>Assembly moves forward with Port Authority subpoena process
An Assembly transportation panel is moving forward with intentions of issuing subpoenas, if necessary, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee adopted a resolution today in pursuit of issuing subpoenas in an effort to investigate the agency’s spending practices. The 6-4 party-line vote approved a resolution to formally authorize the issuance of subpoenas. (Arco, PolitickerNJ)
Gov. Chris Christie’s approval rating is at its highest point since taking office more than two years ago, according to a poll released Wednesday.
Nearly six in 10 registered voters approve of the governor’s job performance including a whopping 92 percent of Republicans, according to the poll from Quinnipiac University. Christie also garners high marks among independents with 64 percent approving of his performance, good news for the governor if he decides to pursue a second term. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
>Readers comment on alleged drug use in Schools : Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged
I think that it’s great that he posted what is impt to him and said what he felt from his heart and based on his observations.
Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged and besides isn’t that what blogs like this are supposed to be for?
I think people need to see and listen to stuff like this… from the perspective of someone who is there and seeing what goes on with his/her peers.
Too often, many things here get ignored and/or are spun or swept under the rug by others who have a vested interest in doing so. I don’t think this kid is one of those people.
And participation in the process of trying to make changes for the better is something we should encourage and not diss someone for expressing their views.
I very much agree with his points about parental responsibility by the way. I’d say keep posting and thx for this one, too!
NJ puts new labels on schools for test scores, graduation rates
With No Child Left Behind essentially off the books, welcome to New Jersey’s new age — and labels — for school accountability.
The Christie administration yesterday released the final list of schools that will be highlighted under new accountability rules that put heightened attention on the very lowest and the very highest achieving schools, while giving leeway to the vast middle. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
>Readers Comment on alleged Drug use at Schools : I do agree that parental involvement is key to good lifechoices Patrick Allin
Woah Peter – first, Bergen Community College is not a last resort school – it is one of the top community colleges in the country and offers many programs that are not offered at universities, such as trade training, like auto mechanics. The economy could not function without these professions. In addition, BCC is a more affordable school for students who do not have the financial resources to attend a private college.
Second, go to the New York Time’s website and read through their archives for articles about “Ridgewood” and “drugs.” The hard drug problem at the high school used to be much more prevalent. This is not a new problem.
I do agree that parental involvement is key to good life choices. However, parents will not build trust with their children by drug testing. If someone wants to try/find drugs, they will. The solution is not to test and punish, but for parents to build strong “tell me anything” relationships with their children. Then, parents can guide their children through becoming an adult, and children will trust their parents advice to not experiment with drugs
You need to recognize that many Ridgewood families are fractured and broken, just like any other community. People will turn to drugs and alcohol to ease this pain. The school has tried to support these students by hiring crisis intervention counselors, but can still do more so students know that they are not alone.
O’Toole, Donovan to address Korean community on Kwon’s failed nomination
Sen. Kevin O’Toole, (R-40), Cedar Grove, will address members of New Jersey’s Korean community this week to discuss Phillip Kwon’s failed bid for the state’s high court.
O’Toole will be joined by Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, according to a Senate Republican news release, which explained that the purpose of the event will be to address the community “following the disrespectful treatment” of Kwon during the state Supreme Court nominee process. (Staff, State Street Wire)
>America’s Debt Is Greater than Entire Eurozone’s (and U.K.’s) Combined Debt 11:12 AM, Apr 10, 2012 • By DANIEL HALPER
America’s debt is currently $15.1 trillion, while the Eurozone (which includes France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others) has a combined debt of $12.7 trillion. (All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars, and the data refers to closing 2011 numbers.)
The Eurozone is larger than the United States, so America’s debt per capita also exceeds the Eurozone’s. According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. has a population of 313 million, whereas the Eurozone has a population in excess of 331 million.
Got Drugs? – Safe Disposal on April 28th at Police Department
Got Drugs? Looking for a place to dispose of unused or expired medication for safe disposal – Ridgewood Police Dept on Saturday, April 28 from 10AM to 2PM.
>Grandpa, patriot who goes by ‘The Raptor,’ claims credit for taking down Al Qaeda websites By Jana Winter
An American hacker, who calls himself “The Raptor” and claims to be a grandfather waging his own war on terror, is taking credit for a series of takedowns of online forums used by Al Qaeda sympathizers, FoxNews.com has learned.
Calling himself a patriot acting on behalf of U.S. troops serving overseas, The Raptor claims to be behind last month’s attack on Al Qaeda’s main online forum, Shamukh Islamic Network, and a handful of other sites and forums, including Ansar al-Mujahideen, where jihadists gather online to issue threats and exhort one another to acts of terror. The sites went down on March 22, and most remained dark for nearly two weeks. As the websites stayed offline, The Raptor taunted his targets on Twitter, daring them to “bring it.”
STOP, LOOK AND WAVE: NEW VILLAGE-WIDE SAFETY INITIATIVE IS LAUNCHED
Ridgewood will kick off a pedestrian safety initiative entitled “Stop, Look, Wave: Be Safe Be Seen” in mid-April.The innovative safety campaign targets Ridgewood pedestrians and drivers, with the goal of preventing pedestrians from being involved in road traffic collisions. The safety initiative aims to blanket vehicles in Ridgewood with more than 5,000 car magnets, reminding pedestrians in Ridgewood and neighboring communities to stop, look and wave before crossing, and encouraging motorists to be extra vigilant when traveling on village streets.
Rollout of the “Stop, Look, Wave” safety initiative involves conducting educational assemblies in Ridgewood elementary and middle schools in April. A safety presentation created by Ridgewood parent and hard-working safety advocate Jeanne Johnson, under the direction of Meliam Gonzales, a trauma prevention coordinator and clinical educator from Hackensack University Medical Center, will be given to students at each school to teach safe pedestrian behavior.
The safety team will distribute pedestrian safety informational materials to every K-8 student in Ridgewood, including a traffic safety brochure designed for parents (and customized for the roadways surrounding each school) and car magnets adorned with the safety message “Stop, Look, Wave.” Car magnets will also be available for sale for a minimal fee at Ridgewood High School.
>Community Supported Agriculture: Helping consumers get fresh produce, boost N.J. farms Tuesday, April 10, 2012 BY KARA YORIO STAFF WRITER The Record
Many of us want the healthiest produce and to support local farmers.
Making that happen isn’t always easy or convenient.
If your town has a farmers’ market, you have to be available to shop on the day it’s scheduled and often deal with a large crowd; going to a farm to pick your own is fun one week — not every week.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way to make this a more realistic goal. Membership shares can be purchased for weekly portions of the crop from a local farm, and now is the time to sign up to enjoy locally grown food from late spring to fall. Typically, shares consist of vegetables and perhaps fresh herbs, but fruit and eggs, poultry and cheese are also available depending on the farm.
A CSA PRIMER
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA allows people to buy local, seasonal food directly from an area farm. Members buy a share or subscription for the season and pick up their weekly allotment from the farm or another location. Shareholders get what is grown. Don’t like beets? You’re still getting beets if that’s the farmer’s current crop. There are risks. Like the farmers, CSA participants are at the whim of the weather. (Just ask any farmer or local CSA member about last summer.)
>Gov. Christie: Nation turning into ‘people sitting on a couch waiting for their next government check’ Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 7:36 PM Updated: Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 9:38 PM
NEW YORK — Gov. Chris Christie today warned an audience of national Republicans that the country is in danger of becoming a “paternalistic entitlement society” where people sit on the couch, “waiting for the next government check.”
Christie spoke at a day-long conference on tax policy in New York hosted by former President George W. Bush, who nominated Christie to be U.S. Attorney in 2001.
Christie spent most of his 30-minute speech on New Jersey budget issues, but brought up national policy toward the end. He said it is the least optimistic period he’s ever seen for the nation.
In this recent article in the Bergen record the writer looked at the pros and cons of car-pooling , so if you have a job how do you get to work everyday ?
Car-pooling in North Jersey can save cash, but it’s not for everybody
SUNDAY APRIL 8, 2012, 11:11 PM BY KAREN RO– USE STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
Stretched by soaring gas prices and still feeling the sting of recent toll hikes, many North Jersey commuters are taking a second look at car-pooling, an idea that became popular during the 1970s energy crisis and still can provide perks today — chief among them gas and toll savings.
Ridgewood seeks improved notification system Tuesday April 10, 2012, 10:58 AM BY JOSEPH CRAMER STAFF WRITER The Ridgewood News
Officials are eyeing a revamped county-wide emergency notification system to both improve and expand the village’s ability to communicate with residents on an emergent, but also routine, basis.
At Wednesday’s Village Council work session, Village Manager Ken Gabbert submitted for the council’s consideration a resolution to enter into an agreement with Bergen County.
“The county has apparently heard the complaints of not just our community but other communities, and their swift reach program … is being modified,” Gabbert said.
