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Posted on April 24, 2015April 24, 2015 by James — 11 Comments

Readers Concerned over Planning Board Members Connection to Commercial Development

The two Planning Board members (Thurston and Abdallah) in favor of the project,as is, are both involved in commercIAL real estate and development. Interesting…very interesting.

We are not sure industry experience automatically implies a conflict , but …

There’s a real conflict if he is voting on things or even commenting on things that could affect his clients or potential clients. He can add his comments from the podium along with the rest of us. Did the council know he was actively involved in real estate projects in Ridgewood when they appointed him? What the hell were they thinking????

Even if he currently does not do business with these firms he may hope to work with them in the future.
He should enter the discussions because of his experience but he should not vote.

Thurston is not afraid of developers . . . he IS a developer.

Mr. Thurston has been active as a Real Estate Professional for over 30 years. After graduating from Law School in 1982, Mr. Thurston spent two years in Dallas, Texas practicing real estate law. He then moved back east and spent the next four years practicing real estate law in Philadelphia and Manhattan at the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Shea and Gould. In 1987 he left legal practice and joined The Binswanger Company headquartered in Philadelphia where he managed the National Industrial Brokerage Group for four years and then the International Group for the next five years. He then joined NAI in New Jersey and managed the Corporate Services Group for two years. He was recruited to start up and manage the National Office Sales force at Equis Corporation. He moved to Marcus & Millichap in 1999 to manage the New Jersey office. He is a Director in the Company’s National Office and Industrial Properties Group and in it’s Net Lease Properties Group and specializes in the sale of Retail, Office, and Industrial Properties in New York, New Jersey, Northern New Jersey and Bergen County and in Single Tenant Properties Nationwide.

David Thurston’s background certainly gives him an interesting perspective in all of this. Since he is involved in the sale of commercial real estate in Ridgewood, should he recuse himself from these discussions? Is there potential conflict of interest” Or does he bring years of valuable experience to the table? Interesting.

“Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale The Lincoln Building, an office property at 45 N. Broad St. in Ridgewood. The 24,000-square-foot multi-tenant property sold for $3.9 million. David Thurston of Marcus & Millichap’s New Jersey office represented the seller, a partnership, and secured the buyer, a local limited liability company.”

“Mr. Thurston has been active as a Real Estate Professional for over 30 years. After graduating from Law School in 1982, Mr. Thurston spent two years in Dallas, Texas practicing real estate law. He then moved back east and spent the next four years practicing real estate law in Philadelphia and Manhattan at the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Shea and Gould. In 1987 he left legal practice and joined The Binswanger Company headquartered in Philadelphia where he managed the National Industrial Brokerage Group for four years and then the International Group for the next five years. He then joined NAI in New Jersey and managed the Corporate Services Group for two years. He was recruited to start up and manage the National Office Sales force at Equis Corporation. He moved to Marcus & Millichap in 1999 to manage the New Jersey office. He is a Director in the Company’s National Office and Industrial Properties Group and in it’s Net Lease Properties Group and specializes in the sale of Retail, Office, and Industrial Properties in New York, New Jersey, Northern New Jersey and Bergen County and in Single Tenant Properties Nationwide.”

Posted on April 23, 2015April 23, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Census: Record 51 million immigrants in 8 years, will account for 82% of U.S. growth

BY PAUL BEDARD | APRIL 22, 2015 | 6:11 PM
Legal and illegal immigrants will hit a record high of 51 million in just eight years and eventually account for an astounding 82 percent of all population growth in America, according to new U.S. Census figures.

A report from the Center for Immigration Studies that analyzed the statistics said that by 2023, one in seven U.S. residents will be an immigrant, rising to one in five by 2060 when the immigrant population totals 78 million.

The report was provided to Secrets and released Wednesday evening.

The surge in immigrant population, both legal and illegal, threatens to slam into the presidential campaign as GOP candidates move to figure out what their position is and the president tries to use executive powers to exempt some 5 million illegals from deportation.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/census-record-51-million-immigrants-in-8-years-will-account-for-82-of-u.s.-growth/article/2563463

Posted on April 22, 2015April 21, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Obama Kept Iran’s Short Breakout Time a Secret

APR 21, 2015 6:00 AM EDT

By Eli Lake

The Barack Obama administration has estimated for years that Iran was at most three months away from enriching enough nuclear fuel for an atomic bomb. But the administration only declassified this estimate at the beginning of the month, just in time for the White House to make the case for its Iran deal to Congress and the public.

Speaking to reporters and editors at our Washington bureau on Monday, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz acknowledged that the U.S. has assessed for several years that Iran has been two to three months away from producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon. When asked how long the administration has held this assessment, Moniz said: “Oh quite some time.” He added: “They are now, they are right now spinning, I mean enriching with 9,400 centrifuges out of their roughly 19,000. Plus all the . . . . R&D work. If you put that together it’s very, very little time to go forward. That’s the 2-3 months.”

Brian Hale, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, confirmed to me Monday that the two-to-three-month estimate for fissile material was declassified on April 1.

https://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-21/obama-kept-iran-s-short-breakout-time-a-secret

Posted on April 21, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 8 Comments

Planning Board Public Meeting Tonight – Village Hall Court Room

Please join us tomorrow night for the next Planning Board Meeting Available

Tuesday, April 21 at Village Hall (not the HS)
Deliberations to begin at approximately 8:45 to 9 pm.
(The meeting starts at 7:30 pm, but the discussion on High Density Housing is not the first item on the agenda)

Agenda: The Planning Board will continue deliberating and Village Planner, Blais Brancheau, will provide some detail regarding issues put forth by Planning Board members last month. We are hoping Blais addresses concerns raised by several Planning Board members — concerns also shared by CBR.

To refresh your memory, below is a reprint of our reap from the 3/17/15 Planning Board Meeting:

CBR’s recap of 3/17/15 Planning Board Meeting

CBR Note:
The first condition of this amendment, aside from density and height issues, is changing the usage in the zones from commercial to residential. Keep in mind that when the planning board members state that they support the usage change, that does not necessarily indicate that they approve the densities that are proposed. Changing the zoning in an area of our CBD from commercial to residential is a big step in itself, as presumably once residential is built, there is no turning back to commercial usage on that site.

Once usage is addressed, the next issue is how much residential do you allow? Currently, most residential properties in the CBD have commercial usage on the first floor. Under this amendment, commercial usage on the first floor is no longer required. Allowing housing in our downtown at density higher than the 12 units per acre that is currently permitted makes sense, and anything over 12 units an acre constitutes “higher density.” Considering that the average density that currently exists in our downtown now is actually 22-24 units per acre, CBR would be quite comfortable with setting 22 or 24 units per acre as the new limit for density. We feel that doubling those numbers is too much, and that 35-40 units an acre and beyond would significantly alter the character of our Village. It is very important that our planning board finds the right balance in this amendment.

CBR ReCap:
We took notes on each of the Planning Board member’s comments and would like to share them here. Our notes are not direct quotes.

Absent from this meeting was Nancy Bigos. She has yet to weigh in.

Charles Nalbantian, the Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees that the usage (housing rather than commercial) is good, but said the “devil is in the details.” He expressed reservations about the height and RSIS (state mandated parking requirements), and indicated that he is not sure yet about the density.

Richard Joel, the Vice Chairman of the Planning Board, agrees with the usage (housing in our CBD) and believes it will promote the general welfare. He feels that we need to develop these under-utilized sites and there is a need for a variety of housing. He said that he doesn’t know what the right balance between height and density should be.

Kevin Riley, supports the use of housing in our downtown but is concerned with height and density. He said he would like to see the density reduced from what is currently put forth in the amendment.

Wendy Dockray, thinks concept of multifamily housing is a good one but has her “yellow flags” or reservations. She is not sure this is actually what seniors are looking for in terms of space and affordability. She is concerned that the height and scale will negatively impact the historical character of Ridgewood. She said going from 12 units per acre to 40-50 is a “huge jump” and she is not sure if building 40 – 50 units an acre is necessary or appropriate to achieve housing. She is also concerned with the fiscal impact and noted that our schools are “at capacity.”

David Thurston, supports the amendment AS IS. He doesn’t want to “play chicken” with developers by giving them less than what they want. He said this is his business and if the Planning Board comes back with less than the amendment, it may not be “economically sound” for the developers. He is in favor of the 40 – 50 units in our CBD and is worried about what our town will look like in 40 years if we don’t allow the developers to build.

Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, not in favor of the amendment as it is written. She is concerned with the density, height, impact of adding more pedestrians that will impede traffic, open space and the changing character of Ridgewood. She said the she would like to see developers move forward with something, but would like to see a balance.

Mayor Paul Aronsohn, feels this is an opportunity for Ridgewood. He feels like we have enough information to make a decision and we should move forward soon. He said that people who don’t want their big houses could move to these apartments, but we need to strike the right balance. His stated that his issues are 1) density, 2) amenities (he would like to find a way to incentivize the developers to build high end apartments), 3) housing for special needs residents, 4) parking (he wondered if developers not providing sufficient parking could be forced to pay money into a fund to use for public parking), and 5) can separate amendments be crafted to address each zone individually?

Michele Peters, concerned about the density. Not in favor of the current amendment. She questioned whether the parking that was being considered as part of the proposals in the redevelopment zone on N. Walnut would alleviate some of the parking deficit in Ridgewood, but was told the deficit is beyond what could be added in the redevelopment zone.

Isabella Altano, (1st alternate on PB) wants to see more consideration given to the impacts. She feels we need a lower density. She asked about the potential costs to our infrastructure, if projected school enrollment could be provided that included approval of 400+ new apartments and what could be done to address our open space deficiency.

Khidir Abdalla, (2nd alternate on PB) said that we shouldn’t be afraid of change and supports the amendment. He is not concerned with the density and scale and feels that this type of housing fits in well to an URBAN downtown. He feels we need increased density in order to get pedestrian traffic that is needed to revitalize our downtown.

Thank you for your continued support.

Citizensfora BetterRidgewood
[email protected]

Posted on April 20, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Schools: Raising Financially Literate Children on April 21

file photo by Boyd Loving

Ridgewood NJ, On Tuesday, April 21, “Raising Financially Literate Children” will be presented by financial planner Kerry Fitzgerald. Strategies will be shared to help children learn the make prudent financial decisions starting early in life through independence. The program will take place at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, floor 3. Please click here for the flyer.

New: Curriculum Series Continues with Google Program
The district has added a program, “All About Google Apps for Education,” a series of three stand-alone workshops designed to introduce parents and guardians to the world of technology in the classroom. The April 15 (elementary school level) is full. A few spots remain for April 20 (middle school level) and April 22 (high school level). Each workshop is limited to 25 participants and pre-registration is required.

Click here to go to the pre-registration page.
Click here for the flyer and more information.

Posted on April 19, 2015April 19, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

Chesimard remains an open wound in N.J.

AP FILE PHOTO Joanne Chesimard

APRIL 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015, 10:07 AM
BY MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMINIST |
THE RECORD

AFTER THE White House announced last week that it wanted to remove Cuba from America’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, it sent a report to Congress.

This was hardly unusual. When the president makes a decision on an important aspect of national policy, his staff often writes a report for the Senate and House. But this report was somewhat unusual. It contained a message for New Jersey.

Without mentioning New Jersey or any other specific names, the White House report addressed Cuba’s decision to offer political asylum to a group of notorious fugitives who fled from America law enforcement authorities years ago and have been living freely ever since on the island nation.

The most notable member of that gang is Joanne Chesimard, a key figure in the Black Liberation Army who was convicted in the murder of a New Jersey state trooper in 1973 during a gunfight after a traffic stop on the turnpike. After escaping from a New Jersey women’s prison in 1979, Chesimard slipped into the secretive world of America’s radical underground and then made her way to Cuba, where she was welcomed by Fidel Castro’s government as a revolutionary and granted political asylum.

Another notorious figure now living in Cuba is William Morales, the Puerto Rican nationalist who is believed to have built the bomb that blew up New York City’s Fraunces Tavern in 1975, killing four people, including a Fair Lawn man.

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-guest-writers/chesimard-remains-an-open-wound-in-n-j-1.1312505

Posted on April 19, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — Leave a comment

Bethlehem Lutheran to Hold Healing and Prayer Service

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ridgewood, NJ will conduct its 11th Annual Service of Healing on Sunday, April 26th at 1pm. The church is located at 155 Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. 201-444-3600.

The worship service will be led by The Rev. Andrew D. Nelson. Thisservice is being held in cooperation with the Parish Nurse/Care Ministry atThe focus of this worship service will be wholeness. Healing does notmean just the lack of illness or disability. The root of the word “heal” meanswholeness.

As Christians, we remember that our wholeness involves harmony in all areas of our lives- body, mind and spirit, with Christ at its center. Christian healing directs us toward being the person God is calling us to be at every stage of our living and our dying. For some, healing is comfort, for some, strength, for others, physical healing.

Through prayer, anointing with oil and confession we cast our burdens on the Lord. We confess that Jesus meets us in our brokenness and pain and brings His love to bear – forgiving, transforming, redeeming and healing by His grace. Jesus does this in God’s way, in God’s time, and according to God’s loving purpose for each individual.

Our physical, mental and emotional hurts and ills are not signs of God’s rejection but symptoms of our fallen world in which sin and death reign. We are invited by God to commend our ills on Him for this life, realizing that ultimate healing awaits us in heaven.

Please join us as we come together for this renewal of body, mind and spirit on Sunday, April 26th at 4pm. Light refreshments will follow in the parlor. All are welcome, bring a friend!

The members of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ridgewood want you to know that God has a plan for you and He loves you. Our faith is in Christ. Our guide is in the Bible. Our love is for all. Come celebrate with us.

Bethlehem has active ministries in music, education, community outreach and sports. For our regular worship schedule, we offer 2 Sunday services: Contemporary Praise Service at 8:45am and Traditional Worship at 11am with Sunday School and Bible Class at 10am. Please join us at 155 Linwood Avenue, The mission of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church is to Trust God and care for His people by sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in our world, community, work, church, and home. Please visit our website www.bethlehemchurch.com

Patty Criscenzo, RN, BSN, Parish Nurse

Posted on April 19, 2015April 18, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Great Things Happening at the Ridgewood Library

Bike_Ridgewood_Public_Library_theridgewoodblog

Chinese Mahjong, Instructional, Tuesday, April 17, 7pm. Registration required and space limited. Please contact Jin Lee at [email protected] or 201-670-5600, ext. 125. Drop-in practice, Tuesday, April 24, 10am. No registration required.

Highlights of Italian Opera: La Traviata, Sunday, April 19, 2pm. Sung by students of tenor Francisco Casanova. All welcome. Donations are greatly appreciated.

Mysterious China, Tuesday, April 21, 6:30pm. Dr. Jim Kane shares lecture of his 300-mile journey. Free, all welcome. Light refreshments.

Women & Finance, Thursday, April 23, 7pm. RW resident and UBS VP Kathy Entwistle and guest speaker, Randi Bale, teach how to improve your financial picture and get your life in order. All welcome.

MakerSpace Saturday: Poetry Magnets, Saturday, April 25, 11am-12pm. Drop in to celebrate April Poetry Month. Complimentary for RW residents; $5/project for visitors. Kids under 10 should be accompanied by an adult.

Rave On!, Sunday, April 26, 2pm. Classic early rock from Buddy Holly, Orbison, more. All welcome. Donations are greatly appreciated.

*NEW* Memoir Writing Club, Tuesday, April 28, 3pm. Ever think your life story could be a novel? Want to share your family stories with future generations? We have a new writing group to help turn your memories into memoirs. No writing experience required. Contact Kerri for more information at [email protected] or 201-670-5600, ext. 103.

Documentary Screening—Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008, 90 min), Wednesday, April 29, 7pm. What can we do to save our dwindling water supply? Screening of award-winning documentary followed by q&a with Barry Scheibner, business manager, Ridgewood Water. Co-sponsored by the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) and the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood.

World Language Café: Italian, Thursday, April 30, 2-3pm. Meet in our auditorium and brush up on your Italian. Registration required and space is limited. Register atwww.ridgewoodlibrary.org or contact Kerri at 201-670-5600, ext. 103 [email protected].

Making a Good Impressionism, Thursday, April 30, 6:30pm. French Impressionist and American paintings from art museums of Montclair, Princeton University and Newark. Speaker: Dr. Michael Norris. Free, all welcome. Light refreshments.

Ridgewood Library Valley Hospital Wellness Partnership

Saving the Spring in Your Step, Tuesday, April 28, 7-8:30pm. Foot and ankle problems are caused by injuries, diabetes, arthritis, genetics—or maybe just the wrong shoes. Learn about prevention, symptoms and relief. Speaker: Dr. Andrew Brief, M.D., orthopedic surgeon. All welcome, registration required. To register: 1-800-825-5391 or www.valleyhealth.com/events.

Local History & Genealogy

Internet Genealogy, Monday, April 20, 7pm. Learn the best steps to accessing genealogy records and information on the Internet. For info/registration, please contact Sarah Kiefer [email protected] or 201-670-5600, ext. 135.

Researching Civil War Ancestors, Saturday, April 25, 10:30am. For info/registration, please contact Sarah Kiefer at [email protected] or 201-670-5600, ext. 135.

Ellis Island, Monday, Monday, April 27, 7pm. Monthly meeting of the Genealogical Society of Bergen County. All welcome.

Great Decisions Discussion Group

“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” Thursday, April 23, 12:30-2pm. Many of the current Middle East conflicts have been attributed to sectarianism, a politicization of ethnic and religious identity. How have governments manipulated sectarian differences? And what is the U.S. doing about it? Pre-registration and readings required. Please contact Eileen Colyer at 201-670-5600, ext. 132 or [email protected].

ESL for Adults

Spring Conversation Group, Wednesdays, 1-2:30pm, March 18-May 6. No class on April 1. Free for all ESL students. No registration required. For info, contact Eileen Colyer, ext. 132 [email protected].

Readers Choice Book Group

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Friday, April 17, 1-2:30pm. Copies available at the Circulation desk. Led by Dr. Ginny Hyman.

Movies

Monday Night Movie, Birdman (2014; R; 119 min), Monday, April 20, 6:30pm. Washed-up actor tries to overcome former superhero role. Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone. Academy Award Best Picture.

Friday Matinee, Gone Girl (2014; R; 149 min), Friday, April 24, 1pm. When Amy disappears, her husband is suspected of murder. Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

Posted on April 18, 2015April 18, 2015 by James — 4 Comments

On council’s vote on residency hiring

Reading_theridgewood_news_theridgewoodblog

Editors Note : several erroneous statements in this letter must be addressed , italics is mine
PJ Blogger Founder of the Ridgewood blog and King of the Anonymous bloggers
to the editor:

While watching the council meeting last Wednesday, I was appalled by the rancor and allegations of harassment.

Our councilmen and councilwomen donate an inordinate amount of time and energy for the betterment of Ridgewood. There is a growing tendency on the part of our citizens to vilify some of our council because of disagreement with their positions on public policy and local law. This has got to stop.

Actually it is three members of the council who continue to attack and vilify the opposition ,

Anonymous blogging is an especially onerous method of this, seeing that a forum already exists at every council meeting by going to the podium and stating your name and address. Criticize the ideas if you must, or add constructive ideas regarding the dialogue or issue at hand, but do it openly and expose your views to public debate.

This is a perfect example of the previous statement , you are responsible for your own behavior , poor manners and an ill temper are no ones fault but your own

During the heated discussion of the residency requirement, it has come to light that one of the two dissenters on the council has a personal stake in the eventual outcome that was not previously made known. I find that there are few coincidences in life, and it appears that the catalyst for one of the dissenting votes bears this out. If you have three sons on the current village list with aspirations to pursue careers with the police force, a dissenting vote on this issue of civilian hires can be seriously construed as another dissenting vote down the road on uniformed employees, and a potential conflict of interest.

To our knowledge Public safety employee hiring was not effected by the “residency ” rule change making the hole conflict issue specious.

Regarding this question of residency preference, Deputy Mayor Pucciarelli summarized it best in voting against continuing the preference: The people of Ridgewood are best served by hiring the most qualified candidate for village jobs, whether they are residents of Ridgewood or not. The village does not need to fill civil service positions as a way of providing work for residents which could become a recipe for patronage and nepotism.

No one would argue that hiring the best for the Village , but it seems the change in the law will open the floodgates for importing more partisan hacks in in attempt to destroy the Village ie welcome to Hudson County .

Glenn F. Jorgensen

Ridgewood

Posted on April 18, 2015April 18, 2015 by James — 7 Comments

Reader says Arosohn and Company practice ,“When you’re imposing tolerance and respect on people, there’s no need to actually show them any.”

PJ: Have you viewed any of Pat Condell’s videos?

For a Brit, he’s pretty clear on the evils of tyrrany.

Here he demonstrates clearly that he must have visited Ridgewood in person at some point in the recent past, and that when he did, he enthusiastically imbibed the message of public civility imparted by our treasured public icons, the three amigos:

Pat Condell’s words: “When you’re imposing tolerance and respect on people, there’s no need to actually show them any. Just keep throwing mud until it sticks, because you’re up to your neck in double standards here, so you need to be extra vigilent against unwelcome opinion, which in your position can be more than inconvenient (if that wasn’t outrageous enough), it can be downright threatening. So anyone trying to stir up healthy, rational debate should always be swiftly marginalized and crushed, in the spirit of reconciliation and healing. And, if your conscience troubles you, just remind yourself that you’re doing the wrong thing for the correct reason, and you’ll be fine.”

Civility Forum – May 11th at 7:30PM
The next Civility Forum will be held at 7:30pm in the Senior Lounge at Village Hall.
Rev. Jan Phillips will lead the discussion. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Posted on April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood groups join forces for Earth Day

APRIL 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015, 3:38 PM
BY BY TIFFANY KATEHAKIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

With this year’s dreary winter weather officially a memory, Ridgewood is gearing up for a blossoming spring season with its Daffodil Festival and Earth Day celebration set for Sunday

This year for the first time, the Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CRPL) and the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee (REAC) have teamed up to create a joint event.

The theme of the event is “Ridgewood Grows Green and Yellow.” Attendees are encouraged to wear green and yellow attire to the event.

CRPL organized last year’s first ever Daffodil Festival; REAC organizes the village’s annual Earth Day celebration.

“The yellow symbolizes the daffodils and the green symbolizes trees for Earth Day,” said Councilman Michael Sedon.

The two organizations have similar environmentally conscious initiatives in the village and when they held meetings to discuss the potential combination the two events, “It seemed like a natural partnership, combining the family fun of the Daffodil Festival with the environmentally conscious mind of Earth Day,” said Angela Leemans, REAC chair. “The message is to focus on the environment and making Ridgewood a more beautiful community.”

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/ridgewood-groups-join-forces-for-earth-day-1.1310981

Posted on April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

New principal named at Ridgewood’s Orchard School

APRIL 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Mary K. Ferreri as the new principal of Orchard Elementary School, effective July 15.

Ferreri has spent her entire career in the Westwood Regional School District. She is currently principal at the Jessie F. George Elementary School, a position that she has held since 2010.

From January 2009 to June 2010, she worked as acting assistant principal at George and Ketler schools while also serving as supervisor of elementary programs and the district’s head teacher for kindergarten to grade 6. Prior to that, she taught first and third grades in Westwood from 2002 to 2009.

Ferreri, who will be paid $150,000 in Ridgewood, has a master’s degree in educational administration from Montclair State.

Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein announced Ferreri’s appointment in a letter distributed to Ridgewood parents.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/new-principal-named-at-orchard-education-1.1311296

Posted on April 15, 2015April 15, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Kill the death tax

By Thomas Fletcher – – Tuesday, April 14, 2015

With the federal budget debate underway in Washington, both political parties are certainly sparring over different fiscal visions for the country. There is, however, a chance for rare bi-partisan agreement: repealing the federal death tax.

This unpopular tax has long had an adverse impact on small, family business owners who want the next generation to continue the family legacy. Currently, the federal government seizes over 40 percent of an individual’s estate when they die. While the President wants to destroy so many of those legacies and raise taxes, Congress has the chance to go in a different direction.

Federal lawmakers should look to the states for guidance. While twenty-one of them carry an additional death tax on their books, many states have reformed and in some cases eliminated the death tax in recent years. States such as Oklahoma, Ohio, and North Carolina simply abolished their death taxes. Other states like New York have raised their exemption to match current federal law, although the New York exemption is a phase-in and will match the federal level by 2019.

Supporters often claim that the death tax is vital for revenue, but in reality it is a poor way for a state to raise revenue and has led people to leave a given state. According to a study by the Ocean State Research Institute, the death tax was the primary factor in residents leaving Rhode Island. The study found 107,086 or (one in ten) residents left the state between 1991 and 2009. While the state collected $341.3 million in estate tax receipts, it lost over $500 million in other taxes due to people migrating to other states.

Posted on April 15, 2015April 15, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Month of April – Visit the Story Walk at The Stable

CRPL presents: Story Walk®- “The Spotty Dotty Daffodil”

The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CRPL) and the Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to present a Story Walk® of The Spotty Dotty Daffodil for all families to discover and enjoy together.

Story Walk® is an exciting literary initiative that combines the reading of a children’s story with a walking route, while connecting families in the out of doors. A unique way to inspire parents, teachers, grandparents and care givers to take young children on a short stroll that is free for all. The Story walk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition and the Kellogg Hubbard Library, visit [email protected].

The Spotty Dotty daffodil is a picture book by Rose Mannering and illustrated with beautiful water colors by Bethany Straker which features a heartfelt story of acceptance ; one that celebrates the differences in all of us- spots , stripes or otherwise.

Volunteers from the Conservancy have made arrangements for this Story walk®- of the Spotty Dotty Daffodil to be displayed April1 through May 2, in unison with the bloom of some 14,000 daffodil bulbs planted throughout the Village community. The actual story walk will take place in the meadow area adjacent to the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue in Ridgewood. Families are invited to visit the Story Walk®, enjoy the Spotty Dotty Daffodil story together and discover the beauty of nature that abounds in one local park. For your convenience, parking, restroom facilities and a playground are available.

This is an outdoor experience, so dress accordingly. The event is free to the public.

For more information please contact the Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department at 201-670-5560, www.ridgewoodnj.net or visit the office at 259 N. Maple Avenue.

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