I have always maintained the Blog represents, to a great extent, the filthy, stinking, underbelly of Ridgewood and you are Exhibit A, 3:28 pm. Plus you are a coward to boot making these awful accusations hiding behind Anonymous. You should be ashamed of yourself, if shame is something you know anything about. What a great day it will be if James is forced to release the identity of his commentators. What fun it will be seeing awful people like you scurrying into your rat holes.
Exhibit A, 3:28 pm. : Rurik you are absolutely pitiful with your schoolboy crush on Ms. Hauck. All your big words and pompous posturing do not conceal the fact that you are basically drooling over her and hanging on her every word. Please try to get past the fact that she gives full-frontal hugs to every senior citizen man she meets, yourself included. Please try to focus on the issues, and the issue here is that Ms. Hauck is completely incompetent as well as disrespectful. She attacks anyone who gets in her way. She is as nasty as Maleficent. . She reads, yes READS, most of her comments when she is at meetings. It seems that someone is sending texts or emails to her because if you watch her on the USTREAM you will see that she is reading rather than speaking extemporaneously. And….on the few occasions when she does say something unscripted, it is rambling and nonsensical. James quoted her exactly from her own email, one that she either wrote herself or someone wrote for her. How in the world can you criticize James for this? Take a cold shower, Rurik, you will feel better after your hormones calm down.
#AnonymousLivesMatter
Under what circumstances do you imagine that James would be required to release the names of all commentators?
I thought that your name was a pseudonym. You should consider using one, you will feel less angry and personally injured.
I agree, personal insults are certainly not needed. But as far as someone signing anonymously, as long as the point is valid for discussion purposes, who cares ? In fact, you really have to wonder why anyone would care.
It’s people like Halaby that ruin blogs. Go away with all your hate directed at the wrong people. Please move away to a place that pleases you more. Seriously.
Rurik, you protest too much. Calm down, it’s alright to have a crush on Ms. Hauck. Those things are normal and I still believe you believe development is good for Ridgewood.
In regard to your letter in Ridgewood News. Yes, London by Thames has been developed. But try to develop the Queens, Balmoral (spelling) country estate and it will be off with your head.
The peaceful country villages in England would not allow development as Ridgewood should resist this horrible high density housing.
Yes, the letter to the editor was the silliest thing I have read so far. Its like comparing Ridgewood to New York City or Hackensack. Its a completely inept comparison. Its that sort of foolish thinking and fear mongering that is leading to the destruction of the Village.
Love the photo.
1) Balmoral is in Scotland, not England
2) Peaceful country villages in England are often sites of development, some for the better, some for the worse.
3) Ridgewood is a “village” in name only. Let’s not compare the suburb called “The Village of Ridgewood” to a real rural village.
4) Ridgewood got to the size it is today due to development. I am sure some people would have liked to see it stay smaller back in the day, but they lost out to progress. You just want things to stay the same because it suits you.
Next Mr. Halaby will suggest that in next year’s municipal election, there should be no anonymous votes allowed. Get a life sir.
And the developers want change because it suits their pocketbooks.
Nobody here but us bitter middle aged white men. Our wives lost interest in us long ago, and the kids are almost on their own. We need an outlet, some target upon which to vent our impotent rage.
I just don’t get why the hell “progress” is equated to over-development. the developers fed that story to the planning board, and too many on the planning board fell for it. The recent amendment to our zoning code is to allow hundreds of new families to move into the downtown, pure and simple. Its not about progress, or building quality apartments, or anything like that. It is only about how much money can the developers make. I am sure they read these comments and laugh at the stupidity of our town leaders.
BTW – – Hallaby fled Ridgewood quite some while ago, didn’t he?
It doesn’t matter that Balmoral is in Scotland. You said it; when they develop the sleepy villlages it is for the worse. Less vegetation for growing; disrupt the ecological system, Pollution from vehicles., Dirty water. Kill the wildlife. Congestion. When there is less land for growing ; the f00d is corrupted. It ‘s no longer local and crap is injected into it as it is exported long distances.
You better believe it, buddy. It does suit me to keep my VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD small.
GREAT photo, James.
Rurik, how does your wife feel about your schoolboy crush?
Oh Gwennie, where are you? Aren’t you going to come to Rurik’s defense? We are waiting. He is waiting. Please don’t publicly humiliate him by leaving him hanging out to dry. Poor love-smitten Rurik.
Wasn’t it “Rurik” who crapped himself at the dinner table in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?
Ms Appropriate: I am sorry, I forgot about the effect on Ridgewoods farms and the fact that we will be forced to buy foods that aren’t grown in town. Those apartments are clearly going to cause polluton to the local waterways. As I said before, the “Village” of Ridgewood isn’t small, it is just that you have decided that it can’t get any bigger.
Let’s be honest, if they build apartments in Ridgewood, it will mean that they don’t have to build apartments on what is now open land or farmland, so by your logic, Ridgewood is the perfect place for building.
For a satiric treatment of the overdevelopment of rural England, read the late John Mortimer’s (yes, the English barrister who invented Rumpole) Rapstone Chronicles: Paradise Postponed and its sequel, Titmuss Regained. The BBC miniseries (shown on PBS in the 1980s) is available on DVD and terrific. And that was 25 years ago. Must be a lot worse now. Almost like Ridgewood.
7:37 p.m. Ridgewood, already has too much particulate matter from car pollution. Le’ts add more with high density apartments and the attenaent vehicles, especially with The Kensington, which is like a mini hospital and will bring hundreds of vehicles all day and night long coming in and out of Ridgewood. Let’s add more congestion to the CBD.
The Kensington assisted living is like a mini hospital,. That is progress for Ridgewood? Oh, classrooms will get smaller with high density housing. The developers promised no kids allowed.
There is someone else who seems to have the hots for Gwenn. Hint: He sits on the council. Watch how members look at Gwenn when she speaks. You can see it real clearly on TV. Someone else is drooling too.
You must be kidding 8:32.
Yes, 8:52, but that someone is supposedly getting married soon
Wouldn’t an assisted living facility require things the CBD is not accustomed to, including lots of sirens (ambulances) and hearses as well as 24/7 staff going in and out? (No store in downtown Ridgewood is open all night, or even close.) Noise pollution and new kinds of traffic would assail new apartment residents. Will the developers fight over this? They didn’t have to fight to get their big fat feet in the door.
Halaby should start his own blog just like a former disgruntled reader of this blog did.
With the amount of interest it would attract it would be off the net in no time.
Rurik did you get your hugs last night?
George Bernard Shaw said it best: A fool’s brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Which makes me think, based on the many charming comments, a better name for the Blog is “A Ship of Fools with a Touch of Mean Girls.”
Two questions, Mr. Halaby. First, why do you use the Blog to promote your somewhat skewed agenda if it is what you say it is ? Second, why don’t YOU have the guts to address questions(see above) that are put to you regarding Valley, anonymously or not ?
Dear Bill H.:
You ask two good questions and I am happy to try to answer them.
Regarding getting on the Blog, in spite of my “skewed” agenda, I am a big believer in debate between opposing ideas. Look back at the history of the US. It is one period after another of conflict and debate, some peaceful and some not so. Out of this came the greatest country the world has ever know. I am frankly disheartened by the polarization we see on the national stage and this is being played out in miniature here in Ridgewood. So why not try to debate and argue issues with the hope we can arrive at a common ground.
As for Valley, I have addressed this question ad nauseam, but as a courtesy to the nice way you asked I will do so again. I am a big supporter of Valley because I feel comfortable having a world class regional hospital in my back yard. And I know nothing good lasts forever and that to preserve you have to renew. Renewal can be painful at times but a painless society is a dead society. Just in 2014 I used Valley twice. the first time to stem a serious nose bleed that took 13 hours to fix. The second time was after I fell back on my head trying to avoid an oncoming rushing car. I had a subdural hematoma which came close to requiring brain surgery. Thankfully I did not need to be operated on but if I needed surgery, I would have been operated on by a leading brain surgeon who was on call. Here I was tended to in a world class hospital that was 1 minute away from the scene of the accident, not 20 minutes if I had to be taken to Hackensack.
Some people raise the question of my wife having been a Trustee. The answer is so what? Along with serving as the Board she also volunteered at the Registration Desk, checking people in, wheeling them to various departments, etc. If she had been paid minimum wage for every hour she spent volunteering for Valley, my wife would be a wealthy woman. Obviously as a volunteer she was paid zero for her efforts.
The hospital owes me nothing, I owe the hospital nothing other than the realization that a first class hospital is two minutes from my house in case I need it. And I will need it as I, and other members of my family have over the years. By the way, do you realize that every year 25% of the population of Ridgewood, over 6,000 people, use the Valley. So when people ask what has Valley done for Ridgewood, I would say plenty, including many a life saved, and many a health improved.
One more point about my wife, if her volunteering at Valley precludes us from supporting Valley publicly, then there is little we can comment on since I can’t begin to list all the volunteering jobs she has undertaken, including the Chairmanship of the Red Cross when the Chapter House was destroyed by an arsonist, and she led the rebuilding effort In the past three years, she has been active in the beautification of the CBD. Walk up Ridgewood Ave along Van Neste Park. She is one of the leaders of the gang that has been working like crazy to renew the plantings. With the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands she is leading the charge to beautify North Broad Park, along the tracks. Have you walked along the Memorial Allee next to Village Hall? She was responsible for the planting of 1,000 day lilies to honor the people we lost in 9/11. She was one of the people responsible for the planting of 14,000 daffodils – so far. Another 11,000 being planned, so that we will have one for every resident of Ridgewood. So when some wise guys starts whining about conflict, I say, what have you done, other than just talk.
Hopefully this answered your question. Let us debate the issues to make Ridgewood better, and not spend time asking DUMB questions like Anon 11:00
Cheers,
Rurik, while I disagree with you a whole lot of the time, the fact that you are not afraid to put your name behind your thoughts and speak your mind at council meetings as well in the local paper commands respect. And guys that ask you about “courage” like bill h is laughable.
And Rurik, one last thing, I will always give James credit for posting everything from both sides of the fence…
Mr. Halaby : I certainly can’t argue with your wife’s volunteer efforts with regard to either Valley or the town, and she should be applauded. However, with regard to Valley and your position in backing their renewal, I would like to make some points. And this is also coming from someone with a ton of personal experience, including life and death situations, with Valley.
You mention early on in your comments of the “polarization” you are seeing in Ridgewood, and elsewhere. How much of that do you think has to do with Valley’s most recent request to renew, which by anyone’s standards, except them, the few supporters, and their “experts,” is over the top in the middle of a residential neighborhood ? Nobody is against them staying a first class hospital, but they are against them destroying a neighborhood, and quite possibly this town to do it. And for someone like you, who if nothing else seems to be intelligent, to back a group who, among other things does not even pay taxes, is at the very least suspect. No compromise, all or nothing and suing if they don’t get their way. Mr. Halaby, that is called greed and arrogance…period !
By the way, you don’t stay “first class” in too many things in life when you play games like they have. It just does not work that way.
Thanks for your answer and I look forward to future comments.
Rurik, I think you did a nice job responding very politely to two questions from Bill H. I would like to point out that I haven’t heard (maybe I missed it) anyone saying that you aren’t entitled to your opinion about Valley because your wife was a Trustee, in addition to all the other volunteer work she has done.
I have commented on the fact that you regularly call people out for posting anonymously. I believe you are sincere in your beliefs, but it is a lot easier to post your name when you are in alignment with your wife, social group, employer, etc. Those of us who have sincere opinions that don’t “fit in” can use this blog anonymously to express our opinions without repercussions or feeling uncomfortable, particularly at work. It is only in that respect that I think your wife’s close association with Valley is relevant to your opinions. You shouldn’t feel so brave for using your name when your opinion happens to “fit in”, and shouldn’t be so contemptuous of those who wish to post anonymously on a blog that permits it. Of course, anyone who uses anonymity for personal attacks demonstrates a lack of honor, and I think you have on occasion been subject to such attacks.
Wishing you well.
10:34 is exactly right. Very well stated. Thank you.
It is super easy to be public with your opinions when the rank and file agree with you, will praise you, and will be easy on you. For those who dare to question the rank and file, they can be anonymous on th blog, as many are. Or they can go to the meetings and speak up, as many do, but they are sometimes berated, told that their time is up, or stared at with blank faces as if they laid a stink bomb. Some people are very hesitant to question authority and many have a great fear of speaking in public. Email can be sent with questions, but that does not get ones opinion out there, and the recipients can, and do, choose not to reply.
We shall see how grandiose and full of himself Rurik will be a year from now when his majority is no longer in power with a chokehold on all decisions and policies.
This blog serves a huge beneficial purpose and we owe a debt of gratitude to James Foitlyn for providing this forum.
10:34. On occasion Mr. Halliby has launched personal attacks, including recently at a meeting when he denigrated two council members. And of course the mayor let him go on and on. While mr. Halliby has been on the receiving end, let’s be clear that he can give as good as he gets. And the same thing goes for Ms. Hauck, who can be incredibly nasty to members of the public and members of the council and employees of the village.
Paul, Read what 10:34 has to say because it is exactly what other Anonymous posters have been saying all along. “Repercussions” is the key word, especially when dealing with the Valley situation. Although Rurik is probably a very nice, intelligent guy, in his particular situation it is very easy to support anything pertaining to VH. In fact, he has everything to gain and nothing to lose no matter what happens.
It’s unfortunate the word “courage” upset you. Just looking for straight answers to legitimate questions, signed anonymous or not.
I am pleased with the constructive tone of the comments following my long “missive.” If we can continue debating issues and not personalities we and aridgewood will be far ahead.
Paul Smith, many thanks for your kind words. I am an American by choice which means I am here because I want to be here. And I want to be here because I want to be able to stand up and express my thoughts freely and openly. Call me naive, but I see the Constitution as a shield. I will be damned if I am going to be scared of anyone.
Bill H. Did you attend the original Planning Board meetings when the Valley jumped through every hoop that they were presented with? Nothing arrogant about their attitude.
Anon 7:54 full of himself Rurik was never as ornery as when he single handedly took on the previous Village Council that voted down the Planning Board’s approval of the Valley’s renewal plan. Look up my letters in the Ridgewood News.
I have not denigrated anyone. I have been critical of people’s action but have not attacked people personally.