Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Spotted on Hope Street, Ridgewood, NJ – Monday, July 20, 2015.
We all realize that the wheels of municipal government move slowly, but this is ridiculous.
It just couldn’t be true, could it?
Tag: Village of Ridgewood
Lawsuit against Ridgewood Water to be decided by Superior Court judge
JULY 15, 2015, 2:19 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015, 2:23 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Years-long litigation against Ridgewood Water must be decided by a Superior Court judge, a state appeals court ruled on Wednesday.
The Appellate Division of New Jersey’s Superior Court reversed a trial judge’s 2014 decision transferring the suit to the Board of Public Utilities for resolution.
In a 25-page ruling, the Superior Court Appellate Division remanded the matter back to the trial court, noting “this is not a case requiring the particular expertise associated with the jurisdiction of the BPU.”
Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn declined to comment Wednesday, citing the ongoing nature of the litigation.
The class action lawsuit was filed against Ridgewood Water in Superior Court by Wyckoff officials in 2010, with the municipalities of Glen Rock and Midland Park joining the action as plaintiffs a year later.
The lawsuit alleges the water utility raised its rates in 2010 by 21 percent and that rates further rose 5 percent in 2011 and 2012.
The suit contends the rate hikes were approved in an ordinance adopted by the village council, and characterizes the increases as “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable and, accordingly, should be declared invalid and unenforceable.”
Reader says Ridgewood’s Village government will be co-opted
As sure as you’re born, a parking garage erected by Ridgewood’s village government will be co-opted for use by out-of-town commuters in accordance with the preferences of those seeking to dismantle New Jersey’s deeply ingrained “home rule” tradition and replace it with a new oligarchical style of regional government. Imagine a regional, multi-county board of overseers populated by Gwen Hauck-type cloned hand-puppets easily manipulated by nameless, faceless third-party wealthy power brokers. That’s what many forward-thinking progressive statists see in their dreams. They don’t give a whit about mere business owners and their parking concerns…
Village Say No Alligators in Graydon
July 10.2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Reader says Village should offer an alligator amnesty program for residents who wish to get rid of these illegal, exotic pets?
Ridgewood NJ, Village and Wildlife officials in Bergen County believe an alligator found swimming in the Passaic River Wednesday may have been someone’s pet that was released into the wild.
The alligator discovery is now raising concerns about how the owners obtained it in the first place and where it will go.
In New Jersey alligators are classified as a “potentially dangerous species,” which means only highly trained expert should be handling them . A source at the Village Hall said , “keeping Graydon gator free is a top Village priority “.
Live Music and Art in Ridgewood July 10
file photo ArtChick
Ridgewood NJ, Come enjoy beautiful music and art in downtown Ridgewood, NJ tomorrow, July 10, 2015. The Ridgewood Guild is coupling its weekly summer program, Music In the Night, with the first ever Art in the Park.This will be located in Van Neste Square Memorial Park. Visual artists will be present with their work on display and for sale.
The musical feature at the park will be Take 4, a trio fronted by James Mabli.
Around town, you can catch the following musical artists at these fine restaurants:
Mike Flanagan – It’s Greek to Me
Emily Ertle – Ridgewood Coffee Company
Brielle Liebman – Due / LaTour / Malee
Dom Boresta – Mediterraneo / Sant. Egidio
Deirdre Morgan – Kilwin’s
Jake Thistle – Ben and Jerry’s
Johnny Horizon – Daily Treat
Charlotte Samuels of Ridgewood our very own Super Hero
JULY 9, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, 1:20 AM
BY DARREN COOPER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Charlotte Samuels story isn’t close to being over, but the book is being written.
The Ridgewood senior is the youngest person to complete the triple crown of open water swimming, traversing the English Channel, Manhattan Island and the Catalina Channel off the Southern California coast.
The 17-year old now is working on a memoir of her experiences, titled “Guts,” and consulting with a literary agent.
“You have to have guts,” Samuels said. “You really have to put yourself out there to accomplish things.”
While Samuels is serious about her swimming and has a new challenge lined up, she also is serious about writing. “Guts” will not be ghostwritten.
This month, Samuels is attending a young women’s writing workshop at Smith College in Massachusetts. She is refining her book – and may use her swim across the English Channel as the frame for her other life experiences — and learning about poetry.
Back home, Samuels is a star whose exploits have made headlines all over New Jersey. She was honored at the New Jersey State House, spoke at halftime of a Ridgewood football game, and was grand marshal at the Ridgewood Fourth of July parade.
Sound Familiar : The New Totalitarians Are Here
Totalitarians want their rule, and their belief system, to be accepted and self-sustaining – even if it takes bludgeoning every last citizen who disagrees.
By Tom Nichols
JULY 6, 2015
There’s a basic difference in the traditions of political science between “authoritarians” and “totalitaritarians.” People throw both of these words around, but as is so often the case, they’re using words they may not always understand. They have real meaning, however, and the difference between them is important.
Simply put, authoritarians merely want obedience, while totalitarians, whose rule is rooted in an ideology, want obedience and conversion. Authoritarians are a dime a dozen; totalitarians are rare. The authoritarians are the guys in charge who want to stay in charge, and don’t much care about you, or what you’re doing, so long as you stay out of their way. They are the jefe and his thugs in a brutal regime that want you to shut up, go to work, and look the other way when your loudmouthed neighbor gets his lights punched out by goons in black jackets. Live or die. It’s all the same to the regime.
Totalitarians are a different breed. These are the people who have a plan, who think they see the future more clearly than you or who are convinced they grasp reality in a way that you do not. They don’t serve themselves—or, they don’t serve themselves exclusively—they serve History, or The People, or The Idea, or some other ideological totem that justifies their actions.
They want obedience, of course. But even more, they want their rule, and their belief system, to be accepted and self-sustaining. And the only way to achieve that is to create a new society of people who share those beliefs, even if it means bludgeoning every last citizen into enlightenment. That’s what makes totalitarians different and more dangerous: they are “totalistic” in the sense that they demand a complete reorientation of the individual to the State and its ideological ends. Every person who harbors a secret objection, or even so much as a doubt, is a danger to the future of the whole project, and so the regime compels its subjects not only to obey but to believe.
Authoritarians merely want obedience, while totalitarians, whose rule is rooted in an ideology, want obedience and conversion.
This is what George Orwell understood so well in his landmark novel “1984.” His dystopian state doesn’t really care about quotidian obedience; it already knows how to get that. What it demands, and will get by any means, is a belief in the Party’s rectitude and in its leader, Big Brother. If torturing the daylights out of people until they denounce even their loved ones is what it takes, so be it. That’s why the ending of the novel is so terrifying: after the two rebellious lovers of the story are broken and made to turn on each other, the wrecks left by the State are left to sit before the Leader’s face on a screen with only one emotion still alive in the husks of their bodies: they finally, truly love Big Brother.
https://thefederalist.com/2015/07/06/the-new-totalitarians-are-here/
Ridgewood Guild Movies in The Park Presents, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Movies in The Park – Ridgewood Guild
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the principal thinks of that
“classic teen coming of age movie ”
Join us in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square for family fun and entertainment. We show films great for the whole family on a 25 foot screen and professional sound system. Bring snacks, a picnic blanket, and get ready for a great evening with your community.
0n several Wednesday nights from June to August – The Ridgewood Guild will feature a complimentary movie for your enjoyment! Pack a picnic basket, bring your family and pull up some turf in Van Neste Park. Movies start when the sun goes down…about 9pm (8pm in August). July 8 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off July 22 – Momma Mia!!! (Special Event) August 5 – Murder on the Orient Express August 19th – Harry Potter (Special Event)
Great Duck Derby at Graydon Pool
file photo by Boyd Loving
Great Duck Derby at Graydon – Join the Famiily Fun – July 11th
Third annual, Great Ridgewood Duck Derby
Ridgewood NJ, On Saturday, July 11th, Ridgewood Parks & Recreation, in cooperation with Jacobsen Landscape Contractors of Midland Park, will be hosting the Great Ridgewood Duck Derby at Graydon Pool. Come out and embrace the national “Come Alive Outside” campaign and join us for an afternoon of fun family activity. This event will feature an array of different types of entertainment. There will also be a number of different kinds of activities throughout the day such as beach games, a sand sculpture contest, duck decorating, face painting, and ultimately concluding with an exciting rubber duck race down the Ho Ho Kus Brook.
This is a catered event pre-registration is a must and the deadline for advance sales is July 10th. The cost to take part in this fun family event is $10 per person ($20 per person non-residents) which includes one rubber duck, a SACK Picnic lunch of sandwich, beverage, chips and cookie.
The “Come Alive Outside” campaign started in 2010 by Jim Paluch in hopes of combating the sedentary, indoor lifestyle that is contributing to a multitude of adverse effects in our society. Playing outside has more benefits than just the physical, outdoor play can help children develop social skills, reduce stress, and increase their self-confidence. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 60 minutes of free play outside daily is essential for a child’s development which is why it is the “Come Alive Outside” campaign’s mission to create opportunities for children to get outside for some good healthy fun. Other events that have been hosted by the “Come Alive Outside” committee have been the award winning “Fire and Ice – A Winter Festival”, Bike, Hike and Discover and the Harvest Moon Family Hoedown, and the annual Duck Derby.
To register for the Great Ridgewood Duck Derby you can either stop by the Stable, 259 N. Maple Ave and complete registration or go online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass (Graydon Pool). The rain date for this event will be on Sunday July 12th. Please call the Parks & Recreation Department at 201-670-5560 for further information.
Ridgewood Police Bust Captain America
July 8,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog and the Ridgewpood Police Department
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Polis report that on 07/04/2015 patrol units responded to the area of 57 East Ridgewood Avenue for a report of a suspicious male. A further investigation revealed that a 37 year old Hackensack man was on the roof tops above 43 East Ridgewood Avenue.
The male party was found to be wearing a Captain America costume and determined to be heavily intoxicated. The male party was removed from the roof by officers in fire department ladder truck. He was transported to the Valley Hospital for treatment.
Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out
Recent studies suggests that kids with overinvolved parents and rigidly structured childhoods suffer psychological blowback in college.
By Julie Lythcott-Haims
xcerpted from How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims, out now from Henry Holt and Co.
Academically overbearing parents are doing great harm. So says Bill Deresiewicz in his groundbreaking 2014 manifesto Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life. “[For students] haunted their whole lives by a fear of failure—often, in the first instance, by their parents’ fear of failure,” writes Deresiewicz, “the cost of falling short, even temporarily, becomes not merely practical, but existential.”
Those whom Deresiewicz calls “excellent sheep” I call the “existentially impotent.” From 2006 to 2008, I served on Stanford University’s mental health task force, which examined the problem of student depression and proposed ways to teach faculty, staff, and students to better understand, notice, and respond to mental health issues. As dean, I saw a lack of intellectual and emotional freedom—this existential impotence—behind closed doors. The “excellent sheep” were in my office. Often brilliant, always accomplished, these students would sit on my couch holding their fragile, brittle parts together, resigned to the fact that these outwardly successful situations were their miserable lives.
In my years as dean, I heard plenty of stories from college students who believed theyhad to study science (or medicine, or engineering), just as they’d had to play piano,and do community service for Africa, and, and, and. I talked with kids completely uninterested in the items on their own résumés. Some shrugged off any right to be bothered by their own lack of interest in what they were working on, saying, “My parents know what’s best for me.”
https://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2015/07/helicopter_parenting_is_increasingly_correlated_with_college_age_depression.html
Ridgewood Director of Operations Frank Moritz retires
JULY 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 6, 2015, 10:27 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A longtime public employee has said goodbye to the Village of Ridgewood. Director of Operations Frank Moritz left his post last week for retirement.
A native of Hoboken and a graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Moritz worked for the village for 23-and-a-half years at the Ridgewood Water utility and began in his current role in 2005. He previously spent 19 years working for United Water.
In addition to his work in the village, Moritz has been a member of New Jersey’s chapter of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) for 25 years, where he has served on the Board of Directors as well as chairman for the State of New Jersey. In 2004, he received the highest award given out by the AWWA, the George Warren Fuller Award.
During his time in Ridgewood, Moritz was responsible for the water utility and oversaw the Division of Solid Waste, Division of Recycling and Division of Public Works.
One of the biggest challenges he faced during his tenure was to simply keep the water utility evolving along with technological advances. Over the past few years, the utility’s 20,000 water meters were automated. Moritz also had to make sure the utility consistently met regulatory standards and that the village’s facilities continued to improve.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/longtime-ops-director-retires-from-post-1.1369307
Ridgewood firefighters Respond to a Sunday Morning kitchen fire in the Village
July 6,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in the village late Sunday morning, and quickly extinguished the blaze.
No injuries were reported but there was some damage to the home owners kitchen .
According to the Ridgewood News ,”Ridgewood Fire department was on the scene at the Beveridge Road residence at 11:22 a.m., said Ridgewood Fire Department Capt. Scott Schmidt.The kitchen “cooking” fire damaged several appliances and cabinetry, he said. But it was contained to that room and didn’t spread to the rest of the home, Schmidt said, so the house is habitable”.https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-put-out-two-alarm-blaze-1.1368988
Again from the Ridgewood News ,”Firefighters had the fire under control very quickly, and were done at the scene shortly after noon, Schmidt said.
An ambulance squad looked at the homeowner for smoke inhalation but she declined medical attention, he said. There were no firefighter injuries.https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-put-out-two-alarm-blaze-1.1368988
Meet the Mayor on Saturday July 11th
MAYOR’S OFFICE HOURS FOR RESIDENTS -Saturday, July 11
Mayor Paul Aronsohn holds office hours for Ridgewood residents on Saturday’s every month. Mayor Aronsohn will meet with residents on Saturday, June 11 from 9AM to Noon in the Council Chambers (Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room) on the fourth floor of Ridgewood Village Hall.
For an appointment to meet with the Mayor, please call the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 206. You may come to the Mayor’s office hours without an appointment, but those with appointments will be given priority.
Ridgewood Police Responded to a Whopping 427 calls between June 24th and July 1st
file photo by Boyd Loving
Ridgewood Police Responded to a Whooping 427 calls between June 24th and July 1st
July2,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, Between Wednesday June 24, 2015 and Wednesday July 1, 2015 the Ridgewood Police Department responded to (427) Calls for Service (30) trauma/medical emergency calls and (17) motor vehicle accidents.
Ridgewood Police had a very busy week :On Thursday June 25, 2015 Officers Colin Donnelly and Joseph DiBenedetto were dispatched to the Central Business District on the report of a disturbance. Upon their arrival they observed a male actor who fit the description provided by the caller later identified as Fransisco A. Andino, 23 of Newark, New Jersey sitting on the sidewalk at Van Neste Square and East Ridgewood Avenue. As the officers were speaking with Andino they were notified that there was an active warrant for his arrest out of Hoboken, New Jersey, for assaulting a police officer. Andino who attempted to flee the area on foot was subdued and placed under arrest by Patrolman Colin Donnelly after a brief foot chase. While at police headquarters Andino assaulted several officers by biting, kicking and spitting at them. He was subsequently charged with obstructing administration of law (2C:29-1A), resisting arrest (2C:29A(3)(a)), disorderly conduct (2C:33-2(a)(1)) and three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer (2C:12-B(5)(a). Bail was set at $15,000, Andino was housed at the Bergen County Sheriff’s Unit at Bergen Regional Medical Center.During the late afternoon hours on Thursday June 25, 2015, a resident reported observing a group of juveniles acting suspiciously near a vacant home. It was later determined that the homeowners were away on vacation and it was the groups intent to congregate on the property unsupervised without the homeowner’s permission. Annually with the onset of summer and vacations commencing this has become a frequent problem, residents are asked to report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods in order to prevent similar behavior.
On Thursday Friday June 26, 2015 a pedestrian crossing East Ridgewood Avenue while in a marked crosswalk reported that she/he was nearly struck a by a vehicle that failed to yield right of way. The driver pulled to the side of the roadway exiting their vehicle entering into a verbal dispute with the pedestrian. The pedestrian reported being assaulted by the driver who left the area prior to the arrival of police. The operator of the vehicle later responded to the Ridgewood Police Headquarters where she reported being assaulted by the pedestrian. Neither party wished to pursue the matter. It is paramount that all drivers cede right of way to pedestrians in the roadway regardless of whether a crosswalk is present as per the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Laws.
On Monday June 29, 2015 Detective Jeffrey Casson arrested Francis J. Yacopino, 30, of West Milford, New Jersey on a criminal warrant out of Pennsylvania. The warrant was discovered during a background check of Yacopino who had applied for a job with the Village of Ridgewood. Yacopino was housed in the Bergen County Jail on a fugitive warrant pending extradition.
On Monday June 29, 2015 a resident reported that his/her personal information had been used to open a fraudulent Dish Network account, the resident further reported having been the victimized similarly numerous times over the last several years. This type of incident continues to be on the rise and information on prevention and reporting identity theft occurrences is available at the police department.
During the spring months numerous street signs have been removed from roadways in the village. In addition to being both a nuisance and financial burden, the removal of these signs (including traffic signage) creates a danger to the public. Citizens are asked to exercise vigilance in reporting these incidents to police as well assisting in the recovery of stolen signs.
Please remember to register your house and any emergency contacts with the Police Department Records Division when you are planning to go away.
A reminder : All criminal defendants are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
