VOL. 1 NOVEMBER 2018 ownt wn Dwith the ridgewood guild Happy Anniversary! Dads’ Night turns 75 Goffle Brook Farms and Garden Center turns 50 Latour turns 20 • Homemade pasta made on • Voted best prix fix menu by premise by Nonna Carmela Bergen Health & Life Magazine Holiday Best Bets & 201 Magazine 4 years in a row Our gift-giving guide for the upcoming season • Private party room for up to 50 people • On & off premise catering Felina • Voted top 10 most romantic • Open 7 days a week Opens in our iconic bank building places in NJ Ringing in the Season Make your reservation today: 201.857.5100 with our 9th Annual Winterfest! Visit us at: www.pearlridgewood.com Editors Note t gives me great pleasure to bring to you our premiere issue of I“Downtown with the ridgewood guild.” This issue will familiarize you with all the great events and programs that The Guild produces. In addition, an overview of what Ridgewood has to offer….shopping, dining, professional services, and much more! The heart of Bergen County, Ridgewood is chock full of shops, boutiques, and eateries. Take a stroll down the avenue, or meander down its side streets and you’re sure to find hidden treasures of every kind. Our professional services are amongst Tony Damiano - President and Founder, the best in the country. The Ridgewood Guild Our restaurants provide a wide array of food choices from all over the world. Whether you’re in the mood for Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, or just about any type of Asian, Ridgewood has it all! Grab a cup of coffee or indulge in a sweet delight. Our streets are always lined with al fresco tables for your enjoyment. Speaking of enjoyment, The Ridgewood Guild has something for everyone. Movie fans delight in our sum- mer program, Movies in the Park. Filmmakers of all kind gather in April for our International Film Festival. Amateur, as well as professional musicians take to the streets each summer for Music in the Night. We end the season on a musical high note with our Music Fest in mid-September. Artists are on parade during the summer months for Art in the Park. We end each year, ringing in the Holiday Season with Winterfest. Children of all ages, and their parents gather in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square for what has become a Ridgewood tradition. Complimentary hot chocolate, cookies, candy canes, ice sculptures, arcade games, a trackless train and a horse drawn hay ride hosted by our Guild Elves provide merriment while holiday carols fill the air. So enjoy our magazine and support our downtown throughout the year. Ridgewood truly has something for everyone. The Ridgewood Guild vows to fulfill our mission in….”Creating a Better Ridgewood.” Vol. 1 Holiday Issue | November 2018 Contributors: Editor Tony Damiano Editorial Betsy Murphy, Dotti Fucito, Lucy Probert, Suzanne Curry, David McCarthy, Mike Feeney, Bruce Brackett, Tony Damiano Art Direction Tony Damiano Layouts Joanne Prieto of BonLapinVC.com Interior Design by Krista Wostbrock Design Columns Betsy Murphy, Best Bets, E. Clarke Travel Photograph by Annie Vanacore Photography Zigi Putnins Contact Us: interior design | home furnishings | to the trade Are you a Ridgewood Guild member? Have a great story? photo credit:photo Zigi Putnins, [email protected] Interested in having your ads in our future issues? Music in the Night Contact us at [email protected] 225 Goffle Road, Ridgewood NJ 201.445.0807 www.wostbrockhome.com Downtown Magazine printed by Printology LLC 201.345.4632 ridgewoodguild.com Downtown with the Ridgewood Guild 1 In This Issue VOL. 1 NOVEMBER 2018 Meet Mayor Ramon Hache 5 HOLIDAY SHOWCASE: Holiday Best Bets 6-7 Holiday Celebrations 8-9 Ringing in the Season with Winterfest! 10 All Around Ridgewood with Betsy Murphy 11 Sweetman-Waters Celebrate 30 Years Together by Betsy Murphy 12 NOT FOR PROFITS: Orpheus Club Celebrates 110 Years by Dotti Fucito 13 Social Services: Neighbors Helping Neighbors by Lucy Probert 15 Somerville-Hawes Dads’ Night Celebrates 75 Years 17 The Ridgewood Build(er)s with Paterson Habitat for Humanity by Bruce Brackett 18-19 “Long Way Home”: Jamboree 2019 20-21 Nina Yagupsky: A Lifetime of Symphony by Tony Damiano 25 Goffle Brook Farms and Garden Center Celebrates 50 Years 26-27 INTERIOR DESIGN: “4 Letter Word #@!&!” by Tess Giuliani 30-31 TRAVEL: E. Clarke Travel 37 GOOD EATS! Pearl, The Jewel of Ridgewood by Lucy Probert 42 Latour Restaurant Turns 20 by Betsy Murphy 43 Raymond’s, Feeding Jersey Since 1989 by Lucy Probert 45 That Was Then, This Is Now: Felina Opens in Ridgewood by Tony Damiano 46-47 Hollywood Comes to Ridgewood by Suzanne Curry 52-54 “Wood” Find 56-57 Cash Mobs! and “Sip “n” Shop 58 Member Directory 60-62 Art in the Park sponsored by Pinot’s Palette Next year’s dates: June 7, July 5, and August 2, 2019 2 Downtown with the ridgewood guild ridgewoodguild.com ridgewoodguild.com Downtown with the ridgewood guild 3 Experience you can trust, knowledge that you need, service you deserve! Meet Mayor Ramon Hache by Tony Damiano I HAD A CHANCE TO SIT AND CHAT WITH OUR MAYOR, RAMON HACHE. Angele Ekert Sales Associate REALTOR® WE CHATTED ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND AND NJAR Realtors® Circle of Excellence Sales Award 2005, 2007, 2009-2017 THE CHALLENGES HE WILL FACE AS MAYOR FIVE STAR Professional Real Estate Agent 2018 Bergen County Top Real Estate Agent, Bergen Magazine 2017 OF RIDGEWOOD. DiDirect: 201.774.3487 Office: 201.639.5555 [email protected] A: The main challenge is to evolve to A: We will see some of the remnants BuyInRidgewood.com meet the demands of the 21st cen- of a bye gone era, mainly defunct tury while maintaining the character car dealerships and empty lots, of our Village. We have homeown- replaced with new development. ers burdened by recent changes in We will have better infrastructure tax laws and businesses facing stiff and better parking. Our CBD will competition from online merchants. be more walkable and vibrant and We also have to make necessary will provide a better experience for investments in infrastructure. All shoppers, diners and residents. this in the context of an environ- 55 N. Maple Avenue | Ridgewood, NJ 07450 | prominentproperties.com Q: Where were you born and raised? ment where the costs to deliver high Q: What are some of the accomplish- Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated What schools did you attend? quality services and education to ments you wish to achieve during your our residents and businesses con- tenure as mayor? A: I was born in the Dominican Re- tinually rise. There is a tremendous public and moved to the United balancing act at work. A: I would like to solve our park- States at the age of 9. We initially ing problem as well as improve the lived in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Q: Have you made any adjustments quality of life and safety in our com- Ridgewood four years later. I gradu- career wise to spend more time as munity. I would like to work closer ated Ridgewood High School class mayor? with the County and BOE to better of 1991. share and leverage resources with A: Serving the community comes the goal of stabilizing and even low- Q: How does Ridgewood differ today at a significant cost and sacrifice. ering property taxes. I wish to ac- from when you were a youngster? I have had to make significant ad- complish these things with fairness, justments in my career in order to responsiveness and respect for our A: Today there are more cars on the be able to serve and still have the community. road and less people on the side- time for my family and my faith. walks. Q: Ridgewood is changing. How do Q: How many children do you have you feel about these changes? and what are their ages? A: No change ever happens in a A: Six children: two eleven-year-old vacuum. Yes, Ridgewood is chang- girls, two nine-year-old boys, a six ing but it has always been chang- year old boy and a two year old boy. ing because the world has been. No, we don’t have two sets of twins. Change is never easy, particularly in We have a blended family. communities with deep values and tradition. But I know Ridgewood will Q: What does it mean to you to be the rise to the challenge and find the first Latino mayor? right balance between progress and tradition. A: I feel extremely blessed to be both. I am very proud of my Latino Q: What do you think is in store for heritage. And I am also very proud Ridgewood in the next two to five to serve the community I love. years? Q: What are some of the challenges you will face during your tenure? Above: Mayor Hache; Right: Mayor Hache with wife Tina and Ramon Jr. dining at Stella Restaurant this past summer photo credit: credit:photo photo Zigi Zigi Putnins, Putnins, [email protected] [email protected] Downtown with the Ridgewood Guild ridgewoodguild.com ridgewoodguild.com Downtown with the ridgewood guild 5 4 HOLIDAY SHOWCASE HOLIDAY Holiday Best Bets Ridgewood has it all! Carlo’s Bakery Our choices for Holiday Best Bets for all your gift-giving needs. Christmas Cookies $4.95 Mango Jam New Lori C. Mitchell figurines. A Mango Jam Exclusive $34.95 each. Carlo’s Bakery Hanukkah and Snowflake Fondant Cookies $4.95 Hot Jewelry Box “Starry Night” crystal bag. In gold, silver, and amber $189.99 Red Velvet Luxe 1920’s inspired Shema Necklaces cubic bib necklace.