November 27, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 11 Lester Stable work defrayed by Bolger donation by John Koster The Bolger Foundation will be a key donor to the reconstruction and improve- ment of the Lester Stable, with the exact amount not yet determined. Work on the stable, which is used as the headquarters for the Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department’s pro- grams, is estimated at between $250,000 and $300,000. The Village of Ridgewood will pay for some of the work with the assistance of funding from the Bolger Foundation, founded by Ridgewood phi- lanthropist David Bolger to benefit the public. Bolger was also a key contributor to the preservation and restoration of the Lester Stable some decades ago. Current plans include new restrooms, a meeting room, and improvements to the kitchen. Two residents questioned the accep- tance of money from Bolger while his son, J.T. Bolger, has one of the four multi- family applications before the Ridgewood Planning Board. Those citizens were told that the Bolger Foundation and J.T. Bol- ger’s Two-Forty Associates are separate entities. Under a previous council, Ridgewood adopted an ordinance forbidding those with a current, recent, or pending applica- tion before any Ridgewood board to make a donation to the village. This led to a con- troversy that almost interrupted Bolger’s plan to renovate and restore the disused Pease Branch Library after a number of other attempts had failed. Bolger relented, honored his word, and restored the library YWCA holds Holiday Boutique The Ridgewood Newcomers Club of the YWCA Bergen County will host its Annual Ridgewood Newcomers Holiday Boutique on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The boutique, held at the YMCA of Ridgewood at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, will feature more than 20 vendors with jewelry, clothing, hostess gifts, and more. There will also be special contests and family friendly activities. A portion of the proceeds generated by all participating vendors that day will be donated to the YWCA of Bergen County, a non-profit organization, and its pro- grams. Admission is free. For more informa- tion, e-mail RNfundraisers@gmail.com. despite the controversy. The project was widely praised, as was Bolger for getting the job done when all the other attempts had stalled. In the past, Bolger donated $30 million to Valley Hospital. He has given substan- tial sums of money to several churches and a synagogue. He also bought some Indian burial mounds in the West to ensure their preservation. Bolger also ended a protracted argu- ment by members of the Ridgewood Council and members of the public over who would pay the $7,600 cleanup bill for a campaign visit by former President George Bush. Bolger rose from the audi- ence, asked then-Mayor Patrick Mancuso the specific amount, and wrote out and handed Mancuso a personal check for the cleanup bill. “Now let’s talk about something else,” Bolger said. “I’m tired of this...” They immediately talked about some- thing else.