Posted on

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

>IMG 0429

IMG 0430IMG 0426
ABOUT SAINT PATRICKSaint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city

Why Saint Patrick’s Day?
Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

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.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green! ( https://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.asp )

photo’s by ArtChick Photo’s shot at Irish Eyes on Ridgewood Ave

Posted on

>UPDATE: WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT SATURDAY

>WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT SATURDAY.

MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET WILL LIKELY CHANGE TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES BEFORE THE ACCUMULATING SNOW ENDS LATER TONIGHT. UP TO A HALF INCH OF ICE ACCRETION FROM FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE… MAKING DRIVING AND WALKING CONDITIONS QUITE HAZARDOUS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW… SLEET… AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Weather updates brought to you by ;

saltzman
Voted the “Most Innovative Real Estate Company” by Inman News, Keller Williams® Realty takes a different approach, one that is built on personal touches, a professional approach and positive results. Michael Saltzman utilizes the latest technologies, market research and business strategies to meet your expectations. However, more importantly, we listen and that means we find solutions that are tailored to you.

Michael Saltzman 954-829-1524

michaelsaltzman@bellsouth.net

Posted on

>BOE Related News

>BOARD APPROVES PRELIM BUDGET – The Board of Education at its March 12, 2007, meeting approved a preliminary budget for the 2007-2008 school year to be submitted to the Bergen County Superintendent. The public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 27, 2007. The budget calls for $79,404,637 in expenditures, which represents a 3.5 percent increase in the tax levy. For the average Ridgewood home owner, whose home is assessed at $473,330, the budget represents an increase of $289. The Board also approved a Second Question to be placed on the ballot for voter approval along with the budget. The Second Question covers the replacement of outdated equipment at Ridgewood High School. The total is $669,087 for the new technology and would cost the average home owner an additional $80.29. Elements of the preliminary budget are subject to change. The final budget will not be available until the public hearing on March 27. The Annual School Election and Budget Vote is Tuesday, April, 17, 2007. Polls are open from 7 AM to 9 PM. Please vote!

PUBLIC COMMENT POLICY – The Board is considering a new public comment policy to replace the one that expired last month. The new policy reads, “In order to permit the fair and orderly expression of such comment, the Board shall provide for two periods of public comment at all regular meetings. At all meetings the public comment periods will be scheduled at approximately 7:30 PM and approximately 9 PM or just prior to the end of the meeting, whichever occurs first. The first opportunity for public comment may be limited by the presiding officer to conclude at about 8 PM in order for the Board to continue with its scheduled agenda. The second opportunity for public comment will occur at about 9 PM at the discretion of the presiding officer taking into consideration a break point in the agenda.” The second reading and final adoption of the policy will take place at the next Board meeting.

Posted on

>Board of Adjustment Will Meet Tuesday, 3/13 @ 8:00 p.m. to Continue Hearing

>MC AVEY LLC – An amended application for the development of property at 237
Godwin Avenue, Block 2202 Lot 20 in an R-3 zone. Applicant is seeking
approval for a re-orientated, two-lot subdivision with the proposed lots
facing on Godwin Avenue instead of South Monroe Street. The uses will be as
follows: the existing three family house now located on the property will
be modified to two family use, (proposed lot 20.02) which is permitted in
the zone and the vacant Bozzo house located at 54 South Monroe Street, Lot
21, Block 2403, moved to the proposed new corner lot (lot 20.01), remaining
a single family home. The net result will be a reduction from the four
dwelling unit proposal currently before the Board to a three dwelling unit
proposal permitted by the regulations. Variances for lot 20.01 are as
follows: Front yard setback will be 17 feet where 40 feet is the minimum
required, building height will be 33.3 feet where 30 feet is the maximum
permitted. Variances for Lot 20.02 are as follows: Coverage by
improvements within 140 feet of the front lot line will be 47.6% and
coverage by improvements for the total lot will be 46.6% where 45% is the
maximum permitted for both.

Posted on

>RSA Registration Ridgewood Soccer Association

>Registration opens March 1st for the next season – September to November 2007 for children 1st to 12th grades. A variety of programs are offered for all skill levels. Please go to www.ridgewoodsoccer.org for details. To access online registration system visit www.ridgewoodsports.org. Only credit card payments will be accepted this year. After May 1st a $50 late fee will be assessed and travel players will be put on a wait list to determine space availability.

Posted on

Dont Forget Daylight Savings Time

>clock
Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005).

Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006.

In 2006, daylight time begins on April 2 and ends on October 29.

In 2007, daylight time begins on March 11 and ends on November 4. [New law goes into effect.]

In 2008, daylight time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2.

Many other countries observe some form of “summer time”, but they do not necessarily change their clocks on the same dates as the U.S.

Daylight time and time zones in the U.S. are defined in the U.S. Code, Title 15, Chapter 6, Subchapter IX – Standard Time.

History of Daylight Time in the U.S.
Although standard time in time zones was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the railroads in 1883, it was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. The act also established daylight saving time, a contentious idea then. Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time in time zones remained in law. Daylight time became a local matter. It was re-established nationally early in World War II, and was continuously observed from 9 February 1942 to 20 September 1945. After the war its use varied among states and localities. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided standardization in the dates of beginning and end of daylight time in the U.S. but allowed for local exemptions from its observance. The act provided that daylight time begin on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October, with the changeover to occur at 2 a.m. local time.

During the “energy crisis” years, Congress enacted earlier starting dates for daylight time. In 1974, daylight time began on 6 January and in 1975 it began on 23 February. After those two years the starting date reverted back to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed that shifted the starting date of daylight time to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987. The ending date of daylight time was not subject to such changes, and remained the last Sunday in October. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed both the starting and ending dates. Beginning in 2007, daylight time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

For a very readable account of the history of standard and daylight time in the U.S., see

Ian R. Bartky and Elizabeth Harrison: “Standard and Daylight-saving Time”, Scientific American, May 1979 (Vol. 240, No. 5), pp. 46-53.

Posted on

>the Fly asks; Is a property swap between Wells and the Village being considered?

>Although no professional engineering study has been undertaken, Mayor Dave Pfund has publicly insisted that repairing and restoring the Pease Library building would cost taxpayers $1 million. Mayor Pfund has also publicly indicated his reluctance to issue municipal bonds that would cover such costs.

Knowing that Mayor Pfund and Village Manager Jim Ten Hoeve don’t want to spend $1 million to fix things up at Pease, could they be considering swapping the Pease property for 120 Franklin Avenue (The Town Garage), which Mr. Wells now owns? Cost avoidance of $1 million at Pease could justify swapping the Garber Square location for a property of lesser value.

If a property swap is indeed being considered, some potential issues for the Mayor and Village Manager to think about:

What happens to the E911 center now in Pease’s lower level? Would they pay rent to Wells, or move to a municipally owned location?
Is there a way for the Village to ensure that Wells wouldn’t eventually demolish the landmark building and replace it with something modern?
How would public access to Pease (if left standing) be guaranteed if the Village didn’t own it?

ORDER FINE ART/ STOCK PRINTS ON-LINE

Posted on

>Blog Reaeder says,"Here’s a radical idea…maybe Wells saw an opportunity to make a quick buck."

>Oh great…The Hummmmmer is back. He is always good for some intelligent comments…

Several posts above have asked you conspiracy theorists to explain what is so illicit, shady, unlawful, unethical, or whatever else you think it may be, about this transaction. So far not one of you has presented a clear explanation. All you idiots do is spead innuendo.

Here’s a radical idea…maybe Wells saw an opportunity to make a quick buck.

Comsider this. The Angellos won’t move without a new site. The Village Council can’t make such a land swap as part of their offer. Wells recognizes this and steps in with a deal that satisfies the Angellos by offering a lower price than the Village’s offer, but includes a long term lease at a new site that actually saves the Angellos money and improves their cash flow. Now Wells owns the Town Garage property and is free to sell it to the Village at their original offer price for a quick $400-500K profit. Meanwhile he collects rent from the Angellos at their new site for the next ten years.

I don’t know if this is what happened. But, if it did, all you could say about Wells is that he is a shrewd businessman, who had the foresight and financing to make it happen. By the way, if it went down this way, the Village’s interests were served because they needed a private partner to offer a land swap anyway. Furthermore, in this scenario, the Village pays the same price that the Angellos originally turned down. Notice, by the way, that this scenario did not involve any discussions between the Village Council and Wells about non-public information.

So, I ask you Fly, Hummmmmmmer and anyone else who insists that our Mayor or Wells are involved in some nefarious scheme, what are you complaining about? That Wells saw an opportunity that you didn’t? Or, is it just that Wells is wealthier than you and a lot smarter than you (which is how he became wealthier than you to begin with)?

Posted on

>Jeffery Wells no strangers to controversy

>Jeffery Wells owns of the 21-room Blauvelt mansion in Oradell a property on Kinderkamak road are no strangers to controversy and have been the subject of much community debate in Oradell. After years of hosting events at the mansion ,the Wells family wants to turn the property they own into a banquet business but their neighbors are opposed to a commercial business located in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The Wells’s attempted to sell the four-acre property for $8 million, hoping to keep the house intact and find someone interested in restoring the house. According to sources the only offers came from developers, who wanted to raze the mansion and build new homes — an option Wells rejected. The Wells family saved the mansion from possible destruction in 1978, when Jeffrey’s father, Raymond Wells, purchased the property from a developer who had sought to develop the property with single-family homes .

GigaGolf Special Couponsshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=14707

Posted on

>A sweetheart of a deal, but for whom; Village taxpayers or Wells Associates?

>Pease%20Library
No rent payments over a 10 year occupancy period, but a promise to undertake “significant” building improvements/restorations to the Pease Library. That’s the deal being offered by Village Council members to Wells Associates – Architects.

What’s your opinion? Should the Village collect monthly rent and contract for the improvements/restorations itself, or should officials agree to the deal proposed by Wells Associates?

Let’s hear what all of you Anti Government Grumblers have to say!
Thanks.

ORDER FINE ART/ STOCK PRINTS ON-LINE

Posted on

The Town Garage, 120 Franklin Avenue; the eye of the storm . . .

>Town%20Garage
The current hot discussion topic among those who monitor Village Hall happenings is how an out of town firm was able purchase the Town Garage property from right out under the noses of Village Council members. Village ownership of the subject property (see posted photo) is seen as key to the successful construction of a municipal parking garage.

Reportedly, Village officials had offered previous owner Richard Agnello more than the $1.265 million sale price. However, it is being reported that Mr. Agnello refused to sell until the Village found a suitable location nearby for him to relocate his motor vehicle repair facility.

So the fly would like to know: 1) How was the Wells partnership able to buy the property for less than what Village officials had offered Mr. Agnello? 2) Will Mr. Agnello be closing up shop, or has the Wells partnership found a location for him to move his operation to? And, 3) What prompted the Wells partnership to purchase a piece of property destined for involvement in eminent domain proceedings?

Posted on

Deputy Village Clerk resigns to take job in Oradell

The fly on the wall has learned that Laura Graham, the Village’s Deputy Clerk, will be leaving within the next 2 weeks to assume the role of Borough Clerk in Oradell. Ms. Graham’s replacement in Ridgewood has not been announced.

In addition to serving in her official capacity as Deputy Village Clerk, Ms. Graham, a Ridgewood native and long term Village resident, frequently babysat the 2 children of Mayor David T. Pfund and his wife Gina.

The fly extends best wishes and congratulations to Ms. Graham. She will be missed by many in Ridgewood

Posted on

>BOE CANDIDATES

>Michele Lenhard and incumbent Joseph Vallerini filed petitions to run for the two contested seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education. Incumbent Linda Gilman did not file a petition to run. The filing deadline was Monday, February 26, 2007, at 4 PM. The annual school election and budget vote will take place on April 17, 2007.

Posted on

>FIELDS MEMBER-AT-LARGE NAMED

>Ridgewood resident Jeff Gluck was appointed by the Board of Education to serve as a member-at-large on the Village’s Fields Committee. Gluck will serve a three-year term.

Mr. Gluck’s public comments from the 9/13/2006 Village Council Meeting:

Jeff Gluck, said that he and his wife moved in six years ago. They were very pleased to be able to take advantage of the programs offered for their children at the Glen School. He said that he objects to the use of the field from 7 P.M. to 9 P.M. because this is family time and time to do homework. He stated that as a child he played various sports but when the sun went down, everyone went home and he doesn’tunderstand why that concept has been lost. He said that the policy should be no practicing or games when the sun goes down.