Village of Ridgewood - Page 245 of 375

Posted on January 19, 2017January 18, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

PSE&G Ridgewood Central Business District WORK ALERT !

file photo by Boyd Loving

January 18,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, from the desk of the Mayor Susan Knudsen, During the PSE&G construction, parking spaces are needed for PSE&G’s work area, their equipment, and to shift traffic in order to maintain 2-way traffic as much as possible. The parking spaces which will be taken on various streets in the CBD from Jan. 19 through Jan. 31 are as follows:

• Thursday 1/19 Installation of Precast Manhole on North Broad St near E. Ridgewood)
• Total of 9 Spaces West Side of North Broad St (NJ Transit Side)
• Total of 13 Spaces on East Side of North Broad St (Merchant Side)

• Friday 1/20 Installation of Precast Manhole Near Taxi Stand ( North Broad St Near Franklin Ave )
• Total of 13 Spaces on East Side of North Broad St – From Franklin Ave to Driveway After Bicycle Shop

• Monday 1/23 to Tuesday 1/31 Enlarge Existing Manhole #24 Working on South Broadway between Hudson and E. Ridgewood Ave
• 8 Spaces on South Broad St on West Side between Hudson and E. Ridgewood Ave – Road will be closed to traffic and detour will be in place.
• 1 Space on Prospect St and E. Ridgewood on West Curb
• 1 Space on Prospect St and E. Ridgewood on East Curb (Next to Town & Country)
• 2 Spaces on Prospect St since traffic is detoured on to Prospect St to help with the extra volume of cars turning in both directions on to E. Ridgewood Ave.

Posted on January 18, 2017January 18, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

PUBLIC HEARINGS — AS MANY AS 9 — PLANNED ON NJ SCHOOL FUNDING

file photo by Boyd Loving

JOHN MOONEY | JANUARY 17, 2017

Democrats Sweeney and Prieto will pursue individual approaches to funding reform

Get ready to hear a lot more about school funding in New Jersey.

This week will start what could amount to nine separate public hearings in the next month about the state of school funding for New Jersey’s public schools, all driven by the somewhat fractured Democratic leadership of the Legislature.

The first is scheduled for today before the Joint Committee for the Public Schools, a hearing that has long been on the docket.

The next day will be the initial hearing before the Assembly’s education committee at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the State House. Another is planned before a new Senate select committee next week, on January 27, at Kingsway Regional High School in Woolwich at 11 a.m. The next three have yet to be scheduled.

And this is all before Gov. Chris Christie unveils his state budget for fiscal 2017, in which a third of state spending will be aid to schools. It’s anyone’s guess as to what he will put forward.

Christie has been pushing to scuttle the state’s current formula-driven funding plan, instead providing the same amount of state aid per pupil for every district, no matter the need.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/01/16/public-hearings-as-many-as-9-planned-on-school-funding/?utm_campaign=Observer_NJ_Politics&utm_content=New%20Campaign&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

Posted on January 18, 2017January 18, 2017 by James — 5 Comments

Reader calls Commuter Parking Rates “outright price gouging”

outright price gouging foisted on commuters too late in the year to explore options in any meaningful way.the eight hour max really shafted those who used coins to do daily commuter payment as option.

Parkmobile means you have to do the 9.55 Parkmobile input from work and test those 8 hours while the Parking police as just laying for those who try to do a just in time on the front or back end of those eight hour max.then you can get a ticket on repeat parking if you try to add an hour buffer later on in the day.

Parkmobile Admin function shows repeat parking to the police.then they write you up on the 8 hour max.meantime you are at work or committing home to move the car to your home.Its all by design folks..the 750/1000 VIP pass extortion for workers who need to take the train where bus is not practical.

Posted on January 18, 2017January 21, 2019 by James — 1 Comment

Ridgewood Public Schools Ranked 13th in Niche.com New Jersey School Rankings

January 18,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The 2017 Best School Districts ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, public school district ratings, and more.

Niche bills itself as a website that helps you discover the schools and neighborhoods that are right for you. We rigorously analyze dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews to produce comprehensive rankings, report cards, and profiles for every K-12 school, college, and neighborhood in the U.S.

Their ranking system assesses 10,364 U.S. public school districts. The same methodology is used to produce the Overall Niche Grade for each ranked school district as well as additional school districts. Statistics obtained from the U.S. Department of Education represent the most recent data available, usually from 2014–2016, as self-reported by the school districts.

They rated Tenafly Public Schools number 6,Fair Lawn School District 15th, Glen Rock Public School District 19th,
Pascack Valley Regional High School District 27, Mahwah Township Public Schools 28,Park Ridge Public Schools 33,Cresskill Public School District 35, and Paramus Public Schools 39.

Posted on January 18, 2017January 17, 2017 by James — 10 Comments

Ridgewood Councils Multifaceted Approach to Parking

Their platform was a multifaceted approach. They did discuss tiered parking prices for commuters, one way streets with diagonal parking, a garage, subsidizing Uber, parking apps, possibly using the Zabriskie lot, employee parking, etc. The council discussed the parking rates in October and November, before voting on it. I don’t believe any member of the public complained about the price being tiered higher as you got closer to the train. The Financial Advisory Committee suggested raising the commuter passes as well as the meters, especially the meters on the streets closer to the train station (75 cents and hour was suggested). The council chose to keep the meters the same, except to lower 60 meters at Cottage to 25 cents an hour for CBD employee parking. These were both done to try to entice more people to use the Cottage Street lot, which remains mostly empty all day.
When the previous council was planning a garage, they said the garage would be mostly for patrons of the CBD. They said commuter parking would be on the upper levels.

Say the garage was built at Hudson. If 2 cars started from the same location, one drove directly to the Cottage lot, parked, & walked to the train platform. The other car drove directly to a garage at Hudson Street, drove round and round to the 3rd level, parked, came down to street level, and walked to the train platform- my guess is that the timing would be pretty much the same.

Posted on January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 by James — 1 Comment

Sex Pistol’s Guitarist, STEVE JONES, will sign his new book: Lonely Boy at Bookends in Ridgewood

January 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Thursday, January 19th @ 6:00pm Sex Pistol’s Guitarist, STEVE JONES, will sign his new book: Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol ($26.99).

Stephen Philip “Steve” Jones (born 3 September 1955) is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as a guitarist with the Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop. He was ranked in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.

Click the Link below to preorder:
https://mkt.com/bookends

Rolling Stone , “As a whole, the book provides a fresh look at the punk movement 40 years removed from the release of Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, and it presents an unflinching, sometimes even uncomfortable self-portrait of Steve Jones. “I did wonder, ‘Do I want to let everyone know this?’ about some of the stuff in there,” he says. “But I decided, ‘Fuck it. Whatever.'”

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.

Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.

While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726

Posted on January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 by James — 18 Comments

Reader says overpriced Commuter parking is a Ridgewood quality of life Issue

The village should not make commuter parking a profit center. People already live in town and pay taxes. Shouldn’t they get something in return?

And once they purchase an overpriced pass don’t play musical chairs with them. A pass should relate to an actual parking spot. Telling someone to leave home earlier just means that a different person will miss out on parking.

I don’t commute by train but it seems like the town is making an unpleasant commute even worse.

There has been a real focus on fees and petty ticketing in town. Are we that desperate for revenue that we go after the taxpayers? This is becoming a petty police state. Where is the quality of life?

Posted on January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 by James — 5 Comments

Snow Blowers at 1:30am retribution for the complaints that have come from neighborhood residents over the past year or so regarding Health Barn

January 17,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, as previously reported a Habernickel Park residents reported that on Saturday night January 14, at 1:30 AM (so by then it was early Sunday morning) loud talking, trucks, and snow blowing was taking place in Habernickel Park. As we all know, it was a light dusting of powdery snow, not a snow storm by any stretch. Most of us got by with doing no shoveling at all, since it was warm today and melted. At best a little salt on the sidewalks at Habernickel would have done the trick, spread by one quiet employee. This could have been done Sunday morning after 6 AM, long before anyone might be walking in the park. Two trucks, two men, loud and obnoxious when people were sleeping. How much did this cost in overtime on a Saturday night??? Could this have been some kind of retribution for the complaints that have come from neighborhood residents over the past year or so regarding Health Barn, safety issues, etc?

Posted on January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

Summons Issued at Ackerman Avenue and Bellair Road Vehicle Collision in Ridgewood

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page

January 17,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A two (2) vehicle crash at the intersection of Ackerman Avenue and Bellair Road in Ridgewood on Monday, 01/16 resulted in the issuance of one (1) summons by Ridgewood PD and the removal of both damaged vehicles by a flatbed tow truck. Ridgewood FD and EMS also responded, however all individuals refused medical aid

Posted on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by James — Leave a comment

Showdown looming over school funding formula

Nicholas Pugliese , State House Bureau, @nickpugzPublished 6:42 p.m. ET Jan. 13, 2017 | Updated 2:59 a.m. ET Jan. 14, 2017

Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto lobbed news releases back and forth this week urging each other to get serious about reforming the state’s school funding formula.

In the meantime, they announced separate, uncoordinated Senate and Assembly hearings to collect testimony that would form the basis for legislation to fix the current system, which is widely acknowledged to give unequal treatment to students and taxpayers in different parts of the state. Assembly hearings begin Wednesday; Senate hearings begin Jan. 27.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/01/13/showdown-looming-over-school-funding-formula/96558178/?utm_campaign=Observer_NJ_Politics&utm_content=New%20Campaign&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

Posted on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by James — 2 Comments

Reader says even Garagzilla had very very limited Ridgewood commuter parking spaces

Ridgewood is a walkable, commuter town and has always been that way. Buy a home near town and you walk to your commute. Many do live within walking distance but choose not to for a variety of reasons.

When I moved to town it was a known quantity that parking near the train was limited, get there by 7 or walk. This was when the car dealerships were in business and there was no parking in Hudson street lot for commuters.

Lastly, even garagzilla would have been very very limited in number of commuter parking as it was always intended for shoppers and diners to support the CBD. The fact hat it could support many commuters would only be relevant if store employees and shoppers were unwilling to park 3 flights up to grab a coffee. And even then commuters who are so rushed in the morning would have to park on the highest level and walk over.

Posted on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by James — 7 Comments

Reader says commuting sucks and commuting via NJ transit sucks more

13247739 852213608216304 3622076006579164538 o

We all understand commuting sucks and commuting via NJ transit sucks more, but that still doesn’t mean you need to act like a mean, arrogant, jerk. Commuter issues are not more important to anyone else’s issues. And guess what to the other posters ranting on facebook? you can leave your house earlier to park farther. Or you can stop buying the expensive passes, park elsewhere and see if decreased demand reduces prices. You knew the situation when you moved here or at least should have

Posted on January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by James — 12 Comments

Snow Blowers at 1:30 am Saturday Night at Habernickel Park in Ridgewood

January 16,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, A resident up by Habernickel Park reported that on Saturday night January 14, at 1:30 AM (so by then it was early Sunday morning) loud talking, trucks, and snow blowing was taking place in Habernickel Park. As we all know, it was a light dusting of powdery snow, not a snow storm by any stretch. Most of us got by with doing no shoveling at all, since it was warm today and melted. At best a little salt on the sidewalks at Habernickel would have done the trick, spread by one quiet employee. This could have been done Sunday morning after 6 AM, long before anyone might be walking in the park. Two trucks, two men, loud and obnoxious when people were sleeping. How much did this cost in overtime on a Saturday night??? Could this have been some kind of retribution for the complaints that have come from neighborhood residents over the past year or so regarding Health Barn, safety issues, etc?

It took over 8 months to get a fence repaired up there, even though it was reported repeatedly. Surely that was more urgent (and more of a safety issue) than a dusting of snow at 1:30 in the morning

Posted on January 16, 2017January 15, 2017 by James — 1 Comment

Reader says We are doing a lot of fiddling here over side issues in Ridgewood

We are doing a lot of fiddling here over side issues. The real problem staring us in the face for commuters, parkers, taxpayers…in other words, all residents, is the massive apartment structures approved by Paul Aronson and his team just before he left office. (Saurabh, by the way, is one of the few who gets the magnitude of the problem left to us and who is trying to speak up and do something about it.)

Aronson sold off the town and his fellow citizens to developers. The question now is what is the current council doing to correct the problem. They have taken some initial steps, and that has been great, but further action is needed. Rather than worrying about whether or not there are 10 airbnb units in town, we need to be concerned about how many hundreds or thousands of new families are going to be shoved into our downtown. What will the effect be on our schools? On our taxes? On our Village way of life?

Speak up to the council about those issues before its too late. Quit worrying about how many cars are parked in your neighbor’s driveway, and let’s give some serious thoughts to a real danger.