>Authorities raid alleged illegal massage parlor in Ridgewood
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011 THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
An alleged illegal massage parlor was raided by the Ridgewood Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in one arrest, authorities said.
According to Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward, the parlor was operating out of the second floor of the building at 553 N. Maple Ave. Sometime after 1 p.m., officers conducted a search of the premises. Six Ridgewood police officers, including Ward, responded to the scene, in addition to investigators from the prosecutor’s office. Officials from the Ridgewood building and fire departments were summoned to the scene as well to document and verify all violation citations.
In the past several weeks, a number of events have had an impact on the Garden State’s court-mandated affordable housing program, often called “Mount Laurel housing.”
Long administered by the state Council on Affordable Housing, the program has required every town to provide homes that low- and moderate-income residents can afford. This housing was funded in part by fees paid by developers. In recent weeks, though, the governor has signed another 2½-year moratorium on the fees, and COAH has been abolished. The state’s Department of Community Affairs now will administer the program. (MacKenzie, Gannett)
>The Forget Me Not Foundation Announces Second Annual Fundraiser: “An Evening To Remember”
Ridgewood Non-Profit raises funds to support families suffering from pregnancy loss, increase educational programs for the medical community, and raise infant death awareness
The Forget Me Not Foundation is proud to present our second annual fundraiser “An Evening to Remember” on Monday, October 24, 2011 at The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood. “An Evening to Remember” is a tasting event showcasing Bergen County’s finest restaurants and caterers. In addition, there will be a chance auction of many exciting prizes with all proceeds benefiting The Forget Me Not Foundation. Tickets to the event can be purchased on the foundation’s website: https://www.fmnfoundation.com.
The Forget Me Not Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to supporting families suffering from pregnancy loss or infant death, and educating the medical community about the emotional needs of such families.
The Forget Me Not Foundation was established in memory of Emma Grace Barry, a beautiful baby girl born still on August 11, 2009. Emma was lost to a nuchal cord accident at 35+5 weeks gestation. Founders Dave and Melissa Barry of Ridgewood are determined to celebrate Emma’s life by helping families suffering through the death of a baby
>Society Cafe Concert Series, First Concert October 15
The Society Cafe Concert Series is offering a new series of acoustic singer, songwriter, folk and Americana concerts to the community. The Concert Series will be performed at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, in Anderson Hall. They will be offering desserts provided by Oliver’s Chocolates and Dawn’s Catering, and coffee provided by Ridgewood Coffee Company. The first concert will be on Saturday, October 15th, and features blues roots rock artist Kirsten Thien, with special guest Galia Arad. Doors open and dessert served at 7:00 p.m., music begins at 8:00. Tickets are $20 and can be reserved by going to www.societycafeconcertseries.com. Please pay for tickets at the door. For any booking inquiries or information about the series please contact Mark Meding at [email protected]. The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood is located at 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ, www.uuridgewood.org.
>Certainly, drivers have a responsibility to yield to pedestrians crossing the street. But, regardless of local and state laws, pedestrians have a responsibility to exercise caution when stepping or riding into a roadway
On two different occasions this weekend, I was sitting at stop signs waiting to cross Ridgewood Ave (not in the heart of the CBD).
In one instance, as the traffic cleared and I prepared to pull forward, a high school age boy on a bike rode out in front of my car with one hand on the handle bars and one hand holding a cell phone to his ear. He didn’t slow down as he left the sidewalk and crossed in front of me. Nor did he even look to see if the cars waiting to cross the intersection were starting to move.
In the second instance, a group of teen age girls, engrossed in their conversation, stepped off the curve and crossed the street just as I began to pull forward, forcing me to stop again. They did not even look up to see if a car might be coming and just assumed that the traffic would stop for them.
These are not uncommon occurrences and lead me to question whether we are overlooking the responsibility of pedestrians to take responsibility for their own actions. It reminds me of people, who want to blame Wall Street for the financial crisis in 2008 and don’t hold accountable the millions of borrowers, who took out irresponsible mortgages that they could not afford.
Certainly, drivers have a responsibility to yield to pedestrians crossing the street. But, regardless of local and state laws, pedestrians have a responsibility to exercise caution when stepping or riding into a roadway. What ever happened to “looking both ways before crossing a busy street”? Let’s not be too quick to assume the rash of traffic accidents over the past few years are the sole fault of careless drivers. It seems that this is an extension of the “nanny state” mentality that our current political leaders seem to be embracing.
Staffing levels at departments across state government are at their lowest levels in decades, according to a new report.
The report by the Civil Service Commission paints a picture of a state work force depleted by a prolonged bad economy and a massive wave of retirements. It also shows the historic declines began under the Corzine administration and were accelerated by Gov. Chris Christie’s austere budgets and health and pension reforms that prompted workers to retire.
The dwindling numbers leave staffing levels in some critical departments — such as Health, Environmental Protection and Education — at levels not seen since the 1980s, figures show. (Renshaw, The Star-Ledger)
State’s public schools courting “choice” students – and the financial aid that comes with them
Schools in the state Public School Choice program have begun recruiting students for the 2012-13 school year. Parents have until Nov. 1 to notify their hometown school district that they plan to transfer their child to one of the 70 approved choice districts next year.
Non-public school students may also apply to a choice district, but by law preference must be given to public school students. But with some programs expanding this year, school officials believe they will have room for most applicants, which in turn will allow them to expand programs. (D’Amico, Press of Atlantic City)
Lottery revenues at record high; state looking for more
Sales of lottery tickets and the resulting revenues for the New Jersey budget climbed by 1 percent last fiscal year to record levels, state officials announced Friday.
The New Jersey Lottery sold nearly $2.64 billion in tickets last year, $31 million more than a year earlier. It paid out $1.54 billion in prizes and gave $930 million to the state budget to support education and institutions. The rest goes to sales commissions and other overhead.
“These fiscal year 2011 revenues are a new record in lottery contributions, and a welcome one,” said state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, whose department includes the Division of Lottery. (Symons, Gannett)
>Chimney swifts make annual return to George Washington Middle School in Ridgewood
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011 BY REBECCA D. O’BRIEN SPECIAL TO THE RECORD THE RECORD
Every autumn, thousands of chimney swifts — small, soot-colored birds — make the same stop on their long southward migration: an old, unused brick chimney at George Washington Middle School in Ridgewood.
The swifts, known affectionately as “flying cigars,” travel from North America to their winter homes in the Amazon River basin, passing through New Jersey in waves from mid-August to mid-October. Because of their small feet, the birds can roost only on secure, vertical surfaces, such as the inside walls of large chimneys, which are increasingly rare.
People often gather at sunset in front of the middle school to watch the swifts return in swarms from a day of flying. And, true to form, the birds appeared on schedule this year after a strong showing in 2010, when 3,000 were counted in one evening. The record in Ridgewood — and in all of New Jersey — came in 1976, when 4,000 swifts were counted at one time.
Julianne Moore, Wednesday, October 12th @ 4:00pm Film and Television Actress, Julianne Moore, will sign her new book, Freckelface Strawberry Best Freinds Forever
Paula Deen,Wednesday., October 12th @ 7:00pm Food Newtord Star, Paula Dean, will sign her new book: Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible. Books available: Oct 11th
Dan Gutman ,Thursday, October 13th @4:30pm Popular Children;s Author, Dan Gutman, will sign his new book: The Day Roy Reigels Ran the Wrong Way. Books available Oct. 11th.
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.Please call the store for details.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
New Jersey considers new taxes on alternative tobacco products
Little cigars, which are taking increasing space on area tobacco-shop shelves, are shaped and smoked just like cigarettes. But because New Jersey taxes them differently, they cost nearly one-third the price.
Over the past several years, increased state and federal taxes have helped turn some smokers on to less-taxed tobacco products, local shop owners and anti-smoking groups say. (Ianieri, Press of Atlantic City)
>Christie administration moves to make it tougher to keep sprawl in check
The Christie administration is moving to repeal an anti-sprawl measure that sought to discourage growth in undeveloped areas by imposing the cost of extending utility services on the developer or customers served by the extension.
In a draft rule unveiled by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), the agency would now allow those costs to be potentially spread over the entire ratepayer base. Under the current rule, developers can spread the costs among all ratepayers only when building in designated growth areas with an existing infrastructure, such as towns and suburbs. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>Grand Opening of Game On Physical Therapy Thu, October 20, 2011 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM Location: Game On Physical Therapy, 400 Route 17 South, Ridgewood, NJ
Topic: Advances in Sports Medicine for the Adolescent Athlete
Speakers: Rick Daigle, PT, DPT, Owner/Director Game On PT National Speaker on Post-Op Rehab of the Shoulder and Elbow www.gameonpt.com
Chad Rappaport, DPM, FACFAS (Sports Medicine Foot and Ankle Reconstruction) www.kayalortho.com
Rich Mejias- Owner of Leverage Training Center www.leveragetrainingcenter.com
Glenn Tobias, MS, RD, CCSD from e3 Health and Weight Management Solutions www.e3wms.com
>Herman Cain steps up attacks on Occupy Wall Street protests
By James Oliphant Washington Bureau October 9, 2011, 9:21 a.m.
Republican presidential contender Herman Cain amplified his criticism Sunday of the growing Occupy Wall Street movement, calling the protesters “jealous’ Americans who “play the victim card” and want to “take somebody else’s” Cadillac.
Cain’s remarks, on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” came amidst an escalating war of words between Republicans and Democrats over the merits of the movement, which has spread from New York to other cities across the nation, including Washington and Los Angeles.
GOP politicians in recent days have stepped up their criticism of the protesters, with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) calling them “mobs” who have pitted “Americans against Americans.”
But Cain, surging in popularity among many conservatives, seems to have had among the most virulent responses to the protests.
On CBS, Cain suggested that the rallies had been organized by labor unions to serve as a “distraction so that many people won’t focus on the failed policies of the Obama administration.”
Personal injury policy debated at insurance hearing
Doctors, lawyers and insurance executives accused one another of fleecing New Jersey drivers at a hearing Thursday in Trenton, and debated a controversial proposal the Christie administration says would control the rising cost of accident-related medical treatment.
The state’s banking and insurance commissioner, Thomas Considine, will have the final say over how the rules governing the personal injury portion of every auto insurance policy should change. (Livio, The Star-Ledger)
