The people spoke at election. People want Murphy. Regardless of damage he is about to inflict in everyone’s pocket and the state as a whole people just can’t resist his charm. He even declared he would rob people if elected via tax hikes etc. and Ridgewood voted 60% for him. He is so handsome and convincing, even the smart stay at home moms and their Wall Street husbands couldn’t resist. Rejoice. Phil is about to screw us en masse.
2017 General Election Results (Ridgewood)
38.2% Kim Guadagno
59.6% Philip Murphy
When the present members were re- elected to the Council, they sold themselves as capable and “cost conscious”. The only “Cost conscienceness” that the residents of Ridgewood have seen has been in the “spend, spend, spend” column. They were elected to direct the Village and help it balance the budget and control expenses. They were not elected to grant all the wishes they or anyone else with power ever had. But that is what they are doing. I don’t think any of them are stupid and they must realize how much this will raise their taxes, but they don’t seem to care. “We have millions of dollars, what can we spend it on next?” seems to be their attitude. We had to elect two people this year, and all the candidates trailed problems behind them. Two were basically do nothings, except to spend. Of the other two, one reeked so badly we couldn’t elect her and the second had already proven she was a dedicated follower and that we did not need more of. The present council have consistently refused to listen to any other people’s opinion so I don’t know how the residents will be able to break through their “hear no evil, see no evil, but definitely DO the evil” stance.
Ridgewood NJ, At all regular meetings, two opportunities are provided for citizens to make comments. The public comment periods will be scheduled after presentations and approximately 9:00 p.m. or just prior to the end of the meeting, whichever occurs first. The first opportunity may be limited by the presiding officer to conclude at about 8:00 p.m. in order for the Board to continue with its scheduled agenda. The second opportunity will occur at about 9:00 p.m. at the discretion of the presiding officer taking into consideration a break point in the agenda.
At every opportunity for public comment, citizens are invited to comment on subjects on the agenda or general topics.
At the discretion of the presiding officer, public comments may be permitted at other times.
Persons wishing to speak must, upon being recognized, rise, sign in, and state their names and addresses. Each speaker shall be limited to four minutes. The Board Recorder will note the time. A speaker who has not finished in the allotted time will be directed by the presiding officer to summarize quickly and relinquish the floor within 30 seconds.
Comments shall be limited to issues. If personal remarks or discourteous statements are made, the presiding officer shall require the speaker to stop. No person will be recognized for a second time until all others asking to speak have been heard.
Ridgewood NJ, The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Celebration for:
The Children’s Sensory and Butterfly Garden on June 21st, 2018 from 5-7pm
—-Rain or Shine—-
Ribbon Cutting Celebration for the Children’s Sensory and Butterfly Garden
Thu, June 21, 2018
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
The Stable in Ridgewood, 259 North Maple Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Ridgewood NJ, Join us at 7pm on Saturday June 9th for a special concert…THREE FOR ALL*An Evening of Jazz, Pop and Musical Theater (*with special guest artists Darwin Cosme Sanchez, Tina Lyndsay and TRC students)
Sponsored by the Project 142 non-profit concert series, ‘Three for All’ will feature our own faculty members Lou Caimano on saxophone and Bob Rodriguez on piano, and vocalist and Project 142 Director Scot Albertson, as well as other well-known guest artists Darwin Cosme Sanchez (Puerto Rico Symphony Flutist) and Tina Lyndsay (Cabaret Artist).
Tickets (Cash at the door): $15 General, $10 Students/Seniors, $5 TRC Students
Post-Concert Refreshments provided by Project 142!
Saturday, June 9, 2018 at 7pm
The Ridgewood Conservatory, 409 Sette Drive, Ridgewood NJ
For more info, call us at 201-612-6686, email to [email protected] or visit us at https://theridgewoodconservatory.org/about-us/news-events/three-for-all-concert-june-9-at-7pm/
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department is pleased to announce the 5th annual Chief Michael Feeney, Jr. Police Academy scheduled from Friday June 22nd through Friday June 29th 2018, at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. The Academy is open to Ridgewood residents entering 5th 6th and 7th grades in the fall of 2018.
Last year’s academy featured demonstrations from The Ridgewood Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9 and Bomb Squad, Police Motorcycles, Ridgewood Emergency Services, FBI, Ridgewood Fire Department, State Police Helicopter landing, Tactical driving, as well as demonstrations from various other agencies. A field trip to the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Complex in Mahwah is also scheduled.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education is considering changes to the 2019-2020 school year calendar that would increase the number snow days, schedule a full week for the February Recess and maintain the April Recess intact. A brief survey will be emailed to parents, guardians and staff to get feedback on the options under consideration.
The survey will be emailed on Thursday, May 31 to all Ridgewood Public Schools parents, guardians and staff with emails addresses on file and be open through Friday, June 8.
Survey takers will be asked to provide input on a draft calendar for 2019-2020 that raises the number of snow days from two to four, with a proviso that unused snow days will be converted to long weekends after the winter season ends. Under consideration is a start date in late August in order to provide a full week off for each of the February and April breaks and end school the third week in June in time for summer camp start dates and college orientations.
The draft revisions for 2019-2020 were developed to address the issues that arise when there is an excess of school closings due to weather emergencies. This year the district used four snow days, requiring students and staff to make up two instructional days during the Spring Recess week. The Board also is interested in offering a week-long February Recess, which this school year consisted of a long weekend.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration is just about a month away from the big day! Please help #SupportTheTradition by buying your 50-50 ticket! Grand prize is up to $25,000. Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased by contacting the committee at [email protected] or we will be selling them every Saturday in June at Park Wood Deli from 11-2 pm. And again at the Ridgewood Public Library June 25-30, 9-3.
Help make the 2018 Celebration the best one yet!!
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Health Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration want you to know that a child’s body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult’s. Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches around 104 degrees; death can follow in a child when that temperature reaches 107 degrees.
Even with moderate temperatures outside, the inside of a car can heat up to well above 110 degrees in minutes. But with summer upon us, and daytime temperatures in many areas across the country shooting well above 90 degrees, vehicles will heat up even faster.
That makes it vitally important to be aware of the dangers that vehicles—especially hot ones—pose to children, because tragedies can, and do, happen.
In fact, from 1998-2017, 718 children across the nation died due to heatstroke in a hot vehicle. In 2017, 18 children have died due to vehicular heatstroke, and that number continues to climb. On average, a child dies every 10 days from vehicular heatstroke, with an average of 37 children per year. Such deaths are the leading cause of non-crash-related fatalities for children 14 and younger. Just as tragic, between 1998-2016, over half (54%) of the child heatstroke deaths were because the child was forgotten in the vehicle by a distracted parent or caregiver.
No parent ever thinks that it can happen to them, but a quietly sleeping child in the back seat can be forgotten, even by a great parent. And part-time caregivers who are unaccustomed to regularly transporting children can be especially prone to forgetting.
That’s why all adults should always remember to “Look Before You Lock” to make sure there are no children left in the vehicle. Some other simple reminders include:
• Write a reminder note about the child and put it on the car door or dashboard to see it when you leave the vehicle.
• Set a reminder on your cell phone to alert you to check that you dropped your child off at daycare.
• Place a shoe, purse, briefcase, or cell phone next to the child’s car seat to remind yourself that your child is in the car.
• Keep a familiar object, like a stuffed toy, in your child’s car seat. When you remove it to buckle up your child, place the object in the front seat. It will serve as a reminder to always check the back seat for your child.
• Never let kids play in an unattended vehicle or leave a child alone in a car, even if you leave the windows partly open or the air conditioning on—even for just a few minutes. Also, keep car keys away from where children can reach them.
If you are not a parent or caregiver, you still have an important role to play. If you happen to see a child alone in a hot vehicle, make sure the child is okay and responsive. If the child appears to be okay, quickly do everything you can to locate the parents.
If the child is not responsive or appears to be in distress, call 911 immediately and follow their directions. When the child is out of the vehicle, cool the child rapidly (not with an ice bath, but by spraying with cool water).
Sometimes bystanders are reluctant to get involved; surveys suggest that 63 percent of adults just assume the parents will be right back. But what if they aren’t?
Bystanders should know that states have “Good Samaritan” laws that protect them from lawsuits for helping a person in an emergency. So if you happen to see a child alone in a hot car, do not hesitate— please act!
We need parents, caregivers and bystanders all working together to help end these tragic heatstroke deaths—because hot cars kill children.
Visit www.safercar.gov/heatstroke for more information. #heatstrokekills #checkforbaby
Ridgewood NJ, a recent poll published in the Ridgewood blog found that barely 50 percent of New Jersey residents thought the state was a good place to live. The state has the worst business climate in the nation, and residents pay the highest average property tax bill.
For his part Governor Phil Murphy’s first executive budget promises to make the state even more unwelcoming by crushing Jersey families and businesses with over $1.5 billion in new taxes and fees.
That figure totals more than 4 percent of the state budget. It will be a mammoth tax increase on people who cannot afford it.
The $1.5 billion-plus tax hike facing New Jerseyans includes:
$765 million millionaire’s tax hike.Increasing tax on income over $1M from 8.97 percent to 10.75 percent . A millionaire’s tax would be added, just as the Governor complains about new limits on state and local tax deductions hurting wealthy residents – a reminder he’s concerned about milking these folks for revenue, not about reducing their tax burden.
$581 million sales tax hike. Sales tax increased to 7 percent. Adding sales tax on Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb Expanding Internet sales tax beyond New Jersey’s borders.
$59 million from new tax on vaping products, and hike on tobacco products.75 percent wholesale tax on e-cigarettes. Increasing wholesale tax on tobacco products to 68 percent
In a $100 million carried interest money grab , the Murphy budget also includes a “fee” (actually a tax) on carried interest. There is no carried interest “loophole”, but either way that is a debate about the federal code, it’s not a state issue. It’s an insult to peoples’ intelligence to sell them on a tax hike with inaccurate “loophole” talk.
Yesterday Murphy even reintroduced the failed individual mandate tax for New Jersey as Murphycare .
And of coarse just in time for the summer driving season an increase in the gas tax is on the table .
Ridgewood NJ, Graydon Pool kicks off the summer season tomorrow June 2nd . The pool features include a shaded playground, water play fountains, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, a picnic area with charcoal grills, a sheltered pavilion, and the Water’s Edge Cafe. Additional amenities include volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, four-squares, hop-scotch, backgammon, a lending library and for the little ones, “Storytime” under the Graydon pavilion.
A local oasis ,no parkway traffic , no sharks and no jellyfish .
Purchase all badges from the comfort of home via CommunityPass (Visa and Mastercard accepted). In person assistance is available daily at the Graydon Badge Office, on site at the pool facility. Hours vary by season dates.
GRAYDON POOL 2018 SEASON
June 2 through Labor Day, September 3, 2018
Early Season – June 2 through June 21
Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends – 10 am to 7:30 pm
Regular Season – June 22 through August 12
Daily 10 am to 7:30 pm
**Holiday**, July 4th, closes 4 pm
Late Season – August 13 through Labor Day, September 3
Weekdays – 12 noon to 7:30 pm
Weekends/Holiday – 10 am to 7:30 pm
The Ridgewood Library serves as the Village cultural and intellectual center. In 2017, we loaned 575,000
print & media items, hosted 49,000 people at Library programs, and answered 102,500 reference questions.
Why renovate the Library now?
The last Library renovation was 20 years ago. Since 1998, we’ve welcomed over 6 million visitors.
$125 million in State Grant funds has been approved build and renovate public libraries in NJ.
1:1 Grant, e.g. $2 million in state grant funds would require match of $2 million local (any mix of
municipal/private funding). Guidelines coming in fall of 2018; libraries need to be ready with a plan.
How would the Library improve, if renovated according to this concept?
The entire Library needs basic upgrades – new carpet, paint and efficient lighting.
Our residents use the Library heavily – more space is needed for teens, quiet study & research,
makerspace, magazine lounge, multicultural services and group study/small meeting rooms.
We would reorganize the interior, expanding the teen space and locating it in a brighter area while
reducing the amount of space presently absorbed by CDs, DVDs and outdated books.
The Auditorium needs additional (and more comfortable) seats as well as an upgrade to the
performance area – stage curtain, etc. We would square off the slanted corner for more seating.
A new Central Stairway between the 1st and 2nd floors would easily guide visitors to the adult services
department on Level 2, and bring natural light into the dim circulation area
Staff will be more mobile, available to assist our visitors – not anchored behind large desks.
What would this renovation cost?
Right now, it’s too soon to say. An independent professional will calculate a cost estimate in early summer.
A previous, more complex plan had been estimated at about $6.3M.
When will the Library provide more information and open discussion with the community?
Public presentations/community discussions will be offered after we receive a reliable cost estimate.
How would the renovation be funded?
If the concept is approved for further development, the Library would work toward funding from 3 sources:
NJ State Library Grant
Village of Ridgewood: Capital Improvement funding
Capital Campaign: Raise private gifts from generous individuals, foundations and businesses.
Would the Library have to be closed during the renovation? What would happen to library services?
During any Ridgewood Library closure, alternate services would be offered. Our employees would help out at
neighboring libraries to welcome and serve Ridgewood residents. We would partner with the Village of
Ridgewood and community service organizations to borrow space for storytimes, book discussions and more.
Perhaps we could set up temporary Ridgewood Library services in a vacant building or storefront.
More information will be coming in the next few months.
As always, Library Director Nancy Greene welcomes community suggestions & comments through email or phone. [email protected] or 201-670-5600, x 124.
Thank you for your interest.
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Police report that on May 23rd, an Emmett Place resident discovered the residence had been burglarized in the past and property from within was stolen. The Ridgewood Detective Bureau and the Bergen County Sheriff crime scene investigation unit responded and are continuing the investigation. The victim reported approximately $3000 in jewelry was stolen.
While investigating the burglary on Emmett Place on May 23rd, a second residence was found to have burglarized by canvassing the neighborhood. The front door appeared to have been forcefully entered. Patrol entered the residence and found no one home. The victim was unavailable at the time so the residence could not be processed. Patrol secured the residence until the victim was able to provide consent for the crime scene processing. The scene was later processed by the Ridgewood Detective Bureau and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department. The amount of property damage and property stolen has not been determined.
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein pens letter on school bus safety .In light of the tragic Paramus school bus accident, Dr. Fishbein addresses safety concerns of parents and guardians in this letter dated May 29, 2018.
May 29, 2018
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff:
I know you share my thoughts of sympathy and prayers of healing for our neighbors in Paramus as they cope with the tragedy of the recent school bus accident. As student and staff safety is our top priority, I also would like to share some thoughts about school bus safety in Ridgewood.
Our district has a small fleet of three, 16-passenger buses. Bus transportation for our daily routes, both regular education and special education, and field trips and athletics, are handled by contracts with some of the largest school transportation companies in the state whose buses are designed to be highly visible and include protective seating and structural elements that make these vehicles safer in the event of an accident.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, school buses are “the most regulated vehicles on the road.” New Jersey is among the 49 states in the nation that require seat belts on all school buses. Each bus is inspected by the state twice a year and also by each driver before every trip. Additionally, school bus drivers must follow road safety rules that are not required of drivers of regular passenger cars.
All school bus drivers undergo a criminal history review when hired, and each year thereafter the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) requires a review of their driving history to be provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles. (These driver abstracts are not public documents and can only be viewed by the driver, government, and employer.) Bus company owners are required to submit driver credentials to the DOE County Office in which their company is located.
Individuals who incur violations while employed as drivers are required to notify their employer immediately. Our drivers, as well as contracted drivers, go through additional yearly training such as defensive driving, city driving and overall transportation safety, along with regular safety meetings. Likewise, students and staff perform emergency drills on a yearly basis. Drivers must also pass periodic medical exams and drug screenings. In Ridgewood, even before the Paramus tragic accident, we developed a process whereby our Coordinator of Transportation will conduct morning spot checks of contracted drivers to make sure they have the proper credentials.
I understand everyone’s concern about their child’s safety. I also understand any reluctance that our parents and guardians might have at this time about their child riding on school buses. The district respects the decision of parents and guardians who choose not to send their child on field trips or to athletic events that require bus transportation even though their child will miss the activity. It is the responsibility of parents and guardians who choose not to send their child on the daily bus to coordinate their transportation.
Below are links that might be of interest to you and contain additional information regarding bus safety and driver qualifications:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety#2331
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/…/legal-notice-motorcoach-operati…
https://www.state.nj.us/…/inspection/schoolbus/noflash/endor…
https://www.nj.gov/…/transportation/training/requirements.pdf
Again, I understand everyone’s concerns. I am sure there will be bus industry follow up to the many questions raised by the Paramus tragedy. While we wait for answers, Ridgewood will continue to explore opportunities to further enhance our bus safety protocols.
Sincerely,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Ridgewood Public Schools
Ridgewood NJ, One (1) adult male was taken into police custody following an alleged assault with an unknown weapon at Maple Park, Ridgewood on Thursday morning, 05/31. Another adult male, who appeared to have sustained a non life threatening leg injury, was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Ridgewood EMS personnel. Several Ridgewood PD uniformed and plain clothes officers responded to the incident. They were assisted by a patrol officer from Glen Rock, and members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Rapid Response SWAT Team. Ridgewood Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke, who was at the scene, said that information about the incident was still being compiled and that no charges had yet been pressed. Detectives were observed gathering evidence from an area in which the installation of artificial turf was underway. The detained individual was handcuffed, searched, and subsequently transported to Ridgewood Police headquarters.
According to the Ridgewood Police blotter ,on May 31 at approximately 10:30am, Officer Sean Amoruso was flagged down by Maple Field by an individual who stated that he had been stabbed. Upon investigation it was determined the actor and victim were working together on Maple Field. The two men had an altercation which lead to an assault, where a hammer and a stick with a fixed knife on the end, were used. Manny Roman, a 42-year-old from West Islip, NY was arrested at the scene and transported to police headquarters where he was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes before being released pending his court date. The victim, a 44-year-old from Chicago, Il was transported to The Valley Hospital for evaluation and treatment.
