Spring 2011
March General Membership Meeting
Heard of these Outrageous Taxes?
An Open letter to “Unhappy in Ridgewood”
Origin of the Easter Rabbit: A Tradition of Fertility
LANDMARKS COMMISSION - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
TREE PLANTING PROGRAM
March General Membership Meeting
The March general membership meeting was very well attended. We had a wonderful presentation from Mary Rizzuto-Galante, the Senior Vice President from Chief Energy, an energy provider based in Brooklyn and servicing our area and some parts of Nassau. The company is family owned and operated and has been in business for over 20 years.
Mary Rizzuto-Galante handed out coupons worth $15.00 if our members signed on for two or more programs. Chief Energy handles gas, electric, oil deliveries and repairs. A.J. Jerome, one of our new board members, has signed up all of his properties as did Paul Kerzner, our President. Please take note of the coupon inserted into this newsletter and call for more information. Joe Haufe, our Advisory Board member, gave a compelling power point presentation on chimney maintenance. Santa Claus will thank you if you pay attention to the maintenance that is required of some of our 75 year old chimneys. Do it now, before water damage and falling debris become an issue. Joe also addressed the financial savings when you keep up your roof and insulate.And certainly, last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley for making the time in her busy schedule to Install our Board of Directors and our officers when Councilwoman Reyna had to cancel out due to a family emergency. TOP
A Bouquet for Elizabeth from your grateful friends at RPOCA
Heard of these Outrageous Taxes?
Bagel Tax
New York is cracking down on enforcing the tax on prepared food. One of their targets: the beloved bagel. If you buy a whole bagel and take it home with you, it's tax free. But, if you purchase a bagel to eat at the bagel shop, you'll have to pay sales tax
Tanning Tax As part of the controversial Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (better known as healthcare reform), there is now a 10% excise tax on using a tanning salon. This tax is expected to raise a surprising $2.7 billion dollars over 10 years.
Crash Tax
After 20 years of living, working and raising a family in New York City, nothing surprises us. But the city certainly has cooked up some outrageous new taxes. We doubt any of these will do much to help them dig out of their massive budget deficit, but let's take a look...
In January, the New York City Fire Department proposed a new "crash tax." The proposal, which stirred up a very heated debate, calls for a $500 fine for anyone in an accident requiring emergency response vehicles at the scene
Haunted House Tax
Here's a new tax that would scare any reasonable person. If a haunted house includes music and the admission charge is more than 10 cents, then sales tax applies. Yet New York, the home of one of the greatest theater arts communities in the world, doesn't tax musical comedies, operas or chamber music shows. Go figure.
Sanitation Regulations
There are changes in fines coming our way, as well as an enforcement issue concerning the proper disposal of mattresses. Mattresses must be put out for collection completely wrapped in plastic. If they are not wrapped, the Sanitation worker has a right to leave them. Since tickets really don’t seem to impress many homeowners maybe a mattress or two out in front of your home will do the trick. BED BUGS are a serious issue…and they move from surface to surface with amazing speed..so if you see a mattress uncovered, out for collection, avoid it at all costs and call 311 to report it.
The changes in fines are NOT concerned with RECYCLING.
Almost all changes are in the initial fines now costing you $100.00 for the first summons, $200.00 for the 2nd and third offense and $300.00 for a default judgment.
It will now cost you $100.00 for the following infractions:
Failure to maintain receptacles (Improper Disposal)
Broken Receptacles
Uncovered Receptacles
Insufficient Receptacles
Improper disposal- Bedding
Improper Receptacles
The last one is the one many Ridgewood residents are always guilty of. Folks put their garbage out in kitchen can bags (usually white in color), in plastic shopping bags, in paper bags, and then they mix their recyclables and garbage together in the wrong cans. If you use a can, it can be any color although I advise you not to use bright green or blue since many collection people automatically think that recyclables will be in those color cans. If you use a can you must put it at the curb with the LID ON!
If you decide to use bags instead of cans they must be black, green or brown heavy gauge plastic bags.
Call or e-mail if you have any questions concerning this article...............................Pat Grayson
An Open letter to “Unhappy in Ridgewood”
I recently received a letter informing me that three of the four general contractors on our GEMS
Craft persons List were unsatisfactory. One of our Ridgewood homeowners did not receive a call back from two contractors and the third contractor came, underestimated the work to be performed and according to “Unhappy”
“Since he underestimated the job he did a lousy job and left a big mess”.
The homeowner is so unhappy with the results of reaching out to our GEMS people, he will not reach out to the fourth person on the list.
It would be helpful if you identified the three contractors that you are dissatisfied with. It would also be helpful if you identified yourself. Since you did neither, I can’t investigate your claims, nor can I save others from your bad experience by removing unsatisfactory people on our list.
Just so you understand…a person doesn’t get on this list through self-nomination. Our members recommend these folks after using them and being really happy with the quality of their work. If that fails to be the case, I’d have no problem removing them from the list.
Sorry I can’t be of any help…good luck in your search for a person who does quality work and is reasonably priced. If you find someone, you can add him or her to the GEMS list with your personal recommendation
Origin of the Easter Rabbit: A Tradition of Fertility
Some of the confusion is dispelled by looking at the origin of the very word, "Easter." For all the pagan traditions associated with it, "Christmas" is at least easily recognizable as a Christian holiday, from its name alone.
- But Easter is named after Eastre, a pagan Saxon goddess!
- Eastre (earlier, Eostre, derived from the Saxons' Germanic heritage) was the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of dawn, spring and fertility.
- Our word, "east" is related to this deity's name. Her male consort was the Sun god, and the sun does rise, after all, at dawn and in the east.
- Rites of spring were celebrated in her honor at the vernal equinox (first day of spring). The first Sunday after the first full moon succeeding the vernal equinox was also sacred to her, and this pagan holiday was given her name -- Eastre.
- The full moon represented the "pregnant" phase of Eastre -- she was passing into the fertile season and giving birth to the Sun's offspring.
- Eastre's symbols were the hare and the egg. Both represent fertility and, consequently, rebirth. Since rabbits are more common in most lands than hares, over time the rabbit has been substituted -- not without merit, since rabbits are notorious for their fertility. Thus was born the "Easter Rabbit" tradition.
- Dyed eggs were already being used as part of pagan rituals at the dawn of history in the Near Eastern civilizations. These were the first "Easter eggs." As the traditions of the Easter Rabbit and Easter eggs evolved, they were lumped together -- somewhat incongruously. Thus in our modern Easter lore, although the Easter Rabbit is sometimes thought of as laying the Easter eggs so eagerly sought by children, the Easter Rabbit is nonetheless often regarded as male. Since rabbits don't lay eggs anyhow, I suppose quibbling over gender wouldn't make much sense.
- Later, the new Christian religion, with its emphasis on rebirth (through the Resurrection), found it expedient to continue celebrating Eastre's holiday. The focus simply switched to Christ -- and the spelling, eventually, to "Easter."
The Seven Passover Blessings
In Exodus 23, God promised seven blessings we are connected to through the observance of Passover:
- God will assign an angel to you. “Behold I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared” (v. 20) and “For My Angel will go before you” (v. 23).
- God will be an enemy to your enemies. “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries” (v 22).
- God will give you prosperity. “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water” (v. 25).
- God will take sickness away from you. “And I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (v. 25).
- God will give you a long life. “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days” (v. 26).
- God will bring increase and inheritance. “Little by little will I drive them out from before you, until you have increased and you inherit the land” (v. 30).
- God will give a special year of blessing. “And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand.” (v. 31). TOP
Happy Passover
LANDMARKS COMMISSION - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. If my building is designated by the Landmarks Commission as part of the Ridgewood Historic district, what will this mean to me as the owner?
It will mean that your building has been officially recognized as having special qualities which contribute to New York City’s historical and architectural heritage. To help protect the city’s landmarks from inappropriate changes or destruction, the Commission must approve in
advance changes being planned that will affect the building’s appearance.
It will also mean that, based upon the experience of all past 69 neighborhoods that have been designated as City landmarks, your property values will increase.
2. How will landmarks designation help Ridgewood’s quality of life above and beyond increasing our property values?
There have been cases of local property owners tearing down front cornices, putting illegal carports in the gates, removing wrought iron fences and gates, and replacing the iron fencing with chain link fencing or no fencing at all.
A few owners have even painted their brick work which is out of character with the surrounding housing stock.
All of these concerns that we presently have with some property owners who are negatively affecting their own property, as well as their neighbors can be prevented in the future by having the protection of City landmarks designation.
3. Will the Landmarks Commission force me to restore my house to the way it looked when it was built?
No. Any inappropriate alterations made prior to designation are automatically grandfathered, so that the Commission will not force you to perform any work on your building until you are ready to do so
4. What types of work require the Commission’s approval?
The Commission must approve all visible exterior work to the façade. For the typical brick Ridgewood row house, this includes changes to windows, doors, stoops, cornices, gate work, sidewalks, and brick repointing. Any proposed demolition, new buildings, and visible additions also require approval of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
5. Are there types of work that do not require the Commission’s approval?
Ordinary exterior repairs and maintenance, such as replacing broken window
Glass, removing painted graffiti, and repainting features such as cornices, doors, and ironwork, in the same color as the existing, do not require the Commission’s approval.
6.. Will I need a permit for work on the interior?
No.
7. If I want to sell my landmark building, must I tell the Landmarks Commission?
No. Landmarks designation places no restrictions on an owner’s right to sell his or her property.
8. If I sell my building, should I tell the new owner that the building is a landmark?
Yes. Even though the Landmarks Commission registers the designation in the building’ chain of title, it is still helpful to tell the owners that their building is located within a city historic district. Again, based upon the 69 city neighborhoods that already have landmarks designation, your property will probably be worth more after it is designated than before.
9. I heard that Ridgewood is already listed in the National Register of Historic places. Is being designated New York City historic district different from being listed on the National Register?
Yes. The National Register of Historic Places is a list of buildings and sites of local, state, and national importance. The National Register has no connection to the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, although many of New York
City’s individual landmarks and historic districts are also listed on the National Register.
10. I need to make a major alteration to my building. How do I apply to the Landmarks Commission?
You may obtain an application form and a copy of the Instructions for Filing by calling the Landmarks Commission, or by picking up the materials at the Commission’s offices in lower Manhattan, or at the Greater Restoration Corporation office. After completing the form and adding your descriptive materials, you may mail or drop off your application. There is no fee for filing.
11. What is the Landmarks Preservation Commission?
It is the New York City agency that is responsible for identifying and designating the City’s landmarks and historic districts. The Commission also regulates changes to the buildings it designates.
12. Why did the City enact the Landmarks Law?
The law was enacted in 1965 in response to the New Yorker’s growing concern that the city’s important historical buildings and neighborhoods were being torn down. Events like the demolition of the architecturally distinguished Pennsylvania Station in 1963, and proposal to plow expressways through historic neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and SO HO increased public awareness of the need to protect the city’s architectural, historical, and cultural heritage.
11. Why is it important to designate and protect landmarks and historic districts?
As the Landmarks Law explains, the protection of these resources serves the following purposes:
- safeguarding the city’s historic, aesthetic, and cultural heritage;
- helping to stabilize and improve property values in historic districts;
- encouraging civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the past;
- protecting and enhancing the city’s attractions for tourists, thereby benefiting business and industry;
- strengthening the city’s economy; and
- promoting the use of landmarks for the education, pleasure, and well
being of the people of the city.
12. What is a historic district?
It is an area of the city designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission
because it has special character or historical interest which causes it to have a
“sense of place.”
13. How many buildings has the Commission designated?
Since 1965, the Commission has designated more than 1,000 individual landmarks, 69 historic districts (containing more than 17,500 properties), and nine
scenic landmarks and over 80 interior landmarks. These buildings are a small percentage of New York City’s 850,000 buildings, but they are the most important buildings in the history of the city.
14. How long does the Landmarks Commission take to make a decision about my application?
For most types of alterations, the Commission takes less than 20 working days to issue the permit. When a public hearing is required for an application to perform major alterations, such as a new building or visible addition, it may take up to 90 working days to receive approval. TOP
Liquor, Wine & Beer License Applications
This information is being brought to your attention so that you will be aware of establishments in your area that will sell liquor, beer and wine. If there is a history of disturbances from a particular location, please inform Community Board 5 at 718 355-1854
New Liquor License Latino Ranch Inc Maria y Howie Liquor License Renewals |
New Wine/Beer Licenses Wine/Beer License Renewals Maria’s Deli Grocery Antica Trattoria |
TREE PLANTING PROGRAM
Is there an existing tree pit? yes ___ no ___
Is there a stump in the pit? yes ___ no ___
Is there a vault beneath the sidewalk? (i.e. is the sidewalk hollow?) yes ___ no ___
Owner’s name (printed) ____________________________
Signature_________________________________
Owner‘s address _________________________________________Past issues: September 2010