Senate committee advances direct deposit requirement for State Workers
A Senate committee advanced a bill Thursday that would require the state to pay its employees by direct deposit.
The measure aims to save money by no longer paying employees with paper checks. An analysis conducted for the Assembly, which has already passed a version of the bill, estimated the state save about $540,000 in fiscal year 2015, the first year the state would see the full benefits of the requirement.
“On its own, the savings may appear small, but every penny government can save in administrative overhead is a penny that can be either reinvested in vital programs or returned to taxpayers,” bill sponsor Sen. Bob Gordon, D-Fair Lawn, said in a statement. “We should never be afraid to make business-wise decisions because we think they save too little. Every savings we find, no matter how small, adds up.” (Linhorst, The Record)
The Ridgewood Historical Society will present a walking tour of Ridgewood’s West Side
The Ridgewood Historical Society will present a walking tour of Ridgewood’s West Side on Sunday, September 23 from 2-3:30 p.m
“From Country Retreat to Fashionable Suburb: A Walking Tour Through the West Side’s Ridgewood Park Development” will reveal the transformation of Ridgewood’s West Side after the Civil War from a country setting to a choice residential suburb by exploring the architecture and history of six notable homes.
Starting at the Pease House at 308 W. Ridgewood Avenue and traveling the length of N. Murray Avenue, the 90-minute tour will conclude at 300 N. Murray Avenue, the landmark Colonial Revival house built by the Palmer family and restored by the current owners.
Many fascinating and fun surprises await adults and children age 10 and up. The tour, limited to 30 people, will be led by Ridgewood Historical Society member and Ridgewood resident Elliot Dee, who studied architectural history at Cornell and Harvard and has led tours in New Jersey for over a decade. Meet at Ridge School parking lot at 1:45 p.m.
Rain Date is September 30. To reserve tickets ($5/adult, $10/family), e-mail info@ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org.
116 Ridgewood High School Students named Advanced Placement Scholars
September 14, 2012
Ridgewood NJ , One hundred sixteen students at Ridgewood High School (RHS) have been named AP Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college level Advanced Placement Examinations.
According to the BOE website ,about 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million high school students worldwide who took AP Examinations in May 2012 performed at a sufficiently high level to merit such recognition. Seventeen award recipients are juniors. These students have at least one more year in which to do college-level work, and possibly earn another Advanced Placement Award.
The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on the students’ performance on AP exams. At RHS:
Six students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4.0 or higher on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
Forty-five students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
Twenty students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
Fifty-one students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.
Rep. Scott Garrett takes on the FED’s Quantitative Easing
Sep 13, 2012 Issues:
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, issued the following statement today after the Federal Reserve announced a plan to further quantitative easing:
“Today’s actions by the Federal Reserve reinforce what many of us in Congress believe: the Federal Reserve is in need of fundamental reform to return its focus to its core mission of conducting monetary policy and away from trying to run the entire $3 trillion U.S. economy. While the president’s poor economic performance and misguided policies have left our country with perpetually high unemployment, the Fed should not continue down its extreme and dangerous path of conjuring up risky and ineffective programs in order to get a short-term bump in the stock market. Who exactly is this helping?
“If QE2 had little positive effect, QE3 will have less. The “wealth effect” doesn’t work when it’s generated by artificial government policy and not market fundamentals. These new policies will further depress savings for retirees and seniors, decrease investment by keeping rates low for years, and increase the likelihood for future hyperinflation. The trickle-down government economic policies of both the Obama administration and the Fed do not help economic growth or create jobs.”
Village of Ridgewood Plans Reassessment
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2012, 4:04 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood officials plan to begin a townwide reassessment this fall with hopes that the village will reduce the number of tax appeals and thus prevent further losses in assessed property values and tax dollars.
The Village Council approved, by 4-1 vote, an emergency appropriation to fund the reassessment program, which finance officials said will commence as soon as the money is in place.
Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh offered the lone vote against the resolution.
According to Michael Barker, Ridgewood’s tax assessor, losses for 2012 will exceed more than $1 million in taxes when judgment on the final appeals is handed down by the county later this year. Losses for 2011 were north of $800,000, while $680,000 was lost in 2010, he said.
The dollar figures grow when referring to assessed value. In 2010, Ridgewood lost $34 million in assessed value and another $40 million last year. Projections for 2012 have not been made.
“The majority of [tax appeal] cases are not defensible,” Barker said, explaining that most of the current property assessments exceed sale prices and appraisals by independent evaluators.
Officials believe that a reassessment will ultimately decrease the number of appeals by bringing property values on par with the demands of the housing market.
Revealed: inside story of US envoy’s assassination
Exclusive: America ‘was warned of embassy attack but did nothing’
KIM SENGUPTA FRIDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 2012
The killings of the US ambassador to Libya and three of his staff were likely to have been the result of a serious and continuing security breach, The Independent can reveal.
American officials believe the attack was planned, but Chris Stevens had been back in the country only a short while and the details of his visit to Benghazi, where he and his staff died, were meant to be confidential.
The US administration is now facing a crisis in Libya. Sensitive documents have gone missing from the consulate in Benghazi and the supposedly secret location of the “safe house” in the city, where the staff had retreated, came under sustained mortar attack. Other such refuges across the country are no longer deemed “safe”.
Franchisors warn Obamacare will halve profits
September 13, 2012 | 4:27 pm
The International Franchise Association held a convention in Washington this week where most of the Radio Shack, Dunkin Donuts, Curves and other franchisers were grumbling about new federal regulations, especially the impact of Obamacare.
Most, said Atlanta Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken franchiser David Barr, presumed that the reports about how hard Obamacare will hit them were overblown. “They had their head in the sand,” he told Secrets.
That is until he pulled out his powerpoint showing how funding Obamacare will cut his–and likely their–profits in half overnight. With simple math the small business folks understood, he spelled out that their only choice is to slash employee hours so they aren’t eligible for company-paid health care or stop offering insurance and pay the $2,000 per employee fine.
Lots of STUFF!!!!!! Saturday, Oct. 6th 9am to 4pm! Raindate Oct 13th (721 Upper Blvd Ridgewood HUGE garage sale!!! Assorted household items!!! Come and get your bargains here!!!!
MULTI FAMILY YARD SALE!!! Sat.9/22 (135 S. Van Dien Avenue Ridgewood, NJ)
Multi family yard sale selling baby joggers, pack n play, high chair, toddler bike seat, various pieces of furniture, lamps, electronics, assorted toys for all ages,books, luggage, entertaining accessories and decorations, misc. items for the kitchen, bikes, curtain rods, and many other treasures! See you Saturday 9/22 9am-3pm (Rain date: Sunday 9/23 12-4)
Talk Radio Host Mike Gallagher at Bookends this Friday
Mike Gallagher at Bookends ,Friday, September 14th @ 7:00pm
Nationally Syndicated Talk Radio Host, Mike Gallagher, will sign his new book, 50 Things Liberals Love to Hate.
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to insure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
More Americans opting out of banking system
By Danielle Douglas, Published: September 12
In the aftermath of one of the worst recessions in history, more Americans have limited or no interaction with banks, instead relying on check cashers and payday lenders to manage their finances, according to a new federal report.
Not only are these Americans more vulnerable to high fees and interest rates, but they are also cut off from credit to buy a car or a home or pay for college, the report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said.
Released Wednesday, the study found that 821,000 households opted out of the banking system from 2009 to 2011 and that the so-called unbanked population grew to 8.2 percent of U.S. households.
That means that roughly 17 million adults are without a checking or savings account. Another 51 million adults have a bank account, but use pawnshops, payday lenders or rent-to-own services, the FDIC said. This underbanked population has grown from 18.2 percent to 20.1 percent of households nationwide.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTER, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN COULD WIN A NATIONAL CITATION/GOLD MEDAL IN VFW’S RECOGNITION PROGRAM
VFW Post Commander Stanley A. Kober of the Washington Elm Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #192 (Ho-Ho-Kus—Ridgewood), announces the kick-off of this year’s National VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary “National Public Law Enforcement, Firefighter, and Emergency Medical Technician Citation and Gold Medal Award” program. One individual in each category will have the opportunity to be selected at the local Post level to compete in the VFW’s annual recognition program for forwarding to the District level and then the NJ State VFW level. The First, Second, and Third place NJ State VFW awardees will be recognized with awards at the VFW Department Convention in Wildwood, NJ in June 2013. The First place awardee at the NJ State VFW level will be forwarded to the National VFW for consideration as a “Gold Medal Award” recipient.
Previous state and national VFW winners are ineligible. Nominations may be submitted by colleagues, supervisors, or other interested individuals from the public at large. Deadline for the nominations to arrive at VFW Post #192 is November 1, 2012. Interested people from Ho-Ho-Kus, Ridgewood, Saddle River, or Upper Saddle River who want to recognize an individual for his/her continued contribution in the Law Enforcement, Fire, or EMS organization they belong to and their involvement/service to the community they serve, must contact the Commander, Washington Elm VFW Post #192 (Ho-Ho-Kus—Ridgewood) by telephone at 201-445-1121 or immediately write to the Washington Elm VFW Post #192 (Ho-Ho-Kus—Ridgewood) ATTN: Chairman, LEO, Firefighter, & EMT Program, at 620 Cliff Street, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423 for an application that has the specific requirements. Personnel to be recommended in organizations outside of the communities mentioned above should contact their local VFW Post.
Applications are also available on the Post 192 website at www.vfwpost192-nj.com ABOUT VFW>CONTESTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
May God continue to Bless America!
/s/ Stanley A. Kober
Stanley A. Kober
Commander,
Washington Elm VFW Post #192
Ho-Ho-Kus—Ridgewood
620 Cliff Street
Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 07423
Survey: One-Third Of Americans In ‘Lower Classes’ Since Obama Took Office
By Benjamin Fearnow
WASHINGTON (CBS WASHINGTON) – In the course of Obama’s presidency, people saying they are in the “lower classes” have risen from one-quarter to one-third of the adult population.
According to the Pew Research Center, Americans who say they are in the lower-middle or lower-class has risen from 25 percent to 32 percent in the past four years, in the national survey of 2,508 adults.
Not only has the lower class grown, but its demographic profile also has shifted. People younger than 30 are disproportionately swelling the ranks of the self-defined lower classes. The shares of Hispanics and whites who place themselves in the lower class also are growing.
Among blacks, the story is different.
The share of blacks in the lower class has not changed in four years, one of the few demographic groups in which the proportion in the lower classes did not grow. As a consequence, a virtually identical share of blacks (33%) and whites (31%) now say they are in the lower class.
Mark your Calendar!! NJTPC General Meeting-September 18, 2012 – (Tuesday) – 7:00 PM
124 Essex Street, Rochelle Park, NJ – Harley Davidson Building (Go to the back, through the gate and up the stairs to the second floor meeting room)
Those who can, please bring snacks, cookies or brownies to share. Bring a friend!
Our special Guest speaker: RYAN MAURO
Ryan Mauro is the National Security Analyst for RadicalIslam.org, a project of the Clarion Fund, which produced the hit films, “Obsession,” “The Third Jihad” and “Iranium.”
Mauro is a frequent analyst on FOX News Channel and is a national security writer for Family Security Matters. He is also a consultant to government agencies, a strategic analyst with Wikistrat and an adjunct professor.
His analysis and research has been widely published and is featured throughout the week at FrontPage Magazine. His work often appears in PJ Media and has been in the peer-reviewed journal, Middle East Quarterly. He has been quoted and cited in multiple books and newspapers, including the New York Times and Reuters. He has made over 300 appearances on radio and T.V. shows of both the left and the right.
Mauro was originally hired in 2002 at age 16 to be a geopolitical analyst for Tactical Defense Concepts, a maritime-related security group, believed to be the youngest hired geopolitical analyst at that time. Mauro’s reports were often forwarded to members of the law enforcement and intelligence communities with great response.
After you hear Ryan speak you’ll understand why it is so very important to be sure to get out the vote and educate the voters in your area. You’ll be jumping out of your chair to get involved and —– We’ll tell you how!
Village of Ridgewood Application for NJDEP Flood Hazard Area Permit
In accordance with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 7:13-16.3 (c) 2, the Village of Ridgewood is providing this Notice, on behalf of The Village of Ridgewood, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, that the Village is applying to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Land Use Regulation Program, for a Flood Hazard Area Individual Permit and a Freshwater Wetlands Individual Permit for Stream Bank Stabilization and Stream Cleaning Activities that include Sediment Removal along the Ho-ho-kus Brook and Saddle River corridors within the Village of Ridgewood.
The complete permit application and related materials may be examined in the offices of the Village Engineer, Level 3, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450 during the hours of 8:30 am through 4:30 pm.
If you have any comments or questions regarding this application, please feel free to submit them in writing to the Department at the following address and include a copy of this Notice.
Attn: Engineering Supervisor for Bergen County
State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The Valley Heart and Vascular Institute announced today that it has completed its first robotic cardiac ablation procedure
September 12, 2012
Ridgewood NJ , The Valley Heart and Vascular Institute announced today that it has completed its first robotic cardiac ablation procedure with the Stereotaxis (NASDAQ:STXS) Epoch™ Platform for complex cardiac conditions. Epoch is a state-of-the-art computer controlled robotic navigation system that allows physicians to safely navigate in a patient’s heart to ablate diseased tissue causing cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. The Valley Hospital was the first hospital in New Jersey to complete robotic ablations using the Stereotaxis system, and it recently upgraded its robotic ablation system (Niobe®) to the new Epoch™ platform.
The physician uses sophisticated software to draw a highly detailed 3D map of the diseased cardiac tissue, and drive powerful magnets positioned near the patient. Following the map, the magnets lead a soft catheter gently through the patient’s cardiac anatomy by guiding the catheter’s magnetic tip. As a result, the patient is exposed to up to 60% less damaging X-ray radiation. There’s also a 10x less chance of chance of major complications such as perforation of the heart.
The first procedure was completed by Suneet Mittal, M.D., the Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory at The Valley Hospital. “This is one of many cutting edge technologies available at a comprehensive cardiac center like The Valley Hospital,” said Dr. Mittal. “We’ve been able to make tremendous advances, achieving unparalleled levels of success and safety for our patients.”
More than five million people in the United States currently suffer from abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. Those who suffer from these abnormal heart rhythms are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke or experience more permanent damage to the heart. Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common arrhythmias, affecting about 2.6 million people in the United States. People with this condition are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke, and also may suffer from permanent damage to the heart, such as congestive heart failure and dilated heart chambers.
“At The Valley Hospital we’re proud to be the first in New Jersey to offer this procedure and we have by far the largest experience in performing catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation,” said Jonathan Steinberg, M.D., Director of the Arrhythmia Institute of the Valley Health System. A
growing number of complex cardiac interventional procedures are driving the need for new technology that enables physicians to confidently treat areas of the heart previously unreachable or potentially unsafe with manual techniques.
