>U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) recruited (fake) Tea Party candidate Peter DeStefano to drain votes from Republican challenger
Courier-Post: DeStefano is a mole for Rep Adler
The Courier-Post reports that the campaign of U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) recruited Tea Party candidate Peter DeStefano to drain votes from Republican challenger Jon Runyan. (Editor, PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/back_room/courier-post-destefano-mole
>Ridgewood Planning Board : “never publishes minutes in anything like a timely manner, which makes it easier for them to do their thing without oversight”
Agendas posted here are for advice only and may change up until the time of the meeting. Minutes of a particular meeting will be posted when Officially approved by the governing body or the respective board. Typically the official minutes will be posted within 60 days following the actual meeting date. ( https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/agenda.cfm )
This board never publishes minutes in anything like a timely manner, which makes it easier for them to do their thing without oversight. The minutes for the meeting back in April/May where the soil permits for the fields were rammed through are still not up on the Village website six months later.
You’ll remember, perhaps, that at that meeting, the board attorney ruled that the planning board could do no plan review, but was restricted to approving soil movement. This meant that the planning board was able to avoid reviewing the impact this project would have on the surrounding neighborhood and made it easier for them to justify their rubber stamp decision. It would be nice to know what went on.
The result of this kind of publication delay is that by the the time the narrative is available, the issue is moot and the board has successfully ducked any further discussion and criticism.
Yet another example of how the “political class” of this town runs roughshod.
>Tonight, Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm : Garden State Equality presents a town meeting with some of Tyler’s friends and neighbors
Tonight, Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm, in Tyler Clementi’s hometown of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Garden State Equality presents a town meeting with some of Tyler’s friends and neighbors, as well as with bullied students from Tyler’s home county, Bergen County. The location is St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 169 Fairmount Road, Ridgewood.
Also speaking will be local therapists talking about what to do if you are a bullied student, as well as Senator Loretta Weinberg and Senator Kevin O’Toole.
The evening will begin with a violin performance by a fellow alumnus of Tyler’s from the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra.
>From the Rutgers University website on the Sunshine Law:
“PUBLIC NOTICE: Every public body must publish its meeting schedule by Jan. 10 or within seven days of its annual organization meeting, whichever is later. A 48-hour written notice must also be given for any regular, special, adjourned or unscheduled meeting giving the time, date, location and as complete an agenda as known at time of notice. The notice must be prominently posted in a public place, usually in the municipal building, and delivered to at least two previously designated newspapers.”
They have a protest form to fill out if you think that a violation of the Sunshine Law has taken place. The protest will become a part of the minutes.
https://hpcpsdi.rutgers.edu/NJHPG/downloads/Sunshine%20Laws.pdf
>Making Math Lessons as Easy as 1, Pause, 2, Pause …
By WINNIE HU
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/education/01math.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=math&st=cse
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. — By the time they get to kindergarten, children in this well-to-do suburb already know their numbers, so their teachers worried that a new math program was too easy when it covered just 1 and 2 —and 2 — for a whole week.
“Talk about the number 1 for 45 minutes?” said Chris Covello, who teaches 16 students ages 5 and 6. “I was like, I don’t know. But then I found you really could. Before, we had a lot of ground to cover, and now it’s more open-ended and gets kids thinking.”
The slower pace is a cornerstone of the district’s new approach to teaching math, which is based on the national math system of Singapore and aims to emulate that country’s success by promoting a deeper understanding of numbers and math concepts. Students in Singapore have repeatedly ranked at or near the top on international math exams since the mid-1990s.
Franklin Lakes, about 30 miles northwest of Manhattan, is one of dozens of districts, from Scarsdale, N.Y., to Lexington, Ky., that in recent years have adopted Singapore math, as it is called, amid growing concerns that too many American students lack the higher-order math skills called for in a global economy.
For decades, efforts to improve math skills have driven schools to embrace one math program after another, abandoning a program when it does not work and moving on to something purportedly better. In the 1960s there was the “new math,” whose focus on abstract theories spurred a back-to-basics movement, emphasizing rote learning and drills. After that came “reform math,” whose focus on problem solving and conceptual understanding has been derided by critics as the “new new math.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/education/01math.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=math&st=cse
>Ridgewood Schools : OCTOBER IS WALK-TO-SCHOOL MONTH
“Walking to school promotes safety, health, concern for the environment and physical activity. Join the Ridgewood community in walking to and from school!”
Please Drive Carefully !
>
>How does the Village justify a tax assessment that is around 20% inflated?
They are not in any hurry to roll back the valuations they assigned at the peak of the bubble.
The below is public info so I’ll leave it up to the Mod as to whether it posts:
119 Oak is for sale for $850k. Its tax assessment (according to Zillow) is closer to $1M, which is about what that house would have sold for at the height of the bubble. A couple years ago, 2007 I think, the taxes jumped from $11k and change, to over $17k (it’s possible a lot of this was precipitated by a renovation but I don’t own the house so I don’t know)!
It is a beautiful house, but I doubt it will sell for $850k. $750-$800k maybe. How does the Village justify a tax assessment that is around 20% inflated?
I bought a house last year for about 20% less than the tax assessment value. The appeal is in process. Trust me, their feet are deep in the sand. As I said, they are in no hurry. They have to pay for their castle on Maple somehow…
>November Election : Roland Straten is all business
GOP challenger is all business
Roland Straten built the Paterson business his father started from five employees to more than 60 people and $8 million in sales before he retired and turned it over to his son.
Now Straten wants to shrink the federal government so other small businessmen can grow their own companies.
“Small business gets lip service. And then they get taxed, and they get overregulated,” said Straten, a Montclair Republican making his second bid to oust seven-term Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of Paterson.(Jackson, The Record)
https://www.northjersey.com/news/state/politics/104324988_GOP_challenger_is_all_business.html
>New Jersey’s towns and cities face another daunting challenge: the spike in property tax appeals
N.J. towns, cities face rise in appeals, less property tax revenue
TRENTON — Already reeling from a quarter-billion dollar cut in state aid, New Jersey’s towns and cities face another daunting challenge: Dealing with a spike in property tax appeals that will leave them with less money than expected. (Friedman, The Star-Ledger)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/nj_towns_cities_face_spike_in.html
>Jersey City and Newark — among the 10 most expensive places in the nation to run a company
Jersey City and Newark among most expensive cities to run a business
New Jersey has never been a bargain for businesses, but a new study ranks two of the state’s cities — Jersey City and Newark — among the 10 most expensive places in the nation to run a company.
https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/jersey_city_and_newark_among_m.html
The pair joins other such pricey towns as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco, according to the 16th annual Cost of Doing Business Survey by Claremont McKenna College in California.
In nearly all of the top 10 cities, a mid-size retailer must pay more than $10,000 a year just for business license fees, the report said.
The study looked at 413 cities across the nation and examined their licensing fees and property, utilities and sales taxes.
Being expensive isn’t a good distinction, especially during a time when struggling businesses might be thinking about relocating, said Brad Jensen, a researcher at the Rose Institute, which conducted the study.
“States that have low taxes usually have a competitive advantage over other states,” Jensen said. “Obviously, there are a lot of factors to consider when moving your business to another state, but in this economy, it could be the thing that tips you over.”
https://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/jersey_city_and_newark_among_m.html
>The Planning Board Master Plan Hospital amendment on October 5th ?
The Planning Board said it was going to have the Village Planner introduce ordinances to support the Master Plan Hospital amendment on October 5th.
I notice that the village website does not have the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting listed. Is it because they have changed the agenda or they don’t want the public to see the hospital listed and show up?
>Al Qaeda Suspect Worked at PSE&G Nuclear Plant
“Perhaps the Police should spend a little less time harassing motorist and bit more time getting back to real Police work and an obvious mistake like this would have been avoided?”
Ok folks sorry for the misunderstanding the staffs comment above has nothing to do with the Ridgewood Police Department at all! . The Term “Police” was used in general generic terms. Obviously there is no nuclear power plant in Ridgewood ..yet .
But we do stick by the statement the the “Police” should be more involved in the pursuit of terror suspects where ever they are working and keeping the public safe. After all the “Police” can kick your door down if your 17 year old enjoys a beer with you while watching a football game . The “Police” can also pull you over with almost any excuse on the road and in Municipal court their word goes unchallenged. Obvious drivers get many tickets they deserve ,but using the Police as tax collectors or letting unions decide what is or is not “Police” business is totally unacceptable. If you can pull over a young driver because he or she does not have the right color sticker on his or her car, then you can certainly expect the “Police” to pay some attention when the known Al Quada operative is working at your local nuclear power plant .
As for “over zealous ticketing”, lets face it its true in many places and statistically easy to prove.Since I travel a lot and I find if I avoid certain towns I just don’t get any tickets at all end of story .So if you feel a town is over zealous the Ridgewood blog suggests you boycott it ,never spend any money there ever . It is a lot easier than you think .I no longer frequent the Jersey Shore for this very reason there are just too many over places to go to the beach , who needs the hassle.
thanks
PJ Blogger
Al Qaeda Suspect Worked at 5 U.S. Nuclear Plants
Published March 12, 2010 | AP
https://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/12/al-qaeda-suspect-worked-nuclear-plants/
Before he was rounded up in a sweep of suspected Al Qaeda terrorists in Yemen, Sharif Mobley was a laborer at five nuclear plant complexes in Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Authorities are investigating whether he might have had any access to sensitive information that would have been useful to terrorists.
Edwin Lyman, a senior staff scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a watchdog of the nuclear power industry, said the case raises questions about security at the nation’s nuclear power plants — even though Mobley has not been linked to any wrongdoing at any of them.
Some of the information used to give temporary workers like Mobley clearance comes from other nuclear power companies and is sometimes incomplete, Lyman said.
“The real question is: Was there information that the NRC or utilities could have seen that would have led to his disqualification?” Lyman asked.
Meanwhile, a law enforcement official said Friday that the U.S. government was aware of Mobley’s potential extremist ties before Yemeni officials arrested him, but did not provide a time frame or details about what exactly was known about him.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday that Mobley worked between 2002 and 2008 for contractors who did work at the Salem and Hope Creek plants in New Jersey; the Peach Bottom, Limerick and Three Mile Island facilities in Pennsylvania; and Calvert Cliffs in Maryland.
Officials at PSEG Nuclear, which runs the complex in New Jersey, say he carried supplies and worked on routine maintenance mostly during periodic refueling outages, when hundreds of contracted employees descend upon the plants.
full story:
https://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/12/al-qaeda-suspect-worked-nuclear-plants/
>“Not My Kid: What Every Parent Should Know About Youth Suicide Prevention”
THIS Wednesday, October 6, 7:30 p.m., Benjamin Franklin Middle School Auditorium, 335 North Van Dien Avenue.
Parents, staff and adult community members are invited to this important presentation, given by Scott Fritz and Maureen Underwood of the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. Scott Fritz is a father who lost a child to suicide, and a founder of the society. Maureen Underwood is a clinical social worker and nationally recognized expert in youth suicide prevention.This presentation is for adults only and will include an opportunity for questions.
For more information contact Dr. Fishbein’s office at (201) 670-2700, ext. 10530. Information about the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide can be found at www.sptsnj.org .
>
Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson pulls plug on state-funded transportation projects
Simpson pulls plug on state-funded transportation projects
Blaming the legislature for not approving routine bond sales, state Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson today halted all state-funded transportation construction projects effective Monday, October 4. (Editor, PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/41915/simpson-pulls-plug-state-funded-transportation-projects
