On-site therapeutic program to start at Ridgewood High School
Monday June 24, 2013, 9:36 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Responding to an increase in students dealing with social and emotional problems in Ridgewood, the school district will offer a new in-district therapeutic program at Ridgewood High School (RHS) next year.
“We’re seeing an increasing trend with students with social and emotional difficulties,” Supervisor of Special Programs Kerry Huntington said last week, noting that the increase has been in the last four to five years and the group includes both general education and special education students. “Almost every two weeks, I [approve] in-home instruction.”
At any given time, there are probably “seven or eight” students who receive home instruction for psychological issues, such as anxiety or depression, according to Huntington.
Approximately 25 students this year have needed home instruction because of mental health issues. Huntington could not give an exact total from five years ago, but she said “there has been an increase in therapeutic out-of-district placements as well as medical leaves.”
Several Ridgewood Streets has been reopened for homeowners
June 25, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council has approved a traffic change that will permit Clinton Avenue , Bogert Avenue and California Street homeowners to drive on their street during school hours.
On June 12 Village officials passed an ordinance giving residents permission to access their homes with their vehicles on school days and allows others who according to the Ridgewood News “can demonstrate or document a need to access a residence” the same rights of entry. This includes visitors, friends and home repair workers, among others.( https://www.northjersey.com/community/212750441_Clinton_Avenue_in_Ridgewood_now_open_to_homeowners.html#sthash.WF8mTINr.dpuf )
The street will still remain closed to through traffic in an effort to assure the safety of Ridge School students. While Bogert runs alongside Travell School property, while California is home to Willard School.
Previously these streets were closed to vehicular traffic for homeowners, during school hours.
Ridgewood Nj, Village looks to bring back coffee to the Ridgewood Train station .
Bid Notice – Coffee Concession Improvements at Train Station – Bids open July 9
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Three Conference Room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451 on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for following project:
“Coffee Concession Area Improvements at the Village Train Station Building”
The principal work of the contract shall consist of providing and installing: A stainless steel triple compartment sink; a stainless steel single compartment sink; four (4) 20 amp 110 volt GFIC duplex outlets with circuit breakers at various locations wired to the existing circuit panel; replacement of an existing rolling door with locks; a 6,000 BTU window air conditioning unit, including all necessary appurtenances and connections at the Village Train Station in the area designated for the Coffee Concession Service.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by mail from the office of the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, telephone (201) 670-5500, extension 238, for a non-refundable fee of $10.00, per set of bid documents. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, Monday through Friday. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No Specifications and/or Proposal forms shall be given out after 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 5, 2013.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all federal, state and local sales and excise taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail. Mailed bids shall be addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid to the bid opening location sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
The contractual obligation of the Village of Ridgewood under this Contract for these Items is contingent upon the availability of appropriate funds from which payment for this Contract can be made.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, “Coffee Concession Area Improvements at the Village Train Station Building” and must be accompanied by the following: either a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for $1,000; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, and E, are required to be submitted on the forms enclosed in the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
All contractors, their subcontractors, and material suppliers shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Contractor Business Registration Program, pursuant to Public Law 2004 Chapter 57. Evidence of satisfactory registration(s) shall be submitted at the time of the bid. All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate.
The successful bidder shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond in the amount of $3,000.00 as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall furnish policies or Certificates of Insurance required by the Contract. In default thereof, said checks and/or bid bond and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies), and/or Surety Company(ies)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informalities or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27. A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.”
Each year the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration begins with a flag raising ceremony. It is the one part of the celebration that has always taken place even when the parade or fireworks did not. This year the flag raising ceremony will take place at 9am at the flag pole at Wilsey Square near the westside train station.
The schedule for the flag raising is as follows:
Welcome by a Celebration Committee Member
Speech by a Village Council Member
Recognition of the Grand Marshals and Special Guests
Reading of the Declaration of Independence by a member of NJ Militia Heard’s Brigade
Flag raising by American Post 53, and Boy Scouts
“To the Colors” played by Dan Literati RHS Junior
Chester, Our National Anthem before “The Star Spangled Banner” performed by Heard’s Brigade
“The Star Spangled Banner” sung by Jodi DiPiazza
We are honored to have descendants of signers of the Declaration of independence as our Grand Marshals. The Bartlett Family, descendants of Josiah Bartlett (Father’s side) and Benjamin Harrison (Mother’s side). Thornton “Thorny” Lockhart is a descendant of Declaration signer Josiah Bartlett, and a first cousin, eight times removed, of Benjamin Franklin.
Our Special Guests are The Ridgewood College Club. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary. College Club of Ridgewood, founded in 1913, is a non-profit organization that provides educational opportunities for young women through a variety of needs-based grants and interest-free loans. Men are eligible at the graduate level.
We are thrilled to have a member of Heard’s Brigade join us to read the Declaration of Independence. Heard’s Brigade is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about the role of the Organized and Irregular companies of New Jersey Militia during the American Revolutionary War. They participate in battle re-enactments and living history displays to portray 18th century military and civilian life. Heard’s Brigade strives to always continue their research efforts to provide the most accurate impressions they can.
This year we welcome two gentlemen who were among the three boy scouts chosen from Troop 10 to raise the first flag on Veterans’ Field on July 4, 1951. They are both graduates of RHS, class of 1955.Troop 10 was a segregated troop for African-Americans.
Dan Literati is entering his Junior year at Ridgewood High School. He is heavily involved in the RHS Music Program, participating in almost every aspect of the program. Dan’s participation includes performing with the RHS Concert Band, Marching Band and the Jazz Lab Band. Dan has been playing the trumpet since his 5th grade year at Ridge Elementary School and continues to study with a private instructor to further his musical abilities. In addition to all of his musical activities, Dan also participates on the RHS Swim team and was just recently named an Eagle Scout.
Jodi DiPiazza began improvising piano at age 4 and starting taking lessons at age 7. In 2010 Jodi wrote and performed a song “Heroes of Autism” for Toys R Us to be used in conjunction with a fundraiser for Autism Speaks. This campaign raised over $3,000,000. Jodi is a two time finalist in The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. You may remember in October 2012 when Jodi performed a duet with Katy Perry for the autism benefit “The Night of Too Many Stars” at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, it was televised on Comedy Central and over $4,000,000 were raised for autism education. Jodi is currently a 4th grade student at the Midland School in Rochelle Park and the Alpine Learning Group in Paramus NJ.
Sebelius in talks with NFL on promoting ObamaCare insurance plans
By Sam Baker – 06/24/13 12:23 PM ET
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday she is in talks with the NFL to help promote new insurance options under ObamaCare.
Sebelius said the football league has been “very actively and enthusiastically engaged” in discussions about a partnership to encourage people to enroll in newly available insurance plans.
Documents show IRS also screened liberal groups
By ALAN FRAM
— Jun. 24 8:48 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service’s screening of groups seeking tax-exempt status was broader and lasted longer than has been previously disclosed, the new head of the agency acknowledged Monday. Terms including “Israel,” ”Progressive” and “Occupy” were used by agency workers to help pick groups for closer examination, according to an internal IRS document obtained by The Associated Press.
The IRS has been under fire since last month after admitting it targeted tea party and other conservative groups that wanted the tax-exempt designation for tough examinations. While investigators have said that agency screening for those groups had stopped in May 2012, Monday’s revelations made it clear that screening for other kinds of organizations continued until earlier this month, when the agency’s new chief, Danny Werfel, says he discovered it and ordered it halted.
The IRS document said an investigation into why specific terms were included was still underway. It blamed the continued use of inappropriate criteria by screeners on “a lapse in judgment” by the agency’s former top officials. The document did not name the officials, but many top leaders have been replaced.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving 10 Year Old Boy Finds Live Ammunition in Ridgewood Street While Walking To School
June 24,2013
Boyd A. Loving
5:31 PM
Ridgewood NJ, A 10 year old boy who lives in the 400 block of Oxford Court in Ridgewood found a round of live ammunition lying in the street while walking to school this morning.
Ridgewood Police Department Patrol Officer Patrick Elwood was dispatched to the boy’s home this afternoon after the child’s mother called police to report that her son had come home from school with the ammunition still in his possession. According to Officer Elwood, the ammunition appears to be a single round of buckshot. Acting on information provided by the youth, Officer Elwood responded to a home located in the 400 block of nearby Bogert Avenue where the ammunition was reportedly found. The home’s owner had moved over the weekend and it is believed the ammunition may have fallen out of a box/carton during the move. The incident remains under investigation.
Reader says Lonegan is the true conservative and small-government candidate
Lonegan was the true conservative and small-government candidate in the primary against Christie. Christie then out-flanked Lonegan and painted him as extreme.
After securing the primary win and defeating Corzine, Christie went on to bash everyone in his path with Alinsky-like tactics as so prominently used by the Obama campaign. He did most of his ham-handed political schtick in the first year so he had time to politically recover.
Last fall, when Hurricane Sandy had finished ravaging the Jersey Shore, Christie was singing Springsteen’s “Sandy” along with his new bud, The President, and gave Obama the perfect backdrop just a week before Election Day to show that our chief executive was compassionate. Obama surged past Romney and never looked back.
Since then, Christie’s moves to tack to the left to pander for votes is outright embarrassing. New Jersey has yet to shake off the effects of the long recession and his cozy relationship with the Democrat Party is distancing him from broad GOP support which he’ll need to run for president in 2016.
Even democrats acknowledge the Christie juggernaut as the support for candidate Barbara Buono has been lukewarm, at best. Christie can then pad his resume with a 2nd term win in November.
What we are witnessing is a long-term plan to help no one except the Governor himself. If anyone benefits from his actions, it’s because it was part of his own personal agenda. When asked about 2016, he plays coy but it’s almost certain that he’ll change his tune sometime in 2014 with the 2013 election long over.
In the meantime, the citizens of New Jersey get the bipartisan shaft from another shameless governor with Presidential aspirations.
Republican lawmakers don’t like it. Democrats only grudgingly support it.
But with the backing of political heavyweights such as Newark Mayor Cory Booker and South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, a controversial bill that would allow four counties and five cities to impose a five-year tax on their local hospitals may survive an aggressive challenge and pass the Legislature this week. (Livio & Renshaw/Star-Ledger)
Your friendly neighborhood Spiderman ? Neighbors the super heroes of Superstorm Sandy
AP-NORC poll: friends, relatives and neighbors key to Sandy survival
Published: June 24, 2013 5:56 AM
EDISON – (AP) – A silver lining frames the cloud of destruction left by Superstorm Sandy. In their hour of greatest need, families and communities joined forces to help people make it through.
A poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that after the storm in New York and New Jersey, friends, relatives and neighbors were cited as the most helpful sources of assistance and support.
The engineering firm Birdsall Services Group was built of New Jersey steel, the kind forged in a fire of wheeling and dealing and political influence that made the company a titan in the brawl for millions of dollars worth of public contracts.
Lawns are still being watered despite “Monday Water Ban “
It’s Monday, June 24 and people are still watering lawns throughout Ridgewood and Glen Rock today regardless of the “Monday watering ban.”
Here’s an idea: Program the Computer Aided Dispatch equipment at Northwest Bergen Central Dispatch reminding dispatchers at 90 minute intervals to broadcast messages to Ridgewood and Glen Rock radio motor patrol units each Monday to be on the lookout for lawn watering violators and to issue summonses.
Central Dispatch touts their deployment of state of the art equipment; why not use it for something simple?
Airlines rank lower in customer satisfaction than the post office
By Hugo Martin
June 23, 2013, 8:00 a.m.
Fliers are slightly more satisfied with the service offered by U.S.-based airlines since last year.
But with the airline industry ranked below the U.S. Postal Service for customer satisfaction, it still has a way to go.
The findings come from an annual survey of about 70,000 Americans and show that the airline industry ranks higher than only subscription TV and Internet service companies.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index, an independent benchmarking business developed at the University of Michigan, concluded that the industry improved 3% in 2013 to a rating of 69 on a 100-point scale. Not surprisingly, airline travelers were most turned off by crowded seating, extra passenger fees and poor customer service, according to the report.
Low-cost carriers JetBlue and Southwest airlines led the industry with scores of 83 and 81, respectively, while network airlines Delta, American, US Airways and United scored no better than 68, the survey found.
N.J.’s tough new writing tests have students, teachers anxious
Monday June 24, 2013, 12:02 AM
BY LESLIE BRODY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
As they have for generations, high school teachers lament that many teenagers can’t write clearly. College professors say too many freshmen can’t articulate their ideas in lucid prose. And employers say it can be difficult to find job applicants able to draft a professional letter.
But now, alarm over the poor quality of many students’ writing is taking on new force as New Jersey ratchets up its expectations for children in every grade. In less than two years, the state plans to launch more demanding annual exams that, after a transition period, students must pass to graduate.
The challenge ahead is daunting. Consider this excerpt from an essay about John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” by a Bergen County ninth-grader, a native English speaker without special needs: “George had Lennie picture there dream and made him think peaceful. He made Lennie imiginate there house.”
Complicating matters is the concern that some teachers aren’t able to meet the new writing goals that are being set for their students — and so need training themselves, state officials acknowledge.
Rep. Tom Price : ‘Nobody trusts the IRS’ to enforce Obama’s signature healthcare law
By Jennifer Martinez – 06/22/13 11:00 AM ET
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) said late Friday that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) should be prevented from implementing any portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), citing the recent controversy over its targeting of conservative groups.
“Right now, nobody trusts the IRS to do what they’re doing currently, and let alone the job that they’ve been assigned through the ACA, through the president’s health care law, to enforce that law,” Price told Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren in an interview.
