Customers to benefit from lower energy and capacity prices
February 10,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) today said that residential electric bills will drop 2.6 percent on June 1 as a result of the recent Basic Generation Service supply auction, approved today by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
The monthly bill for a PSE&G residential customer who uses the statewide average of 650 kilowatt-hours per month will be $112.62, or $3 less per month on June 1 than today. Last year, this same customer paid $116.08 per month.
“We commend the Board of Public Utilities for once again approving this efficient and competitive way to secure electricity on behalf of our customers,” said Jorge Cardenas, PSE&G vice president of asset management and centralized services. “Our customers are benefitting from the lower costs of energy and capacity, even as PSE&G is upgrading its transmission and distribution systems to maintain reliability.”
In addition to lower electric bills, most PSE&G customers also receive gas service and are benefitting from lower gas bills this winter. PSE&G lowered the price of residential gas supply on October 1, 2016 to 34 cents per therm — its lowest rate in 16 years.
The utility is also providing bill credits to residential gas customers for usage from January to February 2017 – saving the typical residential gas customer $25 during the two-month period.
NJ Transit is trash. Have a polling of people who traveled yesterday and I don’t think they get a passing grade. It wasn’t even a major storm and they consider it a success doing their job.
Since fare was raised more than 1 yr ago things have been going downhill. To pay more than $300 for such crappy service is a robbery. They raised fees, eliminated trains at rush hour, shortened number of cars and now you have overcrowded trains where you have to push in order to get a seat. Add to it daily morning delays from Secaucus to NY and you have a garbage service. As long as no one complains loudly we will keep getting screwed.
Ridgewood NJ, All Village offices will be closed on February 13, 2017, in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday and on February 20, 2017, in observance of Presidents’ Day. There will be no garbage or recycling pickups on these days and the Recycling Center will also be closed. All Village offices will open the day after these holidays, at 8:30 a.m.
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 died April 15, 1865. Abraham Lincoln was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865.Republican Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.
Ridgewood NJ, One (1) summons was issued in connection with a two (2) vehicle crash at the intersection of Greenway Road and Highland Avenue in Ridgewood on Friday afternoon, 02/10. Ridgewood firefighters used the “Jaws of Life” to free a passenger from a Nissan that was broadsided by a Jeep. Both occupants of the Nissan were transported by separate ambulances to a local hospital for treatment. Ridgewood PD was assisted by Glen Rock PD at the scene. Ridgewood FD and EMS personnel were also put into service, as was a paramedic team from The Valley Hospital. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and removed by a tow truck. Interestingly, the only 911 call reporting the accident was received from an occupant of the Nissan. No one in the neighborhood where the accident occurred called the police to report it, nor did the driver of the Jeep. Go figure.
Fair lawn NJ, Only minor injuries were reported following a crash in which a small school bus hit the concrete center divider of Route 4 eastbound near Saddle River Road in Fair Lawn on Friday morning, 02/10. The damaged bus wound up on the highway’s left shoulder, facing the opposite direction; it was removed from the scene by a hydraulic lift tow truck. A portion of the concrete divider was pushed into the left westbound travel lane, which was closed until a front end loader was able to remove it from the highway. Fair Lawn PD was assisted by a unit from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division and Paramus PD. An ambulance from Hackensack University Medical Center also responded, as did a NJDOT crew. Traffic through the area was slowed throughout the emergency response period.
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_KrulishPublished 5:45 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2017 | Updated 6:18 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2017
As the battle over affordable housing continues across New Jersey, the Ridgewood Planning Board heard more testimony from professionals about a development slated for the former Brogan Cadillac site on South Broad Street.
The board has four different applications pending for multifamily housing proposals in parts of downtown that were rezoned last year. The Dayton, subject of Tuesday’s hearing, is a luxury apartment project with 93 units proposed – including 15 percent set aside for affordable housing as required by ordinance.
Allison Pries , Staff Writer, @allisonpriesPublished 12:47 p.m. ET Feb. 10, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago
A former Glen Rock police officer who is serving prison time for sexting teenage girls and pawning guns is suing the borough for payment for unused sick and vacation time.
Eric Reamy, 52, pleaded guilty to a second-degree count of endangering the welfare of a child and a third-degree count of failure to make the required disposition of property in March and was sentenced in September to three years in prison. The original charges could have sent him to prison for 15 years.
When President Donald Trump took office, repeal of Obamacare seemed like a guarantee—and then the timeline started slipping.
All the elements are in place: A Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican president, all elected after promising to repeal Obamacare. But once the celebration and ceremonies died away, Congress started to do what it does best. Nothing.
“Nothing” may be a bit strong given the historic levels of obstruction from Democrats in the Senate, but House Republicans have no such excuse. In fact, they even have a blueprint.
Last year, the House and Senate passed an Obamacare repeal using the budget reconciliation process. That measure was ultimately vetoed by then-President Barack Obama, but that same legislation can be reintroduced and sent to Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
There is no reason to delay. The slipping of the Obamacare repeal timeline is creating cascading problems for the American people.
Delaying Repeal Prolongs the Current Health Care Crisis
No one needs reminding that Obamacare takes away choice, erodes the value of health care, and puts additional burden on the pockets of the American taxpayer. The unsustainable nature of Obamacare is creating massive uncertainty and causing insurers to leave the marketplace, causing individual premiums to increase.
Additionally, once repeal is signed into law and real health care reforms begin moving forward, private insurers will need time to adjust to the new market. Continuing to delay repeal shortens the time insurers will be able to adjust and provide the best solution for the insured.
Most importantly, we don’t want Americans living under the current failing health care system any longer.
Obamacare is bad, and only getting worse. Average premiums are going up by 25 percent this year, deductibles are blowing past $10,000 for a family, and 70 percent of U.S. counties have no insurer choice, or a choice between only two insurers.
What good is a health care plan that you can’t choose and can’t afford to use? Congress must repeal it as soon as possible to put better health care choices back in the hands of the American people.
Delaying Repeal Hurts Public Support for Congress
Nearly every single congressional Republican campaigned on the promise to repeal Obamacare. The unfortunate consequence of the delay is that the American people are losing faith in the people whose job it is to represent them.
Recent Heritage Foundation research shows 72 percent of Americans will take the promises of Congress less seriously if they wait to fulfill their promise to repeal Obamacare. And 70 percent of Americans believe the longer Congress waits to fulfill their promises to repeal Obamacare, the less likely they will be successful.
There is no doubt that lawmakers will be held accountable to their promises.
Delaying Repeal Keeps the Focus Off Other Priorities
The surest way to repeal Obamacare is through the reconciliation process. However, that option has an expiration date. The reconciliation package is part of the budget process for fiscal year 2017 and it has to be completed before the fiscal year 2018 budget process begins.
In addition to creating a time crunch, the fight over when and how to repeal Obamacare is delaying action on other critical fights.
There is no doubt that Obamacare repeal is and should be the first priority, but Trump and congressional Republicans have made major promises to Americans that must also be considered.
Tax reform. Border security. Regulatory reform. Those priorities cannot move forward until Obamacare repeal is finalized.
What’s Next?
Republicans campaigned on repealing Obamacare in 2010, 2014, and 2016. Now it is time to step up to the plate and use the budget reconciliation process to deliver on those promises.
Congress needs to send a full repeal of Obamacare to the president for his signature. Americans cannot afford any further delays.
Ridgewood NJ, Join us on Monday, February 13th for REALITY CHECK: THE NEW SOCIAL NORMS AT RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL Presented by Dr. Tim Silvestri Dr. Tim Silvestri, Professor of Social Science at Lafayette University, will address the results of last year’s social norms survey at RHS and the topic of teenage stress with the goal of helping high school and middle school parents better understand the reality of their students’ experiences while giving them tools on how to approach discussion of these topics at home.
Ridgewood NJ, It is clear to everyone that a red rose means love, and every year, an estimated 224 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day alone, which makes up more than 50 percent of the flowers given each year.
While roses are always nice, Ebates just released a new infographic about The Best Flowers to Buy for Valentine’s Day infographic, and gives insight for those looking for a unique flower giving experience but don’t know the meaning, lifespan or prices of certain flowers.
Which flowers made the infographic?
Lilies: Passion & Fertility: $5-$10 per stem; Lifespan: 2-3 weeks
Gardenias: Secret Love: $8—$10 per stem; Lifespan: 1 week
Orchids: Deserving a Rich Escape: $10— $30 per stem; Lifespan: 1—2 weeks
Succulents: Self-cared for the busy worker: $5—$10 per stem; Lifespan: A few years
Carnations: Mother’s love: $5 per stem; Lifespan: 2—3 weeks
French Tulips: Fresh beginnings: $5—$10 per stem; Lifespan: Up to 10 Days
SunFlowers: Summer Love: $5 per stem; Lifespan: 5 to 12 Days
Purple Irises: Royalty: $5—$100 per stem
Tea Roses: Traditional Love: $10—$13per stem; Lifespan: 1 to 2 Weeks
New Jersey was among the states with the highest levels of Medicare billing errors in 2015, though mistakes were actually at their lowest level in four years, according to government data and an analysis by a group representing the auditors.
The mistakes were made by providers such as hospitals, not the state. They weren’t fraud, said Council for Medicare Integrity spokesperson Kristin Walter – but at $22.6 million in overpayments take a toll on the program’s long-term viability, she said.
It amounted to $18.09 for each of the roughly 1.25 million Medicare beneficiaries in New Jersey, which was fourth highest among the states.
“Anything from billing a surgery twice to billing a higher paying billing rate within Medicare for a particular service, to just very simple typographical errors that cause something to be billed to the wrong place or not shown to have sufficient documentation,” Walter said.
At 9.1 percent, New Jersey’s default rate is 11th in the country, particularly good news given that students tend to carry a heavy debt burden.
Students from New Jersey’s colleges and trade schools default on their federal loans at a relatively low rate overall, although the proportion of defaults exceeds the national average at four of 10 schools.
This news comes as a package of bills designed to help New Jersey students — particularly those who borrowed through the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority — deal with loan repayment problems and the high cost of college in general awaits further action in the Legislature.
Data from the website Student Loan Report put the state’s default rate at nearly 9.1 percent, the 11th lowest in the nation for borrowers who had to begin repayment in the 2013 fiscal year, the most recent year for which data is available because the U.S. Department of Education uses a three-year period to define defaults. Of nearly 90,000 students who borrowed money while at a New Jersey school, 8,153 were in default, defined as nine months of nonpayment.
The national default rate was 11.3 percent, a drop from 11.8 percent the previous year and the third year in a row of declines, from 14.7 percent in 2010. Nationally, more than 5.2 million borrowers entered repayment status in 2013 and nearly 600,000 of them have defaulted.
One reason for the state’s relatively low default rate could be that many students take out New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students loans through HESAA. According to the authority’s 2015 annual report, it distributed more than $163 million for 10,686 students in and out of state that fiscal year. According to the Institute for College Access and Success, New Jersey is one of three states — the others are Texas and Minnesota — with significant state student loan programs.
Ridgewood NJ, While Valentine’s Day is the second biggest spending holiday for Americans, Kings Food Markets, your local food market, wants to remind you that you don’t have to make reservations to make dinner special.
This Valentine’s Day make sure February 14 is the best date ever – literally. From romantic dinners with your loved one to upbeat girls’ nights filled with drinks and apps, Kings has everything you need, no matter who you’re celebrating with. Here are some of our top Valentine’s Day recipes, Chef Prepared foods and Cooking Studio classes:
o Made fresh, in-stores daily. Chocolate covered strawberries are a must for any Valentine’s Day soiree.
Valentine Romance– Cooking Studio Class
o Chef Theresa leads the interactive class on how to make Shellfish Risotto in a Lobster Brodetto, Chocolate Soufflés with Raspberry Sauce and many more lovely treats.
Be My Valentine– Cooking Studio
o Legendary Chef Diana Albanese takes you to a refreshing place with Sautéed Shrimp with Shiitake Mushrooms, Raspberry Chocolate Crème Brule and much more.
Romantic Valentine– Cooking Studio
o Did you ever wonder how to make the perfect Chocolate Soufflés with Raspberry Sauce? Well now you can! The perfect date night activity.
o Family movie night? Don’t forget the iconic, wholesome and convenient snack, which also happens to be certified organic.
Valentine’s Day with Mom or Dad – Cooking Studio Class
o The teens take over the kitchen (with mom and dad’s supervision of course). All the classics are taught including Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Chocolate Pudding with Freshly Whipped Cream.
Chocolate Extravaganza for Valentine’s Day– Cooking Studio Class
o Chocolate isn’t just served in cute boxes. This class teaches the ins and outs of making chocolate so that you can have some fun and impress your co-workers on Monday.
Are you hosting a larger Valentine’s Day gathering? Kings Catering has everything you need from comforting apps, delicious entrees and sweet treats. Give our courteous experts a ring and we’ll be there for you.
Paramus NJ, Paramus FD units battled a smokey blaze in a single family home located at 734 Gerald Street on Wednesday morning, 02/08. Hazardous materials were reportedly being stored in the attached garage of the structure. Paramus PD, EMS, and Rescue Squad personnel were also dispatched to the scene. Members of the Oradell FD’s truck company were also observed operating at the scene.
