photo by Boyd Loving
March 29,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, as many of you noticed the Ridgewood Elks lodge was closed down by an Elks Grand Lodge executive order which revoked the Elks Charter .
The Ridgewood Eks had been on probation for a long time and was working on the probation terms . The seizure of the Ridgewood lodge came with out warning and was quite a surprise to its growing membership. The Ridgewood Lodge has less than 10 days to file and appeal in Elks court with the Grand Lodge called , The Grand Forum .
While many outsiders speculate some sort of subterfuge is going on. It just does not make sense that the National Elks would pull the charter of a growing lodge that carries on so many great programs for the community . Perhaps the lure of real-estate in downtown Ridgewood has some looking to exercise their 3066 options now that the Brake o Rama property is also available.
who ‘owns’ the property?
Confused. Why were they on probation? What does it mean that the lodge was “seized”?
I want to understand this supposed conspiracy.
Option 1: The landlord called the national Elks and asked them to revoke the charter so they can sell the building and the national organization sided with the landlord.
Option 2: The national Elk’s Club owns the property and got a special bulletin about the Brake O’Rama which is down the block and across the street through an intersection but somehow relates to this property. Due to this supposedly relevant news, the National organization then decided to sell it to fund its operations in Wisconsin.
Option 3: Paul Arhonson called his secret Democratic Elks contacts and secretly negotiated to shut the club so he can build a 35 story parking garage on that site to block people from being able to watch the fireworks on July 4th from the Kings parking lot.
12:58 it is a well know fact in Village Hall circles that Ms Green and the Library Board has been looking at the Elks property for some years. If you recall a post here that the L:library Board have been talking about plans for a Performing Arts center in our around the Library. Im sure you could go to the Library Board past minutes and fine that .
Its just to much of a coincidence that this comes up with everything going on in town.I don’t trust these three. Also check current and past board member you will see that 2 Council people were on the board and our mayor was the representive from the Council to the Library. Then there in one of the developers that also was a former member of the board along with one or two of the finical board members. Check it out you will surprised who is involved
SOUNDS LIKE A $$$$$ GRAB FOR SURE …..BUT I THINK THIS IS DONE BY THE ELKS AT A HIGH LEVEL .
SAW IN THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS MAYOR PAUL HAS DONE THINGS TO HELP THE LODGE NOT HURT IT .DONT THINK WE CAN THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS ON THIS ….THIS IS THE DIRTY WORK OF OTHERS .
THINK THEY DID FILE THE APPEAL WITH THE GRAND LODGE .WE SHOULD RALLY BEHIND THEM AS A COMUNITY !!!!!!! THEY DID GOOD FOR THE TOWN AND OTHERS
Got it so the plot is:
The library wants more room. The “book mafia” called their contacts in Illuminati who called their guy in Chicago at the Grand Elk’s Lodge. The Grand Elk’s Lodge guy agreed to shutter the club under the supposed rationale of too few members. This allows the “book mafia” to expand next door.
Look I love the Elk’s Club. It is one of my favorite places in town for a low key cheap honest drink. They are great to the Dad’s Night guys and I always have a good time there. My preschool kids even did/do music there.
BUT I simply do not believe there is a plot involving the National Elk’s Club and Paul Arhonson. What you are describing as possible outcomes for that space makes perfect sense but I think they are likely the results of forward thinking by the library instead of some Machiavellian plot to cause the National Elks to rescind a charter.
better hurry and ram through that Performing Arts Center before the 3 Amigos get outta Dodge…
And add in the fact that they have a liquor license…who in town owns a restaurant without one??
The library needs a performing arts center? The spaces at our schools and churches aren’t good enough?
All of the village employees must thing that the taxpayers are made of money. We are not.
In the words of a very public employee “Enough is Enough.”
Its the Library Board of directors who brought up the performing arts center. They are resident like you not Village of Ridgewood employees 4:34.
North Jersey .com July 2015
A couple of library board trustees said they want to move ahead with the original plan, which called only for the renovation of the library, and add in the construction of a performing arts center next to the library and village hall. This would turn the library and its surrounding area into the cultural hub the members are seeking.
So many good times in there. It was a nice bar to go to, without having to deal with the nozzles in town
10:01. They are employees and some are residents. We seem to have a difficult time with these resident-public employees lately. Everybody has a pet project.
As library director she will have a tough job selling the idea that the library needs a performing arts center. She must think that taxpaters are made of money.
I can see that they are trying to reinvent what it means to be a public library. The building is used for tutoring, mini clubs and other small groups. It is more a community center than information center.
Let the library foundation buy and maintain the performing arts center.
Libraries all have mission statements. The NY Public Library mission statemwnt is:
https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl/mission. The mission statement was easy to find. They do not mention performing arts.
Our library offers their large room for rental. I know that they have children’s piano recitals there and the film festival. Do they need a bigger venue to rent out? Right nearby we have a community center in village hall, up the road a large auditorium at BF.
Will this performing arts center pay for itself with rental fees or book fines? The golden goose parking meters are spoken for.
I could not find a mission statement on our library website. Have they rethought what it means to be a library? In the digital age what does a community need? The high school reconfigured their library. More space for groups and collaboration, less for books. They don’t even need computers since the students have chromebooks.
Tax records show Ridgewood Elks Holding Corporation as the owner of 111 N Maple Ave.
They pay $14,223 in property taxes.
Ridgewood Elks assessed value was cut in half in 2014.
Their assessed value went from $1,169,300 in 2014 to $584,600 in 2015.
As someone near retirement and looking to cut fixed costs I would like to have that deal. What other taxpayers had their property taxes cut in half? What brought this change about?
5:50 it sound like the Village of Rdgewood is looking to buy the Elks. If they don’t sell then the Village will use Eminent Domain using the assessed value . Why else lower the taxes ?
Ah yes, the old stick it to em by cutting their taxes in half so a failing social club that is trying to rebuild a membership can survive. What a nasty move–cutting taxes. Diabolical.
No, cut the valuation now so that when the village will spend less using eminent domain to seize it.
Is spot reassessment legal?
8:18. So the village should cut taxes on all failing businesses? That would be a long line.
How about a cut for folks who have paid taxes on time for 30 years? Reward good behavior.
Follow the Rot…bodies and dark deeds always float up to the surface…
When do I buy tickets for Bruce Springsteen?
https://beaufortcountynow.com/post/19931/the-boss-becomes-the-bully-bruce-springsteen-boycotts-nc-so-let-nc-boycott-him.html.
he his planning his return to ridgewood to perform at 111 north maple ave
on the 4th of july…..
go figure a star like him supporting the small guy in this fight ….
tickets will be top $ for sure ……..Go figure ….once BRUCE finds out how bad the local
charity are getting the short end of the stick ,,,,,,YA NEVER KNOW >>>>
WORD IS GETTING OUT HOW BAD THE GOOD MEMBERS WERE TREATED DURING THE CLOSING ….
TEARS WERE SHED ……..