Ridgewood May 9, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Candidates express views before this week’s election by John Koster Last week, the League of Women Voters invited the six Ridgewood Village Council candidates to a special forum, which was well attended by local voters. The candidates who are seeking the three available council seats in this week’s (May 8) election include Mayor Keith Killion, Councilman Paul Aronsohn, Ridgewood Planning Board Vice Chairman Albert J. Pucciarelli, Russell R. Forenza, Ridgewood Planning Board member Mary Jane Shinozuka, and Gwenn Hauck. Killion took the strongest stance against any concessions to Valley Hospital for a revised ordinance that could permit an extensive construction project. This plan was approved in concept by the Ridgewood Planning Board, but the zoning ordinance change was subsequently defeated 5-0 by the Ridgewood Village Council. Council candidate Hauck said Ridgewood and Valley should negotiate for a new proposal that would be more acceptable to the hospital’s neighbors. “I disagree,” Killion responded. “The council went over all the Valley transcripts, six months, Valley took up our time. Would we negotiate with Hartz Mountain? Valley is a business, as simple as that. The council cannot waste their time to negotiate a deal with Valley. It should lay squarely with the planning board.” He added, “They have a legal recourse, and that’s where it is now.” Shinozuka essentially ran on a negative attitude toward Valley’s expansion. Aronsohn pointed out that he was the only person on the panel who had urged the autonomous Ridgewood Planning Board to rescind the approval for the Valley Hospital project. That approval led to the request to the council for a zoning ordinance change, which Aronsohn voted against in the 5-0 (continued on page 12)