State starts to factor transportation into pollution equation
When people think about air pollution, the image that typically comes to mind is a power plant or factory belching out noxious emissions from a big smokestack.
But much of the pollution stems from transportation sources: emissions from cars, buses, and other vehicles cause ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog. Smaller local sources, such as dry cleaners and other businesses, also contribute to the problem. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>YWCA Summer Camps Host April Open Houses Sat, April 14, 2012 Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM YWCA, 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ
YWCA Bergen County is hosting a series of Open Houses for families interested in finding out “Y the W Makes a Difference” in summer camps.
All YW camps offer American Red Cross swim lessons, sports, arts and crafts, nature activities, and more. CIT programs for boys and girls ages 13 to 16 are also available. For more information, visit www.ywcabergencounty.com
>RHS ORCHESTRAS JOIN WITH BOSTON STRING QUARTET IN CONCERT
On Saturday evening, April 21, the Ridgewood High School Orchestras will join in concert with the Xibus World Orchestra, featuring the Boston String Quartet. It promises to be an entertaining evening with something for everyone: a fun mix of rock, pop, world, and classical music.
It’s a great opportunity to enjoy both our talented student musicians and world touring professionals. The concert takes place at the RHS Campus Center starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available either at the door or by mail. Click here for the order form. https://tinyurl.com/7qv2lbo
New Jersey continues to lead the nation in providing high-quality preschool to low-income children, but has lost ground on ensuring that all at-risk children receive this early start to learning, according to a national report released Tuesday.
The report — The State of Preschool 2011: State Preschool Yearbook — found that New Jersey moved up to second nationally for its enrollment of 3-year-olds in high-quality preschool. (Staff, Gannett)
Ridgewood to begin Ho-Ho-Kus Brook repairs after trout season
THURSDAY APRIL 12, 2012, 5:07 PM BY DARIUS AMOS STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The governing body passed an ordinance Wednesday night that will essentially shore up funds to improve conditions around two bodies of water that have proved problematic in the village, particularly during and after major storms.
The Village Council appropriated a total of $422,000 for protective measures at the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook and Saddle River. The sum includes nearly $344,000 in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, while $78,000 is taken from the municipality’s capital fund account.
H-Zone: Aren’t both the VC and the Planning Board supposed to represent all of us?
Also, given that the whole Planning Board process seemed to not fully consider many of the effects of allowing something like these amendments would permit (water, traffic, foundation damage nearby, and all the rest) — why not reverse those amendments?
The VC asked questions of the same experts the Planning Board utilized and a lot of new info and answers came to light as a result of that.
So the Planning Board part of the process seems to have been flawed.
That also argues strongly that the amendments should be reversed in light of the consequences and likely side effects that came to light during the VC hearings.
Anyone looking to build something there like the amendments the Planning Board approved would permit would clearly risk the same side effects to the community, would they not?
Whichever body is empowered to revert them doesn’t really matter as much as the need to change the Master Plan back to how it was.
But it seems logical for the same Board which approved those changes to simply rescind that approval based on new information that came out from the same experts they consulted during their process subsequent to their having approved them in the first place.
Final Voter Registration (Municipal Election) Final Voter Registration (Municipal Election) 4:30pm – 9:00pm in Village Hall Lobby
Village Council Election Candidates Night April 30
The League of Woman Voters will hold a Candidates Night , Monday, April 30th at 7:30PM in the 4th Floor Village Hall Court Room. All six candidates will participate in the debate and stating thier positions on Ridgewood issues.
Candidates Night will be televised on Cablevision Channel 77 and Fios Channel 34.
RIDGEWOOD MUNICIPAL ELECTION MAY 8
The Municipal Election, to be held on May 8, 2012, will elect three Councilmembers to the Village Council. There are six candidates running for the three open seats. The polling hours are 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Any questions concerning the Municipal Election should be directed to the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 201 or by email to: hmailander@ridgewoodnj.net
Firm seeks more time for OK on wind turbines off coast
Fishermen’s Energy, the company likely closest to placing wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey, is seeking more time to file an amended application with state regulators after harsh criticism of its initial proposal by consultants.
The extension request by Cape May-based Fishermen’s Energy is to be taken up Wednesday by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. (Duffelmeyer, Associated Press)
>What the heck? The Times gets the tunnel wrong again Published: Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 3:49 PM By Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger
I’ve noted before that the people who run the New York Times seem to have not the vaguest notion of just how their island is connected to New Jersey.
Now it seems they don’t understand who runs their subway system either.
There was an article in Wednesday’s Times on Chris Christie’s response to a soon-to-be-released study on the canceled ARC Tunnel. In it, we come across this puzzling passage about the governor’s views:
While the tunnel would have expanded the number of subway lines available to those who commute to Pennsylvania Station in New York City, he characterized it on Tuesday as a dead-end to a department store.
Huh? ARC had nothing to do with expanding subway lines.
The plan called for two tunnels carrying NJ Transit trains, not MTA subways.
Attn: Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno Re: Ballot Challenge- Purpora v Obama Date: April 12, 2012 From: Dwight Kehoe
Dear Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, First let me introduce myself to you. Although we have met several times at campaign stops, those introductions were but a handshake and a hello. I am and have been active in several Tea Party groups here in NJ and when with the Bayshore Tea Party we worked feverishly to help win the election for you and Governor Christie. I also run and edit the Tea Party coordination and information website, www.tpath.org
The reason I am writing is because it will be you who decides if the administrative court hearing this past week in Judge Jeff Masin’s court room, was valid and should be upheld. I write this not knowing if it is too late and your decision has already been handed down.
First I would like to ask why, so many times in court rooms across this country, judges and justices, can’t make a ruling based on the intent of the law as opposed to verbal gymnastics and merciless twisting of the objective and purpose of the statutes?
My point is that the people have become so disenchanted with the legal process and no longer feel they can depend on the laws to protect them against high priced word jockeys.
The ballot case which challenged Mr. Obama’s credentials and eligibility to be on a New Jersey ballot and hence, serve as President of the United States was brought for two main reasons. Both the State of NJ and the Federal Government wrote laws with the intent of maintaining the integrity of the election process. Why can’t one honest judge or Secretary of State make a ruling based on the intent and reason for those laws? Why write them, why vote on them if there is no effort to enforce them?
Here are the points:
1. Mr. Obama has shown no credible evidence of where he was born. When his petition was challenged, its very clear the intent of NJ Title 19 requires that a candidate prove his identity and qualifications.
2. John Jay, the first leader of the US Supreme court contacted George Washington and asked that the special provision of Natural born citizen be include in Article II. He did that for the purpose and intent of the term used in that time and which persists today except in court rooms where manipulation of the law is allowed.
So far there has not been one individual of authority, in any party or any position, who has shown the backbone and courage to make a ruling based on the intent of the law and the reason it was written.
For the sake of the future I pray that you will take the meaning of the laws and ignore the manipulations and rule appropriately.
Obama eligibility challenge unlikely to succeed in N.J.
A long-shot, multistate effort to find a judge willing to say President Barack Obama is ineligible to be America’s chief executive looks unlikely to succeed in New Jersey.
Attorney Mario Apuzzo, representing two state residents who challenged Obama’s spot in the June primary, tried a bevy of arguments in the course of a three-hour hearing Tuesday, ranging from a study of Colonial-era attorney St. George Tucker to whether the last name used on Obama’s kindergarten registration in Indonesia casts doubts on his identity. (Symons, Gannett)
What it is: The Christie administration last month sent out notice of more than $2 million in grants for school districts to join the state’s teacher evaluation pilot now underway to develop a statewide system for 2013-14. Last weekend, it sent out additional guidance for the 10 districts already in the pilot, breaking down how student performance should fit into teachers’ grades in this first year as well. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
Business leaders and land-use planning experts who attended PlanSmart NJ’s regional planning summit said they are cautiously optimistic about the state’s new development blueprint.
The State Planning Commission will vote on adopting the overhauled state plan April 25. Six public hearings took place after a draft 41-page plan was circulated. An updated draft is expected to be released by the end of the week. (Jordan, Gannett)
>Readers Comment on alleged Drug use at Schools :Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.
The institution claims to have a zero-tolerance policy because people like to hear that. It’s good politics. I doubt they actually care, because, let’s face it – this “drug problem” is not that much of a problem. Drug testing costs money, and this money could be put to better use.
First of all, I wonder why you even care so much about what other people do in their free time.
As for the money, teenagers can get jobs after 16 and unreported jobs even younger. Drug testing kids randomly on a regular basis? That’s absurd. You have to weigh your kids safety against a certain level of trust and freedom. If you don’t trust your kid, whose going to take care of them when they get into the real world?
Next, your scenario is ridiculous, and it sounds like you’ve been a victim of DARE brainwashing. There are plenty of kids using pot that get into great schools. I guess you’ll see when you grow up more.
As far as I’m aware, cocaine use is not rampant in Ridgewood, so unless you buy into that BS Gateway Drug theory, that’s not really relevant.
Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.
Retail group: Escheat law could cost N.J. $94M in lost sales tax revenue
The loss of gift card sales from New Jersey, combined with the state’s unclaimed property law, could cost state coffers up to $94 million per year in sales tax revenues, according to an analysis released today.
Consumers using gift cards often spend amounts above a card’s face value, and as companies like American Express pull gift cards from shops in the state, the resulting decrease in sales will result in a drop in the state’s sales and use tax revenue collections, according to the analysis by financial services consulting firm First Annapolis, and released by the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association and the Retail Gift Card Association. (Tarbous, NJBIZ)
