Author: James

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President Obama’s team sought NSA intel on thousands of Americans during the 2016 election

obama-cell-phone-facebook

by John Solomon

WATCH | The Obama administration distributed thousands of intelligence reports with the  unredacted names of U.S. residents during the 2016 election.

During his final year in office, President Obama’s team significantly expanded efforts to search National Security Agency intercepts for information about Americans, distributing thousands of intelligence reports across government with the unredacted names of U.S. residents during the midst of a divisive 2016 presidential election.

The data, made available this week by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, provides the clearest evidence to date of how information accidentally collected by the NSA overseas about Americans was subsequently searched and disseminated after President Obama loosened privacy protections to make such sharing easier in 2011 in the name of national security. A court affirmed his order.

https://circa.com/politics/president-obamas-team-sought-nsa-intel-on-thousands-of-americans-during-the-2016-election

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Political talk is causing problems at work, survey finds

House Minority Leader Boehner wipes tears as colleague Johnson speaks about his prisoner-of-war status in Washington

By MARY BROPHY MARCUS CBS NEWS May 3, 2017, 6:09 PM

Last fall, before the presidential election in November, a survey of U.S. employees found many were stressed out by political conversations happening in the workplace. So have stress levels died down now that the election is history? Just the opposite, it seems. A new post-election survey indicates that the political climate for workers has only gotten worse.

“We did the survey last fall in the lead-up to the election and found, indeed, all these discussions swirling around at work were affecting people on the job. So, on the heels of the election, we were curious about how that might have changed,” Dr. David Ballard, director of the American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence, told CBS News.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/political-talk-at-work-on-the-job-disruptive-after-election/

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Can New Jersey’s horse in the Kentucky Derby actually win? Bet on it

Kentucky Derby

By Jerry Izenberg | For The Star-Ledger
on May 03, 2017 at 6:19 AM, updated May 03, 2017 at 2:52 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Regret and Cavalcade, the names are faint echoes, hallmarks of a time in American thoroughbred racing when New Jersey was a lot more than a casual pit stop in the breeding business. They were the only Jersey-breds ever to win the Kentucky Derby — Regret in 1915, Cavalcade in 1934.

They were to New Jersey breeders what the voice of Francis Albert Sinatra was to summer romantics from Asbury Park to Atlantic City.

And now on Saturday, 102 years after Regret became the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby, a colt named Irish War Cry will try to breathe new life into the phrase “New Jersey Tough.”

https://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/05/kentucky_derby_hopeful_irish_war_cry_is_all_jersey.html

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Bergen Courthouse and Colleges Evacuated Due to Bomb Threat

Bergen_county_court-House _theridgewoodblog
file photo
May 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, according to the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, email threats were received against three Bergen County sites , the courthouse, the County administration building and  Lyndhurst and Paramus campuses of Bergen Community College . The threatened sites were evacuated at 11am this morning.

Bomb-sniffing dogs have been brought into the buildings by the Bergen Bomb squad. The Hackensack Fire Department responded to the Bergen County courthouse.

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Sweeney Pledges More Aid for “Underfunded NJ Schools”

Sweeney & Prieto

By Salvador Rizzo • 05/02/17 12:47pm

Senate President Steve Sweeney drew a line in the sand over school funding on Tuesday, saying his house would only pass a budget that shifts state dollars to underfunded urban and suburban districts this year.

Gov. Chris Christie has drafted a $35.5 billion spending plan for fiscal 2018 — $13.8 billion of which would go to schools — and lawmakers are reviewing his plan before the July 1 deadline to enact the budget.

https://observer.com/2017/05/sweeney-pledges-more-aid-for-underfunded-nj-schools/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-03-05-9525717&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

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Council : American Flag only Flag for Ridgewood Village Hall

flagpole3_theridgewoodblog

May 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, Village attorney Matt Rogers  told the council the Village is not obligated to fly the “Rainbow or Gay flag”. Rogers talked at length of both legal and policy implications .Rogers went on to explain the “freedom of Speech ” issues as well as  the Village flag pole had not history been used to make a political statement or as a public forum . Temporary signs are also banned from Village public property  which would include the Village hall flag pole .

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Mike Sedon chimed in that the American flag is inclusive and is the most potent symbol of inclusion world over. Both Bernie and Jeff were supportive of the Rainbow flag on the idea of “inclusiveness ” along the road that other groups  celebrate on Village property like the RBSA and so on. Councilmen Hache worried about other groups who may want to raise a flag that may not be supported by the community in general. The mayor worried it was a road  we don’t want to go down to be auditing countless groups looking to fly their flag over the Village hall.

 

 

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Pike Parking Garage Presentation for Ridgewood

Pike Parking Garage Presentation for Ridgewood

photo by Boyd Loving

May 4,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood

Ridgewood NJ, the Pike Company made a very impressive parking garage presentation to the Ridgewood Village Council . Pike uses a pre-manufactured system , like a modular home ,and they have been doing so for 15 years.Pike looked at Hudson Street ,and came up with a precast approach to the Hudson Garage . The reason for pre-cast is to keep down the cost and also cost controls.

DSCF1322

Pike was founded in 1873 and is a billion dollar company ,has no debt and no law suits .Pike views Ridgewood as a good risk and they would front the costs ie… a “no money down ” deal.

Pike used aerial drone footage and then semi imposed the proposed garage on the site . Pike pointed out that there would be fire access on all sides of the garage . Pike said there would be no encroachments on any easements. The company seemed to go to great lengths to fit the garage into the Central Business District ,be respectful to Mount Carmel Church and think through the logistics of building the garage unlike in the past. Planning included everything from lighting ,safety to the brick face.

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Pike offered many options including even a management lease option .According to Pike the project would take about 8 months of construction with cost estimates for 240 spaces coming in at $8 million dollars. Pike would provide all financing using lender mandated requirements .

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Higher Taxes and Congestion Likely from New Ridgewood Apartment Complexes

high density housing CBD

May 4,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The massive new 66 unit, multi-retail store complex coming to Franklin and Broad sets off a chain reaction of traffic problems in Ridgewood. As always, taxpayers will be left holding the bag for nearly a million dollars worth of needed traffic signal upgrades alone.

In the zoomed in version of developer John Saraceno’s “rendering” above we see the Franklin & Broad intersection which will be drastically impacted by the new 5 story building and the nearby 4 story Chestnut apartments. The archway on the right is one of two entry/exit for the 150 new parking spots on Franklin. The current lot is private and not open to the public. There will be a great deal of new traffic at one of the most important, dangerous, and crowded intersections in the village.
The new light at this intersection will cost $300k, Saraceno has offered to pay 25% [which is more than the law requires]. The bigger problem is how other, non-upgraded intersections will handle the traffic flow. By law, developers of Ridgewood’s 4 new high-density buildings only have to pay a small fraction of any needed new lights.
Listen here to the village’s traffic expert, Andrew Feranda: https://youtu.be/ENr_LFZAQuQ?t=10238
As northjersey.com reported:

The board also spent considerable time with its own traffic professional, Andrew Feranda, further discussing the Franklin Avenue thoroughfare.  They looked specifically at the coordination of traffic lights in the area. Feranda recommended coordinating the timing of the lights on Franklin Avenue at Broad Street and Oak Street to ensure more efficient traffic flow.

Voigt said any traffic improvements made to those intersections, the two closest traffic lights to the development, could necessitate changes at all lights from Wilsey Square to Maple Avenue. Feranda agreed the corridor would be more efficient with all the lights working in tandem.

“It certainly doesn’t move traffic efficiently if they’re not coordinated,” said Feranda.

Feranda said his layout would look “similar” to the plans put forth by the applicant. He cited the use of the signalized intersection at Broad Street and Franklin Avenue, and the fact that the driveway, on Chestnut Street, was about as far away from Franklin Avenue as possible.

 https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/ridgewood/2017/04/19/ridgewood-housing-hearing-focuses-franklin-ave/100647038/
All 4 of the high-density developments downtown are allowed thanks to controversial laws championed by Ridgewood resident Saraceno and then-mayor Paul Aronsohn.
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Ridgewood Mayor puts an end to personal attacks during the pubic comment period

Village Council -Halaby

photo by Boyd Loving

May 4,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Mayor puts the hammer down on personal attacks during the pubic comment period . After a bitter attack by Rurik Halaby on the council praising former Mayor Paul Aronsohn and former Village manager Roberta Sonnefeld .Halaby called the council unprofessional amateurs at the same time praising the Financial Advisory Committee .Halaby questioned weather the FAC was invited into the village budget discussions.

Once the Ridgewood blog reminds you that in order for the Financial Advisory Committee to be an effective part of the Village governance the following criteria must be met:

Publish clear and realistic by-laws
Post agenda’s of all meetings
Post minutes of all meetings promptly
All members must sign Financial disclosure forms  
All members must sign NDA’s or non-disclosure forms

These are professional standards that are used and commonly accepted everywhere in the world.

In the real world this is how you run a financial decision body. It is also important to fill the committee with people who have some experience in finance, not failed or “wannabe” politicians who are promoting their own secret agenda.

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The 3 high schools in each county with the best SAT scores

sat-test-2

Updated May 03, 2017
Posted May 03, 2017

By Kathleen O’Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The average SAT score in New Jersey high schools varied greatly among the state’s 21 counties last school year.

Some counties had multiple high schools with average scores above 1,300, while other counties did not have a single school with an average score better than 1,200 out of 1,600.

The average SAT score among New Jersey’s public high schools overall was a 1,075 out of 1,600 last school year, but plenty of schools posted significantly more impressive scores.

The range of scores also varied. Some counties had one school that far outperformed its neighbors, and others saw close competition for the top spot.

Specialized schools with selective enrollment and run by county vocational districts once again dominate the list of highest average scores, taking home the top 12 spots.

Here are the top three average scores in each county:

BERGEN COUNTY

1) Bergen County Academies

Location: Hackensack

Score: 1,470

2) Bergen County Technical School

Location: Teterboro

Score: 1,330

3) Tenafly High School

Location: Tenafly

Score: 1,307

https://www.nj.com/education/2017/05/high_schools_with_the_top_3_sat_scores_for_each_co.html?ath=a661ed5d8cb41fa9dc524c06f451a07d#cmpid=nsltr_stryheadline

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Piscopo fakeout ends with Guadagno endorsement

Joe Piscopo

By MATT FRIEDMAN

05/03/17 11:28 AM EDT

PARAMUS — After stringing the media along for more than six months, comedian Joe Piscopo on Wednesday finally put an end to the self-driven speculation that he would run for governor as an independent.

Instead, the former Saturday Night Live cast member will settle for the role of “cheerleader” for Republican candidate Kim Guadgano — the lieutenant governor of New Jersey — whom he endorsed.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/05/03/piscopos-big-fakeout-wont-run-for-governor-endorses-guadagno-111743

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DHS Issues Warning for Water and Wastewater Systems Targets

glass_of_water_privatisation
May 4,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Water and Wastewater Systems Sector provides millions of people in New Jersey with drinking water and wastewater removal services vital to public health. As if Ridgewood does not already have issues with water, these facilities may be targeted by terrorists looking to disrupt a sector on which the public heavily relies

The Water and Wastewater Systems Sector consists of drinking water and wastewater systems that treat, transmit, store, collect, and distribute water across the nation.

The water sector in New Jersey includes about 600 community drinking water systems. The 20 largest systems collectively serve roughly 3.8 million people and support water service to another 140 systems in the state.

Wastewater systems include treatment plants, pumping stations, collection systems, and sludge management processes. There are approximately 350 wastewater facilities, which vary in size and function. The largest 50 facilities process and treat 88 percent of the sludge residuals and 90 percent of wastewater generated in New Jersey.

THREAT

Cyber: Moderate
The threat to the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector is moderate because of the known targeting of critical infrastructure by both state and non-state actors capable of conducting disruptive, manipulative, or destructive attacks. While there are no specific threats to this sector in New Jersey, numerous incidents over the past decade have demonstrated the vulnerability of industrial control systems (ICS) that regulate various components of water and wastewater operations. In 2015, the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector reported 25 cyber incidents to the US Department of Homeland Security ICS Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT), a roughly 80 percent increase from 2014.

Terrorism: Low
Terrorists have not targeted the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector in the last decade in the United States. Internationally, drinking water sources remain vulnerable to terrorist attacks because of limited security. In January 2016, Turkish intelligence officials reported individuals affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria plotting to poison the water supply using tularemia, a bacterial disease found in animals that is transmissible to humans.

Natural Hazards
During Superstorm Sandy, 427 community water systems in New Jersey lost power. The heavy reliance on electric power makes any water or wastewater system vulnerable to extreme weather. Ninety-one wastewater treatment facilities were affected by flooding or power loss, resulting in reduced treatment capacity and discharging as much as five billion gallons of raw sewage into state waterways. Additionally, coastal flood waters damaged water utility infrastructure, leaving the communities they serve without clean water.

There are currently no credible threats to the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector in New Jersey.
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2 N.J. towns are finalists in national main street competition

CBD ridgewood ArtChick

file photo by ArtChick

Maple Shade is in contention for a best main street competition, as is Haddonfield, 

By Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on May 02, 2017 at 1:42 PM

New Jersey is home to some of the country’s most beloved main streets and downtowns, according to an ongoing national contest.

Maple Shade and Haddonfield are both contenders in Independent We Stand’s America’s Main Streets competition.

The winner of the contest, whose goal is to “help promote the importance and strong economic benefits of these main streets and the small businesses that help them thrive,” gets $25,000. Business associations, improvement districts and main street groups were all invited to enter.

Independent We Stand is a national network of independent small business owners. The competition is sponsored by Stihl, a manufacturer of chainsaws and other outdoor equipment (the winner also gets a $1,000 certificate for Stihl products).

https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2017/05/americas_main_streets_contest_haddonfield_maple_sh.html#incart_river_index

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How Amazon’s ‘invisible’ hand can shape your city

amazon_theridgewoodblog

The Seattle e-commerce company’s influence goes well beyond shopping

BY PATRICK SISSON  MAY 2, 2017, 11:43AM EDT

It begins with boxes. For most people who order goods from Amazon—with nearly half of U.S. householdsenrolled in the company’s Prime program, that’s quite a few of us—interactions with the Seattle e-commerce giant start with a search and a click, and end with a delivery.

While the ubiquitous company—a retail and shopping juggernaut worth roughly $430 billion that personifies the rapid growth in e-commerce—has an extensive footprint, a growing warehouse network, and a nascent brick-and-mortar retail presence, most of us just see piles of boxes on stoops, on doorsteps, and in apartment lobbies.

But that passing perspective would be a gross underestimation of the way e-commerce in general, and Amazon specifically, has and will reshape cities and communities around the country.

A growing web of Amazon warehouses is poised to further speed up and reshape commerce, putting more pressure on retail. Increasing deliveries, a result of this bigger and better logistics network and consumer demand, is leading to increased freight traffic on city streets. And an expansion into physical retail, including brick-and-mortar Amazon grocery stores, predicted by many analysts, could make an even bigger dent in urban landscapes and commercial strips. Curbed reached out to Amazon for this story, but they declined to comment on the record.

https://www.curbed.com/2017/5/2/15509316/amazon-prime-retail-urban-planning