August 11, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 5 Ridgewood Village mulls donations in light of gift restriction rules by John Koster The Ridgewood Council has put offers of donated goods and services on the back burner until the council and village manager have a chance to mull whether these donations violate the local ordinance restricting the acceptance of gifts. The Ridgewood Police Department has remanded a burglar to Bergen County Jail in lieu of $50,000 after charges that stemmed from an attempt to crack an ATM at a Goffle Road service station. On Aug. 5 at 12:58 a.m., Ridgewood detectives were conducting surveillance in the area of the Hess Station on Goffle Road when they observed a white male cutting the utility lines leading to the service station. He left, but returned shortly and broke the front door. He was attempting to break into the ATM inside the office when the Ridgewood detectives arrested him. The 27-year-old Bronx, New York resident was charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, and possession of burglar tools and was remanded to Bergen County Jail when he could not post $50,000 bail. In other police business, a woman who was about to appear in Ridgewood Municipal Court on a motor vehicle charge is now facing additional charges of shoplifting and drug possession. Police found evidence in the purse the woman brought to the courtroom during a routine search procedure. The 39-year-old Paterson woman had appeared for a motor vehicle charge on July 29 at 4 p.m. Shortly after that time, she placed her bag on a table for routine inspection. Ridgewood Patrolman Patrick Elwood Police remand burglar to Bergen County Jail said he noticed a strong aroma of marijuana emanating from the bag, and the bag was searched. Police found a bottle of prescription drugs not in the woman’s name inside the handbag. She was arrested on the spot, and during the arrest investigation, Ridgewood Detective Douglas Williams determined that a number of other items in the handbag had been stolen from the Ridgewood Stop & Shop supermarket. She was released, but now faces an appearance in Ridgewood Municipal Court not related to the motor vehicle issue. In an unrelated case on July 22, Detective Douglas Henky arrested a 33-year-old Paterson man on an outstanding warrant from municipal court. The man was released after paying outstanding fines. On July 28, Henky arrested a 42-year-old Paterson woman on an outstanding warrant from Ridgewood Municipal Court. She was unable to post bail and was remanded to the Bergen County Jail. On Aug. 1, Patrolman Jeffery Casson arrested a 40-year-old Saddle Brook man who had been charged with numerous motor vehicle violations and turned him over to the Elmwood Park Police, where he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. J. KOSTER “We expect to have the law obeyed, and it isn’t.” Mayor Keith Killion said at last week’s work session. “Are the inmates running the institution? I’m just dismayed by all this!” Killion’s dismay was triggered when he learned that some of the gifts in the council’s work session came from the Bolger Foundation, and had already been accepted in the form of services to improve or refurbish municipal property. The Bolger Foundation had restored the pillars at the Ridgewood Village Hall main entrance and the support columns of the Ridgewood Library next door, and had renovated the stairs at the village hall’s main entrance. An offer for the installation of an eagle on the flagpole at Wilsey Square is still on the table. Two years ago, after Killion and Council Members Paul Aronsohn and the late Anne Zusy were elected, the three new members promulgated an ordinance forbidding Ridgewood to accept gifts from anyone who had had an application before the Ridgewood Planning Board or the Ridgewood Board of Adjustment for 90 days or less before the donation, and anoyone who would have an offer before either board for 90 days after the donation. No names were mentioned when the ordinance was proposed, but the ordinance – opposed by the library board and several former mayors – was widely seen as an attempt to show concerned citizens that Ridgewood philanthropist David Bolger, who had donated millions of dollars to Ridgewood over a span of several decades, did not have an undue influence over the municipal government. The upshot of the ordinance was that Bolger took umbrage and almost stopped the restoration of the Pease Library, a project he took up after local groups had failed to put together a program over many years of attempts. Bolger eventually completed the restoration. The foundation name and Bolger’s name were not cited at the work session, but were printed on the agenda. “We clearly have a problem here,” said Councilman Aronsohn. “We adopted the ordinance not just to avoid a conflict of interest, but to avoid any appearance of a (continued on page 11) GRAND OPENING SPECIAL $5.00 OFF ANY SERVICE ANY SERVICE with purchase of $20 of service or more Can not be combined with any other offer. Exp. 9/30/10 $30.00 OFF Can not be combined with any other offer. Exp. 9/30/10 LCN SET Reg. $90.00 with purchase of $50 of service or more Can not be combined with any other offer. Exp. 9/30/10 $10.00 OFF HARDING WINE SPIRIT & Wow! 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