Will the Zabriskie Schedler House, in Ridgewood become the next turf field
Reader says to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields
If you want to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields. The horse farm, if its worth the $10 million we got hosed for at the time of purchase, equates to about $250,000 per year of taxes no longer coming in.
Citizens park was paid for with donations from long time residents, whose names appear on the placque. It was for a PARK, not a soccer field, with obnoxious loud people blocking up the traffic there, along with the nite lights. Its disgusting how a nice green park became a brown mudfield to accommodate the newbies here.
Downtown Development guidelines the “big picture”
Downtown Development guidelines the “big picture”
January 13, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ Looks like the Ridgewood News has brought their A game to Village Central Business District development debate by proposing the planning board consider the big picture ,not only the impact to the CBD but the impact to the whole town , the schools,services ,infrastructure and commuting in their latest Ridgewood News editorial: Developing guidelines ( https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/186420401_Ridgewood_News_editorial__Developing_guidelines.html )
According to the News , “Ridgewood officials are considering the potential impact on the village. A draft ordinance is being drawn up that contains specifications each developer must follow, such as floor area ratio, setbacks, sign usage and minimum parking. That’s an important first step, but we believe much more must be considered.
Then the good stuff ,”In addition, the impact on traffic downtown – already a concern for many, especially regarding pedestrian safety – must be an important factor for Ridgewood’s planning board. The draft ordinance will guide officials in decisions such as units per acre and appropriate maximum building height. But we hope Ridgewood officials will consider the “big picture” and the impact of so much potential housing in one small geographic area.( https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/186420401_Ridgewood_News_editorial__Developing_guidelines.html )
What is the “big picture”, the “big picture” is the is the overall impact on the community as a whole , the schools, Village services, ,parking, infrastructure, commuting , medical , traffic, EMS , fire, safety and of course the over all viability.of Ridgewood’s downtown .With Urbanization comes added costs to the whole Village as well as quality of life issues that are very hard to put a price tag on .
If the Ridgewood Station project , the Dayton, Chestnut Village and the Enclave it will add over 300 new housing units within five blocks of each other forever changing the Village and the nature of the Village itself.
Turf King endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
Turf king endorses Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarell criticizes police and firemen, attacking salary and benefits
Moments ago, after a long day at work I sat down to review my personal emails, check school info and sports emails, kids schedule, etc. In the mix was an email from Brian Abdoo who I know from a number of sports programs my kids are involved in. I began reading the Abdoo’s endorsement of candidates, Aronsohn, Hauck and Puciarelli. The more I read the sicker I became. Abdoo has thoroughly disgusted me with his hypocritical rhetoric.
From 2009-2010 Brian Abdoo repeatedly endorsed the multi-million dollar controversial turf projects at Stadium and Stevens fields. As we all know the turf has been an unmitigated disaster resulting in Ridgewood Taxpayers incurring the burden of costly repairs.
Now, this same Brian Abdoo wants to express concern over taxes? He attempts to peddle Paul Aronsohn’s gimmicky zero based budgeting. Even my 6th grader understands built-in inherent cost increases. Abdoo states he wants more transparency and Village Council should “open the books”. The fact that Brian Abdoo is ignorant should not persuade anyone to his argument. Brian, the books are open. They are a matter of public record and are available for anyone to review. Brian, feel free to visit APP DataUniverse if there is anything you need to know. However, Mr. Abdoo, while doing your research you likely will not find the value of your candidate Aronsohn’s health care costs, at village taxpayer expense, for the past four years. Mr. Abdoo, while Mr. Aronsohn is busy telling you he wants to help Ridgewood Taxpayers, he has been busy helping himself for four years
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Brian Abdoo proceeds to attack our police and firemen, attacking their salary and benefits. If this is such a concern why on earth would he support Aronsohn who voted for each and every raise, and contract , pertaining to the police & fire department. Maybe he prefers regionalized police and fire departments like Hauck and Puciarelli. Hauck announced the savings for each village taxpayer during the debate: a whopping $ 285 each! For that money I will sleep better at night with Village police and firemen.
Abdoo professes the revitalization of Ridgewood downtown and how committed each of his threesome is to this goal. Mr. Abdoo, Paul Aronsohn is the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce. What has he been doing for the past four years? Shopping at the mall? And Hauck and Puciarelli prefer a more urbanized Ridgewood. If they want urbanization let them move to Hoboken.
Best for last, Abdoo states each of these candidates is committed to helping Valley and residents to negotiate a compromise to allow for expansion. For goodness sake, Brian, where has Al Puciarelli been? He has been a member of the planning board forever. Hauck didn’t speak of compromise when she endorsed the massive expansion, as is, over and over again. Valley Hospital is not interested in compromise. The only time that was suggested by Valley was at the last Village Council hearing. Audrey Meyers, seeing the writing on the wall, begged council to hold off their vote so Valley could develop a compromise. Seriously, where was the compromise for six years?
Mr. Abdoo, reconsider and bullet for Killion and Shinizuka before we are in another turf-like drowning mess attributable to the likes of you.
Mr. Bombace has been working directly with Paul Arohnson for the past 3 years to get a super majority of “like-minded” council persons
Mr. Bombace has been working directly with Paul Arohnson for the past 3 years to get a super majority of “like-minded” council persons
Mr. Bombace has been working directly with Paul Arohnson for the past 3 years to get a super majority of “like-minded” council persons elected. At first it was the “Crowd” (Cronk and Dowd); now its Albert Puccarelli and Gwen Haulk.
The problem with allowing Paul Arohnson to control a super majority (who have been telling anyone who will listen; that they intend to elect him as Mayor) is that these three will jam their agenda through over and over again and the Village will be changed forever. It should be no suprise they have been having private (read: secret) meetings with various development partners to construct new retail, garages and apartments in various locations in downtown (this is the kind of stuff that leads to jail time, just look what happened in other urban areas around us these past few years).
The current Council is composed of five individuals, none having a lock on control and all having “independent”, not “like-minded” or “lock-step” thinking.
In this Tuesday’s election there will be three non aligned candidates; they are: Keith Killion, Jane Shinazoka and Russ Forenza. Anyone who knows these three; knows they are very different people with very different ideas, all respectful of eachother and the tax payer.
Please vote for independent condidates this year.
“Citizens for a Better Ridgewood ” tainted by the Bombace scandal
“Citizens for a Better Ridgewood ” tainted by the Bombace scandal
It seems “Citizens for a Better Ridgewood ” is more than just a group of complainers looking to “urbanize Ridgewood ” at taxpayers expense while reaping huge profits . The group seems to also be composed of and represented by a group of bullies who will do almost anything to get their way.
Also noted in the Judge’s decision “Plaintiff received a disturbing anonymous mailing at his home which was later found to have been sent by Former Chief Bombace”
Has Bombace been charged with anything? It seems he has culpability in this matter, costing Village Taxpayers, he should not escape without being held accountable. If the Judge found a disturbing anonymous mailing having been sent by Bombace, where is the investigation from the Ridgewood Police Department or the prosecutor’s office?
This lies on his shoulders of James Bombace as Director of the Fire Dept. for the years that this harassment to place. To find out that in the Judge opinion he active participated in the harassment is telling on the type of leader he was. This is the same man that now is actively spreading rumors about our mayor is even more telling of the kind of person he really is. He should give back his pension .
This the same Bombace heading up the “Citizens For A Better Ridgewood”? Was this group formed to advance the Aronsohn/Puciarelli/Hauck ticket?
This is the same Bombase that runs the fake misinformation blog or flog known as the “Ridgewood Views” under the Andrew & Sue moniker while on the taxpayers dime ?
This is also the same James Bombace who wrote the letter in today’s Ridgewood News supporting Paul Aronsohn, Gwenn Hauck, and Albert Pucciarelli for Village Council making these candidates complicit in a premeditated plan of lies and deceit to take over the Village?
Lets Turf Habernickel
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Lets Turf Habernickel
Why is Habernickel never an option for a Turf field? With stands and a concession.
At least I see teams using the turf fields on the east side. You see maybe 15 kids a time on the precious Habernickel.
Please lets sell it to a developer to pay for all the services we have lost and get the town in a better finanical position.
Another $21k Down The Brook : Turf field’s ‘wrinkle release’ costs $21,000
>Ridgewood turf field’s ‘wrinkle release’ costs $21,00
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
BY KELLY EBBELS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer
The final repair of the wrinkles left on new turf installed on Ridgewood High School’s (RHS) Stadium Field after flooding this month cost the school district about $21,000, Superintendent Daniel Fishbein disclosed at a Board of Education (BOE) meeting Monday night.
Answering an initial question from BOE member Laurie Goodman, who asked for a cost estimate of the cleanup of the fields following heavy rains on April 16, Fishbein responded that the cleanup was being conducted by the district’s contracted custodial company, “so there’s no additional costs.”
However, when The Ridgewood News questioned Fishbein during the public comment portion of the meeting about the cost of hiring an outside company, LandTek, to repair the turf wrinkles, the superintendent reported that the field repair in fact cost about $21,000.
“I’m sorry. There was a cost for LandTek. I neglected to say that,” he said, adding that he considered the repair of the wrinkles a “correction” and not a “clean-up” cost.
April showers leave wrinkles on Ridgewood fields
>April showers leave wrinkles on Ridgewood fields
Monday, April 25, 2011
BY KELLY EBBELS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer
Another weekend of heavy rains and flooding from the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook damaged the artificial turf fields at Ridgewood High School, and prompted a new flurry of concern from neighboring residents.
A district worker cleans Stevens Field. The district hired a company to clean the fields after they were flooded in March, but decided this month to do the cleanup in-house.
Consecutive days of rain in March also left the fields flooded, and a cleanup effort following those storms was still under way when recent rainfall dropped on the village.
The cleanup last week was proceeding differently at village and school fields than in March. After paying a private contractor to clean the fields last month ($21,000 for the RHS fields and $9,500 for Maple Park Field), both the village and school district chose to use in-house employees last week. The village and school district rented a sweeper to clean the fields.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/120609369_Rainfall_again_damages_Ridgewood_sports_fields.html
Lightgate: Plans for the fields and being informed, the discussions and plans were available
>Lightgate: Plans for the fields and being informed, the discussions and plans were available
This has nothing to do with the “Inside” or the “Outside” or being disinteresed, it has to do with being informed and being informed works both ways. You have to keep yourself informed as much as if not more than someone needs to inform you. In regards to the plans for the fields and being informed, the discussions and plans were available and relayed to the “outside” for a very long period of time.
During the planning of the Parks and Fields Master Plan in addition to numerous open forums and press coverage there was a mailing that went to every home in Ridgewood explaining what was being planned and looking for input on the plan as well as priorities from residents. That plan was/is the basis for the fields and gymnasium upgrades as well as upgrades/renovations for parks and other recreation facilities in Ridgewood. It didn’t happen over night, there were years of planning and discussions and numerous notices and reports. The pro’s and con’s of artificial turf and lights were discussed extensively and the turf was even a topic at a Village Council meeting which was televised and reported on by both the Ridgewood News and the Record as the plan was reaching it’s final stage.
In addition to that the BOE had (and still has) the plans for each of the projects both at the BOE office and on their website. Each plan was described in detail with the scope of the plan and projected costs outlined. There were mailings sent out with information on the plans as the BOE was trying to generate interest in the bond referendum. The BOE and Administration spent numerous hours at coffees, meetings with residents, open forums at schools as well as being available at Starbuck’s to discuss the plans leading up to the voting on the referendum. The vast majority of the negative feedback on the referendum dealt with the upgrade to the athletic facilities. The Ridgewood News ran a cover story seemingly every week for a year on the topic and the different facets of the referendum.
A couple of the immediate neighbors of RHS were incessant in their criticism of putting turf on Stevens and the RHS Field. The detail they went into at numerous meetings including the hearing with the DEP left no stone unturned, yet now they are claiming they didn’t know that lights were going to be installed? C’mon, do you really think anyone believes that they could dissect the plans to the point of knowing the physical characteristics of the pellets that fill the turf and not know that there were light stantions in the plans? That is hard to believe.
You can put all the “Outside” people you want on a committee and what will you accomplish? Are you going to put one person from every elementary school, one from each middle school and one from the HS on each and every committee in town? How unweildy would that be? What would you accomplish? Nine new committee members who would only bring their personal view to a problem with no concept or concern for the greater good. The Ridge representative fighting with the Somerville rep getting interupted by the GW rep arguing with the BF rep, I doubt that would be a positive for anyone. And the idea of requiring someone from each elementary district to sit on the BOE isn’t going to work either as we can’t get quality people to run for the few seats we have now. Who in their right mind would want to sit on the BOE and spend the time involved dealing with the Federal Gov’t, the State Gov’t, Bergen County, and listen to the non stop complaining from residents every time they make a decision?
As many people have said before; if you think you have better ideas and can make some changes; run, but don’t claim there was some conspiracy or you were uninformed or the information wasn’t available. The information was available and it was dessiminated. There was no conspiracy. Maybe some missed what was going to happen but they’ve got to accept some responsiblity for that.
Valley Renewal : Valley, Village officials and the media try to silence the opposition
>I was disheartened, but not surprised by the events that occurred and the subsequent reporting by The Record and Ridgewood News after last weeks PB meeting.
The media chose to report on a ‘raucous’ crowd rather than investigate efforts by Valley, Village officials and the media to silence the opposition.
Look at the facts:
The venue for the PB was moved to a location that could not handle the crowd. This should not have surprised the PB since this was not the first time that residents were shut out of a Valley hearing. In addition, at the last minute, residents were informed that parking would be limited, and they should carpool. If BF wasn’t available, should the PB have considered rescheduling?
Valley employees most of whom are not residents to fill seats are shuttled to the meeting. The Village reserved half the seats for Valley employees.
The police responded to a crowd of 250 people chanting ‘Stop Valley Now’ by calling in support from four other communities, as well as Bergen County Police and the Sheriff with canine support. Was this a measured response to an out of control situation, or was it designed to intimidate opponents?
The Bergen Record, has consistently supported Valley’s expansion plans, and their reporting has been short on facts. The editors of the record also opposed plans to reopen PVH. Does The Record editorial policy have anything to do with the fact that Mr Borg, President of the newspaper, is a member of Valley Hospital’s Presidents Council?
Valley is mobilizing it’s PR machine to divide and discredit the opposition. We have to stand together in opposition to Valley and public officials who thus far have refused to listen to residents.
Ridgewood Graydon Pool : an awesome couple of weeks
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Laurie Howard, Ridgewood Historian Joe Suplicki,
Preservation NJ Programs Director Stephanie Cherry-Farmer,
attorney Stuart Lieberman, Lucy Rieger, Alan Seiden,
with Graydon photos in background
Village Budget : Taxpayers On The Hook for Cell Phone Bills of 102 Village Employees
During a municipal budget review held on Wednesday April 14th, Dylan Hansen, the Village’s Network Administrator, publically revealed that 102 Village of Ridgewood employees are currently using cell phones that were paid for by Ridgewood taxpayers. Additionally, all monthly usages fees, in connection with business and/or personal calls, are also paid by Ridgewood taxpayers.
Clearly, the Village Manager and Village Council were either asleep at the switch or absent when cell phones were distributed at Village Hall. It is not possible that there are 102 Village employees whose positions warrant unlimited business and personal use of taxpayer provided cell phone service. This is simply an outrageous situation that must be brought to an immediate end.
The Fly has several questions for the Village Council:
1) What is the percentage of Village employees who have taxpayer provided cell phone service?
2) What is the formal approval process for obtaining taxpayer provided cell phone service?
3) When an employee retires, resigns, or is terminated, is someone checking to make certain that taxpayers aren’t continuing to provide the individual with cell phone service?
4) Is there a list kept of who has these phones or do we just know that 102 are out there? Is the list available for public viewing?
5) Is the value of cell phone service for personal use being reported as income on W2 forms?
The Fly suggests that now is the right time for Village Council members to hang up most of the Village issued cell phones.
St. Patrick’s Day
Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick’s Day and the “luck of the Irish” to go with it. There are many humorous explanations for this expression. One comes from the legend of the ‘Little People’ of the land, know as leprechauns. Finding or catching a leprechaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland ! The Irish are descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders. Their natural fighting skills often ensured survival & hence they became known as the ‘lucky’ people .a classic case of making your own luck ! But then “The Luck of the Irish” may all be legend.
Saint Patricks Day Parades Worldwide, Irish Pubs all around the globe, Fun Runs, Irish Associations, Irish Music Festivals, Irish Names, Irish Dancing Schools, Irish Music Irish Roots, Irish Festivals,Scottish Highland Games USA & Canada, as well as, Scottish Pipes & Drum Bands.
St Patricks Day is for thinking about our Saint as well as a time to think of loved ones across the water.
So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.
The Golden Toilet : Government has become a self perpetuating beast
>Come on, is this a surprise to anyone? This is just one more example of how inefficient and costly Government is. Take a look at the cost of the bandshell bathrooms. Is there anyone who doesn’t believe that a private contractor couldn’t have built those for a fraction of the cost the Village spent?
Government has become a self perpetuating beast; enacting regulations (to protect the people!) which require people to enforce, require extra hours and costs to adhere to them and thus driving up costs for everyone else. The private sector has profit as motivation, government has service as its mandate. Government should not be running businesses that private enterprises can provide cheaper.
Did you see what happened with the school system up in Providence the other day? They fired every single teacher in the system. One of the alternatives they are looking at is hiring a private contracter to provide teachers and manage the school system. Think they can do it cheaper?
$48 million dollar Referendum :safety of the turf at Maple Park
>PJ,
I noticed that Laurie Goodman’s blog and the Ridgewood Patch both featured a report from REAC about the safety of the turf at Maple Park. The Patch even provided the report on its site. Goodman had a the link
(https://ridgewoodreac.com/SustainableFields.html). I spent some time over the weekend going through this report. It is the most informative and objective I have seen on the topic. There were a number of things that I found surprising. It basically shows that the people, who have been critical of artificial turf for environmental or safety reasons have been wrong, at least at Maple Park. I was shocked to learn that the design actually has benefits for the flood plain.
This report is very timely with the referendum vote tomorrow. Why didn’t you feature this report on your blog? This is the kind of information I would expect you to bring to our attention. You let us down on this one.
