“Just wondering why these signs seem to be okay, but those promoting other products and services result in summonses being issued.” Anyone know?
Reader asks , Do lawn signs warning of home security systems violate Village sign ordinances?
Author: James
The number of reluctant part-time workers is still higher than before the Great Recession
Published: Apr 9, 2017 12:57 p.m. ET
Millions of Americans don’t want to work part-time.
The U.S. economy added just 98,000 jobs in March, the smallest gain in nearly a year, after adding more than 200,000 jobs in January and February. Economists predicted that the number of jobs created in March would hit 180,000, so the actual figures fell far short of that. Unemployment fell to a 10-year-low of 4.5% in March from 4.7% in February, but the “real” unemployment rate that includes part-time workers who would rather work full-time and job hunters who gave up searching for work was 8.9%, although this was also down from 9.2% in February.
Part-time work is still a contentious alternative for many workers. On Thursday, Amazon said it will create 30,000 part-time jobs in the U.S. over the next year, nearly double the current number. Of those, 25,000 will be in warehouses and 5,000 will be home-based customer service positions. Amazon AMZN, -0.38% said in January it would create 100,000 full-time jobs over the next 18 months, according to a separate announcement made in January. Last year, Amazon’s world-wide workforce grew by 48% to 341,400 employees. In the U.S., it has over 70 “fulfillment centers” and 90,000 full-time employees. (Amazon did not respond to request for comment.)
There were some 5.6 million involuntary part-time workers in March 2017, little changed from the month before, but down from 6.4 million a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is up from 4.5 million in November 2007, but way off a peak of 8.6 million in September 2012. These figures are almost entirely due to the inability of workers to find full-time jobs, leaving many workers to take or keep lower-paying jobs, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think-tank in Washington, D.C. And 54% of the growth in these involuntary part-time jobs between 2007 and 2015 were in retail, leisure and hospitality industries, the EPI said.
The Schoolhouse Museum Ridgewood’s Best Kept Secret
April 9,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the new exhibit at the Schoolhouse Museum curated by Joy Simmen Hamburger with Candace Latham and Vicky Herbert features a very impressive collection assembled through various local collections and donations.
“From the Revolutionary War to the 1960’s Revolution. The “Events and People That Shaped Our American History”. Told through objects, artifacts and costumes from the collections of Ridgewood’s Historical Society and Public Library.”
Since it was near the 100th anniversary of the American military entering World War 1 Trustee Bob Borders gave the Ridgewood blog an in depth tour detailing many of the artifacts and their donors . The stories of the discovery of the artifacts often rivaling the artifact itself. For local history buffs its very insightful to see history though the lens of local actors.
If you are unfamiliar ,the mission of the Ridgewood Historical Society, which operates the historic Schoolhouse Museum building, formerly one of the first public schools in Ridgewood, is to preserve the building, as well as maintain, interpret, and exhibit the collection of artifacts representing the history, culture, and lives of ordinary people from the Ridgewood area from the period of Native America.
The Ridgewood Historical Society is the parent organization of the Schoolhouse Museum which annually presents a themed exhibit featuring artifacts from the collection, and presents educational programs featuring local people with knowledge and/or skills that pertain to the collection.
The Ridgewood Historical Society also offers opportunities for people of all ages to experience, share, maintain, organize and preserve our local artifacts.
They are a volunteer based and welcome your involvement. You can become a member and join us in our quest to preserve local history and put the Schoolhouse Museum on the agenda of every student, family, social club and history buff in the area.
Schoolhouse Museum
650 E. Glen Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-447-3242
Thursday and Saturdays 1PM – 3PM
Sundays 2PM – 4PM
GROUP TOURS AVAILABLE
UPON REQUEST
https://ridgewoodhistoricalsociety.org/
Ridgewood Art Institute Sponsor Show -Reception This Sunday!
Opening Reception this Sunday, April 9th from 2-4pm!
Become a Sponsor and Take Home a Beautiful Original Framed Painting. Every Sponsor goes home with a painting.
Reception: Sunday, April 9th, 2017 2-4pm
Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 7th- Friday, May 5th, 2017
Gala Drawing: Friday, May 5th, 2017 8pm
The Ridgewood Art Institute
12 East Glen Avenue, Ridgewood NJ 07450
201-652-9615 www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org
Ridgewood NJ, The Sponsor Show is our most popular annual event at the Ridgewood Art Institute, providing sponsors an opportunity to acquire a beautifully framed original painting, from the collection donated by our outstanding artists and instructors. In addition to wonderful landscapes and still lifes, several of our professional artists offer the chance to commission a portrait or pet painting. On the night of the Gala Drawing, the name of each sponsor is randomly called to choose their favorite painting. For only $275, become a sponsor and begin creating your painting “wish list” at our Opening Reception, or anytime during the exhibition dates. Proceeds from the show go directly toward the Institute’s efforts to promote fine arts in our community.
Once again we are offering gift certificates. You can become a sponsor yourself, and you can purchase a gift certificate for a friend or family member to join you as a sponsor. A personally selected painting is a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, weddings, or any special occasion.
A limited number of sponsorships are sold each year, so don’t miss out on this exciting event! Sponsorships can be purchased on line at www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org.
For more information , visit our website www.ridgewoodartinstitute.org and click “Art Exhibits”.
Reader says Christopher ” Bike Lane” Rutishauser will just add another lane for buses.
” Bike Lane” Rutishauser will just add another lane for buses. What color will he pick for the bus lane. The Mayor should have a contest for the best color.
A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, often on certain days and times, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. Bus lanes are a key component of a high-quality bus rapid transit (BRT) network, improving bus travel speeds and reliability by reducing delay caused by other traffic.
A dedicated bus lane may occupy only part of a roadway which also has lanes serving general automotive traffic; the related term busway describes a roadway completely dedicated for use by buses.
Reader asks How will NJT Buses Make the Corner of Franklin and Maple Ave?
editors note the picture is as close as we had available
The Corner of Franklin AND Maple Ave is quite narrow and burdened today especally due oncoming traffic who’s lagging
Left turn from light aside the side street real estate office where coming up into the Franklin intersection heading up towards Stop Shop direction
It’s chaos today.Big trucks have to make wide right turns there into waiting cars qued up for the light.
How to busses get back onto Ridgewood Ave towards route 17. Only way is to make another difficult left into straight traffic after queuing up in front on Bank america ..doesn’t work folks..these are country roads built for low volume low length vehicles
Reader says Let’s give the water dept. a chance to recover from decades of mismanagement
“Selling could be a big mistake. Who is to say that the next owner would take better care of the water or have better communications? What if they excelled at marketing and communications while lying to us? Let’s give the water dept. a chance to recover from decades of mismanagement. A quick sell and we could be screwed forever.”
We ask after 15 years of water restrictions how much longer should residents have to wait for improvements ?
Reader says The only conclusion is that these so called traffic engineers don’t ever actually drive in the Central business district
The only conclusion is that these so called traffic engineers don’t ever
actually drive in the Central business district ..complete lunacy..we are actually paying for these experts conclusions ?? making matters worse would be the inevitable result as well as spending a fortune to build out and then fix this mess.
‘Pinkwashing’ populism: Gay voters embrace French far-right
PARIS (AP) — A political party that would abolish same-sex marriage — one whose founder wanted AIDS patients rounded up and branded homosexuality “a biological and social anomaly” — is now winning LGBT votes in France.
Motivated in part by the deadly Islamic extremist attacks at home and at a Florida gay nightclub, a growing bloc of traditionally left-leaning gay voters has embraced far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, leader of the once-fringe National Front party.
“Faced with the current threats, particularly from radical Islam, gays have realized they’ll be the first victims of these barbarians, and only Marine is proposing radical solutions,” said Kelvin Hopper, 25, a gay artist who lives in a hipster district of Paris and plans to cast his ballot for Le Pen.
While nobody knows how far Le Pen’s supporters will carry her in the April 23-May 7 vote, several years of polls have shown the National Front is now more popular with the LGBT voters who make up 6.5 percent of the French electorate than it is with straight voters.
That the constituency once reviled by the party is buoying it suggests populism has taken root in France more deeply than previously thought.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pinkwashing-populism-gay-voters-embrace-french-far-121903968.html
N.J. labor union president steps down pending probe into missing cash
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 07, 2017 at 6:08 PM, updated April 07, 2017 at 8:32 PM
CWA Local 1039 President Lionel Leach stepped down Thursday union officials pursue an internal investigation into possible missing funds. (CWA 1039)
TRENTON — The president of a local chapter of the Communications Workers of America has stepped aside amid an investigation into the disappearance of money from the local’s coffers, a union representative confirmed Friday.
CWA spokesman Joshua Henne confirmed the local’s President Lionel Leach has stepped aside while the investigation continues.
“Recently, Executive Board members of CWA Local 1039 — one of CWA’s 30 local unions in New Jersey — notified the national union of allegations regarding the mismanagement of that local. CWA takes any allegation made by members very seriously,” Henne said in a statement.
3 Reasons Your Small Business Should Offer An Employee-Retirement Plan
April 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Small business owners probably think they have enough headaches already, what with meeting payroll, dealing with government regulations and pleasing customers.
Setting up a retirement plan for their employees is just extra red tape – and possibly expense – they can do without.
But creating such a plan is more doable than they may realize and even comes with benefits for the small business and its owner, says Andrew Denney, founder and CEO of Prosperity Financial Group (www.pfgmidwest.com).
“I’ve worked with some employee retirement plans where there was in excess of $500 million in the plan,” Denney says. “At the other end, I’ve seen businesses with as few as 10 employees set up a plan.”
Yet as a group, small businesses tend to forgo retirement plans.
For example, only 22 percent of workers at firms with fewer than 10 employees report having access to a workplace savings plan or pension, compared with 74 percent at firms with 500 or more, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts report.
Employee-sponsored 401(k) and IRA plans are among the more popular options for businesses that do offer a retirement benefit. Those savings plans allow the employees to deposit money routinely in the accounts with a deduction taken out of their paychecks.
Since these are tax-deferred retirement plans, the employees see a lower income-tax bill at the end of the year. Some employers also offer a company match, providing an even heftier balance to the accounts.
But employees aren’t the only ones who benefit. Denney says there’s also an upside for the small business owner, including:
• Employee recruiting and retention. Any business wants to hang onto good employees and offering a retirement plan helps do that. They’ll be happier knowing they’re more likely to have some financial security in retirement. A retirement benefit also serves as a recruiting tool. Imagine a job candidate who’s weighing similar offers from two businesses, but one has a retirement plan and the other doesn’t. “It separates you from the pack,” Denney says.
• A lower tax bill. The business potentially can reduce its tax burden because a company’s contributions to the retirement plan are tax deductible. In some cases, the businesses also may qualify for a tax credit to help offset the cost of starting the plan, according to the IRS.
• An opportunity to invest in your own retirement. Like their employees, small business owners may not want to work forever and need to set aside money for their own retirements. They’ll enjoy the same tax-deferred benefits the employees do as they build that nest egg.
“It’s worthwhile for a small business owner to investigate whether an employee retirement plan is more attainable than they might realize,” Denney says. “A financial professional with experience in setting up such plans can explain to them the advantages and disadvantages, and suggest which plan would work best for their situation.”
About Andrew Denney
Andrew Denney, founder and CEO of Prosperity Financial Group (www.pfgmidwest.com), has more than 13 years’ experience in the finance industry, where he advises clients in such areas as retirement planning, asset protection, estate planning and wealth management. Denney holds Series 7 and Series 66 securities registrations with LPL Financial, in addition to a life insurance license. He has a degree in finance from Missouri State University.
Securities offered through LPL Financial member FINRA and SIPC
Investment advisory services offered through Independent Financial Partners, a Registered Investment Adviser
Independent Financial Partners and LPL are separate entities
Innovate Or Perish: Businesses That Stand Still Stand To Lose
April 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It’s often said that all it takes to change a person’s life – or the life of a business – is one big idea.
While it’s true that many individuals and businesses have gone a long way on the strength of a lone idea, plenty of others prospered even further because they are constantly innovating – coming up with one good idea after another.
“Businesses usually start out with an innovative idea,” says Mayur Ramgir (www.mayurramgir.com), president and CEO of Zonopact, Inc. “But they soon lose that innovative edge as they just try to survive with their day-to-day operations.”
Ramgir has seen the problem often while working with the clients of Zonopact, which provides companies with software products that help them streamline their processes, carving out more time for innovation.
“It’s easy to lose sight of your vision, and the kind of innovative thinking that got you to where you are, when you become bogged down in solving each day’s problems,” he says.
So why it is important that companies keep innovating?
• Other companies can claim your market share. Apple has become a perfect example of what a gap in innovation can leave. There hasn’t been much game-changing innovation from Apple since it released the iPad in 2010, thus giving its competition time to make up the ground that separated them from the tech juggernaut. Whether it was the death of Steve Jobs or another factor, there is no doubt that the technology gap has narrowed.
• Failure to meet consumer demands could put a company out of business. It was the late 1980s; hair was big, neon was cool and there was a Blockbuster Video Store on every corner. Fast forward to 2017, where the hairstyles have flattened out and Blockbuster is nowhere to be found. At least neon has made a nice comeback! Blockbuster failed to meet the changing demands of consumers who were going to their local grocery store or pharmacy to rent a movie out of what looked like a vending machine. As a result, the one-time $5 billion company was liquidated and now lives with the VHS tapes that used to fill its shelves.
• Lack of product-storage innovation hurts supply volume. It seems as though we hear the same story every year around Christmas; there is a hot item that every child has to have. The only problem is that there aren’t enough of the toys to go around, leaving plenty of disappointed faces around the tree on Christmas morning. Companies that do not have an innovative supply plan run the risk of falling short on getting products to their customers. This lack of foresight could give those customers an opportunity to walk away and discover other items.
“My advice to businesses out there is don’t stop,” Ramgir says. “Keep innovating and keep moving forward.”
About Mayur Ramgir
Mayur Ramgir (www.mayurramgir.com) is an International award-winning author, speaker, innovator and entrepreneur. Educated at Georgia Tech, MIT, Oxford and the University of Sussex, he currently serves as the President and CEO of the Boston-based Zonopact, Inc. An advocate of innovation, Ramgir’s book, “Unbarred Innovation: A Pathway to Greatest Discoveries,” was published in 2016. The book takes readers on a journey of self discovery and helps them realize that they are more than the sum of their parts.
7 Differences Between Generation Z and Millennials As They Enter The Workforce
Employers Will Have To Adjust To New Generation
April 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, There’s a new generation in town and it’s one that employers better get ready for, because it’s 23 million strong and will be flooding the workforce by the end of the decade.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Generation Z; a confidence-filled group that doesn’t want to miss a thing, has the shortest attention span of any generation and isn’t quite as open as its predecessors – the millennials – from whom they learned that not everything needs to be shared online.
“If you try to treat those in Generation Z (born in the mid to late ‘90s, mostly to Generation X parents) like you treated Millennials (born in the early ‘80s to mid ‘90s, mostly to Baby Boomer parents), it will backfire on you,” says Matt Stewart, co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com). “This generation is unique. And now they are starting to enter the workforce.”
Thanks to his role at College Works Painting, which offers internships that help undergraduate students gain real-life business management experience, Stewart has gained a first-hand look at both the Millennials and Generation Z. And there certainly are differences between the two:
• According to best selling author and generations expert David Stillman, you won’t find those in Generation Z frequenting Facebook or Twitter as much as their predecessors. Keenly aware of software monitoring, they are more likely to share their worlds on apps such as Snapchat or Instagram. Often dubbed Digital Natives, Millennials are much more likely to share their lives in the open on platforms such as Facebook.
• Being culturally connected is more important to those in Generation Z than to Millennials, with many more Gen Zers suffering from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) than Millennials.
• Stewart doesn’t see this as a hard and fast rule and says the experience Generation Z employees have at College Works Painting – and the impact they pride themselves on having – is much the opposite of FOMO. An example that Stewart says other companies can follow.
• Those in Generation Z have grown up with smart phones, tablets, 3-D, 4-D and 360-degree photography just to name a few of their norms. According to Stillman, keeping the attention of a Gen Zer is harder than ever. Their average attention span is eight seconds, compared to the 12-second attention span of Millennials.
• Millennials are driven to succeed by helicopter parents who watch their every move, while Generation Z finds encouragement from parents who encourage independent thinking, want them to achieve on their own and are fed up with not receiving equal pay for equal success at work.
• According to Forbes, social entrepreneurship is important to Generation Z, a group that is driven to volunteer and choose a career in which they can make a difference. On the other hand, there are those who hope the Millennials will become more civic-minded as they grow older, but it’s something that hasn’t been witnessed as of yet.
• Generation Z children were raised in classrooms that focused on diversity and collaboration. Despite this fact, they tend to be more private than Millennials, perhaps as a result of seeing many of the downfalls of previous generations in the Great Recession.
• Because those who are part of Generation Z feel pressure to gain corporate experience early, they are competing with Millennials who are more likely to wait to gain that same type of experience. The good news for Millennials, who are more likely to chase jobs in the corporate world, is that 72 percent of those in Generation Z wish to take what they learn and apply it to their own business, versus 64 percent of Millennials who have the same goal.
About Matt Stewart
Matt Stewart is co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com), which provides real-world business experience for thousands of college students each year. The award-winning program also offers high-quality house-painting services for homeowners.
Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino, brother face new tax evasion charges
By Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 07, 2017 at 3:36 PM, updated April 07, 2017 at 7:18 PM
NEWARK — Reality TV star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and his brother, Marc Sorrentino, were slammed with new charges on Friday including tax evasion and falsifying records, authorities said.
Michael Sorrentino, a breakout star of the MTV hit series “Jersey Shore,” is charged with tax evasion and making multiple cash deposits to evade reporting requirements. His brother, Marc Sorrentino, is charged with falsifying records to obstruct a grand jury investigation, U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg said.
The charges are in addition to a September 2014 indictment, in which the Sorrentino brothers were charged for tax offenses and conspiring to defraud the U.S. They both previously pleaded not guilty.
N.J. immigration attorney charged with visa fraud, identity theft
By Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 07, 2017 at 2:45 PM, updated April 07, 2017 at 2:46 PM
An immigration attorney from New Jersey has been charged with visa fraud for submitting more than 150 phony forms on behalf of his clients in an effort to grant them an exception to stay in the country, authorities said.
Charles J. Lore, 43, of Denville, drafted the fraudulent I-129 forms in connection with applications for temporary non-immigrant worker visas, known as O-1 visas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a news release.
