Author: admin

>It is great to hear that “math was never a problem” wit your kids (sic).

My children never had a problem either, except for the fact that it was too easy.

So, one ended up accelerated and the other double accelerated in middle school.

Now here’s the rub. My double accelerated student is taking an algebra class over the summer to catch up to where he is supposed to be for high school algebra 2 in the fall.

You ask, how can that be, he was double accelerated and had algebra in 7th grade already. Why is he being tutored when he got an A for the class and just received an A for 8th grade Geometry?

Fortunately, his 8th grade geometry teacher recognized that his accelerated students lacked the adequate level of proficiency in algebra to go on to algebra 2 in high school. So, he took it upon himself to tutor them over the summer.

How did this happen? Didn’t these children have Ms. Debra Ives, former head of the math curriculum in Ridgewood, as their algebra teacher in 7th grade?

Why yes, they did. And Ms. Ives is no longer employed by the district. Her tenure was very brief, just over a year in Ridgewood.

This just proves that our administrators are very weak in teaching skills and judging curriculum.

Ms. Ives did not leave because of displeasure at Cottage Place. No, she left because she had alienated parents and principals alike. In fact, she was a product of the Montclair State Education cabal that rules our district and was hired by Regina Botsford.

So, my dear Miss 12:11pm, I am not “just the perpetually angry at Board of Ed” person. I am a real parent with real life experiences with the math education curriculum in this district. And you my dear may flack all you like for the BOE and their administrators but it doesn’t change the fact that things are out of whack here in Ridgewood’s education system. No amount of jaw boning or name calling is going to stop the parents, who know they are right, from demanding excellence and accountability. It is our civic responsibility.

>For 5:14’s benefit, the prologue…

Initial comment was:
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I voted for Ms. Maskin and Mr. Lois during the last BOE election, in part because I believed they would be far more responsive (if not always perfectly amenable) to the concerns of parents and taxpayers than Ms. Brogan and the other incumbent BOE trustees have been.

Obviously, my candidates were defeated by the incumbent, Ms. Brogan, and the other non-incumbent, Ms. Goodman.

Based on the collected body of public statements attributed to Ms. Goodman prior to the election, I concluded that she would not be the “change agent” I was seeking. Because I believed that Ms. Maskin and Mr. Lois would, I invested considerable positive mental energy and last-minute finger-crossing into their respective candidacies. Obviously, I was disappointed with the outcome.

But I am still convinced we need “change agents” on the BOE.

Can anybody offer a specific personal opinion, positive or negative, of Ms. Goodman’s activities on the BOE since she was installed as a trustee? Do you see any signs that she has or will develop an appetite for change, or do you believe she will be more likely to gravitate toward the status quo?
4:27 PM
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The snappy comeback was:
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7:29 PM__________________

Which leads you to the comment (response to 7:29) at the top of this blog string.

So 5:14, now that you’ve got the whole shebang, what’s your take on this ‘mishegas’?

>Radio amateurs test their mettle
Sunday, June 29, 2008
BY STEPHANIE AKIN
STAFF WRITER
If you turn on the radio today, you probably won’t hear the thousands of amateur broadcasters exchanging simulated emergency signals thoughout the country.

But the frequencies have been buzzing since early Saturday afternoon.

Amateur broadcasters at five stations in North Jersey are participating in the 24-hour, nationwide display of their emergency broadcasting skills. During the event, called a field day, they will send signals from mountaintops and parking lots, using microphones and Morse code, broadcasting on frequencies usually too high or low to register on the commercial radio dial.

“This is really a drill,” said Joel Wagoner, a member of the Ramapo Mountain Amateur Radio Club. “It’s to test our ability to set up a station at any time and under any conditions.”

Wagoner spoke as his fellow club members set up a makeshift station in a clearing off Skyline Drive in Ringwood.

As they wiped sweat from their faces and swatted at flies, the group of mostly middle-aged men put together a showcase of modern radio technology.

Club members, among them a high school teacher, an accountant and a retired electrical engineer, hung antennas from the trees that could send signals as far as California. They wired high-frequency portable radios to microphones. They installed Morse code transmitters in a tent. All the equipment was powered by an emergency generator, so club members could practice working without electricity.

Club member Michael Mutascio of Ringwood created a command center in a trailer he usually uses to store his snowmobile. Inside, he sat at a desk with two laptop computers, a desktop connected to an early version of a police emergency tracking system, and – of course – several radios.

The club’s radios can send messages to the other side of the country, bounce signals off meteor showers and even use the moon as a reflector, he said.

“Those space sounds you’re hearing is actually text being sent to a computer server,” he said as one of the computers emitted an eerie series of blips. “The sounds are converted into text.”

For this event, though, the goal is to exchange as many signals as possible with other broadcasters operating from similar stations.

Clubs that contact the most stations win an award. But club members said completing the exercise is more important than winning the contest.

Amateur radio operators help communicate with the outside world during disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, when cellphone and Internet service are severed.

Because operators can’t predict which equipment or technologies will be available when they need them, it’s important to practice transmitting signals on several frequencies and with a range of equipment.

“Even though there is a lot of technology out there, we prepare for failure,” said Mutascio, who is a paramedic by profession and volunteers in international disaster response.

In an actual disaster, amateur radio operators can broadcast from their homes, from parking lots or from several emergency broadcast systems in the region.

The mountaintop site allows the club to send its signals farther. It also allows operators to simulate some of the stresses they might encounter in a real emergency, such as working for long hours with little sleep. Several club members planned to camp on the mountain, but only after they were too exhausted to send signals.

“This keeps me better-rounded in case something goes wrong,” Mutascio said.

E-mail: [email protected]

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Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Information

Come celebrate Independence Day in Ridgewood – Friday, July 4th! TICKETS FOR FIREWORKS: Pre-event $5 (at Gate $10 adults/$5 children) NOW on sale in Ridgewood at Alice, Alice, Alice; Artventure; Backyard Living; Citizens Community Bank; Daily Treat Restaurant; Goffle Brook Farm; Harding Wine and Spirits; Hillmann Electric; Hoskins Propane; Irish Eyes Imports; Ridgewood Cycle Shop; The Wine Seller and Town & Country Apothecary & Fine Cosmetics. JUNE 27 – JULY 3 at Ridgewood Library

SCHEDULE DETAILS: www.ridgewoodjuly4th.org2008 Celebration Theme ChosenLet’s Make it a Safe CelebrationTicket Sales Information

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The Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration needs small teams of 2-4 volunteers each to carry Sponsor Banners in the Parade. A great opportunity for a family or group of young people to participate and help to “Support the Tradition” of celebrating Independence Day in Ridgewood.

email: [email protected]

phone: 201-602-1922

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George Carlin
May 12, 1937–June 22, 2008

Great comedian – Rest In Peace

There’s some language (but what did you expect…It’s George Carlin) but not too bad and no, its not the 7 Dirty Words bit.

A quick Bio from Wikipedia

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937–June 22, 2008)[19][20] was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author who won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums.
Carlin was especially noted for his political and black humor and his observations on language, psychology, and religion along with many taboo subjects. Carlin and his “Seven Dirty Words” comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a narrow 5–4 decision by the justices affirmed the government’s right to regulate “indecent” material on the public airwaves.
In the 2000s, Carlin’s stand-up routines focused on the flaws in modern-day America. He often took on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture.
He placed second on the Comedy Central cable television network list of the 10 greatest stand-up comedians, ahead of Lenny Bruce and behind Richard Pryor.[21] He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and was also the first person to host Saturday Night Live.

>AFP-NJ News and Views for June 24, 2008

Victory on “Clean Elections” Bill!

AFP activists have once again proven that we can win when we act together. It is because of your efforts that the “Clean Elections” bill has been taken off the legislative table.

Over 1,000 AFP-NJ activists sent almost 11,000 messages to Assembly committee members urging them to not post this expensive welfare for politicians bill. This response is incredible and demonstrates how much power we can bring to bear when we need to.

Thank you all for a job well done! Your messages, letters, and phone calls made the many committee supporters of this bill think twice about their position.

I would also like to thank Assemblywoman McHose (R-Sussex County, District 24) for leading the charge against this bill in the Assembly. We need more Assembly members with her ideals and courage.

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Letter to Steve Lonegan from Assemblywoman McHose
Dear Steve,

Thanks for your help and that of the hundreds of volunteers and activists from Americans for Prosperity in getting the message out on A-100. Because of you and AFP, this legislation has been at least temporarily halted in the Assembly Budget Committee.

As you know, A-100, is the enabling legislation for the so-called “Clean Elections” program for 2009. It is the brainchild of the Camden County Democratic machine and was cooked-up as part of a backroom political maneuver to put forward taxpayer-subsidized political campaigns for a few hand-picked districts, and call it “reform”.

This is a bad bill for a whole host of reasons — as even its honest supporters acknowledge. Thanks to you, we’ve made the Legislature think again before spending millions in taxpayers’ money to fund a selected group of politicians’ campaigns.

Not only can’t New Jersey afford it, the way this bill goes about it is ethically wrong. Now we must stay vigilant in case the bill is brought up again.

Thank you and thank AFP.

Sincerely,
Alison Littell McHose,
Assemblywoman
(R-Sussex County, District 24)