By Spencer Kent | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 16, 2016 at 1:24 PM, updated October 16, 2016 at 1:31 PM
EDISON — After a felon had made it on this year’s township school board ballot, lawmakers introduced bills that would require all board of education candidates to “certify under oath they have never been convicted of crimes that would disqualify them from campaigning for school boards.”
State Sen. Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) and Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak (D-Middlesex) have introduced identical bills in the state Senate and state Assembly.
Currently, felons convicted offirst- and second-degree crimes cannot serve in school district positions, according to state Department of Education regulations. But those felons can serve as candidates and have their names on the ballot since criminal background checks are not conducted until after the election.
If enacted, the bills would “require school board candidates to file a formal certification — along with their nominating petition — affirming they were never convicted of any disqualifying crimes,” according to a statement from Karabinchak’s office.
Ridgewood NJ, Yesterday marked Alzheimer’s Action Day and with September being World Alzheimer’s Month, it comes as no surprise that millions of people are joining together in the global fight to raise awareness and end stigma surrounding the disease. With Alzheimer’s being the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and 5.4 million Americans currently battling the disease, volunteers and advocates alike are tirelessly pushing for the critical medical support, research, and developments needed to prevent and cure Alzheimer’s. One company working towards achieving these much-needed neurological breakthroughs is Posit Science with its flagship brain-training program BrainHQ.
Created by world-renowned scientist, Dr. Michael Merzenich – a UCSF professor emeritus in neurophysiology, member of the National Academy of Sciences, co-inventor of the cochlear implant, and Kavli Prize laureate – and an international team of top neuroscientists, Posit Science’s plasticity-based software is being used to treat people with a multitude of severe neurological disorders, mental illnesses, and brain injuries, changing the way we think about medicine in the process. Dr. Merzenich is one of the few scientists who, in the past 30 years, has dedicated his life to transforming the field of neurology through disproving the conception that the brain is fixed and unmalleable. Cognitive impairments and neurological maladies – dementia, schizophrenia, strokes, autism, and traumatic brain injury – are commonly seen as untreatable, however, Dr. Merzenich’s comprehensive and long-term studies have proven otherwise.
In fact, just this summer, the Alzheimer’s Association highlighted a landmark study on cognitive training that used a brain-training exercise developed by Dr. Merzenich – the longitudinal study tracked older adults over 10 years and showed a 50% decrease in risk of dementia among those who used a particular type ofcognitive exercise that trains visual processing speed. The study additionally showed several other cognitive benefits of speed training, including improved cognitive function, better health and mood, more self-confidence, and even fewer car accidents. It’s worth noting that this is the very first time that any intervention – brain-training program, physical exercise, diet, or drug – has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia.
We’re transforming neuroscience-based software into medicine. Drugs are an extremely primitive method to treat the neurology. [With drugs] We’re manipulating machinery that is controlled by dozens of variables, by powerfully distorting one particular chemical. What we’re doing instead is replacing that chemical approach with strategies that actually correct the neurological underpinnings of these problems. And the only way is to have the brain correct itself. — Dr. Michael Merzenich
If you are interested in discussing the developments and breakthroughs being made in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, the future of medicine, and how technology is creating new medical breakthroughs, please let me know – I would be happy to arrange an interview with Dr. Merzenich or provide you with written commentary and additional information.
Best,
Laura Viglione
More About Dr. Michael M. Merzenich (Full Bio Here)
Dr. Merzenich has published more than 150 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals (such as Science and Nature), received numerous awards and prizes (including the Russ Prize, Ipsen Prize, Zülch Prize, Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award and Purkinje Medal), and been granted nearly 100 patents for his work. He and his work have been highlighted in hundreds of books about the brain, learning, rehabilitation, and plasticity. Dr. Merzenich’s work is also often covered in the popular press, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, Wired, Forbes, Discover, and Newsweek. He has appeared extensively on television and is the scientific consultant for the Discovery Channel show “Hack My Brain.” His work has also been featured on four PBS specials: “The Brain Fitness Program,” “Brain Fitness 2: Sight and Sound,” “The New Science of Learning,” and “Brain Fitness Frontiers.”
Barbecues have been a White House tradition since Thomas Jefferson. Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, hosted the first barbecue at the White House that featured Texas-style barbecued ribs. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter hosted a “pig pickin’” for about 500 guests including visiting foreign dignitaries. Ronald and Nancy Reagan also were avid barbecuers who entertained with barbecues at their ranch. George H. Bush, 41st president, held a barbecue for Members of Congress annually on the South Lawn of the White House, a tradition continued by his son, President George W. Bush. However, that tradition was interrupted on September 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Secret Service agents, who had evacuated the White House a day earlier, cancelled the barbecue and the White House kitchen released 700 pounds of beef tenderloin to feed the hundreds of rescue workers who had traveled to Washington.
When we barbecue
The most popular holidays for barbecuing are, in order, July 4th (76 percent), Memorial Day (62 percent), and Labor Day (62 percent).
What we barbecue
According to HPBA’s 2013 survey data (the most recent year this data was collected),
The most popular foods for cooking on the grill are, in order: burgers (85 percent), steak (80 percent), hot dogs (79 percent) and chicken (73 percent).
The side dishes most commonly prepared on the grill are, in order, corn (41 percent), potatoes (41 percent), and other vegetables (32 percent).
The most popular flavors of barbecue sauce are hickory, followed by mesquite, honey, and then spicy-hot.
How we barbecue
There are about as many styles of barbecuing as there are opinions – everyone’s got their own! Generally speaking, though, there are barbecue styles that dominate in different regions of the country. In the Carolinas, they can’t agree whether sauce should be vinegar, mustard or tomato based, but they can agree on the meat the sauce goes on – pork. In the Deep South, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Louisiana, you’ll find that Cajun cuisine has had a strong influence. Regardless of whether you’re barbecuing beef brisket, pork ribs, rabbit, or trout, chances are your taste buds will get a kick from a spicy marinade, sauce, or rub. In other parts of the South, pork also rules. In sunny California, lighter fare such as salmon is king of the grill. The Midwest is a barbecue hotbed – if you can’t find a meat and sauce combination you like in Kansas City, you can’t find it anywhere.
Our Utensils
Nearly half of all owners own the most basic grilling accessories (cleaning brush, tongs, glove/mitts), and many plan to purchase more specialized accessories in the year ahead, such as:
Pizza stone (14%)
Fish or broiling basket (14%)
Cedar or other cooking planks (14%)
Motorized rotisserie (12%)
Grill woks (11%)
Our Fuels
Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania patented a design for charcoal briquettes in 1897. After World War I, the Zwoyer Fuel Company built charcoal briquette manufacturing plants in the United States with plants in Buffalo, NY and Fall River, MA.
There are stories circulating that Henry Ford invented the very first briquette in 1920 with the help of Thomas Edison. However, the 1897 patent obviously predates this and Ford and Edison both knew Zwoyer.
Natural lump charcoal costs a bit more than charcoal briquettes, but it burns hotter, which means you use less – and partially burned natural lump charcoal can be reused. Briquettes work better for long cooking periods and they produce more consistent heat.
It’s easy to check how much propane is remaining in your tank. When using a gas grill, be sure to regularly check how much propane remains in your tank. There are several accessories on the market that can easily monitor your propane level without lifting the propane tank. Better yet, keep a full, spare propane tank handy so you never run out of fuel.
Barbecue History
There is no definitive history about how the word “barbecue” originated – or why it’s sometimes used as a noun, verb, or adjective. Some say the Spaniards get the credit for the word, derived from their “barbacoa” which is an American-Indian word for the framework of green wood on which foods were placed for cooking over hot coals. Others think the French were responsible, offering the explanation that when the Caribbean pirates arrived on our Southern shores, they cooked animals on a spit-like devise that ran from “whiskers to tail” or “de barbe a` queue.”
Competition barbecuing is one of the hottest hobbies in the country with hundreds of cook-offs held throughout all 50 states. The biggest and most famous are Memphis in May and The American Royal in Kansas City. Both cities stake their claim to being the barbecue capital of the U.S.
Trenton, NJ – Governor Christie today visited the Randolph, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) agency to announce additional initiatives aimed at reducing MVC wait times and customer costs. These new proposals and improvements to existing programs will cut transaction times and make it easier for drivers to access services.
“Providing excellent customer service at MVC and throughout state government has been a key component of my administration,” said Governor Christie. “MVC is continually looking for ways to enhance the customer experience and streamline the transaction process. With these new initiatives, customers will have more options to conduct their business either online or at a variety of locations with some express options. “
To reduce demand at the end of the month, Governor Christie is calling on the legislature to pass a bill that would change driver license and registration expiration dates to drivers’ birthdays instead of the last day of the month.
To encourage use of MVC’s online tools, by October 1st, MVC will eliminate online transaction fees. MVC will continue to post on its website updated wait times at each agency location and identify low-volume agencies, as well as offer online scheduling of driver tests and online suspension/restoration appointments.
Starting in early 2017, MVC will launch two mobile agency units that will be able to perform all transactions that existing agencies can with the exception of driver testing and titles. They will be deployed in the event of unforeseen agency outages and also will be utilized to service the needs of varying populations. MVC also is working with AAA to develop a system for customers to be able to renew their registration through certain AAA offices.
“AAA is proud to work with several states to provide motor vehicle services at our offices,” said Cathleen Lewis, Director of AAA Northeast Public Affairs and Government Relations. “We look forward to working with the administration to provide similar services for the State of New Jersey.”
To reduce the time of license renewal transactions, many agencies have implemented a driver’s license express process, which allows customers to bypass the ID check stations. MVC also has increased the number of Enhanced Digital Driver’s License cameras in 10 of its busiest agencies – Bakers Basin, Springfield, East Orange, Turnersville, Somerville, South Plainfield, Edison, Rahway, North Bergen, and Wallington.
MVC has started the process of converting to a central issuance system to issue IDs from a central location rather than through individual agencies, which will reduce transaction times and ensure maximum security throughout the process.
Earlier this year, Governor Christie ordered enhanced customer service training for MVC employees which focused on fundamental customer service skills, such as active listening, effective communication, and conflict resolution. Training already has been provided to all MVC executive and senior staff, Agency Services Coordinators, Regional Managers and Agency Managers. Customer complaints are currently being tracked by region, which allows the MVC to identify more quickly trends in areas needing improvement in specific agencies or geographical areas of the State.
Ridgewood NJ, In April Ridgewood joined over two dozen other municipalities, including Teaneck, Englewood, Wayne, Paterson, Pequannock and North Bergen challenging the tax exempt status of their local hospital
Like Ridgewood many of these municipalities are looking for new sources of cash to lower their high property taxes, local officials have now filed tax appeals challenging the tax-exempt status of 35 nonprofit hospitals according to NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .
The litigation continues to gain momentum in response to last year’s precedent-setting tax court ruling and settlement which required Morristown Medical Center to pay Morristown $15.5 million in lieu of property taxes. The judge in that case found the hospital operated like a for-profit entity and should share the cost of public safety and other municipal services.
While the Morristown case took 5 years to see it through ,so far two of the 35 cases have been settled already, resulting in additional revenue for the city of Elizabeth and Edison Township.
The settlements have already paid off for local taxpayers.The property tax rate has declined in Morristown by 2 cents this year, as a direct result of the “historic” agreement reached with Morristown Medical Center’s parent company, Atlantic Health Systems.
Ridgewood has quietly pursued Valley Hospital on the same grounds .It has been often repeated that Valley’s current 15 1/2-acre main campus would owe about $4.5 million in taxes if it were fully assessed. That is before the major increase in size by the proposed renovation double its size .
The N.J. Hospital Association says the tax-exempt status of these hospitals have been challenged:
Clara Maass Medical Center (Belleville)
Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City)
Monmouth Medical Center (Long Branch)
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (Lakewood)
Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Livingston)
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (Newark)
Holy Name Medical Center (Teaneck)
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center (Englewood)
Hunterdon Medical Center (Raritan Township)
Bayshore Community Hospital (Holmdel)
Hackensack UMC Palisades (North Bergen)
Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Old Bridge)
Raritan Bay Medical Center (Perth Amboy)
Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank)
Chilton Medical Center (Pequannock)
Overlook Medical Center (Summit)
Newton Memorial Hospital (Newton)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (Rahway)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswick)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (Somerville)
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (Hamilton)
Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Elizabeth)
CentraState Medical Center (Freehold)
Virtua Memorial Hospital (Moorestown)
St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center (Paterson)
St. Joseph’s Hospital Wayne (Wayne)
JFK Health (Edison)
Shore Memorial Hospital (Somers Point) The Valley Hospital (Ridgewood)
Capital Health (Hopewell)
Kennedy University Hospital (Stratford)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Campus (Atlantic City)
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus (Galloway)
Princeton Healthcare System (Plainsboro & Princeton)
Ridgewood NJ, in Newsweek’s annual ranking of public high schools 51 in N.J. made the cut. Noticeable absent was Ridgewood High School and Tenafly High School.
Ridgewood’s slip has not gone unnoticed, as many long time residents have commented ,” Years ago it was ranked highly in the nation. It fell from that to being ranked highly in the state, then down to County level and now basically is ranked no where. ”
Newsweek looked at six measurements and weighted them to come up with a “college readiness index.” The rankings are meant to show how well high schools do at preparing students for college.
Those measurements and their weight are:
Holding power: 10 percent
Ratio of counselor/full-time equivalent to student enrollment: 10 percent
Weighted SAT/ACT: 17.5 percent
Weighted AP/IB/dual enrollment composite: 17.5 percent
Graduation rate: 20 percent
College enrollment rate: 25 percent
Here’s a look at all of the New Jersey high schools that made Newsweek’s list and where they came in on the national list (in parentheses):
(2) Academy for Math, Science and Engineering, Rockaway
(4) Union County Magnet High School, Scotch Plains
(10) Middlesex Cty Acad. for Sci,, Math, & Engineering Tech., Edison
(11) Bergen County Academies, Hackensack
(12) Academy of Allied Health and Science, Neptune
(14) Biotechnology High School, Freehold
(20) High Technology High School, Lincroft
(21) Academy for Allied Health Sciences, Scotch Plains
(23) Academy for Information Technology, Scotch Plains
(27) Communications High School, Wall
(31) Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health & Biomedical Sciences, Woodbridge
(40) Chatham High School, Chatham
(41) Bergen County Technical High School – Teterboro, Teterboro
(67) Westfield High School, Westfield
(71) Ridge High School, Basking Ridge
(76) Summit High School, Summit
(84) Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, Manahawkin
(88) Bernards High School, Bernardsville
(91) Holmdel High School, Holmdel
(108) Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, Bridgewater
(112) Moorestown High School, Moorestown
(115) Madison High School, Madison
(127) John P Stevens High School, Edison
(131) Watchung Hills Regional High School, Warren
(137) Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock
(144) Rumson-Fair Haven Regional HS, Rumson
(158) Morris County School of Technology, Denville
(181) Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Highlands
(189) Union County Vocational Technical High School, Scotch Plains
(192) Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights
(198) Montville Township High School, Montville
(203) Academy for Performing Arts, Scotch Plains
(210) Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains
(217) Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough
(222 Wayne Hills High School, Wayne
(226) Allentown High School, Allentown
(227) Northern Valley Regional High School Old Tappan, Old Tappan
(233) North Hunterdon-Voorhees, Annandale
(234) Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, Demarest
(237) Pequannock Township High School, Pompton Plains
(365) Hanover Park High School, East Hanover
(366) Mahwah High School, Mahwah
(377) Cranford High School, Cranford
(383) Livingston High School, Livingston
(417) Wayne Valley High School, Wayne
(421) Marlboro High School, Marlboro
(425) Cresskill High School, Cresskill
(429) Whippany Park High School, Whippany
(473) Kinnelon High School, Kinnelon
(482) Mount Olive High School, Flanders
(497) Middletown HS South, Middletown
Teachers in the photo above: Please read below written by a retired colleague. The taxpayers can no longer and will no longer agree to your sweetheart deals which is why so many of your brethren have retired early to “take the money and run.” So when you whine about your paychecks and benefits, remember, the rest of us have to live very carefully and save enough, cross our fingers Wall St. doesn’t do funny things just to make sure we might be able to retire (and we have to pay for our own supplemental medical insurance). Just because we live in Ridgewood does not mean we are 1%ers. Some of us, with college degrees earn less than you and have stressful demanding jobs so your protests fall on deaf ears. I don’t like or agree with much Christie does but this is one thing he got right and tried to fix.
The author of the guest essay below is a retired New Jersey teacher who considers her benefits package far too generous. Gov. Christie was right to confront the teachers’ union immediately after taking office, she says, since teacher benefits could eventually bankrupt the state, and many others, if outlays needed to pay those benefits continue to outstrip revenues. I have withheld the author’s name to protect her from retaliation by her former colleagues.
I watch with gratitude the commercial by Prudential that warns those who hope to retire to think about how much money they’ll need to do so comfortably. I am grateful because I need not worry so much about my money running out before my nest egg does. I am a retired New Jersey educator. My funds are as lengthy as my life. They will even continue to support my spouse after I am gone at a rate of 50%. His pension will additionally support me at a rate of 50% if he should pre-decease me.
I began teaching in 1972 at an annual salary of $7,700. It was not much. Incremental raises were small from year to year. I ended my career teaching after 30 years. I was 52 — three years below full retirement age. I decided for personal reasons to retire early at a penalty of 3% per annum below the full retirement age, which was recently moved down to 55. I was not concerned because the 9% decrease in my pension benefits would be more than offset by three additional years of benefits.
Although I am not well versed in the subject of finance, I am told that I would need to have amassed a nest egg substantially greater than a million dollars to provide as well for myself as New Jersey does. Since this is a near impossibility at my former pay scale, it is all the more amazing that New Jersey is so generously funding my golden years. Additionally, my healthcare benefits were covered by the state until Medicare kicked in. After that, my secondary insurance was picked up by the N.J. State Health Benefits Plan.
This is a rather lengthy prelude to the point I wish to convey about the state of pensions both in New Jersey and other states that confer similar benefits on government workers. It is clear that this level of pension funding cannot be sustained indefinitely. Public servants must be part of the solution to burgeoning budget deficits in every state in which they occur. I am not an actuary, nor am I an economist, but I can see the anger growing in the public-at-large that continues to question the demands of those who receive generous packages during their employment and afterwards. Surely, the cris de coeur about the plight of educators cannot reflect the economic realities of many of the constituents who pay the educators’ salaries.
Bergen County ‘Tops’ at $90K.
To give you an idea of how very generous teachers’ pensions are, I’ve appended average salaries for NJ districts in 2011-12 below. Benefits are calculated by taking the average salary of the last three years of employment multiplied by the number of years in New Jersey public education, divided by 60 (full retirement age). Thus, if you worked as teacher in Bergen County for 30 years, your annual pension benefit could be as high as $45,114 ($90,228 x 30 divided by 60). When I retired early, I received 30 years divided by 55 (which was for a short time considered full retirement age. Gov. Christie returned the full retirement age to 60 as a cost-saving measure). Tack on full health insurance until Medicare kicks in, plus, when you reach 65, the state picks up the supplemental costs. A pretty sweet deal, no?
Here are the salary averages, by county: 1. Northern Valley Regional (Bergen County) $90,228; 2. Ocean City (Cape May) $88,434; 3. Carlstadt-East Rutherford (Bergen) $87,502; 4. East Rutherford (Bergen) $86,624; 5. Edison (Middlesex) $84,159; 6. Margate (Atlantic) $83,820; 7. East Orange (Essex) $83,418; 8. Closter (Bergen) $82,558; 9. Wallkill Valley Regional (Sussex) $82,475; 10. High Point Regional (Sussex) $82,386; 11. Teaneck (Bergen) $82,116; 12. West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional (Mercer) $82,059; 13. Hackensack (Bergen) $81,900;14. Pascack Valley Regional (Bergen) $81,832;15. Mainland Regional (Atlantic) $81,100; 16. Trenton (Mercer) $80,886;17. Millburn (Essex) $80,774; 18. Pemberton (Burlington) $80,579; 19. River Dell Regional (Bergen) $79,564; 20. Freehold Regional (Monmouth) $79,185.
Often I feel like a traitor to my profession – or I am made to feel so by the constant postings of my former colleagues who seek every opportunity to defame Gov. Christie for his hardline stance on unsustainable obligations to retired educators. I am not, however, traitorous. A paradox arises out of this situation. Taxes rise to cover increasing costs. Retirees who cannot afford some of the highest property taxes and state taxes take their pensions out of state and live in tax free zones. It is time for us to become responsible adults and change a system which is antiquated and inequitable for those who are left to pay the price.
Ridgewood NJ, all this talk about Valley Hospital being the “Crown Jewel” of Ridgewood ,but the reality is far different . Valley is according to the new OMNIA Health Alliance at “Tier 2” hospital .
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey announced the OMNIA Alliance, a partnership with 22 hospitals which have agreed to accept smaller reimbursements but would be financially rewarded for quality and keeping people healthy. Another 14 hospitals Horizon designated as “tier one” facilities also agreed to accept lower reimbursement in exchange for higher patient volume.
The 14 were ;Chilton Medical Center; Clara Maass Medical Center; Community Medical Center; Hackensack UMC in Hackensack, Mountainside and Pascack Valley; Hunterdon Medical Center; Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Vineland and Woodbury; Jersey City Medical Center; Monmouth Medical Center and its Southern Campus; Morristown Medical Center; Newark Beth Israel Medical Center; Newton Medical Center; Overlook Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, Somerset, New Brunswick and Hamilton; Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Hackettstown Medical Center will be added after it is acquired by Atlantic Health
However the remaining 36 hospitals in the state, were left out. The hospitals included in Tier 2 (based on the latest available information) are Bayonne Hospital; Capital Health in Trenton and Hopewell; CentraState Medical Center in Freehold; East Orange General Hospital; Hoboken University Medical Center; Holy Name Hospital; JFK Medical Center, Edison; Kennedy Health System in Cherry Hill, Stratford, and Turnersville; Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, Willingboro; Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center, Secaucus; and Memorial Hospital of Salem County.
Also in Horizon’s Tier 2: Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden; Raritan Bay Medical Center – Old Bridge and Perth Amboy; Saint Clare’s Hospital in Denville, Dover, and Sussex; Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark; Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick; St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton; St. Luke’s Warren Hospital; St. Mary’s Hospital, Passaic; Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth; University Hospital, Newark; Valley Hospital, Ridgewood; Virtua, Berlin, Marlton, Mount Holly, and Voorhees.
Horizon created OMNIA and the tiered network plan in an attempt to curb health insurance costs and provide cheaper options to employers and consumers.
Horizon examined Medicare data and looked for the hospitals with the lowest readmission rates and best scores on patient, safety and quality measures. Hospitals needed to offer a range of inpatient, outpatient and post-acute care services. They had to be using or prepared to use a “value-based” payment model that rewards preventive care. They had to score high on patient satisfaction surveys. Horizon also favored the largest hospitals and systems, including those that serve a sizable number of Horizon members.
Horizon claims they are not passing judgement on the quality of the hospital. Consumers who go to Tier 1 hospitals and doctors pay lower copays and out-of-pocket costs. They can visit hospitals and doctors classified as Tier 2 but pay higher costs when doing so.
Middle School and High School Winners of the Annual Protect Me With 3+ Poster and Video Contest Promote Vaccine Awareness
April 4, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health, today announced the winners for the fourth annual Protect Me With 3+ adolescent immunization awareness poster and video contest. The winning entries can be viewed at https://protectmewith3.com.
Middle School Poster Contest Winners:
1st place: Emily Phu, Churchill Junior High, East Brunswick, NJ
2nd place: Susannah Taylor, George Washington Middle School, Ridgewood, NJ
3rd place: Priyal Shah, John Adams Middle School, Edison, NJ
High School Poster Contest Winners:
1st place: Carmen Phu, East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, NJ
2nd place: Nia Stewart, Academy of Allied Health & Science, Neptune, NJ
3rd place: Hannah Lee, Marlboro High School, Marlboro, NJ
Video Contest Winners:
1st place: Jessica Manzon and Jacqueline Karlin, Marlboro High School, Marlboro, NJ
2nd place: Katrina Gutierrez and Aaron Agustin, Academy of Allied Health & Science, Neptune, NJ
3rd place: Bret Silverstein, Academy of Allied Health & Science, Neptune, NJ
Both the winners and finalists in each category were honored at an awards ceremony and banquet held at the Conference Center at the Robert Wood Johnson Fitness and Wellness Center in Hamilton on April 3, 2016. The top three winners in the poster and video categories received prizes and the opportunity for their submissions to be distributed during statewide immunization awareness activities. The teachers whose classes submitted the most eligible entries in each category also received awards.
In its fourth year, the Protect Me With 3+ contest increases awareness about the importance of four adolescent immunizations: tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate, and influenza (flu).
“The Protect Me With 3+ contest is an important opportunity to spread awareness about adolescent vaccines in a fun and creative way,” said Ilise Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Partnership. “We are so happy to have received a record number of entries into the contest and can’t wait to see what students and teachers come up with next year!”
“This year’s winners made some very creative and informative posters and videos that we are excited to use at statewide health events,” said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health.
New Jersey students in grades 5-8 were eligible to submit posters while students in grades 9-12 were eligible to submit either posters or videos. The public voted for their favorite entries from February 29 through March 13, 2016.
About the Partnership
The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). Its mission is to improve the health of women, children, and families. The Partnership has more than 20 years of experience mounting community-based, consumer-friendly and culturally competent educational programs to parents, caregivers, pregnant women and individuals of child-bearing age. For more information visit,https://partnershipmch.org/
To learn more about vaccinations, please visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s website: https://www.state.nj.us/health/cd/imm.shtml
Science and technology inspire us to ask insightful questions and get amazing answers. This month, many students are working hard on wonderful exhibits showing the results of their own experiments at school science fairs throughout Northern New Jersey.
Super Science Saturday was founded 28 years ago to bring together student science exhibits from many different schools to encourage learning about and appreciation of science and technology in our daily lives. Professional scientists also have joined in with their own interactive exhibits and shows.
Student science exhibits remain a vital part of Super Science Saturday and show the broad interests, creativity and knowledge of Northern New Jersey students. Several generations of students fondly remember attending and exhibiting at the event.
In that spirit, the Super Science Saturday all-volunteer Executive Committee again invites students to showcase their exhibits at our 28th annual, award-winning event from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Ridgewood High School, 627 East Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood.
Billed as “Northern New Jersey’s biggest science extravaganza,” Super Science Saturday is a free, non-competitive event that recently won a prestigious New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Award for encouraging the “Advancement of Invention and Process,” among students of all ages.
Students from any school or who are home-schooled are welcome to exhibit. Signing up and bringing exhibits to Super Science Saturday is free, easy and convenient. Exhibits may be brought to Ridgewood High School from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, or starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, the day of the event. Volunteers will be there to help you find your exhibit space. Parents can sign up at supersciencesaturday.org so we can reserve a space for their student’s exhibit.
Students do not need to stay with their exhibits for the entire event. They can enjoy the 9:30 a.m. show by special guest “Thomas Edison” (wonderfully played by actor Patrick Garner of Montclair), witness interactive exhibits of robotics, wind energy and drone racing, and see a live video presentation of arctic core sampling and what it tells us about the earth’s climate history. There also are ever-popular events, such as the Great Paper Airplane Fly-off, 28-foot Egg Drop Challenge and model rocket launches, and interactive exhibits by 60 amateur and professional scientists.
Through Super Science Saturday, students can showcase their science projects to a much larger audience and be inspired by all of the educational and fun shows and exhibits at the event. For more information on Super Science Saturday, please visit supersciencesaturday.org.
MichaelAaron Flicker
Head of the Super Science Saturday Executive Committee
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – An award-winning Ridgewood tradition, Super Science Saturday (SSS), is ready to educate and inspire community members of all ages.
The event, which is being held on Feb. 27 for the 28th straight year, will feature professional presenters and student projects, according to its website.
This popular village event received an award from the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame last October.
“SSS is an annual science exhibition that brings students at all grade levels and adults together to experience the wonder and excitement of science and technology in our daily lives,” said Mary Ann Copp, a member of the SSS Executive Committee. “Since its founding in 1988 by former Ben Franklin [Middle School] science teacher Jim Wallace, SSS is fun [makes science approachable and understandable], free [for anyone to attend] and non-competitive. Any student and adult can exhibit just by registering in advance.”
This year’s version of SSS will have a “special interactive show” featuring an actor playing Thomas Edison, Copp said, noting that the Edison show will begin at 9:30 a.m.
FEBRUARY 2, 2016 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016, 5:25 PM
BY RICHARD NEWMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Following the lead of angry Uber drivers in New York City, the ride-hailing service’s contract drivers in New Jersey are planning a work stoppage and demonstration next week to protest recent fare cuts, the head of a new statewide trade association said Tuesday.
Patrick J. McManus, president of the fledgling New Jersey App-Based Drivers Association, said Tuesday the trade group will meet Wednesday in Woodbridge to discuss plans to protest “probably on Monday,” at Uber’s New Jersey office in Hoboken. There are 13,000 Uber drivers in New Jersey.
If they do it would be the second such action in the New York metropolitan area this month. Hundreds of Uber drivers demonstrated this Monday in front of Uber’s New York City headquarters in Queens to protest the recent 15-percent rate cuts.
Rates paid to drivers who provide UberX service were cut 15 percent to 85 cents a mile throughout most of New Jersey Jan. 9 and drivers are very unhappy about it, said McManus. The Edison resident drives as an independent contractor for both Uber Technologies and its largest rival, Lyft.
“This is the third or fourth rate cut that [Uber’s] done,” McManus said Tuesday in a phone interview. “It’s a chase to the bottom. They are cheapening the job.”
JANUARY 18, 2016 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016, 1:21 AM
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Swim clubs around North Jersey are treading water against a wave of declining membership by reaching out to new members and retooling their programming to appeal to a broader demographic.
Club managers say they’re trying to counter the national trend of waning interest, which they attribute to changing demographics, alternative recreational venues and working parents who lack the time to sit by a pool all summer.
“There’s no question we’re seeing a decline,” said Lauren Syre, manager of the Harrington Park Swim Club, whose membership has dropped over the past decade from 350 families and a long waiting list to 280 families and no waiting list. To attract new members, Harrington Park has added a snack bar and more activities, such as family barbecue night and movie night.
Like other swim clubs, it also has opened membership to a wider audience, including out-of-towners and those who want to come on a part-time basis.
The Stonybrook Swim Club in Hillsdale, Brookside Racquet & Swim Club in Allendale and the Teaneck, River Edge, Alpine, Palisades and Leonia swim clubs and Woodside Swim and Tennis Club in Edison also have implemented promotional ventures such as yoga, adult-only lap lanes, paddle boarding, live band shows, campout parties, ice cream socials and lower membership fees.
Ridgewood NJ, Find out first-hand why Super Science Saturday, the biggest science and technology exhibition in Northern New Jersey, has won a prestigious award from the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.
Science professionals, parents, teachers and students are all welcome to play a role in making this award-winning event an even bigger success in 2016. Super Science Saturday welcomes new members for the all-volunteer Executive Committee that is planning the next exhibition, scheduled for February 27 at Ridgewood High School.
There also are a variety of other volunteer opportunities for those who are passionate about science and technology and want to be involved in a high-impact program like Super Science Saturday– from helping spread the word about this award-winning exhibition, coordinating with new adult and student presenters or just assisting on the day
The 28th annual Super Science Saturday is a particularly special event, as the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame (NJIOF) recently recognized Super Science Saturday for its
“Advancement of Invention & Process.” This award recognized Super Science Saturday for creating and sustaining this annual half-day exhibition, which showcases the marvels of science and technology for attendees of all ages.
NJIHOF honors inventors whose lifetime work has contributed significantly to the prosperity of New Jersey. Inaugural award winners include Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. Over the years, NJIOF has recognized Nobel Laureates and prominent researchers in many fields, including those who have pioneered life-saving drugs, and contributed to advanced communications technology, astrophysics and NASA missions.
Super Science Saturday’s Executive Committee is proud to be recognized along with such distinguished award-winners.
DECEMBER 7, 2015, 12:01 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015, 12:46 AM
BY GREGORY SCHUTTA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
EDISON – It was billed as a referendum on the state of public versus non-public schools in New Jersey high school sports.
And in little more than 90 minutes Monday, the membership of the state athletics governing body spoke, changing the athletic landscape as we know it – at least for the time being.
In a landmark vote, the members of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association approved historic proposals separating public and non-public schools in football and splitting non-public wrestlers into their own districts and region.
“I think a lot of people are realizing how huge the disparity has grown,” said Denis Nelson, athletic director at River Dell. “If there were an ability for level competition, we wouldn’t be having these problems.”
In one of the most highly attended NJSIAA membership meetings in recent history, officials from 345 of the association’s 433 member schools cast votes and approved the separation proposals by nearly identical margins.
The football proposal, which passed 215-128 with two abstentions, would remove all non-public schools from their current conference for football only and force them to create a statewide conference of their own, with full schedules.
It’s the third time in the past decade that some type of football separation proposal has reached the membership of the NJSIAA – but the first time one was approved.