Signal Building – Approves the plans and               specifications for Siding Repairs to the               Traffic and Signal Building, 561 Prospect           Street, Glen Rock, NJ prepared by the                Engineering Division, pursuant to Title 59
15-238    Award Partial Contract – Siding Repairs to           Traffic and Signal Building (NTE $33,478.22)           – Awards a partial contract to the lowest              responsible bidder, Stone Creek, Inc., 10            First Street, Lodi, NJ
15-239    Award Professional Services Contract –                    Maintenance Agreement for SCADA System and           Software Support (NTE $15,625) – Water                 Pollution Control Facility –Awards a                  professional services contract to Keystone           Engineering Group, 590 Lancaster Avenue,             Suite 200, Frazer, PA
15-240    Award Contract Under State Contract – Ford
F-150 Pick-up Truck – Parking Utility (NTE           $29,335) – Awards a contract under State              contract to Winner Ford, 250 Berlin Road,            Cherry Hill, NJ
15-241    Award Contract Under State Contract –                Snowplows (NTE $9800) – Awards a contract            under State contract to Van Dine Motors,
135 Railroad Avenue, Hackensack, NJ
15-242    Award Contract Under State Contract –                Bulletproof Vests (NTE $22,800) – Awards a             contract under State contract to Lawmen                    Police Supply – New Jersey, 7115 Airport             Highway, Pennsauken, NJ
15-243    Authorize Change Order – Emergency Service           Repair to Water Pollution Control Facility           SCADA System (NTE $3,824.58) – Authorizes a            change order to Keystone Engineering Group,               590 Lancaster Avenue, Suite 200, Frazer, PA.         This change order is necessary for the labor           effort related to troubleshooting the                   existing Thickener Feed Pump #1 and Wet Well           Pump #3 controls in the WPCF’s SCADA system.
15-244    Rescind Change Order – Benjamin Franklin             Middle School Drop-Off – Rescinds the change           order awarded to J.A. Alexander, Inc., by               Resolution #15-216 on July 15, 2015, due to             the fact that the award was erroneously made,        based on a different contractor’s prices
15-245    Authorize Change Order – Benjamin Franklin           Middle School Drop-Off (NTE $89,000) –                 Authorizes a change order to Rockborn                  Trucking and Excavation, Inc., 12 Taylor             Road, Wharton, NJ.  This change order is             necessary in order to create a drop-off at              the Benjamin Franklin Middle School.
15-246    Authorize Change Order and Approve Agreement              with Washington Township – Paving – Hampshire        Road and Standish Road –Authorizes a change               order to Rockborn Trucking and Excavation,             Inc., 12 Taylor Road, Wharton, NJ.  The                   change order will allow the Village’s                contract to be amended to allow for paving             both the Ridgewood and Washington Township               sides of Hampshire Road and Standish Road.              It is agreed that Washington Township will           pay an amount not to exceed $118,000 for             this change order.
15-247    Approve Shared Services Agreement – Fuel             (Ridgewood Board of Education) – Approves a           Shared Services agreement with the Ridgewood           Board of Education for the remainder of 2015              and the full calendar year of 2016 to provide        designated vehicle fueling to designated              Board of Education vehicles
15-248    Approve Membership in Middlesex Regional             Educational Services Commission Cooperative            Purchasing Program – Approves the Village’s           membership in the Middlesex Regional                 Educational Services Commission Cooperative               Purchasing Program and authorizes the Village         Manager to enter into an agreement with the           Lead Agency for said Cooperative Purchasing               Program
15-249    Establish Green Business Recognition Program              –Establishes a Green Business Program which           will be administered by the Village of                 Ridgewood Green Team and will recognize                    businesses in the Village that practice and               promote sustainable practices
15-250    Approve Renewal of Liquor License – M & C            Drugs, Inc., t/a Harding Pharmacy – Approves            the annual renewal of the liquor license held          by M & C Drugs, Inc., t/a Harding Pharmacy
15-251    Approve Annual Renewal of Liquor Licenses –              Approves the annual renewal of liquor                licenses for Ridgewood Lodge No. 1455 BPOE,             and the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club
15-252    Approve Person to Person Liquor License                   Transfer – M & C Drugs, Inc. t/a Harding             Pharmacy to Maple Avenue Liquors, LLC –                 Approves the person to person transfer of the         liquor license held by M & C Drugs, Inc., t/a        Harding Pharmacy to Maple Avenue Liquors,            LLC.  The new owner of the liquor license           will retain it in pocket status, with no            licensed premise, until such time that a             suitable location is found to site the                    license.
15-253    Authorize Execution of Settlement Agreement               with NJDEP – Authorizes the execution of the
Stipulation of Settlement and Withdrawal of               Request for a Hearing Agreement and                authorizes the settlement of the matter in           the amount of $55,000.00
15-254    Hire Professional Consultant for COAH
(NTE $2000) – Approves the payment to Dr.            Burchell as the Principal Investigator to              prepare the Burchell Fair Share                         Analysis to establish the Village of                 Ridgewood’s obligation
15-255    Award Emergency Contract – Cleaning of Water              Tanks (NTE $27,000)- Awards a contract for            emergency services to Liquid Engineering           Corporation, 7 East Airpot Road, Billings,           Montana to achieve compliance with the USEPA              and NJDEP regulations
15-256    Award Contract – Leasing and Maintenance of               Police Vehicles (NTE $30,000) – Awards the             second year of a three-year contract to                  Enterprise Fleet Management, 1550 Route 23            North, Suite 101, Wayne, NJ

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 15-257 THROUGH
15-259, WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY AND READ IN FULL:

15-257    Acceptance of Open Space Committee                        Recommendations Concerning the Schedler                   Property
15-258    Apply for Grant – Schedler House
15-259    Award Contract – Financial Feasibility Study             for Hudson Street Parking Lot

17.  Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes    per person)

18.  Resolution to go into Closed Session

19.  Closed Session

20.  Adjournment

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Has the Mayor Aronsohn Delivered on his Promise to make government more responsive?

Paul_Aronsohn_theridgewood blog
file photo by Boyd Loving
Augusr 11,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood Nj , To quote Mayor Aronsohn , “Across the board, people just feel that our government should be more responsive,” Aronsohn said. “That responsiveness should come in the form of more fiscal responsibility, in the form of budgeting differently, in the form of better response to cleanup. And then it comes in the form of the daily stuff, not getting emails returned, not getting phone calls returned. We need to change that. We will change that.“The voters wanted new ideas and new commitment to do government right. That’s what the three of us will deliver,” he said.

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Meet the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld

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photo by Boyd Loving

Meet the Manager – Thursday, August 13 4:30 – 7:30PM

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld will hold office hours for Ridgewood residents and business owners on Thursday, August 13 between the hours of 4:30 to 7:30PM. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and provide input to Roberta. These sessions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals and will be held in the Court Room – on the Fourth Level of Ridgewood Village Hall. Please contact Beth Spinato at 201-670-5500, ext. 203 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but should realize that the schedule may already be booked. We will announce the schedule for these meetings on a monthly basis.

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Ridgewood wants to clear congestion at Village Hall parking lot

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JULY 29, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015, 9:11 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Finding a parking spot at the Village Hall lot has been tough sledding lately for some visitors to the municipal complex.

The arrival of summer means that many outdoor events are taking place at Veterans Field. The added hustle and bustle, along with regular events at the Ridgewood Public Library and day-to-day business at Village Hall, often causes the 153-space main lot to be full at various points during both the day and evening.

Earlier this month, discussion began on how the auxiliary lots on Linwood Avenue, one of which is at the other end of Veterans Field, could be better utilized in handling the parking needs of patrons attending overlapping events.

For example, on the evening of Tuesday, July 7, there was a Warren Grim tribute concert at Kasschau Shell, a baseball game, a Planning Board meeting at Village Hall and the library was hosting its knitting group, Mahjongg group and bicycle club.

Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who was present at the municipal complex that evening as a Planning Board member, characterized the parking situation as “dangerous.” She said some motorists were bottlenecking as they drove around waiting for a spot. Other cars were sitting idle while parallel to parking spaces, blocking in other cars.

Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli noted it was possible for a person to park in those spaces and then go anywhere in town, or perhaps even walk to the train station and travel to New York City. The only parking limits placed on the Village Hall lot is the presence of 36 yellow-striped spaces reserved for village employees, which expires at 4:30 p.m. each day. There are also 17 spaces reserved for staff members of the Ridgewood Library.

Currently, 89 spaces in the main lot and another 17 on North Maple Avenue are available for visitors to Village Hall and the Ridgewood Library.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/solutions-sought-to-clear-congestion-1.1382456

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RIDGEWOOD ARTS COUNCIL LAST CALL FOR ART

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RIDGEWOOD ARTS COUNCIL LAST CALL FOR ART

July 27,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) is placing a final call to all artists with a connection to Ridgewood to consider donating to a permanent art installation which will be housed throughout Ridgewood’s Village Hall. The intent of this installation, entitled Ridgewood Art at Village Hall, is to celebrate the wealth of talent among Ridgewood-related artists, past and present. We encourage contributors, 16 years and older, with a connection to

Ridgewood, to participate. Posthumous contributions from family members welcome. The process starts by artists e-mailing [email protected] for a short online submission form. Art can be in any medium and any size–fine art, photography, textile, mobile art and sculpture included. Deadline for submissions has been extended to August 1 so we urge all interested parties to submit ASAP. Once the installation is in place, we will be inviting our entire community to a gala launch event celebrating RAC and this new chapter of honoring the arts in Ridgewood!

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Ridgewood residents question timing of organizational restructuring

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file photo by Boyd Loving

JULY 23, 2015, 5:58 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015, 6:01 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — The council’s decision to appoint a human resources director was challenged last week by residents who suggested the hiring might have violated village ordinance.

Ridgewood’s council voted 3-2 on July 15 to update the ordinance that lays out the village’s organizational structure. The move formally establishes a human resources department and creates a director’s position for that department.

Roberta Sonenfeld, the village’s manager, said at last week’s council meeting that the ordinance was being updated to reflect operations in Village Hall.

Sharyn Matthews, director of the village’s new human resources department, was hired in the fall as a senior personnel assistant, earning $92,000. Matthews, whose pay will remain the same, holds degrees in labor relations and human resources from Cornell University and Mercy College and is certified as a senior human resources professional.

The changes approved by the council last week effectively eradicated the Department of Community Services, Sonenfeld said, while moving some of its subdivisions to other departments and adding some new positions.

“The intent of the ordinance,” Sonenfeld said, was to clean up the language in the code “to reflect what is and has been reality.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-residents-question-timing-of-organizational-restructuring-1.1379799

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Inconsistent Regard for the Village Code by Aronsohn, Pucciarelli, and Hauck

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file photo by Boyd Loving

July 21,2015
by:  Anne LaGrange Loving

Ridgewood NJ, Some of us are having trouble understanding what appear to be a contradiction in the actions and statements of Mayor Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli, and Councilwoman Hauck.  For the record, I pointed this out twice at public meetings (which did not result in an explanation of the discrepancy), and recently wrote to each of them for clarification (none replied).

In January of 2014, all three of them seemed pretty adamant that they did not want to violate the Village Code by hiring anyone into a position that did not exist (in that case, it was police officer positions in excess of the stated limit).  Quotes from the Minutes of the 01/29/2014 meeting include the following:

Mayor Aronsohn pointed out that the most important question to be answered is whether the Village is now in violation of what is permitted by the ordinance as far as police hires are concerned.  Mayor Aronsohn commented that the concerns are twofold: one is that the Village would not be in compliance with its own law, leading to the question of how to remedy that situation;

Councilwoman Hauck sees the current problem as an administrative problem and how it would appear if the ordinance were changed to facilitate an administrative error. She suggested that it might be better to wait until the next round of Police Academy candidates graduate, and hire new police officers in July. That would avoid being in violation of Village Code. Councilwoman Hauck said she feels uneasy about amending the current ordinance in order to bring people in prematurely.

Councilman Pucciarelli said that….for him, the issue is law enforcement, and the Village must obey its own laws.

How, then, do these statements fit in with their more recent actions regarding the hiring of a Human Resources Director (or Confidential Secretary, Senior Personnel Assistant, Senior Human Resources Professional or whatever the job title turned out to be) prior to the creation of this position and its official inclusion in the Village Code?   It seemed that in January of 2014 they were determined to follow the letter of the law, whereas in the this situation they decided it was acceptable to completely disregard the Village Code, and then re-write it after doing so.

Certainly the creation of an HR position was not an emergency, and due process could have been followed to first create the position and have it officially entered into the Village Code, and then to advertise the job and hire the appropriate person.  Our elected officials are put into office with a clear expectation that they will uphold the laws of our Village, in addition to their other duties.  It strikes me that in the case of this Human Resources position, they openly disregarded their own law, even when such was being pointed out to them by Councilman Sedon, Councilwoman Knudsen, and various members of the public.  No matter how badly they wanted a Human Resources person, the end does not justify the means.  We have a set of laws and procedures, and we expect our elected officials to follow them.

Until the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councilwoman Hauck clearly state why they acted one way in one instance, and quite the opposite in this instance, we taxpayers will be left feeling very uneasy.

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Village Hall: the economic demographics of Ridgewood make this a highly attractive town for burglaries

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Village of Ridgewood – E-Notice – Thursday, 09 July 2015

Dear E-Notice Residents,

Early this week we had a burglary on the west side of town – last week we had one as well. I wanted to drop everyone a note as a reminder as to how we best protect ourselves; the economic demographics of Ridgewood make this a highly attractive town for burglaries but there are many things that we can do together to deter this.

First and foremost if you see anything or anyone suspicious please call our Police Department. Look out for your neighbors. Also, try to make your home look like it’s occupied – for example, take your newspapers in, try not to leave dry cleaning on your front door, leave a car in the driveway, and put your lights, tv and/or radio on timers so they are on during the proper times. Also, please make sure that your doors are locked. If you have two sets of doors, i.e. a storm/screen door and a regular entry door insure both are locked – locking just the screen door (which tends to be easier to force open) is not sufficient. Close and lock your garage door; one of our burglaries recently was the theft of a bicycle out of a garage. In fact we have had a significant number of bike thefts so putting bicycles away is a good idea as well. When you are leaving your home for an extended period of time, you can call our Police Department and let them know. Also, if you leave your car outside, please make sure that nothing of value is visible within the car and that it is locked – entering a car and stealing is common and can largely be avoided.

I am by no means minimizing the level of burglaries in Ridgewood this year but the metrics indicate that this is similar to last year. We have had 9 residential burglaries and 3 attempts this year versus 10 last year during the same time frame. We remain a very safe community with a top notch law enforcement capability.

In the last two weeks the two west side burglaries were in the Old Country Club area, and last fall we saw a number of burglaries on the east side of our Village. We see this concentration of activity in a particular area for a time and then it seems to shift to another section of town or other municipalities. The Police Department is actively investigating these crimes and they are a priority.

Have a safe, relaxing and wonderful summer, Roberta

Best regards,

Roberta

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HR addition spurs debate in Ridgewood

Village_Manager_Roberta_Sonenfeld_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

JUNE 19, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ordinances were introduced last week by the Village Council reflecting changes in the organizational structure of Village Hall, a cleanup of salary ranges for village employees and elimination of unused titles.

The new ordinance institutes a Human Resources department and creates a free-standing Department of Health, moving it out from under the umbrella of the Department of Community Services, which was eliminated. The Division of Assessments was moved to the Finance Department and a director title was created in the Building Department to accurately reflect recent hires.

“This is both a cleanup and reflects some strategic moves we’ve made with both the Building Department and with the Department of Human Resources,” said Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld.

Discussion of the ordinances took place at a June 3 meeting, where Sonenfeld explained the Human Resources department would also assume supervisory roles in the Employee Benefits and Payroll Administration functions of the government.

Councilman Michael Sedon, who voted against the introduction of the ordinances, said the first time he heard there would be a full-time Human Resources department was at the first budget hearing in February. Sedon said he did not have an opportunity to give input on such a service, which he believed was already being provided.

 

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/hr-addition-spurs-debate-1.1358917

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Let’s set the record straight, Mayor Aronsohn

Village _council_meeting_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving
June 11th 2015
Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council meeting (06/10/2015), Mayor Paul Aronsohn boasted that he and other members the current Council were personally responsible for enhancing the public comment segment(s) of Village Council meetings by increasing the amount of speaking time allotted from 3 minutes to 5 minutes per individual speaker.

In reality, the 5 minute time limit per individual speaker was established by Ordinance 2442, which was adopted on January 11, 1994.  Neither Mr. Aronsohn, nor any other current Village Council member, served on the Council at that time.

On July 11, 2014, a resident became aware that the then in place 3 minute time limit per individual speaker was not consistent with what was established by Ordinance 2442 (a 5 minute time limit), and made Village Clerk Heather Mailander aware of the discrepancy.

Subsequent to receipt of this resident’s advisory, Ms. Mailander notified Mr. Aronsohn and other Council members of the issue and the time limit was adjusted to be consistent with the aforementioned ordinance.

I do so wish that Mr. Aronsohn would stop stretching the truth to bolster his political career.

Fortunately, some of us have been around long enough to remember things as they actually happened as opposed to the “world according to Paul Aronsohn.”

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Registration – Ridgewood Summer Day Camp – Sign Up Now

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Ridgewood Summer Day Camp 2015

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Summer Day Camp is best described as days filled with fresh air, sunshine, new friends, fun, games, and special memories. Favorite annual events include a talent show, Graydon Pool splash party, carnival and special theme days. New events will include a visit from EquiShare/PonyShare, complete with pony stations to learn about grooming and feeding, with introduction to instructional riding. U.S. Sports Institute will offer a fun olympic event, Total Golf Adventures will provide golfing instruction, UnderGround Skateshop will provide exciting skateboard demonstrations, and we will offer a Day Camp Movie Night on the Beach at Graydon (free to all campers and their families).

The 2015 summer season will begin on Tuesday, June 30th, and run for six weeks through Friday, August 7th. Village children entering grades 1 through 6 will enjoy arts and crafts, organized games, swimming, special events and optional trips. Camp will be held at The Stable, Graydon Pool, Maple Park, Veteran’s Field, the Community Center at Village Hall and Leuning Park, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Children are to bring/purchase* a lunch and beverage. Bus transportation from Village locations is available to all. Locate the Parent Manual on our Recreation homepage at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation. This important source of information should be reviewed with your child to avoid confusion and concerns children may have.

*New this year, a variety of healthy sack lunches will be available for purchase from the Water’s Edge Café at Graydon Pool with daily delivery to camp. MUST PRE-ORDER. Visit the Recreation homepage referenced above to view details on how to order, as well as the variety of lunches offered.

The registration fee for camp is $525.00, which includes two camp T-shirts and optional bus transportation. Off-site trips are optional with limited space; prices vary and registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. All campers must possess a 2015 Graydon Pool membership badge. Visit www.ridgewoodnj.net/graydon to purchase online via Community Pass.

Don’t wait as camp is filling quickly. Registration will be accepted from April 1 through June 15, 2015 as space allows. You may register online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass (payment by Visa/Mastercard). For registration assistance and/or special needs, please visit the Recreation Office at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, or call the office at 201-670-5560.

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Ridgewood Arts Council hopes to leave lasting impact

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APRIL 24, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

When a handful of residents resurrected the Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC) last year, there was little doubt cast that the group’s members would struggle to make their mark. Now, they’re preparing to leave a lasting legacy.

Members of the RAC along with their friends and other interested residents, some 20 in total, met Tuesday night to discuss the progress of the organization and its current initiatives while rallying support of the abundance of creativity in the village.

“We all know that Ridgewood has a thriving arts community, whether it’s in painting, singing, dancing, and culinary arts. There’s so much here,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said during the evening’s welcome. “This is a great organization to bring it all together and make it available for everyone to see.”

In an effort to bring various art forms together, the RAC has launched a campaign to create “Ridgewood Art at Village Hall,” a permanent art display that would adorn the interior walls and halls of the municipal building. This week, the first eight art pieces donated for exhibit consideration were presented for viewing.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/new-group-hopes-to-leave-lasting-impact-1.1317697

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ACCESS FOR ALL COMMUNITY FORUM” ON APRIL 25 at the Village Hall

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April 12, 2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco today announced that the Department of Human Services Division on Disability Services will hold an Access for All Community Forum on Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Ridgewood Village Hall 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.

This summit is for municipal Access for All Committees in the County of Bergen to come together and discuss local issues, challenges and new initiatives that other towns can emulate. Public officials, safety personnel & volunteers, as well as concerned residents, are invited to attend. Topics will include programs, resources for municipalities, grant opportunities, housing, emergency services, and problem solving.

Moderators include: Freeholder Chairwoman Dr. Joan M. Voss; Freeholders Tracy Silna Zur and Maura DeNicola; Jim Thebery, M.A., CSW, Director Div. on Disability Services; and Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn.

Please join us………..this will be a unique opportunity to hear from all the Access for All Committees to share ideas, learn from others and find out new and creative ways to interact and work together on projects. This is a wonderful event, not to be missed.

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Village Council and Village Board Meetings

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file photo by Boyd Loving

04/07/157:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting – Village Hall Court RoomAvailable
04/08/158:00PMVillage Council Public MeetingAvailable
04/14/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting
04/21/157:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting – Village Hall Court Room
04/22/157:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session
04/28/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Work Session
05/05/157:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting – Village Hall Court Room
05/06/157:30PMVillage Council Public Work Session
05/12/157:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting

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Reader says At this point, every agenda item that this Council majority brings to the table is worthy of a second look

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file photo by Boyd Loving

In a broader sense, this issue is like many others in that we have a Council majority that meets separately from the entire Council and outside the public eye. They come to each Council meeting with their own agenda and publicly humiliate any non-majority Council member that questions or disagrees with their agenda.

Whether these 3 violate the Sunshine laws is a topic for another post. Or maybe a special prosecutor. Regardless, the sad truth is that Ridgewood is being run by 3 individuals that think they know better than the rest of us. They preach transparency while they exclude their constituents and Council mates from the governing process. They preach civility as they engage in petty name calling and public condescension. They insult our intelligence by acting this way and thinking that nobody notices such blatant hypocrisy.

Let’s hope that Ms. Knudsen and Mr. Sedon have the courage to stand up to these 3 every step of the way. At this point, every agenda item that this Council majority brings to the table is worthy of a second look