New Jersey’s largest teachers union has endorsed the Republican candidate challenging Senate President Steve Sweeney, the top elected Democrat in state government.
The New Jersey Education Association’s political action committee voted unanimously on Friday to endorse Fran Grenier, the chairman of the Salem County Republican Party, for the state Senate seat in the 3rd District.
So, did you hear about that major victory for religious-liberty activists the other day?
In this case, the reference to “religious liberty” in that first statement is not framed in scare quotes for a simple reason. This particular case did not have anything to do with debates about the Sexual Revolution clashing with ancient religious doctrines and traditions.
This important case involved a win for Muslims in Somerset County, N.J., who have been fighting their suburban powers in defense of their right to build themselves a mosque.
This is where things get interesting. The Islamic Society of Basking Ridge had the U.S. Department of Justice on its side, but also received help from a broad coalition of religious-liberty activists. This was a rare sighting of the old left-right coalition that used to stand together back in the heady days in the 1990s, when Democrats and Republicans all embraced the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (click here for GetReligion links on that).
Ridgewood NJ, Renowned artist Kenn Backhaus will be giving a nocturne demonstration following our Annual Members Meeting on Sunday, June 11th at 2pm.
“The Evocative Light of the Night”
Kenn has always stated that, “everything under the sun and moon is fair game” when it applies to the creative arts.
Kenn will lecture on and show through a demonstrating examining the principals of the nocturne subject.
For decades artists have been enthralled by the effects of the evening light upon the landscape. Understanding that color usually becomes a minimal consideration in a nocturne, the explanation of the importance of developing a strong design pattern within the composition is critical.
Kenn will explain that your creativity is revealed through your own experiences and the use of your knowledge comes the developed skill to create something that may not be revealed in your reference. He will use a reference of a day lite subject and convert the effect to a nocturne atmosphere. Click Here for more information
Ridgewood Art Institute
12 East Glen Avenue
Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock PD Patrol Officer Sarah Orsita evaluates damage to a 4-door pickup truck caused by a fallen tree limb. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon, 06/02, on Concord Avenue near Rutland Road in Glen Rock. The downed limb also took out a cable TV wire and damaged the roof of a detached garage.
Ridgewood NJ, Tickets are available on community pass for the 4th annual Michael Feeney’s Best Day Ever event June 10th 2017 from 10am to 3pm at BF Middle School. Proceeds to Benefit Tackle Kids for Cancer, Go 4 the Goal, JDRF and the Ridgewood Jr.Police Academy. It’s a great day of family fun for a good cause.
To Michael, everything was a “the best ever”…Come celebrate this brave young man at the 4th Annual Michael Feeney’s BEST DAY EVER! Saturday, June 10th at Ben Franklin Middle School Field – Zip Line, Color run @ 10am, Canrival Games, Face Paintiing, Food & Drink, Dunk Tank, BDE Band Fest, DJ , and more….
“Glen Rock Makes the List of 19 hottest real estate markets in N.J.”
https://theridgewoodblog.net/glen-rock-makes-the-list-of-19-hottest-real-estate-markets-in-n-j/
Quote : A common thread? Trains The most easily identifiable trend among NJ’s hottest towns is clear — access to transit. Each of the towns are within minutes of an NJ Transit station, which despite the transit service’s recent woes, remains a tremendous draw for prospective home buyers.
Developers in RIDGEWOOD are trying to crack the safe in RIDGEWOOD, With build sell cut and run tactics leaving behind Traffic,Garagezillas, Water and service impacts to Homeowners.wake up property owners
Ridgewood NJ, A three (3) vehicle Friday evening, 06/02, crash on Route 17 northbound in Ridgewood caused injuries requiring ambulance transport to one (1) of the drivers. One (1) of the cars involved had an operating dash camera, the output of which was reviewed by investigating officers. A flatbed tow truck was called to remove a 4-door Ford Fusion, which wound up off the highway facing the opposite direction. Ridgewood PD and EMS responded. Traffic on Route 17 northbound was temporarily slowed while emergency responders worked at the scene.
Ridgewood NJ, Local Author , Professional Golfer and Ridgewood High School Alum Debbie O’Connell will discuss and sign her new book at Bookends in Ridgewood , Monday, June 26th @ 6:00pm .
Golf Positive!
Live Positive!
On Facebook O’Connell said “Hey Ridgewood Alumni! I’m excited to share that I’m doing a book signing at Bookends on Monday June 26 starting at 6pm. I’d love to see you! “I’m so proud to host this signing in my hometown!!”
AWARDS :Golf Digest Magazine – Top 50 Best Women Teachers in America (2010 & 2012) ,
LPGA”s Top 50 Best Teachers (2008 & 2009),Inaugural recipient of the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award (2007),
LPGA National Professional of the Year (2002),and the SE Section Professional of the Year (2002).
Debbie’s Mission is to enhance the lives of individuals through positive learning experiences while enhancing golf skills and knowledge. Golf-Positive will use the game of golf as a tool to influence positive results in many facets of life. Experience and enjoy the positive spirit and energy Golf-Positive will illuminate. Join Debbie in her journey as she strives to reach her full potential by helping you to reach yours!
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
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 ensure 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
Tired of Being Number One in all the wrong things? Hope to see representation from all of our communities on June 15, 2017. Help be part of the solution !
June 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
WESTWOOD NJ, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi will initiate a series of statewide legislative hearings to address New Jersey’s affordable housing crisis. The first will be held on June 15 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bergen Community College’s Technology Education Center room 128.
One candidate for New Jersey Governor GOP Joseph Rudy Rullo has promised to dissolve COAH altogether while other candidates have only spoken in vague generalities or ignored the subject all together.
“The tough job of finding a solution cannot wait another day,” said Schepisi (R-Bergen). “If the state Legislature won’t hold meetings on court-forced overdevelopment, I will.”
Schepisi will be joined by other invited guests, including fellow legislators, mayors, town officials and planners, engineers, traffic experts, board of education members, environmental groups and other interested parties.
She said the hearings will examine ways to provide a better way toward affordability for the residents of this state while protecting towns from a recent state Supreme Court ruling that could force the construction of up to 1.5 million unneeded housing units to satisfy a fictitious population increase of 3.35 million in the next nine years – while Rutgers projects a population increase of only 219,000.
“We have reached a critical juncture in the State of New Jersey. We are the most costly, the most densely populated with the highest number of outmigration because people can no longer afford to live here. Instead of smart discussions regarding how to implement change to reduce living costs for all of our residents, the legislature’s inaction is forcing communities to potentially double their housing population in just the next nine years, destroying all existing housing prices while increasing property taxes,” said Schepisi. “We need to stop the court’s action and fix this issue while we still can.”
Schepisi recently introduced two bills to freeze municipal affordable housing obligations through the end of the year, and establish a commission to study the issue and determine each town’s obligations. As a result of the failure of the legislature to move any of these initiatives forward, Schepisi has decided to hold her own hearings and provide the transcripts and testimony to the NJ Legislature.
Over forty-five municipalities in Bergen, Gloucester, Morris, Essex, Union, Somerset, Mercer, Passaic and Hudson counties have passed a resolution urging action by the legislature to stop such discrepancy. The resolution also supports Schepisi’s bills to temporarily halt affordable housing litigation and create a special commission.
Ridgewood NJ, its coming ,the modified Service Plan Due to Amtrak’s Summer Track Repair Work in Effect Monday, July 10 through Friday, September 1, 2017
NJ TRANSIT rail customers have been forced to deal with delays, derailments and unreliable service because Amtrak, which owns the tracks our service relies upon, has neglected the maintenance of its critical infrastructure for years. For three-quarters of NJ TRANSIT rail customers travel patterns will not be modified, including the Trenton to New York Northeast Corridor Line. However, delays on all rail lines, except for the Atlantic City Rail line, are inevitable.
Long overdue Amtrak track repair work will significantly disrupt travel this summer for customers who normally travel on the Morris & Essex Midtown Direct service to and from Penn Station New York. As a result, for their inconvenience, Morris & Essex Lines customers will receive about a 50 percent discount off the regular Hoboken ticket cost, in addition to cross-honoring with ferry and PATH service at Hoboken Terminal.
Below is the overall rail service plan for customers who will be traveling into Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal this summer.
NJ TRANSIT Service Plan for July 10th – September 1st The following weekday rail service plan will be in place continuously from July 10th through September 1st.
Midtown Direct trains on the Morristown Line will be diverted to Hoboken.
Midtown Direct trains on the Gladstone Branch will be diverted to Hoboken.
All Midtown Direct trains on the Montclair-Boonton Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
All Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line trains will operate on regular weekday schedules with minor time changes to/from PSNY.
Raritan Valley Line will operate on regular weekday schedules with adjustments to PSNY schedules. Main/Bergen, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Lines will operate on regular weekday schedules however customers may need to adjust their connections to New York at Secaucus.
Washington Twp NJ, A red colored 4-door Toyota was totaled and its adult female driver injured during a crash into a utility pole at the intersection of Amherst Drive and Pascack Road, Washington Township late Thursday morning, 06/01. Washington Township firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free the victim from the wreck. She was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s (HUMC) North Campus in Westwood. A paramedic team from HUMC North also responded to the incident. Washington Township PD is investigating the crash’s cause. There was at least one (1) witness to the event. The official vehicle belonging to Washington Township’s assistant fire chief sustained minor damage at the scene when it was accidentally struck by a paramedic team’s pickup truck.
A $1.1 billion bond offering to help complete construction of the American Dream mall in the New Jersey Meadowlands went forward this week, nine months after the sale was originally planned.
In the story of the mall’s creation, the delay was a minor speed bump. Thirteen years after it was first announced, the project is on its third developer and is being built in the face of growing doubts about the viability of shopping malls and retail stores across the country. The associated-risks section of the bond offering runs to 38 pages.
But the current developer, Triple Five Group, contends that American Dream’s blend of retail stores and entertainment venues — the sprawling complex is to include a six-acre indoor water park, a Ferris wheel, movie theaters and an indoor amusement park, as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Hermès, Toys “R” Us and Old Navy — is the future and the “complete opposite of a traditional mall.”
NEWARK NJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrested two individuals, one from Mexico and one from Honduras, after they were released from the custody of Middlesex County with active ICE detainers in place.
On April 14, 2016, ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Elder Antonio Quintero Rodriguez, a Honduran citizen. On May 19, 2017, the facility released him from custody without notifying ICE. Quintero Rodriguez has a felony conviction of endangering abuse; the neglect of a child. ERO Newark officers arrested him in New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 30, 2017.
On April 21, 2017, ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Rolando Herrera Saavedra, a Mexican citizen. On April 29, 2017, the facility released him from custody without notifying ICE. Herrera Saavedra is currently facing state criminal charges. ERO Newark officers arrested Herrera Saavedra in Long Branch, New Jersey, May 24, 2017.
Neither Herrera Saavedra nor Quintero Rodriguez has lawful status in the United States. Both remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
“As a nation, we must protect the integrity of our immigration system and aggressively pursue the removal of illegal criminal aliens; this is one of ICE’s top priorities,” said John Tsoukaris, ERO Newark field office director. “ICE shares the county’s ultimate objective to protect public safety and national security while simultaneously preserving the critical community-police bond; however, counties such as Middlesex that fail to work with ICE in the transfer of custody of criminal aliens, place the citizens of their communities at serious risk.”
In fiscal year 2016, ICE removed or returned 240,255 individuals. Of this total, 174,923 were apprehended while, or shortly after, attempting to illegally enter the United States. The remaining 65,332 were apprehended in the interior of the United States, and the vast majority was convicted criminals.
Between 20% and 25% of the nation’s shopping malls will close in the next five years, according to a new report from Credit Suisse that predicts e-commerce will continue to pull shoppers away from bricks-and-mortar retailers.
For many, the Wall Street firm’s finding may come as no surprise. Long-standing retailers are dying off as shoppers’ habits shift online. Credit Suisse expects apparel sales to represent 35% of all e-commerce by 2030, up from 17% today.
Emails also show Abedin providing government plane and hotel reservations to Chelsea Clinton for trip to Germany while employed at Clinton Foundation
Abedin tells Band that she has ‘hooked up’ people from the Russian American Foundation with ‘the right people’ at the State Department
June 2,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, JudicialWatch today released 2,078 pages of documents revealing more instances of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sending and receiving classified information via an unsecured email server. They also show Clinton’s daughter Chelsea and others involved with the Clinton Foundation receiving special favors from Huma Abedin, the former secretary’s deputy chief of staff.
The records were obtained in response to a court order from a May 5, 2015, lawsuit filed against the State Department (JudicialWatch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00684)) after it failed to respond to a March 18, 2015, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking: “All emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013 using a non-‘state.gov’ email address.”
The new documents included 115 Clinton email exchanges not previously turned over to the State Department, bringing the known total to date to at least 432 emails that were not part of the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton turned over to the State Department. These records further appear to contradict statements by Clinton that, “as far as she knew,” all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department.
On December 6, 2010, Secretary Clinton shared classified information with non-U.S. government employees Justin Cooper, then-aide to President Clinton who helped manage Hillary Clinton’s unsecure email system, and Clinton Foundation director Doug Band (neither of whom held security clearances). The email instructs her aide Oscar Flores to “print for Bill” (presumably Bill Clinton). The email exchange, which involved allegations of the theft of foreign aid by Bangladeshi banker and major Clinton Foundation donor Muhammad Yunus, started with an email from an unidentified person to State Department official Melanne Verveer, who forwarded her exchange on to Hillary Clinton, who then sent it on to Flores, Cooper and Band.
Yunus was accused of embezzling $100 million from the Grameen Bank he founded and was removed from it, although the charges were never proven, and Yunus reportedly returned the money. Subsequently, Clinton’s State Department was accused of threatening IRS action against the Bangladesh prime minister’s son in an attempt to stop a Bangladesh government investigation of Yunus.
In a similar instance on March 14, 2011, State Department official Maria Otero emailed Clinton information about the Grameen Bank/Foundation that was again deemed classified as Confidential by the State Department and redacted under FOIA exemption B1.4(D) – “Information specifically authorized by an executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy … Foreign relations or foreign activities of the United States, including confidential sources.” Clinton then responds to Otero using her HDR22@clintonemailcom account and copies Abedin on Abedin’s unsecure email account, [email protected].
In May 2010, Ben Ringel, whose donations to the Clinton Foundation JudicialWatch previously documented, asked Abedin to intervene in an employment dispute on behalf of a USAID employee. Abedin agreed, telling Ringel to forward the woman’s documents to her official State Department email account.
In a May 21, 2011, email exchange sent to Abedin’s unsecure account, then- Ambassador Princeton Lyman sent information relating to his conversation with South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit that is also redacted and classified as “Confidential.”
On July 17, 2012, Abedin forwarded to her private email account for printing a call briefing sheet for Clinton’s upcoming call with Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, which was classified Confidential and redacted under FOIA exemption B1.4(D).
The new Abedin emails also reveal additional instances in which Clinton’s then- scheduler Lona Valmoro forwarded the former secretary of state’s detailed daily schedule to top Clinton Foundation officials.
The new emails also reveal a number of favors that were requested and carried out.
In May 2010, Abedin tells Band that she has “hooked up” people from the Russian American Foundation with “the right people” at the State Department after Abedin received a request from Russian American Foundation Vice President Rina Kirshner, forwarded by Clinton Foundation donor Eddie Trump (no relation to President Trump).
On Mon, May 10, 2010 at 9:41 PM, Huma Abedin <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi Rina – wanted to connect on meeting at state department. Eddie trump passed on your email. Will be in touch soon.
From: Rina Kirshner Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:29 AM To: Huma Abedin Subject: Re: Eddie Trump/Doug Band
Ms. Abedin,
Just wanted to follow up and express our gratitude. I was contacted today by Ms. Christina Miner who invited us to be part of the US-Russia Cultural Sub-Working Group meeting next week. Thank you very much for all your assistance – if there is any way we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Rina Kirshner
From: Huma Abedin [[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:19:12 PM To: Doug Band Subject: FW: Eddie Trump/Doug Band
fyi – we hooked her up with the right people here
The Russia-American Foundation was staffed by Clinton political supporters and operatives, received over $260,000 in grants for “public diplomacy” from the Clinton State Department, and its leadership was supportive of Obama’s Russia policies.
In July 2011, when Chelsea Clinton, using the alias Diane Reynolds and the email address[email protected], was planning to fly to Germany to see the U.S. women’s soccer team play, her travel agent asked Abedin to confirm that Chelsea’s travel costs could be placed on her parents’ credit card. In response, Abedin tells the agent that she can “stand down” from making arrangements to get Chelsea to Germany, as Chelsea and Bari Luri, Chelsea’s Clinton Foundation chief of staff, would be made part of the “official delegation” going to the match and she would “fly on official govt plane both ways and they will take care of hotels and all transportation.” Chelsea was a fully employed Clinton Foundation executive at this time.
In July 2011, Clinton tells Abedin that she doesn’t wish to fly on the same airplane with Michelle Obama on their way to Betty Ford’s funeral: “I’d be honored to speak. Is it ok that we and Mrs. O take two separate planes?”
A December 15, 2012, email chain shows that a committee of Clinton staffers, including Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan and Philippe Reines, was required to draft a “doctors statement” as to why Hillary supposedly fainted due to “dehydration,” causing her supposedly to hit her head and suffer a “concussion” in December 2012. The same committee then prepared a “discharge statement” when Hillary was released from the hospital.
“These shocking new Clinton emails show why the Justice Department should reevaluate, reopen, or reinvigorate Clinton, Inc. investigations,” said JudicialWatch President Tom Fitton. “The casual violation of laws concerning classified material and noxious influence peddling show the Clinton State Department was ‘corruption central’ in the Obama administration. No wonder Clinton’s allies in the State and Justice Departments had been slow-walking and hiding these emails.”
