February 25, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 Ridgewood Police investigate large number of petty thefts Mid-February was punctuated by a large number of apparently unrelated petty thefts that are now under investigation by the Ridgewood Police Department Detective Bureau. On Feb. 11, a Ridgewood High School student reported that his wallet was taken from the locker room while he was in physical education class. On Feb. 13, a Hawthorne resident reported that her wallet was taken by an unknown person while she was dining at a restaurant on Chestnut Street. A New Jersey Transit bus driver reported on Feb. 14 that a person walked up to the side of his bus while he was parked in Van Neste Square and reached into the window, taking an envelope containing cash. The thief then ran toward the central business district. The thief is described as a white or Hispanic male, about 35 years old, six feet four inches tall, and wearing a tan hooded winter jacket. On Feb. 16, a resident of Colonial Road reported that an unknown person had entered his vehicle while it was parked in his driveway, and stole a set of keys, the only item that was reported missing. A resident of Washington Township reported that while she was shopping at Whole Foods on Feb. 17 she left her purse in the cart. When she was leaving the store for the parking lot, she realized that her purse had been stolen. She reported that she did not see anyone take the purse from the cart. The store employees and the woman searched the parking lot, but the purse was not found. The same day, a Gilbert Street resident reported that she was at a Chestnut Street restaurant, but remembered after she left that she had forgotten her wallet. She returned to find out that the wallet was not at her table and had not been turned in to management. J. KOSTER Unpaid furlough eyed to address budget concerns Ridgewood Village Manager James Ten Hoeve said the municipality is considering plans to possibly ask employees to take some time off without pay due to constraints on the budget imposed by state mandates in 2010. The village will more than likely receive no additional state aid in 2009, and could also face cuts in that area, according to Ten Hoeve. “A one-day furlough is on the table for village employees,” Ten Hoeve said last week. “It could be worked out to be one day off a month for the second half of the year or we could shut down one day a week out of the 12 summer weeks for non-essential services. It would save $425,000.” The tentative plan would have to be approved with a number of unions, including the police, the paid firefighters, and department of public works, and supervisors would take their unpaid furloughs along with the rank-and-file employees. State mandates include $4.9 million for group insurance, and $2 million in pension costs for fire and police personnel. The furlough system has not yet been formally proposed at a public meeting, and would not be subject to a final decision until some time in March when the budget is closer to completion. J. KOSTER Bach ’n Buddies concert set The 16th Annual Bach ’n Buddies Bash at the Ridgewood United Methodist Church will be held Saturday, March 7 from noon to 6 p.m. Music from the king of instruments will be played by some of the finest organists form the northern New Jersey area. Admission is $5. For more information call (201) 652-2868. The Ridgewood United Methodist Church is located at 100 Dayton Street in Ridgewood. Clara S. Licata, Esq. Family Mediator Mediation is a process that allows you to resolve your family law issues yourself without the expense and pain of litigation. I am a New Jersey Court Approved Mediator with over 40 hours of training in Family Law Cases. Contact me today for a consultation. 55 Harristown Rd., Third Floor Glen Rock, NJ 07452 201-612-1170 cslicata@optonline.net