lt Gov Kim Guadagno with former Freeholder John Mitchell
In any election year other than 2017, New Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno would be considered one of the leading stars in the national GOP firmament. Indeed, she has a “star” quality about her that is reminiscent of my former boss in whose administration I served quite proudly, Christie Whitman. Alan Steinberg, PolitickerNJ Read more
March 29,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Officials from the Valley Hospital and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) cut the ribbon on a five station electric vehicle (EV) charging system and announced the completion of more than $2.5 million in energy efficiency upgrades at the Ridgewood, NJ hospital.
The Valley Hospital EV charging system is part of a PSE&G pilot program designed to help spur the adoption of electric vehicles in the utility’s electric service territory and the energy efficiency measures were funded in part by the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program, which helps pay for the installation of energy efficiency measures at hospitals in the utility’s service territory.
“The Valley Hospital is committed to the environment and the installation of these electric charging stations are just one of the ways that Valley can bring sustainable initiatives directly to our employees and physicians, promoting the reduction in the carbon footprint of our operations on the well-being of the planet,” said Maria Mediago, Vice President of Facilities Management at Valley.
As part of the PSE&G EV charging station pilot program, The Valley Hospital committed to immediately utilizing the five charging stations for staff members who own and drive electric vehicles to the hospital. In return, PSE&G provided the EV charging equipment free-of-charge and the hospital paid for the installation of the units and will pay for ongoing maintenance and electricity costs.
“There are a lot of reasons to like EVs in New Jersey but the lack of charging stations is clearly an impediment to their continued growth,” said Courtney McCormick, vice president – renewables and energy solution, PSE&G. “By partnering with organizations like The Valley Hospital to offer workplace charging, we are hoping to increase the convenience of current EV owners, demonstrate to potential owners that EVs are a viable option and also gather information that we can use down the line as EVs become more popular.”
In addition to providing a convenient charging option for EV drivers, the PSE&G pilot program also allows the utility to collect real-world data about how the chargers are used. This will allow PSE&G to better understand the impact that large-scale EV charging could have on the electric grid, identify areas of potential high-EV charger density and plan for infrastructure upgrades and modifications that may be needed.
The PSE&G EV charging pilot program currently has 50 EV charging stations in service at nine customer locations around the state, including The Valley Hospital. There are 20 additional charging stations under construction at four other customer sites. The utility is also in talks with several other customers with the goal of installing a total of 125 individual charging stations at 25 customer locations by the end of 2016.
In addition to the EV charging system, the $2.5 million in energy efficiency upgrades through the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program helped pay for a new air conditioning chiller plant and new variable frequency drives on garage exhaust fans at the hospital. These energy efficiency improvements are expected to save more than 1.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power about 250 average-size New Jersey homes for a year.
PSE&G’s Hospital Efficiency Program helps fund the installation of energy efficiency measures at hospitals in the utility’s service territory. Through the program, PSE&G provides an investment grade energy audit at no cost to hospitals, recommends energy efficiency improvements and provides up-front funding for the total cost of the energy efficiency measures. Hospitals typically repay between 35-40 percent of the project costs on their PSE&G bill over a period of 36 months at zero percent interest.
“Hospitals are vital resources in New Jersey,” added McCormick. “Our program allows them to make energy efficiency improvements and save money on energy costs, which frees up resources that they can better use for their core healthcare mission.”
The Valley Hospital will save more than $200,000 a year in energy costs and repay about 40 percent of the project total interest-free over the next three years.
“In 2011, Valley was the first hospital in New Jersey to sign on to the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a coalition of U.S. health systems committed to, among other things, reducing the use of natural resources and promoting sustainability principles throughout the organization. In addition, Valley is a member of Practice GreenHealth,” Mediago said. “Partnering with PSE&G on this initiative is a cooperative community benefit to reduce the effects of carbon emissions in our community, and these stations serve as a constant reminder that there is a role for everyone in sustainability.”
REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE MUNICIPAL ELECTION
Ridgewood NJ , Final voting registration for the May 10th Municipal Election is April 19th. To register to vote, individuals may register in the Village Clerk’s office from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM or in the Ridgewood Library Lobby on April 19th from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM.
2012 Ridgewood Election Results
Albert J. Pucciarelli – 2078
Keith Killion – 1711
Rissell R Forenza – 817
Paul Aronsohn – 2479
Mary Jane Shinozuka – 1484
Gwenn H Hauck – 1727
the staff of the Rjidgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Look in the sky its a bird no its a plane and the new flight path to Teterboro Airport, intended to reduce noise around Hackensack University Medical Center, could take jets over Valley Hospital and Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood . This according to a map of the new flight procedure published by a navigational aid company ahead of a six-month trial of the route, which is due to begin on Monday.
The Bergen Record is reporting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has emphasized that its new they call it the “quiet visual” approach for Teterboro Airport shifts aircraft west of their current route to track Route 17 south from Mahwah to Rochelle Park. The idea is to minimize noise pollution by keeping aircraft over or close to the highway, itself a source of noise.
But the new flight procedure, published by Jeppesen, a Boeing company, shows that a significant portion of the approach takes pilots west of Route 17, particularly between Waldwick and Paramus.
The new flight path according to Jeppesen’s chart has jets approaching Teterboro dropping to a minimum of 3,000 feet around Mahwah, passing over Mahwah and Ramsey high schools. The next descend brings flights to about 2,000 feet, as they approach Julia A Traphagen Elementary School in Waldwick. Then planes would continue south, passing Ho-Ho-Kus Elementary School and, in Ridgewood, Benjamin Franklin Middle School and The Valley Hospital.
As flights continue over Paramus, jets will fly over Stony Lane School and Midland Elementary School as well as close by Bergen Community College, before coming in to land over the top of IKEA and the Westfield Garden State Plaza, while staying more than 1 mile west of Hackensack University Medical Center.
Ballerina photo by ArtChick
Reader says 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.
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.
Just when you thought you’d heard it all the fly has learned that . . .
In Uncategorized on March 1, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Library Board members have proposed buying the Ridgewood Elks Lodge building at 111 North Maple Avenue for library expansion purposes (additional parking and building expansion). Just what we need; another property taken off the tax rolls.
A Graydon Pool Improvements Committee has been formed. Reportedly, one plan under consideration by committee members is converting the existing facility into a year round “mini country club” and imposing significant fees for membership. Can you say “exclusively elite” 10 times fast?
Hold onto your wallets tightly ladies & gentlemen!
Ridgewood Public Library…….
John M. Johansen. *
President
Christine Driscoll
Vice President
Gail Campbell
Treasurer
Arlene Sarappo
Secretary
Jean Cleary
Member
Janis Fuhrman
Member
John Saraceno *
Member
Paul Aronsohn *
Mayor of Ridgewood
Albert Pucciarelli
Mayor’s Delegate
Dr. Daniel Fishbein
Superintendent
Linda Diorio
Superintendent’s Delegate
Ex Officio
Paul McCarthy
Friends
Betsy Giordano
Foundation
Nancy Greene
Library Director
By TAMI ABDOLLAH and BRANDON BAILEY
Mar. 28, 2016 7:59 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Monday it successfully used a mysterious technique without Apple Inc.’s help to hack into the iPhone used by a gunman in a mass shooting in California, effectively ending a pitched court battle between the Obama administration and one of the world’s leading technology companies.
The government asked a federal judge to vacate a disputed order forcing Apple to help the FBI break into the iPhone, saying it was no longer necessary. The court filing in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California provided no details about how the FBI did it or who showed it how. The FBI is reviewing the information on the iPhone, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Apple did not immediately comment on the development.
The brief court notice left important questions unanswered: Who showed the FBI how to break into iPhones? How did the government bypass the security features that Apple has invested millions of dollars to build into its flagship product? Are newer iPhones vulnerable to the same hacking technique? Will the FBI share its information with scores of state and local police agencies that said they also need to break into the iPhones of criminal suspects? Will the FBI reveal to Apple how it broke its security? Did the FBI find anything useful on the iPhone?
https://bigstory.ap.org/article/bed1c699575e4dedb694ccb5739a8750/justice-department-cracks-iphone-withdraws-legal-action
Photo: They are pictured here with Principal Dr. Thomas Gorman
Two Ridgewood High School Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Two RHS students, Maximilian Jerdee (center) and Kristen Schretter (left), have been designated National Merit Scholarship Finalists. The The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States. NMSC accomplishes its mission by conducting nationwide academic scholarship programs. The enduring goals of NMSC’s scholarship programs are:
To promote a wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular
To shine a spotlight on brilliant students and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence at all levels of education
To stimulate increased support from organizations that wish to sponsor scholarships for outstanding scholastic talent
Students who meet published program entry and participation requirements* enter the National Merit® Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) at the specified time in the high school program, usually as juniors. Each year’s PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test designated for entry to a particular year’s competition. For example, the 2015 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry to the competition for scholarships to be awarded in 2017.
Wed, March 30, 2016
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: YWCA Bergen County, YMCA of Ridgewood, 112 Oak St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Cost: $33 per person
Wednesday, March 30, 7:00 pm
112 Oak Street l Ridgewood, NJ 07450
YWCA Bergen County and Ridgewood YMCA, in cooperation with Bookends Bookstore, is proud to welcome Senator Cory Booker to our YM/YWCA to discuss his new book, United.
Tickets are $33 each and include a talk, Q&A, photo op and a pre-signed copy of the book. Tickets and books are required and must be purchased in advance by visiting Bookends Bookstore at 211 Ridgewood Ave. in Ridgewood or by calling (201) 445-0726.
THE PRIESTS AND STAFF WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY JOYOUS EASTER! ALL are welcome to join us today in celebration of the RISEN CHRIST!
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord: March 27
8:00am, 9:30am, 9:30am (Auditorium), 11:00am, 11:00am (Auditorium), 12:30pm, 12:30pm (Auditorium), 3:00pm (Spanish)
March 26,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Note that the sign pictured, purchased with your tax dollars by the village manager, violates 2 village ordinances. <i>A study conducted in 2006 by Virginia Tech for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that anything that takes a driver’s eyes off of the road for more than two seconds greatly increases the risk of a crash. The same study also concluded that nearly 80% of all crashes involved driver inattention just prior (within three (3) seconds) of the crash.</i> This sign sits at one of three roads in town that cross the train tracks and handles a massive volume of pedestrians, cars, and now sports a bike lane. So, do as we say, not as we do. <i>The Swedish research team suggests that digital billboards attract greater attention from drivers due to their: brightness; visibility from greater distances; and display of a constantly-changing series of advertisements. The team concluded that digital billboards “have the potential ability to keep up the driver’s curiosity over an extended period of time.” Previous human behavioral studies have shown that drivers are naturally inclined to notice bright, changing lights in their peripheral vision and to anticipate additional motion. The Swedish government had previously given temporary authorization to erect digital billboards in 2009, but as a result of this and related studies; the government has now ordered the removal of all digital billboards.</i> https://www.
https://www.scenic.org/storage/
By CONRAD BLACK, Special to the Sun | March 24, 2016
The feverish activity concerning a third-party race by Republican defectors from Donald Trump is sawdust. Any such effort would replicate the nonsensical challenges of Henry Wallace against Harry Truman in 1948 and John Anderson against Ronald Reagan in 1980. These ideological tantrums gained 2.4% of the vote in the first case and 6.6% in the second and had no effect on the result.
The notion of Rick Perry, the former Texas governor who couldn’t remember his third radical proposal for change of the government (“Oops”) and had his father-in-law perform a vasectomy on him, running against the Republican and Democratic nominees is an insane conjuration. The anti-Trump “strategists” (the most overused descriptive word in the news these days) are divided between those demanding that John Kasich withdraw, to give Ted Cruz a clear one-on-one shot at Trump, and those urging him to remain and effectively try to divide the electorate, so that only one of them would make a real effort in the state where he ran more strongly against Trump than the other.
https://www.nysun.com/national/a-triumph-by-trump-looking-more-likely-in-logic/89511/
file photo by ArtChick
Pre-test held April 2 in Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, YWCA Bergen County is offering an April American Red Cross Lifeguard Training course. Students must take and pass a swim test, which will be held on Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m with a $10 swim test fee due at registration. Course will begin on April 2 and run through April 21, 2016 with classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood. The course fee is $350.
March 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Council Candidate Ramon Hache further explains his statement regarding the effect high density housing on the Village schools and educational special needs programs .
“It seems some of your readers may have misinterpreted my comments regarding special needs children. The point I was trying to make is that this is a multi-factor model and we have to take all the factors into consideration. It’s the only way we can plan properly to ensure that we don’t strain our educational system and diminish the quality of both traditional and special needs programs. I think it’s wonderful that Ridgewood’s educational programs are highly sought after, particularly the special needs program.”
Candidate Hache comments caused some controversy and seemed to be misinterpreted in our view, https://theridgewoodblog.net/council-candidate-ramon-m-hache-shares-his-thoughts-on-the-proposed-high-density-housing/
file photo by Boyd Loving
March 24,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,last night It was a very predictable, 3-2 votes on anything meaningful and the majority stating all the reasons they were voting yes except representing the people. The leaving council majority aka the 3 amigos are enacting a “scorched earth policy” as they will be gone. Turn out was lower than expected because so many saw the vote as a for gone conclusion.
Zoning vote 3-2
Garage vote 5-0
All 5 voted for the Village to bond the garage not the county., Susan and Mike had no other choice but to vote that way because the council majority aka the 3 Amigos would have just gone to the BCPA. This way Ridgewood may retain control of the size, commuter parking and rates. Mike said something about researching a surcharge for businesses owner that are close to the garage to defray cost of maintenance.
The traffic study spokesman talked about increased traffic in several locations( 2 on Broad) and that is without the consideration of the garage. He mentioned some additional policing. No one in the garage discussion talked about the need for policing there or the need of an attendant. I believe I could live with the garage if it was one deck shorter, remained completely on the foot print and the street parking spaces would remain on Broad and Hudson Streets. Local business in those locations will take a hit without them.
Residents again questioned how is it that the council majority refuses to listen to the public? Could it be that they truly are in their own heads and are immune to incoming sounds,like the voices of the residents?
One nuclear physicist spoke wondering how they could be so emphatically certain that the were correct and that the developers could see no cause for concern? He said nothing is that certain and his world is one of exactness.
Mike and Susan seemed on there game and nobody clapped for Rurik and Jim when pontificated .
For most residents it is just too much development/ construction at once ,Yes these developments will bring traffic. The Hudson garage will not be enough. and the business owners must be salivating but most central business district businesses will not survive the construction phase.
Lastly Former Mayor Kieth Killion gets the last laugh , so many voted for this trio ,now buyers remorse .
Ridgewood NJ, A reader says that , “Valley has utilized deplorable tactics in its fight against Ridgewood to expand – and those tactics have failed miserably. Their “all or nothing” expansion plan hasn’t even broken ground yet and Hackensack has already beaten them. Valley spent all of this time fighting a rag-tag bunch of community activists and still haven’t prevailed despite having millions of dollars to spend on the fight and 2 insiders on the Village Council. They may ultimately get their way with Ridgewood but it will be far too little and way too late. A Hackensack takeover would be better for Ridgewood if it meant getting rid of the current Valley leadership team.”
But some praised the Hospitals financial IQ , “On an executive level, Valley is well run and very strong financially. A lot of that is due to Ms Meyers. The way they celebrated victory before the dust settled implied that there was an inside track to get this done. That was evident when she showed up at one meeting at the 11th hour in a panic. Fortunately they also fell under the svengali like influence of PR hacks who figured the village for a bunch of sheeple who would roll over. Remember the ads and the “poll” results? That tone-deafness is a characteristic of many successful executives in all fields of operations. Arrogant and tone deaf? absolutely. But that does not take away from the hospital’s successful track record.”
