Americans Feel Most Connected to A Local Religious Group
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Most Americans feel connected to a local church or religious organization, and nothing else comes close. Government and politics are near the bottom of the list.
Generally, people feel that they are connected and play a positive role in some organizations but not others. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 54% of American Adults feel at least somewhat connected to their local church or religious organization, with 34% who think they are Very Connected.
Sequester a whole lot of nothing
NJ won’t feel the worst of sequester, experts say
Saturday March 2, 2013, 11:49 PM
BY ANTHONY CAMPISI
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
The Record
Predictions of mayhem have been flying fast and furious in the days leading up to the deadline for the $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts known as the sequester.
But as officials and experts in New Jersey got a closer look, a different reality has emerged: The state will not feel much pain in the immediate future, and even long term, it is likely to be spared the worst of the cuts.
Though federal domestic spending will be facing a 9 percent cut, which will lead to reductions in New Jersey programs ranging from school aid to childhood vaccinations, the Christie administration expects the immediate impact on the state’s budget to be modest.
The administration has set aside money in the budget for the next fiscal year starting July to protect the “ability to provide critical services” in the event that politicians in Washington couldn’t break their impasse on the federal budget. But the amount is just $3 million.
State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said last week that the worst effects of the sequester won’t be felt until the coming fiscal year.
“The agencies have indicated to us that they don’t think the impact in the current fiscal year will be that significant,” he said.
68th Annual Antiques Show and Sale March 8th and 9th
Christ Episcopal Church will once again host this Show, which is one of the few remaining local shows of this type in the area. Held on March 8th and 9th there is an admission cost of $7.00, which will give you access to 35 dealers of quality furniture and accessories, both formal and country of English, French and American collections.
An appraiser will be on hand during the Show on both days. While touring the show you may stop at our Cottage Café for some lunch, dinner or desserts — all delicious homemade selections. There is a free shuttle service from nearby parking to and from the church. Christ Church is located at 105 Cottage Place in Ridgewood. For more information or to purchase an advance discounted ticket, please call the church office at 201-652-2350.
-As a very long subscriber to the Record it has had an incredible slide in quality of reporting, with a particular obvious agenda that has little interest to the readers of Bergen & Passaic Counties, passionately promoted by the deceiving musings of the oped editor & his repetitive selections. If the paper is to survive, it needs to make itself relevant to its readership & trim the staff, get new blood & a fresh take on bullets of interest besides its weary & tiresome daily diatribes. Definitely the internet is not helpful, but to skim the paper everyday instead of reading it because of its nonstop repetitiveness certainly has not helped stimulate readership.
-I’m a life-long resident of Bergen county, and I read the Record to see whats going on. I agree that the editor and many columnists are such left wingers that I consider not renewing my subscription. I do know many people who do NOT renew due to the political left wing posture of the paper.If they cant get it delivered on time soon, I also won’t renew.
Ridgewood proposal may ban smoking in parks
Sunday, March 3, 2013
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — The council will advance a plan that would outlaw smoking in all village parks, but would not expand that ban to include other public places.
A proposed ordinance could go to a vote within the next two weeks and would designate parks in Ridgewood as smoke-free environments.
More than 140 municipalities in New Jersey have banned cigarette smoking in open public spaces, including 14 towns in Bergen County.
While the governing body agreed cigarette smoke presents a health hazard to non-smokers, it stopped short of banning smoking on sidewalks.
Councilman Tom Riche said he couldn’t support extending the ban to public right of ways when the village is ill-prepared to enforce such legislation.
“It becomes a Pandora’s box because we don’t have the police force to enforce non-smoking on a public sidewalk,” Riche said. “I think there are bigger and better things to worry about.”
Ridgewood Open Houses Sunday March 3
March 1, 2013 By Michael Shetler
Open Houses in Ridgewood, NJ
Starts: 03/03/2013 01:00 pm
Duration: 3 hours:
Ridgewood, NJ
07450
Michael Shetler is a local resident and NJAR Circle of Excellence recipient (2009, 2011) who is happy to serve you in this area. For more information about any of these local homes for sale please call Michael at 201.421.0506 cell or 201.445.4300 office.
https://www.facebook.com/RidgewoodPublicSchools?ref=ts&fref=ts Matthew Aguilar, Amanda Schnure, Emma Bellomo, Samantha Seidman pack up their goodies for the troops.
Travell School first graders participated in a writing/service project for the benefit of US troops deployed in Afghanistan
Ridgewood NJ, All Travell School first graders participated in a writing/service project for the benefit of US troops deployed in Afghanistan. The students wrote notes of encouragement and assembled goody bags.
Shirley Kolkebeck, beloved Ridgewood elementary teacher, dies at 60
Friday, March 1, 2013 Last updated: Friday March 1, 2013, 9:56 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN AND DAVE SHEINGOLD
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
Shirley Kolkebeck found her calling later in life than most teachers. But her knack for understanding children and their parents won her teacher of the year honors at the Ridgewood elementary school where she taught.
That community of teachers, parents and children was grief-stricken after learning that the 60-year-old Harrington Park woman had died Feb. 18 while vacationing with her husband in the Cayman Islands.
The couple had been scuba diving, Ken Kolkebeck said. She seemed fine afterward but awoke that night having difficulty breathing.
Shirley Kolkebeck, a native of Bridgeport, Conn., taught 22 1/2 years in Ridgewood. She had planned to retire next year, her husband said. The couple, who met when they were in college in Massachusetts, would have been married 40 years come June.
In the early years of their marriage, her husband’s job required them to move several times. They first came to New Jersey in 1976, then moved to Pittsburgh.
While there, Shirley Kolkebeck got involved through her church with a program called Mother’s Day Out that provided temporary child care. When the couple moved back to New Jersey, she and a friend replicated the program in 1981 at the Community Church of Harrington Park.
Americans renouncing citizenship to become British thanks to tax rise
By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent
9:30PM GMT 02 Mar 2013
The number of people giving up their US citizenship to become British has surged thanks to complex tax rules introduced by the American tax authorities.
London-based American lawyers, who specialise in tax and immigration, report a threefold increase over the last five years in the number of American citizens who are giving up their citizenship – a process known as “renunciation”.
Across the world 1,781 Americans renounced their citizenship in 2011 compared with just 231 in 2008, when US tax laws changed, although it remains unknown how many are adopting British rather than any other nationality.
Many decide to give up their American citizenship after tiring of the lengthy US tax return process, which requires them to pay tax on their total income regardless of where they live.
“There’s no question that the number of people renouncing their US citizenship is increasing,” said Diane Gelon, a US tax and immigration lawyer based in London.
Just when you thought it was safe to admit you lived in New Jersey the ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ are plotting a comeback
Are the ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ making nice for a possible Season 5?
Saturday March 2, 2013, 9:19 AM
BY VIRGINIA ROHAN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Love may not keep them together, but a Bravo contract will.
How else to explain why, after brutalizing one another in Season 4 of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” some mortal enemies have been spotted dining and partying together in North Jersey lately?
Television cameras have been there to capture these reunions:
* Teresa Giudice warmly greeted brother Joe Gorga and his wife, Melissa, with an embrace and a kiss during a launch party for Teresa’s new Milania hair-care-product line Feb. 18 at Stone House at Stirling Ridge in Warren. Likewise cordial to the Gorgas was Joe Giudice, who also approached Teresa a number of times that evening for a smooch. Yes, the same Juicy Joe who was overheard last season calling Teresa his “bitch wife” in a mysterious phone call.
* At The Brick House in Wyckoff last month, the Giudices were spotted having dinner with former friends Jacqueline and Chris Laurita, according to TV and online entertainment correspondent Tom Murro, a Franklin Lakes resident.
* And in mid-January, Teresa and Caroline Manzo were at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern, tucked away in the second-floor Chateau Room for a private tête-à-tête.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/television/194443831_Are_the__Real_Housewives_of_New_Jersey__making_nice_for_a_possible_Season_5_.html#sthash.bEBgNoyT.dpuf
The Latino Leadership Alliance PAC (LLA-PAC), the political arm of the Latino Leadership Alliance of NJ (LLANJ) offered a historic endorsement today of Governor Christie’s re-election campaign. The traditionally Democrat-leaning group, and most prominent Latino organization in New Jersey, previously backed Democrat Jon Corzine in 2009 and has never before backed a Republican candidate for any statewide office. Additionally, the Alliance has never endorsed a gubernatorial candidate of either party with the full, unanimous backing.
Today’s important endorsement is a clear indication that Governor Christie understands the importance of building and incorporating all coalitions in order to better solve today’s issues. Our shared prosperity, not only in the state of New Jersey, but in our great country, lies not only in our industries and our businesses but also in our great diversity. It is important that Republicans, as a national party, continue to forge these partnerships in our communities in order to make our party as diverse as the population it seeks to represent.
“We are heartened that we finally have a Governor who is truly committed to ensuring that New Jersey government is as diverse as the State’s population… The Governor is effective because he has been able to set aside rigid partisan political boundaries to address the needs of the people, from the victims of Hurricane Sandy, to the needs of small businessmen and women. Governor
Christie has demonstrated without a doubt that he understands the needs of the Latino community.” – Martin Pérez, President of the Latino Leadership Alliance of NJ
The Star Ledger: Christie says Republicans need to do more to appeal to Hispanic Voters
“It’s been the Republican Party that has always stood at the forefront of choice for parents on educational opportunity and it’s been the Republican Party that has always believed in the rights of the individual,” the governor said. “And that everyone here in the Latino community, a community that is steeped in faith, understands that our faith in the country comes from the power of the individual to be able to pursue their faith openly, vigorously, and in way they believe helps to build and strengthen their families.” see full article here
Politico: Chris Christie: Republicans Must Welcome Latinos
“Christie joins other Republicans who have called for the GOP to do more to include Latinos, which they view as a key constituency for elections…his message seems to have be met with open arms [as] he picked up a gubernatorial endorsement from Latino Leadership Alliance Political Action Committee…” read full article here
The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee is looking for volunteers
NJ TRANSIT is excited to support the National Football League’s Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2, 2014.
Super Bowl XLVIII will be played at MetLife Stadium, with many activities and events taking place in and around the region leading up to the big game. This also will be the first time that public transit will play a major role in bringing fans to events and the game.
NJ TRANSIT has been working closely with the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and regional transit service providers to ensure an easy and seamless travel experience for everyone. The best place for up-to-the-minute information about the game and related Super Bowl week activities is at the Host Committee’s website, www.nynjsuperbowl.com
Get in the Game!
The NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee is looking for volunteers to greet visitors at airports, train stations and hotels and assist in other ways during Super Bowl week. Go to www.nynjsuperbowl.com/volunteer to learn more.
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Thanks to the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA), many tax provisions that expired in 2011 were retroactively extended (or made permanent) that are of benefit to taxpayers filing 2012 returns this year. Here are six of them:
1. Education-Related Tax Deductions
ATRA extended, through 2017 and retroactive to 2012, two popular and widely used education-related tax benefits that expired in 2011: the deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses and the deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers. Both are above-the-line deductions, which means that they can be taken before calculating adjusted gross income (AGI).
2. Limited Non-Business Energy Property Credits
Non-business energy credits expired in 2011, but were extended (retroactive to 2012) through 2013 by ATRA. For 2012 (as in 2011), this credit generally equals 10 percent of what a homeowner spends on eligible energy-saving improvements, up to a maximum tax credit of $500 (down significantly from the $1,500 combined limit that applied for 2009 and 2010).
Because of the way the credit is figured however, in many cases, it may only be helpful to people who make energy-saving home improvements for the first time in 2012. That’s because homeowners must first subtract any non-business energy property credits claimed on their 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 returns before claiming this credit for 2012. In other words, if a taxpayer claimed a credit of $450 in 2011, the maximum credit that can be claimed in 2012 is $50 (for an aggregate of $500).
The cost of certain high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and stoves that burn biomass all qualify, along with labor costs for installing these items. In addition, the cost of energy-efficient windows and skylights, energy-efficient doors, qualifying insulation and certain roofs also qualify for the credit, though the cost of installing these items do not.
3. Mortgage Insurance Deductible as Qualified Interest
ATRA extended, through 2013 (and retroactive to 2012), a tax provision that expired in 2011 that allows taxpayers to deduct mortgage insurance premiums as qualified residence interest. As such, taxpayers can deduct, as qualified residence interest, mortgage insurance premiums paid or accrued before Jan. 1, 2014, subject to a phase-out based on the taxpayer’s AGI.
4. AMT “Patch” Made Permanent
The AMT ‘patch” was made permanent by ATRA; however, exemption amounts for 2012 and beyond are higher than in years’ past and are now indexed to inflation. For tax-year 2012, the alternative minimum tax exemption amounts increase to the following levels:
$78,750 for a married couple filing a joint return and qualifying widows and widowers, up from $74,450 in 2011.
$39,375 for a married person filing separately, up from $37,225 in 2011.
$50,600 for singles and heads of household, up from $48,450 in 2011.
5. Transportation “Fringe Benefits”
Parity for transportation fringe benefits provided by employers for the benefit of their employees expired at the end of 2011; however, ATRA reinstated this parity retroactive to 2012. As such, the monthly limit for qualified parking is $240 and the benefit for transportation in a commuter highway vehicle or a transit pass is $245 for tax year 2012.
6. State and Local Sales Taxes
Retroactive to 2012, ATRA extended (through 2013) the tax provision that allows taxpayers who itemize deductions the option to deduct state and local general sales and use taxes instead of state and local income taxes.
If you have questions about these or other tax changes, please call us. We’d be happy to assist you.
