MAYOR'S NEWSLETTER 

Paul Vagianos

‍I thought it was going to be a quiet summer. Not so much! I'm excited to report that this has been one of the Village's most productive seasons yet. None of the projects you'll read about in this newsletter would have been possible without the hard work of our Village departments, my fellow councilmembers and YOUR invaluable feedback. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

‍BUILDING A BETTER RIDGEWOOD

‍In case you haven't heard:

- There's a stunning new pavilion at Habernickel Park, which will provide shelter for players during game-stopping rain and protect families from the sun. It also happens to be a perfect place to bring your coffee or lunch and enjoy the fall foliage. (There are picnic tables!)

- RHS got a whole lot safer with the addition of a long-overdue traffic "roundabout" at Beverly Road and Heermance Place. No more K-turns! I'm particularly proud of this project because it was a joint effort between the Village, the Board of Education and the neighbors. There is nothing we can't accomplish when we work together. 

- We have great new lights at Veterans Field that will allow us to play night games on our varsity softball and baseball diamonds. (Yes, that's me throwing out the first pitch at the recent all-star softball game. Fortunately, our pitcher was much better at this than me.) The new LED lighting technology has less "spillage" than previous lighting, which means the light on the field doesn't "spill" onto neighboring homes. This project was made possible through the combined efforts of and contributions from the Board of Education, RBSA, Maroons Soccer Club, Ridgewood Junior Football Association and Ridgewood Lacrosse Association. (I recently read somewhere that there's nothing we can't accomplish when we work together.)

- The pickleball courts on Glen Avenue were resurfaced, AND we added two additional courts - at minimal cost - for a total of six to accommodate the growing number of dinkers in the Village. On a nice day all six courts are humming!

‍NEW BUS SHELTER COMING

With support from our legislative team - Senator Kristin Corrado (not pictured), Assemblyman Chris DePhillips and Assemblyman Al Barlas - the Village was able to secure a $147,000 NJDOT grant for a new bus shelter at Van Neste Square. The old one had been closed and locked for years because it was structurally unsound. I've seen the renderings of the new bus station, and it's going to be a beautiful and safe addition to our Central Business District. (The one pictured is temporary while we await the arrival of the new one.) We hope to have the new shelter in place later this fall.

‍WARNER THEATER UPDATE

‍When our beloved Warner Theater closed last year, so many of us were understandably devastated. At the time, I promised that I would get back to you with information about a potential transformation into a performing arts center. Well, I've got news to share! Click here to learn about the Village's partnership with the Ridgewood Arts Foundation. (Remember that whole working together thing I keep talking about.)

‍MAYORS WELLNESS CAMPAIGN

‍Have you joined the "One Million Minutes of Wellness Challenge"? It's a new 12-week initiative to build a healthier community - one minute at a time! What I love about the challenge is that it's for ALL AGES AND ABILITIES, and it's about much more than "working out." Did you have dinner with your family? That counts. Did you work in the garden? Read or listen to a book? Take a class? Meditate? It all counts! You can submit your minutes every day or, if you're like me, once a week. Once a month works too. Helpful hint: Use the My Ridgewood App to submit your minutes. It's so easy even I can do it!

‍EXPANDED PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS

‍At a recent meeting, the Village Council voted unanimously to support the expansion of services for our seniors. The project, presented by the Parks and Recreation Department, Ridgewood Community Center Foundation and Age Friendly Ridgewood, involves renovating the Community Center and repurposing other spaces on the first floor of Village Hall to include exercise equipment, a coffee bar, TVs and more. This expanded space will allow us to triple our classes and offerings to our amazing senior community. Plans won't be finalized until next year's budget season, but it looks like a significant amount of funding will be donated to the Village. I'm so excited about this because our seniors deserve a cool place to hang. Stay tuned! 

‍OPEN SPACE BALLOT QUESTION

Hopefully, you've received your sample ballot in the mail for the November 4, 2025 General Election. You'll notice that Village residents will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot measure regarding the Village’s Open Space Trust Fund. The Open Space Trust Fund dedicates money toward the acquisition, preservation, improvement, and protection of park and recreational property within our Village.

After 24 years at our current rate, this referendum proposes an increase in the Village’s existing Open Space Trust Fund levy to one penny per $100 of assessed property value.  By way of illustration, a Village property with an average assessed value of $712,700 would pay approximately $35.64 more in annual property taxes.

The increase will preserve and enhance the Village's character by funding additional acquisitions and improvements to Ridgewood's open space and parkland properties. 

Paul Vagianos

Village Mayor‍

‍www.ridgewoodnj.net

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