Ridgewood NJ, Its the idea we have the problem with not the people proposing it. Folks is manners learn them they are not just for other people.While we have been told in no uncertain terms, that this is “nothing like the anti-free speech civility committee” we are always concerned and suspicious about “good intentions” of people as well as the whole idea of “intolerance” seems to have morphed into ; if you say anything I disagree with you are automatically “intolerant” . This is not a justification for poor manners but sorry folks there is just some bull sh$t no one should have to put up with. There we go with the”normalization of hateful rhetoric and behavior”. So another words if I don’t do or say exactly what you like and what you want all the time I am hateful. No that’s not going to work sorry just watch TMZ or any of your favorite garbage on TV and you will see nothing but the atrocious behavior.Oh that’s right the rules are different for some of us I forgot but again we saw too much of that with the ex-Hudson county Mayor Ridgewood used to have so I think I’ll pass on that as well.
Friends,
Some residents and I in New Jersey have created a movement called ‘Gate The Hate’ in which we are reaching out to our local town leaders/clergy and getting them to make a statement against intolerance. Below is a video statement that the mayor of the town where I reside just put forth last night as a result of our outreach.
The purpose is to get our local leaders to publicly acknowledge the normalization of hateful rhetoric and behavior, to treat it as non-partisan and to publicly condemn it. This action should not be seen as a ‘one off and we’re all good’ affair but in terms of creating a relationship with our local leaders which can be built upon.
Our hope is to have this action spread from town to town and across our country. If you are interested in learning more or becoming involved, please pm me.
Thanks for your time and all of your effort to protect our great nation.
Ridgewood NJ, The adult male driver of a Ford Thunderbird failed to observe a “Dead End” sign and drove his vehicle into a drainage ditch on Franklin Avenue near the PSE&G right-of-way in Ridgewood on Thursday evening, 12/15. The undamaged vehicle was winched out of its predicament by a hydraulic lift tow truck. The driver, who was attempting to locate the Bone Fish Grill in Paramus, was uninjured in the mishap. Ridgewood PD officers stood by with the driver until towing company representatives arrived.
Ridgewood NJ, one of Paul Aronsohn’s babies and was clearly set up as a ruse to manipulate spending priorities, like pushing Garagezilla. Where is the Value Added for The Taxpayer from the Financial Advisory Committee?
At the time Councilman Tom Riche “expressed some trepidation that the governing body might surrender some of its decision-making powers by forming a new committee.” (from the RidgewoodNews)
In May a reader suggested, a reader said the Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!
NAME TERM EXPIRES
Charles DiMarco 6/30/17
Alex Kisilevich 6/30/17
Brian Lahey 6/30/17
Evan Weitz – Chair 6/30/18
Rei Shinozuka 6/30/18
John Cavanaugh 6/30/19
David Hough 6/30/19
Robert Kotch 6/30/19
Nick Whitney 6/30/19
Councilman Jeff Voigt is the Council liaison
MISSION AND BY-LAWS
Establishment:
A new committee known as the “Financial Advisory Committee” was created by the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood on April 24, 2013, by Resolution No. 13-88.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The Committee is hereby charged with the following duties and responsibilities:
The Committee shall assist the Village Council by marshaling and channeling its expertise and insight to complement the judgment of the Village Council and Village management with respect to financial matters.
The Committee shall identify both short- and long-term financial challenges. As potential issues are raised, the Committee shall study selected issue(s) at its own initiative and at the request of the Village Council and recommend solutions/potential actions to the Village Council.
The Committee shall have ongoing responsibility for the following:
Analyze and evaluate the annual Village budget process (expense and capital) and the resultant budget, to advise the Village Council in their decision-making process to ensure that necessary revenues are raised in an equitable manner and that taxes are spent effectively and efficiently.
Review the quarterly financial reports and the current year’s revenue and expenditure projections.
Advise on the development and implementation of effective financial reporting policies and procedures for the Village Council and Village management that build upon and retain the public’s faith and trust in the Village’s policies and procedures.
Assist in the review and improvement of organizational structures and recurring contracts arrangements, including collective bargaining agreements, with due regard for applicable legal requirements governing civil service, procurement and labor relations.
Provide an annual report to the Council.
The Committee may also perform the following:
Study critical issues and perform independent research to formulate and develop thoughtful and well-developed recommendations on strategies and opportunities.
Provide a forum for community education and discussion concerning the financial condition of the Village and various alternatives for improvement.
Meetings:
The Committee shall meet once per month and/or on an as-needed basis. Decisions shall be made by consensus and if necessary, by majority vote. The minutes for regular monthly meetings shall be kept, transcribed, and made available to the Village and Council and such other Village officials as the Village Manager shall direct. Public comment will be requested at the beginning of a meeting and will be capped at 3 minutes per person; public comment will not exceed 15 minutes. The Committee may also hold closed working sessions as needed.
Composition and Terms:
The Committee shall comprise up to nine (9) regular members of the public appointed by the Village Council, a liaison from the Village Council, and a liaison from the Department of Finance of the Village at the discretion of the Council and the Village Manager. The public members of the Committee shall be appointed on July 1 of each calendar year and serve for a term of three (3) years, with the exception of the initial Committee appointed as of July 1, 2013, with three members appointed for a term of three (3) years, two members appointed for a term of two (2) years, and two members appointed for a term of one (1) year.
If a public member resigns, the Village Council shall appoint a replacement as
soon as possible to serve out the remainder of his/her term. The Financial Advisory Committee, through the Village Council liaison, will provide input into this process.
Ridgewood NJ, Councilman Voigt has a message for residents about his ruthless attacks,”I can’t and won’t apologize. I don’t intend to and I just want to make sure people know that.”
In a comment to the Ridgewood blog,similar to one posted on Facebook Councilman Voigt Says He will Continue to Speak Out:
“Nice to see all the comments.Actually, I am quite consistent in how I treat people. When I find that someone is abjectly unfair, deceitful to others, and violates the Faulkner Act, I will speak out. We need this in government. I would be happy to speak to any anonymous person above about what occurred any why you should be concerned.
Ridgewood NJ, Jeff Voigt’s announcement last week about the library turns out to have been premature. Mayor Knudsen had to announce that the library is only in very preliminary discussion and was in no way prepared to publicly announce a 5 million dollar renovation that would involve the library being closed for a year. Good job Councilman Voigt, jumping the gun unprofessionally and getting everyone riled up for no reason. Boyd Loving later suggested that the library should include the Village Council in the process of their plans and pipe dreams, rather than presenting The Nancy Green Palace as a fait accompli.
Mayor Knudsen also announced that subsequent to last week’s meeting, at which Councilman Voigt verbally accosted Mayor Knudsen, she and her council colleagues received numerous emails from residents complaining about the behavior of Mr. Voigt. As she began to explain that the council will aspire toward civility moving forward, Mr. Voigt unbelievably attempted to rudely interrupt her as she spoke. When she politely asked him to wait, he did so. Upon completing her report, she ceded the floor to Councilman Voigt. He then lit into her, referred to her only as Susan, not as the Mayor, and called her comments and actions deceitful, disrespectful, and stated that she disregarded other people who actually care about this town (meaning that Mayor Knudsen does not actually care about this town). Yes, he said those and things, and he went on to say that he cannot and will not and does not intend to apologize for anything he said. This guy is Albert Pucciarelli without the toupee.
Ridgewood NJ, It would appear that the barrage of negative social media posts regarding the Ridgewood Public Library’s planned $5 million “interior renovation and expansion of the current auditorium” have caught the library’s Board of Trustees completely by surprise. So much so that Mayor Susan Knudsen read a prepared statement during Wednesday night’s Village Council meeting in which the Board of Trustees claim that their discussions about renovating “. . . thus far have been merely speculative.”
Councilman Jeffery Voigt, who is the Village Council’s liaison to the Library Board, had publicly reported the Library’s renovation plan on December 7. Immediately following his report, The Ridgewood Blog and other social media sites were flooded with reader comments about the grandiose renovation plans. The Library Board of Trustees’ prepared statement, read by Mayor Knudsen, claimed that Voigt’s comments “. . . should not have served as an announcement.”
A review of Library Board of Trustees meeting minutes will determine if Councilman Voigt’s December 7 report was indeed accurate.
Well the meeting is over and Voigt not only didn’t apologize but reiterated his baseless accusations and in the same disrespectful tone and words. The public dosen’t hear the message as loudly as how it is said. He doesn’t understand that people think less of him because of his behavior. I voted for him but would not do it again not to mention his parking flyer with his name printed in large letters across the top. He is one of 5 and it is evident that everyone is working on a parking solution. He is clueless to the fact that he is acting just like our past mayor and cronies and their candidates were rejected in a land slide decision in May.
Ridgewood NJ, If any residents are missing UPS or Fed Ex packages that were scheduled to be delivered to your home today please confirm with the carrier that they were delivered. If the items were confirmed delivered and are missing contact Detective Shortway of the Ridgewood Police Department 201-251-4536. We are currently in possession of several articles recovered during an investigation into package thefts.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
324 PM EST WED DEC 14 2016
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM TO 6 PM EST THURSDAY...
...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT...
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN
CONNECTICUT...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.
WIND ADVISORY.
HIGH WIND WATCH.
A VERY COLD AIR MASS WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY...AND REMAIN INTO SATURDAY MORNING. SUB ZERO WIND CHILLS
ARE LIKELY...FIRST IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS ON THURSDAY...THEN
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. HIGH TEMPERATURES
SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 20S...AND LOW TEMPERATURES THURSDAY NIGHT
SHOULD FALL TO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
&&
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL
WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER EVENTS THAT MAY REACH NWS WARNING
CRITERIA. MOST LONG FUSED NWS WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN
EFFECT ARE HIGHLIGHTED.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS FORECASTS FOR WEATHER NOT MEETING NWS
WARNING CRITERIA.
Ridgewood Nj, What is happening to Councilman Voigt? Since his appointment, many say they’ve witnessed Jeff Voight lash out and verbally attack residents and fellow council members. One resident said, “Pre-election Voigt and post-election Voigt are two very different people. His aggressive behavior is a threat to everyone and we should all be very concerned.”
What triggers the outbursts? A disorder? Some say, it appears as though Councilman Voigt has an ASSIGNED agenda. If anyone or thing poses a threat to that, it must be plowed down.
Recent complaints prompted a review of committees, their function and bylaws. When Councilman Voigt realized the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) was included, he lashed out, made false accusations and tried desperately to invalidate the fiduciary practice of rules and regulations. Of course now the question is, why is Voigt so protective of the FAC and what is he afraid a review will uncover?
What is your take? His recent attack, on Mayor Knudsen, can be seen on this clip.
Youth sports are a problem for parents. Kids love to play games and run around.
Parents ruin everything when they focus on travel teams, 11 month sports and private coaches. They can’t make up for what never happened in their youth.
Look at the parents who still post photos on Facebook of their kids playing sports. The kids are in college and the parents are afraid that we will forget that their kid is playing for a DIII school. No one cares!
Ridgewood NJ, A former gymnastics coach has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting one of his athletes when she was under the age of 13 multiple times in the late 1980s and early 1990s, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park and Cranford Police Chief James Wozniak jointly announced Tuesday.
Thomas Waddell, 54, of Ridgewood, was arrested at his home without incident on Friday.
The arrest was the result of a nine-month investigation initiated by the Cranford Police Department and jointly involving the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Sheets, who is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was launched when the victim wrote a letter to the New Jersey State Police describing the crimes committed against her, Sheets said.
According to the investigation, Waddell was working at the defunct Eastern Gymnastics Academy in Cranford in 1989 when he first started coaching the victim, then a Cranford resident.
Bail for Waddell was set at $75,000 with no cash allowance, and he was ordered not to contact the victim and to surrender his passport as conditions of his bail.
Anyone with information about Waddell’s activities is being urged to contact Special Victims Unit Detective Brian O’Malley at 908-220- 4323 or Cranford Police Detective Spencer Durkin at 908-709- 7346.
Ridgewood NJ, The National Weather Service advises to follow suggestions and safety tips below to prepare for cold weather. If you are in need of a place to stay warm, we suggest going to the Ridgewood Library.
Prepare for Cold Weather
The way to avoid frostbite and hypothermia is to plan for extreme cold before it arrives. Don’t get caught unprepared.
Check the Forecast at weather.gov or your favorite weather app, station, etc.: Make checking the forecast part of your regular routine so you’ll know when to expect cold weather.
Adjust Your Schedule: If possible, adjust your schedule to avoid being outside during the coldest part of the day, typically the early morning. Try to find a warm spot for your children while waiting for the school bus outside.
Protect Your Pets, Livestock and other Property: If you have pets for farm animals, make sure they have plenty of food and water, and are not overly exposed to extreme cold. Take precautions to ensure your water pipes do not freeze. Know the temperature thresholds of your plants and crops.
Fill up the tank: Make sure your car or vehicle has at least a half a tank of gas during extreme cold situations so that you can stay warm if you become stranded.
Dress for the outdoors even if you don’t think you’ll be out much.
Update Your Winter Car Survival Kit: Make sure your car survival kit has the following:
Jumper cables: might want to include flares or reflective triangle
Flashlights: with extra batteries
First Aid Kit: remember any necessary medications, baby formula and diapers if you have a small child
Food: non-perishable food such as canned food and a can opener, and protein rich foods like nuts and energy bars
Water: at least 1 gallon of water per person a day for at least 3 days
Basic toolkit: pliers, wrench, screwdriver
Pet supplies: food and water
Radio: battery or hand cranked
Cat litter or sand: for better tire traction
Shovel to dig out snow
Ice scraper for your windshild
Clothes: warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes for the cold
Blankets or sleeping bags
Charged Cell Phone: and car charger
Have you heard of The 12 Nights of Christmas? Also known as Secret Santa, I came across this concept years ago while reading “In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas” by Dan Schaeffer. In the back was a chapter describing his family tradition modeled after the 12 days of Christmas. Beginning on December 13 and ending on Christmas Eve, the family left a treat along with a cute poem on a neighbor’s porch every evening. The whole idea was to teach kids that giving was just as fun as receiving.
Twelve nights sneaking around the neighborhood playing ding dong ditch? How fun! I especially loved the idea of helping my kids learn the joys of giving at such an impressionable age. And so that December gave birth to a new family tradition for the Fells.
Now our oldest daughter was away at college and our teenage son was busy with high school activities, so that left our two youngest as santas. As I explained what we were embarking on and why, they were thrilled with the idea of sneaking around the neighborhood for any reason. At age 10, our daughter much preferred to be an elf as she was female and Santa was, well, male. But with her 8-year-old brother as Santa, an elf’s superior, that wouldn’t do either. To keep the village peace, we became elves instead of Santas.
Now as a family of six, we were on a budget. Armed with a shopping list, my first stop was our local dollar store. Thankfully, this was our only stop—everything we needed was there. Taking home our supplies, we got to work printing the poems and preparing the bags while the kids giggled at the notion of 12 nights of mischief over Christmas vacation.
It was already December, and the first night was fast approaching. Fairly new to the neighborhood, we discussed who should be the lucky neighbor. A couple months earlier, I heard that Neighbor Tom had lost his wife to cancer. She was well loved by all who knew her, and I couldn’t imagine what the holidays must be like for Tom and their two children. To my mind, it was clear that Tom’s home could use small doses of nightly cheer. The kids quickly agreed, and the matter was settled.
On the evening of December 13, my two elves giggled nervously as we bundled up and headed out into the night. Sneaking through the quiet snow-filled streets of our neighborhood with a flashlight was as magical for the kids as it was for me; I treasured our memories in the making. Also, I had never realized just how quiet—and beautiful—the cold, deserted streets were at night. It was like another world waited for us each evening, a peaceful, enchanting winter wonderland that could only be experienced on foot. The magic was heightened when the kids giggled over my clumsiness in the dark. Note to self: Get more flashlights.
T’was the first night of Christmas
And all through your house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Except suddenly one little soul did appear
It’s your Little Elf, and he brings holiday cheer!
Tonight it’s a partridge for your pear tree
And tomorrow, who knows, You must wait and see
So turn on your porch light each evening with care
And know that your gift soon will be there
But don’t try to catch him or he’ll disappear!
Upon returning home from our adventure each evening, we warmed our hands around a mug of hot cocoa, and warmed our hearts around the whim that our nightly surprises might bring cheer to Tom’s family.
The next eleven nights flew by and soon it was Christmas Eve, the 12th day when we had to reveal our identity. I suddenly became nervous. I had never actually met Tom, and worried that maybe our nightly gifts had been a bit too much for the family’s fragile emotions. But there was no backing down now; we had to finish. That afternoon we arranged a dozen homemade treats on a small holiday plate, covered it with red plastic wrap, taped the final poem to the top and—not trusting my children to walk two blocks with a plate of goodies—we drove to Tom’s house. We climbed out of the car, gathered on his front porch, and I rang the doorbell.
Twelve drummers drumming,
they play a happy beat
For this should fill your tummy,
it’s your Christmas treat!
We had such a good time,
being your friend
We’re really sorry our visit must end.
So we wish you a wonderful Christmas day
And a year free of troubles, for this we’ll pray.
When Tom opened the door, we nervously started singing:
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas,
and a happy new year!
Well, I ended up singing that cheery first verse by myself because my elves stood glued to the porch with mouths frozen shut. Realizing I was on my own and because my children say I’m tone deaf, I quickly decided that one verse was more than enough for this poor family.
As soon as I stopped singing I realized that Tom and his two children had tears in their eyes! Oh, dear. Was my voice that bad, or was our entire mission just one big flop?
Quickly, I decided the best way to handle this was to explain that we were the Little Elves responsible for the nightly treats, and then leave the poor family alone. After all, it was Christmas Eve and here we were intruding on their fragile emotions.
But I soon discovered that I had nothing to fear at all: they were crying because of how much they loved the little gifts, and now it was coming to an end! It turns out that Tom and his children not only enjoyed the element of surprise, but the nightly anticipation was a wonderful respite from the constant sadness, and lifted their spirits. Mission accomplished!
That first year proved a wonderful experience and we continued the tradition, choosing a different neighbor each year, until tragedy struck our own family. In 2009, my 15-year-old elf, Aly, died in a car accident while coming home from a swim meet. Caught in my own fog of grief, I had no reserve left in my tank to carry on our family fun with our youngest. With a broken heart, our once beloved tradition came to an unexpected end.
In the years since losing Aly, in fits and starts our family has learned to laugh and feel joy again but I’ve never forgotten how bleak those first holidays felt.
I’ve also learned that helping others helps my own heart to heal.
Now that our grandson is 9—the perfect age to become an elf—reinstating the old family tradition will offer both giver and receiver a nightly dose of good cheer, and enrich our holidays in magical ways just as it did in years past. I already know who this year’s lucky neighbor will be, and our gift bags are assembled and ready for delivery starting December 13.
Project Little Elf was inspired by that first year with Tom and his children. Having faced loss since then, I now fully understand how the holidays can feel less than cheery, and how a little kindness can go a long way. And nobody needs it more than the bereaved facing their first holidays.
If you too would like to teach your children how to be givers of kindness and learn the joys of giving, all the instructions and printables to begin your own family tradition can be found at www.GriefDiaries.com.
Above all, the nightly trips to a neighbor’s porch is more than just a little fun. It holds the promise of magical memories for children of all ages, and gives the bereaved the priceless gift of a heart full of cheer they’ll treasure all year.
Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey Choral Society is holding auditions for two youth choruses, treble and SATB, for students in grades 6-12. Auditions will be held Monday, January 9 from 4-6 pm at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 169 Fairmount Road, Ridgewood, NJ. Treble voices are accepted from grades 6-12 and SATB voices from grades 9-12. Audition requirements, including a memorized solo, and registration details are available on the New Jersey Choral Society website at www.njcs.org under “About”. Interested students, parents and educators can contact Festival Youth Chorus Director, Noelle Dachis, at [email protected] for more information.
This is a unique and exciting opportunity for young choral singers to perform with the New Jersey Choral Society and Maestro Eric Dale Knapp, and a rare experience to include on college applications, especially for students heading into a music study. Students selected for the chorus are expected to attend weekly rehearsals, held at St. Elizabeth’s Church on Monday evenings, and all performances. The Festival Youth Chorus will be singing in the NJCS Masterworks performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in June 2017. As well, participating students may have the opportunity to sing in a Festival in Lake Como, Italy, with other youth choral ensembles in July 2017.
Established in 1980, the New Jersey Choral Society is one of the state’s most prestigious choral groups, well-known for presenting outstanding and unique programs. Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, NJCS performs three major concerts annually in Bergen and Essex counties. They have performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House and have toured internationally in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Australia, England, and France.
