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Reader says ,The Ridgewood BOE should vote to sever their agreement with Valley and return any and all bribe money they have received up to this point

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Reader says ,The Ridgewood BOE should vote to sever their agreement with Valley and return any and all bribe money they have received up to this point

It really is amazing that Valley has taken the step to sue the entity it claims so proudly to be a part of. Despite the fact that they will most likely prevail I think they may finally realize this is not a “neighborhood issue.” A LOT of people in town really do not want the monstrosity they want to build in the middle of a residential neighborhood and next to a middle school. I did hear that this came without any notification to their doctors and staff and there are a lot of pissed off employees who are now going to face the fall out of lost patients, incessant criticism, questions and ridicule.

I would expect the Ridgewood BOE will be holding a meeting as soon as possible to vote to sever their agreement with Valley and return any and all bribe money they have received up to this point. These are the kinds of things the BOE members have no clue on. They were questioned on their stance about the construction for months and refused to address it. When Valley offered them $500,000 in return for their silence they conveniently refused to consider the consequences of accepting the money. Well gues what? Now they are in deep doo doo. An entity they accepted a large sum of money from, is now suing every single one of them, evey single one of us as well as all the children in this town. How is the BOE going to spin that one?

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Freeholder chief checks Ridgewood parking shortage

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Freeholder chief checks Ridgewood parking shortage

OCTOBER 8, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Residents, officials and business leaders all seem to agree on one thing when it comes to the village: parking is scarce.

On Tuesday afternoon, Freeholder Chairman David Ganz took a quick tour of the downtown area, to survey the village’s parking situation.

Village officials have spent the last year talking with representatives from the Bergen County Improvement Authority about the possibility of the county financing, building and operating a parking deck in Ridgewood.

First, the freeholders would need to authorize the expenditure of $100,000 on a comprehensive study of the village’s current parking situation.

“We recently included Chairman Ganz in that conversation,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn, “because the freeholders would have to approve BCIA’s use of transit funding for such a study.”

The funding issue could be discussed at the freeholders’ next meeting on Oct. 22.

– See more at:  https://www.northjersey.com/news/freeholder-chief-checks-ridgewood-parking-shortage-1.1104416#sthash.K0CobFFL.dpuf

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Our new motto is – “Leave” no leaf behind!

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file photo Boyd Loving

Our new motto is – “Leave” no leaf behind!

IMPORTANT NOTICE CONCERNING LEAF REMOVAL – REVISED SCHEDULE

As you may have heard In our continuing efforts to improve services, a new leaf removal program will begin with the upcoming leaf season. The preponderant portion of Area B will be outsourced to a private contractor for the removal of leaves. This change is being implemented so that our resources can be better utilized by providing more manpower and extending collection times in all areas to achieve the services that Ridgewood residents deserve. 

Residents in Area B will remain the same with the exception of the following streets which will now be considered “Area D” for leaf season only.

N. Monroe St. (house #108 to #412)

Valley View Ave.

Elm Court

Wastena Terr.

Beechwood Road

Unadilla Rd.

Palmer Court

Kemah Rd.

Woodland Ave. (house #116 – #223)

Carlton Terr.

Sheridan Terr.

Windsor Terr.

NEW dates for collection are as follows:

Area A: Oct. 20 – 23, Nov. 6 – 13, Dec. 1-5

Area B: Oct. 22 – 28, Nov. 6 – 12, Nov. 24 – 28, Dec. 11 – 17

Area C: Oct. 24 – 29, Nov. 14 – 19, Dec. 8 – 12

Area D: Oct. 30 – Nov. 5, Nov. 20 – 26, Dec. 15 – 19

Leaves must be placed directly in the street no more than 7 days prior to your scheduled pick up date. Please have your leaves in the street on the first day scheduled for collection. No brush will be collected during leaf season. You may continue to bring leaves as well as brush to the Recycling Center. The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Leaves can also be placed in paper biodegradable bags. Bags are available at the Recycling Center on a first come, first serve basis. When using bags please place them on the curb area and they will be collected separately. As weather is a key component to this operation if changes become necessary it will be posted on the Village of Ridgewood website. In addition you are encouraged to sign up for e-mail notifications via the Village website. As a reminder, please use caution when our leaf removal crews are on your block. When possible please take an alternate route to ensure the safety of all. Should you have any questions, please call the Street Division (201) 670-5585.

Our new motto is – “Leave” no leaf behind!

Thank you for your continued cooperation.

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West Milford police release new details about aftermath of deadly bear attack

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file photo Ridge School bear

West Milford police release new details about aftermath of deadly bear attack

OCTOBER 6, 2014, 4:45 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014, 6:52 PM
BY MINJAE PARK
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

As West Milford police searched for the victim of the fatal bear attack on Sept. 21, they tried calling him and contacted his cell phone carrier about conducting a trace, information newly released by the West Milford clerk reveals.

The victim, Darsh Patel, a 22-year-old Rutgers student, had been missing after he and four friends with whom he was hiking separated while fleeing a black bear at the Apshawa Preserve.

Previously redacted portions of police incident reports offer new details on law enforcement’s search for Patel’s body and the disconsolation of Patel’s parents as they heard his body was found.

The Record obtained the incident reports on Sept. 25, but they were redacted because of the ongoing police investigation into the incident, Township Clerk Antoinette Battaglia said at the time. Some parts can now be disclosed because the information has been verified, Battaglia said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/west-milford-police-release-new-details-about-aftermath-of-deadly-bear-attack-1.1103630#sthash.X3TxzJU0.dpuf

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CDC multitasking hurts Ebola fight

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CDC multitasking hurts Ebola fight: Column
Glenn Harlan Reynolds5:07 p.m. EDT October 5, 2014

Disease control shouldn’t extend to playground safety and occupational hazards.

“You had one job!” is the punchline on a popularInternet meme involving organizational screw-ups. Now critics are saying something similar about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response the agency’s handling of the Ebola outbreak. Unfortunately, it’s not true. While we’d be better off if the CDC only had one job — you know, controlling disease— the CDC has taken on all sorts of jobs unrelated to that task. Jobs that seem to have distracted its management and led to a performance that even the establishment calls “rocky.” Going forward, we need to learn this lesson, for the CDC, for other agencies, and for the government as a whole.

Ebola, as fans of The Hot Zone know, is nothing new, and neither are worries about it spreading beyond its usual range. And disease control experts have long known that the key to stopping it is finding people who were exposed, tracing their contacts, and keeping them under observation until they are past the disease’s incubation period, and keeping anyone actively contagious under quarantine until they have died or recovered.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/10/05/ebola-cdc-jobs-tasks-multitasking-thomas-duncan-column/16766801/

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Rep Scott Garrett crusade against “for-profit policing” gains traction

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Rep Garrett with two vets at the Glen Rock street fair . These two gentlemen were at the fair representing the VFW. Join me in thanking them for their service to our country!

Rep Scott Garrett crusade against “for-profit policing” gains traction 
October 6th 2014 
the staff of the Ridgewood blog 

Ridgewood NJ, In September Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ),  and Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), introduced H.R. 5502, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration (FAIR) Act, to protect Americans from having their property seized without the due process of law.  The FAIR Act makes a number of changes to civil asset forfeiture laws to restore the constitutional protections guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.

Recently unconstitutional civil asset forfeiture or Policing for profit has started to gain traction with the media .

Garrett said “I’m glad to see that more people are starting to draw attention to civil asset forfeiture laws. My bill, the FAIR Act, would protect Americans from unconstitutional civil asset forfeitures.”

Learn more here: https://1.usa.gov/1s6Yg99

John Oliver rips into the scandal of for-profit policing
Updated by Timothy B. Lee on October 6, 2014, 9:40 a.m. ET tim@vox.com
 
In America, people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Yet a crazy loophole in US law has allowed the police to take billions of dollars worth of property from ordinary Americans without even charging them with a crime.

John Oliver explains how this scheme, known as civil asset forfeiture, works:

https://www.vox.com/2014/10/6/6918047/john-oliver-explains-how-the-police-can-take-your-stuff-without

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PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT

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PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT

AGENDA

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Village Hall Courtroom – 7:30 P.M.

(all timeframes and the order of agenda items below are approximate and subject to change)

1.            7:30 p.m. – Call to Order, Statement of Compliance, Flag Salute, Roll Call  – In accordance with the provisions of Section 10:4-8d of the Open Public Meetings Act, the date, location, and time of the commencement of this meeting is reflected in a meeting notice, a copy of which schedule has been filed with the Village Manager and the Village Clerk, The Ridgewood News and The Record newspapers, and posted on the bulletin board in the entry lobby of the Village municipal offices at 131 North Maple Avenue, and on the Village website, all  in accordance with the provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act.

         Roll call: Aronsohn, Bigos, Knudsen, Nalbantian, Joel, Reilly, Dockray, Peters, Thurston, Altano, Abdalla


2.            7:35 – 8:00 p.m. – Executive session


3.            8:00 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. – Public Comments on Topics not Pending Before the Board


4.            8:10p.m. – 8:15 p.m. – Committee/Commission/Professional Updates for Non Agenda Topics


5.            8:15 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. – Correspondence Received by the Board 

6.            8:20 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Public hearing Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts


7.            9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Discussion re: Legal overview regarding Open Public Meetings Act requirements and Board obligations as per the Municipal Land Use Law


8.            10:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. – Housing Element of the Master Plan – Discussion re: Preparation and Schedule for Adoption


9.            Adjournment

 
         In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, all meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work sessions, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings, which are always open to members of the general public.


         Members: Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Nancy Bigos, Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, Charles Nalbantian, Richard Joel, Kevin Reilly, Wendy Dockray, Michele Peters, David Thurston, Isabella Altano, Khidir Abdalla

         Professional Staff: Blais L. Brancheau, Planner; Gail L. Price, Esq., Board Attorney; Christopher J. Rutishauser, Village Engineer; Michael Cafarelli, Board Secretary

 

Financial Advisory Committee – October 13 Meeting Cancelled

The Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) holds its meetings the second Monday of each month. The October 13th Meeting is cancelled due to the holiday on that date. The November Meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 10th.

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Samantha Paris Honored as One of New Jersey’s 2014 Forty Under 40

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Samantha Paris Honored as One of New Jersey’s 2014 Forty Under 40

Ridgewood, NJ, October 05, 2014 Samantha Paris, CPA, a Principal at FGP and member of the firm since 2001, has been named a winner in the 2014 NJBIZ Forty Under 40 awards program. “I am honored to be recognized for this award. Being a CPA is a rewarding and challenging role and I feel blessed to do something I love every day. My success is due in part to my family, the FGP partners and firm members, as well as my clients and contacts in the business community for their daily support of my efforts in this profession,” stated Samantha.

The Forty Under 40 awards program honors men and women under the age of 40 who have been making headlines in their field and who share a commitment to business growth, to professional excellence and to the community. To qualify, a nominee had to meet selection criteria that included working in New Jersey and possessing significant authority for decision making within a company or organization.

The winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges. NJBIZ and the program sponsors will honor this year’s winners during an awards ceremony on Monday, September 29 at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, NJ. The honorees will also be highlighted in a special supplement to NJBIZ on October 6, 2014.

About FGP

Founded in 1920, FGP is an accounting firm providing businesses and individuals with a full range of professional services, including Audit & Advisory, Tax, Transaction Advisory Services, Private Company Business Services as well as Business Succession Planning, Litigation Support and Management Advisory services. FGP’s membership in Morison International, an international association of leading accounting, tax and business consulting firms, facilitates service delivery to clients through the United States and around the world.

Samantha Paris can be reached at sp@fgpcpa.com or by calling 201-445-0500.

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Ciaran Sheehan and Gwen Eagleton to Star in Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s GALWAY TO BROADWAY

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Ciaran Sheehan and Gwen Eagleton to Star in Shakespeare Theatre of NJ’s GALWAY TO BROADWAY, 10/20
October 6
6:50 PM2014

Broadway stars of The Phantom of the Opera and LES MISERABLES Ciarán Sheehan and Gwen Eagleton will perform a one-night-only musical event From Galway to Broadway on Monday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre. The concert will benefit The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s young artist education and training programs. Sheehan and Eagleton will perform a medley of Broadway standards, traditional Irish songs, and beloved pop tunes. Tickets start at $20. Prime seating is available for $35 and a $60 ticket includes a post-show reception with the artists. For more information, contact the Box Office at (973) 408-5600 or www.ShakespeareNJ.org.

A Dublin native, Sheehan began his career as a classical actor and admits to never considering musical theatre until working with famed Tony Award-winning producer and directorHal Prince, who suggested he audition for The Phantom of the Opera. Sheehan made his Broadway debut in LES MISERABLES as Babet and Marius. Shortly after, Sheehan was cast as Raoul in the smash hit’s third national tour. He went on play the Phantom for two years and over 1,000 performances, both on Broadway and in Toronto, where he replaced Colm Wilkinson. Reviewing Sheehan’s performance in The Irish and How They Got That Way at the Irish Repertory Theatre, Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, Sheehan “has a crisp, polished voice and a presence to match.”

Sheehan has performed sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall and The National Concert Hall in Dublin, as well as several televised specials for PBS including Ciarán -An Evening with Friends. Most recently, Sheehan performed off-Broadway in Fifty Words at the Gene Frankel Theatre, a production which Eagleton assistant directed. Sheehan resides in Ridgewood, New Jersey with his family.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/new-jersey/article/Ciaran-Sheehan-and-Gwen-Eagleton-to-Star-in-Shakespeare-Theatre-of-NJs-GALWAY-TO-BROADWAY-1020-20141006

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The Stable in Ridgewood closes, will become small-plates restaurant

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The Stable in Ridgewood closes, will become small-plates restaurant

OCTOBER 6, 2014, 3:59 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014, 4:04 PM
BY ELISA UNG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The Ridgewood rodizio restaurant The Stable held its last dinner service last night, says owner Marcello Czernier. He is now remodeling it to become a small-plates restaurant called Finca (“estate” in Spanish). Czernier says it will generally have a different menu than his other Ridgewood restaurant, Cravings Tapas Bistro, though some dishes may be available at both spots. He hopes to open in about six weeks.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/the-stable-in-ridgewood-closes-will-become-small-plates-restaurant-1.1103615#sthash.Ro3mzTFF.dpuf

 

see https://theridgewoodblog.net/lunch-at-the-stable/

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No Fuss Lunch is a mission for Ridgewood mom

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No Fuss Lunch is a mission for Ridgewood mom

OCTOBER 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY KARA YORIO
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Amelie Wilday was coming home “weepy, cranky, tired and hungry,” according to her mother, Gaby. It was two years ago, halfway through the first month of first grade, and something was not right with the Ridgewood 6-year-old. Gaby Wilday, who had ordered Amelie’s lunch through the school’s food provider, asked her daughter to bring home what she wasn’t eating.”That’s when I noticed she just wasn’t eating,” said Wilday. Amelie didn’t like the food, and her mother didn’t like the quality. She also noticed the Wildays must not have been alone, as there were many lunches from outside food vendors being dropped off at Ridgewood schools.Already with a commercial kitchen for a sauce business, she decided to see if she could create a better school lunch model. She started with seven lunches, which she gave to a group of families for free in return for feedback. She ended up hearing from many more than those seven.

“By November 1st, I was getting emails from principals, PTO presidents, parents from other schools,” she said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/no-fuss-lunch-is-a-mission-for-ridgewood-mom-1.1103841#sthash.I9ofmCGH.dpuf

 check out the webiste https://www.nofusslunch.com/
You can contact us by phone (973) 304-1976.
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Ridgewood Water – Emergency Repairs

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photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood Water – Emergency Repairs

Ridgewood Water made emergency repairs in two locations today – South Van Dien Avenue at Spring Avenue in Ridgewood and Ravine Avenue at Ravine Court in Wyckoff. If your home or business is near these locations you might experience discolored water from your faucets. The discoloration is from minerals that have been stirred up by turbulence in the mains. You may flush the discoloration out of your piping by running faucets until the water is clear. There is no need for health concerns but residents are cautioned to avoid doing laundry until the discoloration has been completely flushed from household piping.

Esurance

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Ridgewood hires building department head, human resources professional

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Ridgewood hires building department head, human resources professional

OCTOBER 6, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014, 11:01 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The village has a new head start on building a better building department.

The village recently filled two new positions, including a new department head. The other new hire, intended to benefit all departments, is a senior human resources professional.

In a recent email sent to staff, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld revealed that, after commencing a building department reorganization last June, the village landed on a new director for the department, which Sonenfeld previously stated was in “need of direct management focus.”

The reorganization, Sonenfeld has said, was necessary to create a more customer-friendly atmosphere, partly by minimizing building permit wait times and related resident complaints.

When asked by The Ridgewood News, Sonenfeld said that the new HR professional will receive a $70,000 annual salary, already approved in this year’s budget. The building department head, Thomas Yotka, will be paid $105,000, she said, some of which will result after two current employees, Mike Barker and Tony Merlino, who used to help run the department, face salary cuts.

“It was viewed as so critical to get something done,” Sonenfeld said, “we figured we’d find the money.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/staff-reorganization-starts-1.1103363#sthash.kGsY1Qao.dpuf

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State says Ridgewood must replace land

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State says Ridgewood must replace land

OCTOBER 6, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014, 11:06 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood has been tracked down for a 32-year-old gaffe.

According to the Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, the village was recently told by Green Acres, a state conservation program, that it needed to make amends for a piece of Green Acres-encumbered land on South Broad Street that Ridgewood sold to the Bergen County Housing Authority – way back in 1982.

The village sold what was a public playground to the Bergen County Housing Authority to provide public low-income housing, Sonenfeld said, and now the diversion “has to be adjusted.”

“In order to correct this, we need 1.9 acres of open space. The other requirement is that we have to spend at least 1:1 value for the property that was sold to Bergen County Housing … And we have to replace the outdoor facility [the playground] that was on that property when we sold this,” Sonenfeld said, later noting that the village needs to buy “more than one parcel” of land and is currently in negotiations with one party.

“We need to do this, because if we don’t,” she noted, “we’re not eligible for future Green Acres grants, and we’re not eligible to get payments on our current outstanding grants.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/states-says-village-must-replace-land-1.1103368#sthash.AD706r2H.dpuf

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Ridgewood intersection closed after car crashes into hydrant

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photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood intersection closed after car crashes into hydrant

OCTOBER 6, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2014, 1:26 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood major throughway South Van Dien Avenue is shut down between Hanks Avenue and Lotus Road after a car knocked a hydrant out of the ground this morning, sending water gushing out into the street.

At noon on Monday, police and safety officials were still trying to determine the scope of the damage caused when a car crashed into a fire hydrant at 9:37 a.m. at the corner of South Van Dien and Spring avenues.

“The intersection may be shut down for a while,” said Jeremy Kleiman, director of the Office of Emergency Management.

Police said the male driver refused medical attention following the accident and his car was towed away. Police could not answer why the accident occurred or if a summons had been issued.

David Scheibner, Ridgewood Water’s business director, said the village shut down the valves in that area, but that the shutdown would not impact the water supply to any homes.

Typically when fire hydrants are hit, they pop out with little damage to the ground below, said Kleiman, but this crash caused the water main to rupture and created a 6-foot deep crater in front of a Spring Avenue home.

“Our concern is about gas levels in the manholes. [Right now] the levels are fine,” Kleiman said. “Initially we thought we may have to evacuate.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ruptured-water-main-closes-ridgewood-intersection-1.1103460#sthash.mTxMP3RN.dpuf