Month: April 2013

Why 30 is really 45: We’re so unhealthy that we’re 15 years OLDER than our parents were at the same age

Today’s adults are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes because of poor health
Men in their 30s were 20% more likely to be overweight than in previous generations, Dutch researchers found
Women in their 20s are twice as likely to be obese

By Anna Hodgekiss

PUBLISHED: 13:47 EST, 10 April 2013 | UPDATED: 13:47 EST, 10 April 2013

Today’s adults are so unhealthy they are 15 years ‘older’ than their parents and grandparents at the same age, researchers say.

They are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity than previous generations because of poor health, according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Looking at 6,000 adults aged 20, 30, 40, 50 over a 25 year period, researchers found younger generations had poorer ‘metabolic’ health – a range of issues including blood pressure and weight.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2307025/Why-30-new-45-Were-unhealthy-15-years-OLDER-parents-age.html

Tick Tock Diner manager arrested in foiled murder-for-hire plot
Wednesday April 10, 2013, 1:46 PM
BY  RICH COWEN AND CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITERS
The Record

TOTOWA — The manager of the famous Tick Tock Diner in Clifton has been arrested for plotting to murder his uncle who co-owns the family’s eateries, Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced Wednesday.

Chiesa said State Police thwarted the alleged murder-for-hire plot of Georgios Spyropoulos, 45, of Clifton, who “planned in great detail” to have his uncle Alexandros Sgourdos tortured, robbed and murdered. He “enlisted two men who he thought were going to carry out his ruthless plot,” Chiesa said during a press conference Wednesday at the State Police barracks in Totowa.

Sgourdos, 57, is co-owner of the diner, which has locations on Route 3 in Clifton and 8th Avenue in Manhattan.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/state/Arrest_made_in_murder-for-hire_plot_involving_prominent_North_Jersey_family_Attorney_General_says.html

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
619 PM EDT WED APR 10 2013

…GUST FRONT FROM WEAKENING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT
BERGEN…ESSEX…HUDSON…PASSAIC…PUTNAM…ROCKLAND…UNION AND
WESTCHESTER COUNTIES…

AT 611 PM EDT…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A
WEAKENING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY AND
WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY…MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS LINE AS IT MOVES
INTO THE AREA. A FEW CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE EXPECTED
AS WELL.

LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER…IF YOU CAN
HEAR THUNDER…YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE
TO SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

New Jersey Choral Society to host social event of the season, “Bel Canto,”
April 10,2013

Ridgewood NJ,  The New Jersey Choral Society is proud to host its fourth annual Gala “Bel Canto” on Saturday, April 27 at 7:00pm at The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood, 215 West Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ.

New Jersey Choral Society to host social event of the season, “Bel Canto,”
April 10,2013

Ridgewood NJ,  The New Jersey Choral Society is proud to host its fourth annual Gala “Bel Canto” on Saturday, April 27 at 7:00pm at The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood, 215 West Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ.

Musical selections from The American Songbook will be sung by Diane Simet, soprano, and Keith Harris, baritone, accompanied by Linda Sweetman-Waters. The NJCS Chanteurs will perform as well. The program includes standard favorites “This Nearly was Mine” from South Pacific, “People Will Say We’re in Love” from Oklahoma!, “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess,  and “You’re the Top” from Anything Goes. This social event of the 2012-13 NJCS season will include dinner and wine and there will also be a silent auction featuring a variety of unique items. All proceeds from the evening will support the New Jersey Choral Society.

The New Jersey Choral Society, directed by Eric Dale Knapp, is one of the state’s most prestigious choral groups. Well-known for presenting outstanding and unique programs, NJCS performs three major programs annually in Bergen and Essex Counties, and has performed in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Australia and England.

Single tickets for this special fundraising event are $75.00, or buy 2 or more tickets for $67.50 each. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.NJCS.org or call 201-379-7719. The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood is wheelchair accessible.

Ridgewood Mayor’s Corner: Lining things up for April
Friday, April 5, 2013
The Ridgewood News

Welcome to the April edition of the Mayor’s Corner – my monthly column in The Ridgewood News designed to make village government more user-friendly and more accessible to the residents we serve.

Council agenda: The Council will meet three times in April – April 3, 10 and 24. On the agenda will be a wide range of issues: from the 2013 municipal budget, to “smoke-free” parks, to staff salaries and to the creation of a resident-run finance committee.

All of our meetings are open to the public, and we encourage resident input on all issues.

Budget Discussions: We have been drilling down on the budget for the past few months and are making good progress. Our goal is a zero-percent tax increase.

Granted, we may not get there, but one thing is clear: The 2013 municipal budget will be smaller than the 2012 municipal budget. In other words, we are clearly heading in the right direction.

Stay tuned … the budget process will continue throughout the spring.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/201566631_Ridgewood_Mayor_s_Corner__Lining_things_up_for_April.html

Google favours ‘in-house’ search results
By Alex Barker in Brussels and Bede McCarthy in London

Google faces having to offer users in Europe more choice of other specialised search engines after Brussels investigators found its results were favouring its in-house services to the detriment of consumers.

One of the European Commission’s primary concerns, according to officials involved, is the visibility in search results of rival so-called “vertical search” services – in areas such as maps, finance or weather – that may provide more relevant results to a query.

This specific finding indicates that alongside widely expected concessions to more clearly label Google’s own services, the US group will also need to offer solutions that give more prominence to rival specialist search services and consumers clearer alternatives.

https://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c308b656-a124-11e2-bae1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2Q37pSwmb

Wyndham Hotel Group Dedicates a Starlight Fun Center™
to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J.
April 10, 2013

Ridgewood NJ, the  Wyndham Hotel Group and Starlight Children’s Foundation will unveil a Fun Center™, featuring a Nintendo Wii™, DVD player and a Sharp AQUOS™ LCD TV, at The Valley Hospital for all pediatric patients to enjoy. The Fun Center is being donated by Parsippany, N.J.-based Wyndham Hotel Group in honor of the company’s commitment to helping children.

Where: The Valley Hospital
223 N. Van Dien Avenue
Ridgewood, N.J. 07450

April 11, 2013, at 1:30 p.m.

Please join us on April 11, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. The event will feature;  the children, nurses, ribbon-cutting, Jeff Wagoner of Wyndham Hotel Group, and Michelle Hall-Duncan of Starlight

The ease with which Fun Centers roll right up to the side of young patients’ beds or anywhere in a hospital setting makes them perfect for hospitalized children in numerous situations: anticipating surgery, during long outpatient clinic treatments, waiting in the emergency room or fighting loneliness after visiting hours have ended. Fun Centers uniquely counter the isolation and fear often experienced by sick children. The Fun Center is a welcome guest, when other visitors aren’t around!

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. Since 1983, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RSVP, CONTACT ALISON SADOCK OR GABRIELLA CHIERA.

Mary Higgins Clark at Bookends April 11th
Thursday, April 11th @ 7:00pm,NYT Bestselling Author, Mary Higgins Clark, will sign her new book: Daddy’s Gone A Hunting Books available April 9th

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

Massive Concussion hearing held in Philly

PHILADELPHIA — Former NFL players trying to sue the league over concussion-linked injuries argued in court Tuesday that the NFL “glorified” violence and profited from damaging hits to the head.

Players’ lawyer David Frederick also accused the league of concealing the emerging science about concussions over several decades, even after creating a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee in 1994.

“It set up a sham committee designed to get information about neurological risks, but in fact spread misinformation,” Frederick argued at a pivotal federal hearing to determine if the complaints will remain in court or be sent to arbitration.

https://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9151540/court-hears-arguments-nfl-concussions

CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NJ TRANSIT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION JUMPS NEARLY 25 PERCENT

Results of statewide agency’s first post-Sandy survey reflect continued progress

April 9, 2013
NJT-13-030

NEWARK, NJ — Nearly four in five customers said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend or relative in the agency’s latest customer satisfaction survey, released today and available at njtransit.com.  The results mark a new high for the statewide public transit agency.

The third quarter FY13 survey was conducted online at njtransit.com between February 4 and 25.  The survey asked bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers to rate NJ TRANSIT on a scale of 0 to 10.  Customers also considered 41 attributes of the system related to facilities, service, vehicles, communications and the overall experience using NJ TRANSIT.  In addition, customers were asked to identify the most important aspects of NJ TRANSIT service among the items they rated.

“As we near completion of the Christie Administration’s second full year of Scorecard, our customer surveys continue to provide a clear picture of what matters most to our bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers,” said NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman and NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson.  “Through this survey data and the agency’s quarterly ‘We Are Listening’ customer forums, NJ TRANSIT has effectively improved its operations, resulting in a 23 percent increase in customer satisfaction and further protections for New Jersey taxpayers.”

Of the approximately 415,500 customers who used NJ TRANSIT service on a typical weekday in the third quarter of FY13, NJ TRANSIT received more than 14,000 responses to the online; the highest response rate in a year.  Regarding customer loyalty, 79 percent of the customers surveyed said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend, relative or neighbor (up from 67 percent from the baseline rating).  NJ TRANSIT established the baseline with the first customer survey conducted in advance of the launch of Scorecard last year.

“Using this invaluable feedback, we are encouraged that our first, post-Sandy survey shows that our customers have recognized our efforts to enhance the customer experience – even under the most challenging of conditions,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.  “However, the work continues, and we will continue to employ a laser-like focus on those areas identified in need of improvement.”

“By focusing on performance standards and absolute results, Scorecard continues to help NJ TRANSIT move in the right direction,” said Weinstein.

Survey Results – Third Quarter FY13

For the third quarter of FY13, customers rated their overall satisfaction with
NJ TRANSIT service as above average with a score of 6.4, very close to the agency’s FY13 goal of 6.5 for customer satisfaction.  This is an increase from the agency’s most recent score of 6.0, achieved during the first quarter of FY013 – and a substantial increase over the baseline rating of 5.2.

Current customer satisfaction ratings on NJ TRANSIT’s four service modes are as follows:

Bus customers rated their overall satisfaction with service at a 6.4, higher than the 5.5 baseline rating.  About 261,200 customers used NJ TRANSIT’s interstate and local bus system on a typical weekday during the third quarter of FY13, representing approximately 63 percent of all NJ TRANSIT customers.

Rail customers gave NJ TRANSIT an overall score of 5.9, a significant increase from the baseline score of 4.5.  Approximately 118,900 customers rode NJ TRANSIT trains on a typical weekday throughout the third quarter of FY13, comprising nearly than 29 percent of all NJ TRANSIT customers.

Light Rail customers gave NJ TRANSIT an overall satisfaction rating of 7.4, an improvement over the baseline score of 6.5.  About 32,200 customers used
NJ TRANSIT’s three light rail lines on a typical weekday in the third quarter of FY13, making up approximately eight percent of total NJ TRANSIT customers.

Access Link, NJ TRANSIT’s paratransit service for customers with disabilities, was given an overall rating of 8.1, higher than the 7.5 baseline.  Access Link serves approximately 3,200 customers on a typical weekday.

NJ TRANSIT will continue to use the survey results to target specific improvements needed to boost customer satisfaction.

“While the news today is clearly encouraging, we recognize that there are improvements which must continue to be made across our system, particularly as we continue recovering from Sandy’s unprecedented devastation.  We are rebuilding our system with the interests of our loyal customers in mind, and again, I would thank them for their continued patience and support,” said Weinstein.

Ridgewood Firehouse Solar Panels

Ridgewood’s sustainable energy project puts a dent in its electric bill
Tuesday April 9, 2013, 3:06 PM
BY  DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Work continues this month on Ridgewood’s sustainable energy project, which in March was highlighted along with other New Jersey municipalities and utility boards for its electricity savings over the past two years.

Ridgewood Firehouse Solar Panels

According to the New Jersey Sustainable Energy Joint Meeting (NJSEM), the village racked up nearly $76,000 in electrical savings for 2011-12. Ridgewood’s total is the sixth highest amount of all Bergen municipalities to record reduced energy expenses with the NJSEM during that time frame.

Neighboring towns that also realized reduced energy costs as NJSEM members were Glen Rock ($21,653), Saddle River ($14,956) and Wyckoff ($36,525). Mahwah had the most of all county municipalities, earning more than $162,000 in savings.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/202175441_Ridgewood_puts_a_dent_in_its_electric_bill.html

Obamacare architect Rockefeller: Law is ‘beyond comprehension’
April 9, 2013 | 5:27 pm

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller, one of the towering architects of Obamacare, on Tuesday openly criticized program managers for not moving quickly enough to build the system, warning that if it gets off to a bumpy start it will just get worse.

Decrying the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as way too complex, he warned the acting Medicare director that Obamacare is “so complicated and if it isn’t done right the first time, it will just simply get worse.”

The retiring senator also told Marilyn Tavenner at her Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that Obamacare rivals tax reform in its capacity to confuse Americans.

https://washingtonexaminer.com/obamacare-architect-rockefeller-its-beyond-comprehension/article/2526681