Month: September 2011

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>Aim to save seniority, congressional redistricting panel told

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Aim to save seniority, congressional redistricting panel told

There was far more talk of minimizing turnover than encouraging competitive races Thursday at a public hearing of the commission in charge of redrawing New Jersey’s congressional districts.
The commission, in charge of redrawing the state’s congressional districts, took testimony for the first time this year in a mostly empty theater on the Rutgers University campus.

A common theme — voiced by the three Democratic elected officials as well as the one political scientist who spoke — was that the commission ought to make continuity a goal.

The state’s loss of a seat in the House of Representatives, from 13 to 12 as a result of population shifts to states in the South and West, makes that trickier because two incumbents must wind up in the same district.
But that loss also makes continuity more important, said Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski of Middlesex County, the Democratic Party state chairman.  (Symons, Gannett)

https://www.app.com/article/20110922/NJNEWS/309220104/Aim-save-seniority-congressional-redistricting-panel-told
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>"I think we get hung up on the words ‘fast food,’" said Mayor Keith Killion.

>“I think we get hung up on the words ‘fast food,'” said Mayor Keith Killion.

Ridgewood Planning Board continues debate on village fast food ordinance
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011  
BY JOSEPH CRAMER
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Planning Board went back for seconds on the issue of amending the village’s fast food ordinance at Tuesday’s public meeting.

Planners addressed the importance of moving beyond the negative stigma the ordinance’s name carries.

“I think we get hung up on the words ‘fast food,'” said Mayor Keith Killion.

The idea of amending the existing fast food ordinance, which currently prohibits fast food entirely in the downtown area’s B-1 zone and permits it with conditions in the B-2 zone, was revived at a board meeting in August by Village Planner Blais Brancheau with the intent that applicants currently prohibited under existing ordinance could potentially fill some of the vacant storefronts in Ridgewood’s Central Business District (CBD).

https://www.northjersey.com/news/130350513_Ridgewood_Planning_Board_continues_debate_on_village_fast_food_ordinance.html

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>Committee: Private funds needed to develop Schedler property in Ridgewood

>Committee: Private funds needed to develop Schedler property in Ridgewood
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
BY KELLY EBBELS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The village’s last remaining major undeveloped open space area, the Schedler property east of Route 17, can only be renovated with a private fund-raising initiative, according to Ridgewood’s Open Space Committee.

The revelation came from Ralph Currey, chair of the committee, during a presentation at Wednesday’s Village Council meeting. He recommended that the village support the formation of a non-profit foundation to oversee a fund-raising effort.

“In the opinion of the open space committee, only a significant private fund-raising initiative will enable the property to be developed in the foreseeable future,” Currey said.

Local funding was inaccessible due to dwindling funding available from county open space fund reserves. Open space taxes were cut last year, and there are tight restrictions on the village’s finances, he said.

https://www.northjersey.com/community/history/more_history_news/130366323_Committee__Private_funds_needed_to_develop_Schedler_property_in_Ridgewood.html

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>Letter: Valley project does not have broad public support

>Letter: Valley project does not have broad public support

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2011  
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
PRINT | E-MAIL
Valley project does not have broad public support

To The Editor:

Valley Hospital’s slick campaign to jam a monstrous expansion down our throats continues to play a cat and mouse game with numbers, perception and reality. The full page ad by Ridgewood Residents for Valley in last weeks The Ridgewood News displays an imposing list of 625 supporters under bold letters declaring “broad public support for this project.” The ad also takes a veiled shot at Concerned Citizens of Ridgewood (CCR) by pointing out Valley’s supporters put their names in the public record, which CCR has not done, the inference being that CCR exaggerates resident opposition.

The reality is “broad public support” should not be confused with “majority.” Not by a long shot. In every village election since Valley’s massive expansion has become a hot button issue, the anti-Valley forces have prevailed by a whopping 60-40 margin. And not one of those voters was required to list their name in a newspaper ad for their votes to count.

READ THE FULL TEXT : https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/130403938_Letter__Valley_project_does_not_have_broad_public_support.html

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>John Stossel : Why our kids deserve a free market in education

>John Stossel : Why our kids deserve a free market in education
John Stossel | September 22, 2011

School spending has doubled over the past 30 years. Yet what do we get? More buildings and more assistant principals—but student learning? No improvement. If you graph the numbers, the spending line slopes steeply, while the lines for reading, math, and science scores are as flat as a dead man’s EKG.

Why no improvement? Because K-12 education is a government monopoly, and monopolies don’t improve.

And yet I’m happy to announce some good news: Cool things are starting to happen in classrooms.

I was surprised to meet kids who said they like school. What? I found school boring. How can it be that these fourth-graders tell me that they look forward to going to school and that math is “rockin’ awesome”?

https://reason.com/archives/2011/09/22/exciting-schools

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>Time to get New Jersey’s teachers off the clock?

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Time to get New Jersey’s teachers off the clock?

The recommendation is tucked deep into the report commissioned by Gov. Chris Christie, one of nearly 50 suggestions to ease the red tape tying up public schools.

But it may be one of the more significant or provocative recommendations made by the Education Transformation Task Force: rethink New Jersey’s decade-old requirement that its teachers rack up 100 hours of professional development every five years.

Headed by former state education commissioner David Hespe, the task force appointed with much fanfare by Christie earlier this year said it was time to move beyond “clock hours” in determining if teachers are getting enough professional development.

“The Department and the State Board should seek to amend this regulation to focus on student learning rather than on hours of professional seat-time,” the report read. “The goal should be on driving outputs, not mandating inputs.”

The report suggested more focus on teacher collaboration and support through “professional learning communities,” where teachers can learn from each other on a daily basis.  (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0922/2228/
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>Resident Meeting to Share Ideas on Village Hall Flooding

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village+hall+flood



Resident Meeting to Share Ideas on Village Hall Flooding 


Monday October 3rd residents are invited to meet with Mayor Killion and staff for an idea exchange concerning the options for repairing the Village Hall First Level.


The focus is not on issues of the past. Residents are asked to share their ideas and recommendations of areas to be considered as we develop plans for the first level.


Monday October 3, 4:30pm to 5pm First Level is open for a general tour by residents


Monday October 3, 5pm-6pm Council Chambers, General Discussion re Village Hall First Level


No rain date has been established.


 Hot Offers

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>Govs. Christie, Cuomo had dinner together one week before Port Authority announced toll hikes

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Govs. Christie, Cuomo had dinner together one week before Port Authority announced toll hikes

Gov. Chris Christie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York had dinner a week before the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which they jointly control, announced a steep increase in tolls to cross the Hudson River, according to information posted on New York State government website today.
Christie and Cuomo have both denied knowing about the toll increases until a few days before the Port Authority publicly unveiled its proposal.

The dinner meeting, at the Beacon Restaurant in Manhattan, became public when Cuomo released detailed copies of his schedule for the first eight months in office on a new site intended increase government transparency.

The sharply higher toll increases were announced on Aug. 5, and at the time Christie issued a statement critical of the large rise. He later said he was shocked by the proposal and had only learned of it on Aug. 3.  (Gibson, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/gov_christie_cuomo_had_dinner.html
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>Christie continues to hammer teachers union

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Christie continues to hammer teachers union

Gov. Chris Christie continued his normally combative tone toward the teachers union today when asked during a Rider University event with Gov. Mitch Daniels about repairing the relationship with the educators before continuing on with his plans for education reform.

Christie said his attitude toward the union hasn’t changed since he first entered the race for governor.
“I’m willing to repair a relationship that is willing to be productive,” said Christie at the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. “But my position regarding the teachers union has been the same form the time I got into the race until today.  When they are ready to come forward and be participants in meaningful reform that will improve especially urban educational opportunities for our kids then I will sit at the table with them anytime.  If they want to continue to pass on to me warmed over protections of the failed status quo then they can continue to stand outside my office and look in the window.”  (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/51163/christie-continues-hammer-teachers-union
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>GALLUP: Majority in U.S. Continues to Distrust the Media, Perceive Bias

>GALLUP: Majority in U.S. Continues to Distrust the Media, Perceive Bias
More perceive liberal bias than conservative bias
by Lymari Morales

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The majority of Americans still do not have confidence in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly. The 44% of Americans who have a great deal or fair amount of trust and the 55% who have little or no trust remain among the most negative views Gallup has measured.

https://www.gallup.com/poll/149624/Majority-Continue-Distrust-Media-Perceive-Bias.aspx

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>GM’s OnStar now spying on your car for profit even after you unsubscribe?

>GM’s OnStar now spying on your car for profit even after you unsubscribe?
By Zach BowmanRSS feed
Posted Sep 21st 2011 4:28PM

If you’re the owner of a fairly new General Motors product, you may want to take a close look at the most recent OnStar terms and conditions. As it turns out, the company has altered the parameters under which it can legally collect GPS data on your vehicle.

Originally, the terms and conditions stated that OnStar could only collect information on your vehicle’s location during a theft recovery or in the midst of sending emergency services your way. That has apparently changed. Now, OnStar says that it has the right to collect and sell personal, yet supposedly anonymous information on your vehicle, including speed, location, seat belt usage and other information.

https://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/21/gms-onstar-now-spying-on-your-car-for-profit-even-after-you-uns/

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>Ridgewood Garage and Estate Sales

>Garage Sale :Sale will be conducted Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24 (rain date – Sunday, September 25) at 170 Hope Street, Ridgewood, NJ. Special items include: Victorian child/youth chair; mahogany goose neck rocker (needs repair); 1930’s vinyl kitchen chairs (2); men’s and women’s clothing; Christmas decorations; blue Harvey’s Bristol Crème glasses; Pfalzgraff china; Drambuie glasses; kitchen ware; books and 33 rpm records.


Saturday, September 24th – ONE DAY ONLY
9am-3pm
189 Prospect Street, Ridgewood
(corner of Spring)

MULTI-FAMILY garage sale
Furniture, games, toys, American dolls, household items, books, cds and
more.

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>N.J. using little of tobacco tax for prevention, report says

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N.J. using little of tobacco tax for prevention, report says
By Maya Rao
Inquirer Trenton Bureau

TRENTON – New Jersey raised $750 million last year from taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, but it spent only $1.5 million on antismoking programs, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society.

Health advocates on Wednesday called on Gov. Christie and the Legislature to direct at least a dime of each dollar the state collects in tobacco taxes to programs aimed at reducing youth smoking and helping tobacco users quit.

“The money is there. The smokers are paying the money,” said Howard Levite, a medical director at the Heart Institute of AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic County.

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110922_N_J__using_little_of_tobacco_tax_for_prevention__report_says.html

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>Rep. Joe Walsh: Media Will Show ‘Real Desperation’ to Protect Obama

>Rep. Joe Walsh: Media Will Show ‘Real Desperation’ to Protect Obama
By Terence P. Jeffrey
September 21, 2011

(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Joe Walsh (R.-Ill.) said Wednesday in an interview with Media Research Center President Brent Bozell that he believes the media will show “real desperation” to protect President Barack Obama during the 2012 campaign.

Having noted that Tea Party audiences show tremendous enthusiasm for Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, Bozell asked: “Yet, you see this administration playing class warfare and race warfare games. Now, that’s their problem. But what does it say about the national media that they are aiding and abetting this by not exposing the dishonesty here?”

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/rep-joe-walsh-media-will-show-real-desperation-protect-obama