Ridgewood streets to be repaved
APRIL 30, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014, 2:36 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
A number of factors are considered when Ridgewood constructs its annual street paving plan, and the impact of harsh winter conditions is typically represented in the final list of roads slated for repairs. This year, the village intends to resurface several main arteries that were battered by Mother Nature and snowplows just a few months ago.
There are more than 30 jobs listed on the 2014 proposed street paving list, but many residents have expressed disappointment, both publicly and privately, that other roadways in need of repair failed to make the cut. In addition, some homeowners have been irked by the selection process, saying their streets have not been properly treated in nearly 20 years.
Officials contend that the municipality does not have adequate funding and manpower to repave every street in need of repair at once. As a result, the village uses a multi-tiered method to determine which roads wind up on the repaving list.
A list of streets slated for paving is available on the Village of Ridgewood website (ridgewoodnj.net) and is current as of last Wednesday.
In response to the abundance of questions and emails that her office has received, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld explained how Ridgewood targets streets for its repaving program. The municipality’s first step, she said, is to seek funding from the state.
“We look at the Department of Transportation (DOT), because we get grants from them every year. Those grants are based on certain criteria and they’re based on certain roads,” she said.
For this spring, Ridgewood has received approximately $270,000 in DOT grants to repave South Van Dien Avenue and the Garber Square area.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/ridgewood-streets-to-be-repaved-1.1005901#sthash.z2M4lRlh.dpuf
Tag: Village of Ridgewood
Reader Questions Banner Ads at Vets Field
Reader Questions Banner Ads at Vets Field
Reader questions whether the placement of these banners/signs at Vets Field constitutes advertising and as such, should require approval by resolution from the Village Council (and until such approval is received, should the banners/signs be removed?).
Also, if this is considered advertising, who is receiving the advertising revenue?
As many of you no doubt recall, the Council opposed placement of advertising on the scoreboard at Vets. Now this?

![]()
Family has a long history of saving soles in Ridgewood
Family has a long history of saving soles in Ridgewood
APRIL 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT
It’s a family business.
Vincent Barbuto, a shoemaker, came from Italy and opened a shoe repair shop in Paterson, Parker Shoe Repair, 92 years ago. Today, his grandson, Vinnie, owns Quality Shoe Repair in Ridgewood.
“My grandfather owned that Paterson store and the family worked there,” says Vinnie. “My father, two uncles and an aunt. My aunt used to deliver shoes on her bicycle.”
His Uncle Tony, 72, opened stores in Montclair, Cliffside Park, then Paterson on Ellison Street about 30 years ago and is still there.
Vinnie’s father, Frank Barbuto, was 4 years old when he came here from Italy. While growing up, he worked and honed his skills with his father. Drafted into the Korean War, he lost a leg when he was 18 and spent 16 months at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. Soon after he came home, he opened his first shop in Ridgewood at the corner of Franklin and Maple avenues.
“It’s where Corday Cleaners used to be,” says Vinnie. It was two years later that he moved with his brother, Tony, to 18 Oak St., the shop’s location ever since. That was in 1954.
In 1957, he married his wife, Margaret. They had two children, Theresa and Vinnie. A homemaker, Margaret sometimes took Frank his dinner when he worked late.
Margaret took over the bookkeeping and, as the children grew, she worked when needed. She worked first with her husband, Frank, then with her son, dealing with customers at the counter, until she died at 86.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/family-has-a-long-history-of-saving-soles-1.1002999#sthash.eVL0k04m.dpuf
Daffodil Festival – Art Show, Antique Cars, Plant Sale, Kids Crafts, Dog Parade- April 27th
Daffodil Festival – Art Show, Antique Cars, Plant Sale, Kids Crafts, Dog Parade- April 27th
Artists specializing in watercolors, acrylics, photography, oils, pen and ink and jewelry will exhibit their talents at a Fine Art Show and Sale set to be held in conjunction with the Daffodil Festival on Sunday, April 27th. This special event will be held at the Ridgewood Train Station and Plaza, between the hours of 12 noon and 3 pm. Artist will be displaying their works inside the plaza building as well as the area adjacent to facility, rain or shine.
Last fall, the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands and volunteer residents of the Village purchased 7,000 daffodil bulbs as an enhancement and beautification project for the entire Village to enjoy. In celebration of the hard work and anticipated beauty, a Daffodil Festival is being planned. In addition to the Fine Art Show and Sale, additional activities include a 12:30PM ribbon cutting ceremony rededicating the renovation of the Broad Street gardens, a classic antique car show, a spring plant sale, a 1:00PM “Daffy Dog Parade”, children’s arts and craft projects and a variety of refreshments.
The mission of the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands is to provide funding and support to restore and enhance the Village parklands in accordance with the Master Plan for development. Now, three years in existence, the Conservancy has fundraising and a few major projects accomplished. Please refer to the website www.cfrpl.org for further information or to become a member.
The Fine Art Show and Sale is co-sponsored by the Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department and the Conservancy. To obtain additional details or to join as an artist, please contact the Recreation Office at The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, 201-670-5560. Several spaces are still available for interested artists.

![]()
Ridgewood Spring Film Festival
Ridgewood Spring Film Festival
The Ridgewood Guild is proud to be sponsoring its fourth annual Spring Film Festival! The two day event is slated for Wed. and Thurs. April 23 and 24, 2014 at the Bowtie Cinema (formerly Clearview Warner) in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. The Festival will include a red carpet ceremony, an awards presentation, and after party at Park West Tavern (30 Oak St.). All proceeds of the Festival will go to The Ridgewood Guild to help “Create a Better Ridgewood.”
Danny Aiello is our featured guest on Thursday, April 24th. Come enjoy highlights of his career, his music videos and join in the Q & A with him.
All proceeds of the Festival will go to The Ridgewood Guild to help “Create a Better Ridgewood.”
Call 201.493.9911 for more information or visit us at www.ridgewoodguild.com
Please join us for our 2014 Film Festival. You can purchase your tickets online: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/632575
Obituary: Roger W Wiegand
Obituary: Roger W Wiegand
Born: August 19, 1943
Died: April 18, 2014
Roger William Wiegand, 70, of Ridgewood, NJ passed away April 18, 2014. Son of Francis J. Sr. and Eleanor Cooper Wiegand, he was born August 19, 1943 in Paterson, NJ and was a lifelong resident of the Village of Ridgewood.
Graduate of Ridgewood High School, he received a BA in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He taught business law and typing at Cresskill High School for 25 years before retiring in 1993.
Since his retirement he has been an active and outspoken member of the community he loved. He wanted nothing but the best for Ridgewood and its residents. Throughout his 70 years, he enriched the lives of many and was always willing to lend a hand to those in need. From his students to his neighbors, Roger was the voice of reason. He will be sorely missed.
He was predeceased by his parents, brother Francis J. Wiegand Jr. and sister Eleanor Daley. He is survived by nephew Frederick Michael Daley III and wife MaryAnn of Hewitt, NJ, nieces Kerry Anne Daley of Portsmouth, RI, Julia Ann Wiegand and Elizabeth Couchon of North Attleboro, MA, grandnephew Frederick Michael Daley IV and wife Meghan Marie of Staten Island, NY, and grandniece Amanda Marie Daley of Hewitt, NJ.
Funeral services will be private. A memorial gathering for friends will be held from 3-6 pm, Tuesday April 22, 2014 at 216 South Irving Street Ridgewood, NJ. Please bring your favorite Roger story to share.
Donations can be made in Roger’s name to the American Heart Association or Friends of the Ridgewood Library.
Easter Services in the Village of Ridgewood
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
EASTER SUNDAY – APRIL 20
Mass Times:
8am
9:30am Church
9:30am Auditorium
11am Church
11am Auditorium
12:30pm Church
12:30pm Auditorium
3pm Spanish
NO 6:30PM MASS ON EASTER SUNDAY
West Side Presbyterian Church
SUNDAY,APRIL 20, 2014 EASTER SUNDAY
Schedule highlights for
Sunday, April 20 (Please note special schedule!):
8:45 AM *Festival Easter Worship with Holy Communion
11:15 AM *Festival Easter Worship with Holy Communion
Note there is NO Sunday School, Adult groups or Foundation on Easter Sunday. The link to the full Holy Week schedule appears above. There will still be Little Lambs Child Care for pre-school children in the West Side Nursery.
Emmanuel Baptist
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Easter Sunday
Sunday School for All Ages9:15 AM
Youth Choir Rehearsal9:15 AM
Adult Choir Rehearsal9:45 AM
Worship followed by fellowship hour10:30 AM
Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church
Sunday morning worship – 10:30 am
Christ Church
Easter Day (April 20) @ 8 am, 9:15 am, and 10 am
Joyful and Christ-centered worship celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Easter Sunday, April 20th
7:30 am – Sunrise Communion Worship
9:00 am – Praise Communion Worship
11:00 am – Festival Communion Worship
please feel free to add info in the comment boxes for your house of worship
Village of Ridgewood NOTICE : Friday, April 18 – Village Hall & Stable Closed – No Sanitation or Recycling Collection
Village of Ridgewood NOTICE : Friday, April 18 – Village Hall & Stable Closed – No Sanitation or Recycling Collection
On Friday, April 18th in observance of Good Friday, Village Hall and The Stable offices will be closed. Additionally there will no garbage or recycling collection on that date.
The Recycling Center, 205 E. Glen Ave., will be open Saturday, April 19 from 8AM to 3PM.
Village of Ridgewood Streets Proposed for Paving in 2014
Village of Ridgewood Streets Proposed for Paving in 2014
The Village Council has approved streets to be paved in 2014.
Click Here
the list 15 streets in all

![]()
Security holes in power grid have federal officials scrambling
file photo Boyd Loving
Security holes in power grid have federal officials scrambling
In Congress, the vulnerability of the power grid has emerged as among the most pressing domestic security concerns.
By Evan Halper
April 7, 2014, 3:00 a.m.
WASHINGTON — Adam Crain assumed that tapping into the computer networks used by power companies to keep electricity zipping through transmission lines would be nearly impossible in these days of heightened vigilance over cybersecurity.
When he discovered how wrong he was, his work sent Homeland Security Department officials into a scramble.
Crain, the owner of a small tech firm in Raleigh, N.C., along with a research partner, found penetrating transmission systems used by dozens of utilities to be startlingly easy. After they shared their discovery with beleaguered utility security officials, the Homeland Security Department began sending alerts to power grid operators, advising them to upgrade their software.
The alerts haven’t stopped because Crain keeps finding new security holes he can exploit.
“There are a lot of people going through various stages of denial” about how easily terrorists could disrupt the power grid, he said. “If I could write a tool that does this, you can be sure a nation state or someone with more resources could.”
Those sorts of warnings, along with vivid demonstrations of the grid’s vulnerability, such as an incident a year ago in which unknown assailants fired on a power station near San Jose, nearly knocking out electricity to Silicon Valley, have grabbed official attention. In Congress, the vulnerability of the power grid has emerged as among the most pressing domestic security concerns.
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-grid-security-20140407,0,5068036.story#ixzz2z35XlXdx
Time for A closer look at “Shared Services”
The New Jersey Shared Services Association (NJSSA) is a non-profit association that proactively promotes increased efficiency in the delivery of services, while reducing the costs of local government. NJSSA members focus in the areas of advocacy, policy development, and education; while offering non-partisan advisory services to all local public entities and selected non-profit associations.
In 2007, Middlesex County Freeholder H. James Polos, recognized statewide as long time advocate for shared services, brought together the county shared services coordinators in New Jersey with the purpose of establishing a statewide professional association. The vision was to create an opportunity for improved communication among the coordinators, sharing of information, professional development and advocacy for shared services.
Established in 2008, the New Jersey Shared Services Association (NJSSA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 association that proactively promotes increased efficiency in the delivery of services, while reducing the costs of local government. NJSSA members focus in the areas of advocacy, policy development, and education; while offering non-partisan advisory services to all local public entities and selected non-profit associations.
The overall goal of the NJSSA is to establish substantial and long-term shared service agreements throughout NJ counties and municipalities to help reduce the cost of local government to the taxpayers and improve the availability and efficiency of government services.
NJSSA consists of representatives from across NJ counties with 17 out of 21 counties participating in the NJ Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services Share Grant Program, which funds a 3-year start-up position for a county Office of Shared Services.
The NJSSA members work to identify areas where county and local government can work collaboratively to combine resources for more efficient service delivery while at the same time helping to lower capital and operating costs for participating government entities, resulting in relief to local taxpayers.
Services Currently Being Shared
• Information Technology (IT)
• Centralized Police Dispatch, 911 Emergency Communications
• Consolidation of Public Work Facilities & Departments
• Animal Control / Animal Shelters
• Mosquito Control & Gypsy Moth Spraying
• County Records Management /Retention for Municipalities
• Transportation Resources for the Disadvantaged and Elderly
• Countywide Fleet Maintenance & Purchasing
• Regional Vehicle Wash Facilities
• Parks and Recreation Facilities / Staff and Maintenance
• Police Protection Mergers
• Countywide Tax Assessments and Revaluations
• Countywide Storm & Wastewater Management
• County Health Department / Regionalized Health Services
• County Library System
• County Sponsored Municipal Job Fairs
• Shared School District Superintendents and Personnel
• Customized Training Programs
• County Recycling Programs
• County Landfill
• Police and Fire Training Academies
• Regional Planning and Economic Development
• GIS ( Geographical Information Systems)
• Coop Purchasing Programs
• Weights and Measures
Ridgewood officials discuss potential shared service with Bergen County
file photo Boyd Loving
Ridgewood officials discuss potential shared service with Bergen County
APRIL 14, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2014, 4:24 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
Village officials have learned that the county is slated to open a new vehicle maintenance facility just three miles outside of Ridgewood, putting a new twist on the municipality’s ongoing efforts to improve and potentially relocate its fleet repair operations.
Based on recent conversations with Bergen County administrators, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said construction on the county garage is already underway and is scheduled for completion later this year. Sonenfeld, who took over as the full-time manager less than two weeks ago, informed Ridgewood Council members this week that the project has gone relatively under the radar, as little information was available until she and other village officials broached the topic with the county.
“This has not really been publicized, but the county is building a state-of-the-art facility that they think will be operational in November,” said Sonenfeld. “The great news is that it’s not far away. It’s right down Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus.”
Specifically, Bergen’s new Department of Public Works Maintenance Complex will be located just south of Ridgewood Avenue along Jerome Avenue, a mostly residential street. On Wednesday, the village manager was unable to specify the total number of vehicle repair bays that the county intends to build, but she indicated that the overall goal is to offer services to municipalities.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-officials-discuss-potential-shared-service-with-bergen-county-1.981068#sthash.F3U2pinv.dpuf
Reader says Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries
Reader says Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries
Technology is evolving at such a rate that we will eventually no longer have libraries in the physical books and brick and mortar sense that we know of them today. This probably sounds unthinkable, and I hear the arguments that libraries do a lot more than loan books, but it will simply come down to a continual lessening of library usage and economics. The only reason they will remain operational as long as they will is due to political resistance and a misguided hankering for community spirit.
Easter in the Park
Easter in the Park
Sat, April 19, 2014
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, East Ridgewood Avenue
Event Description
EASTER IN RIDGEWOOD
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Have breakfast with the Easter Bunny 9am-11am
at The Office Beer Bar & Grill, you will need
reservations – call 201-652-1070.
In the Park…weather permitting
11AM Ben & Jerry’s will be having a Easter Egg Hunt, you do not need tickets. Bring your baskets.
The Easter Bunny will be under the tent.
With your camera you can take picture of children with the Easter Bunny
Activities for the children will be available and a map to visit the stores who will have in-store fun activities for everyone.
For more details, please call us at 201-445-2600 or email info@ridgewoodchamber.com www.experienceridgewood.com
Opening of coffee stand completes renovations at Ridgewood train station
Ridgewood NJ, Amelia Ortiz had some extra pep in her step as she boarded her train Wednesday morning. It might have been the coffee.
Flo’s Depot at the Ridgewood train station officially opened for business Tuesday morning, exactly one week after its originally scheduled unveiling. No one, including Ortiz, seemed to mind the seven-day delay – after all, they have been waiting for almost five years for a coffee stand to re-open at the spot.
When New Jersey Transit began a multi-million dollar renovation project and forced the last coffee stand to permanently close its doors in 2009, morning rail riders were compelled to seek their caffeine jolts and breakfasts-on-the-go from other sources. For those residents opting against a travel mug of java from home, the extra stop at a nearby shop or bakery posed a minor inconvenience.


















