the Left’s perspective seems warped by cognitive dissonance. Trump’s task is herculean. The world’s biggest stable is filled to the rim with horse dung and someone, presumably not you, needs to do something about it. Emotions are important but at some point they need to be put to the side in favor of effective action. Your mileage may vary, but you might want to cut Trump a little slack and not try to drag him down to your level. Detraction is a sin we should all work to avoid, particularly when it is directed toward political leaders like Trump who are so clearly working in good faith toward the improvement and betterment of our nation.
Just look what Trump accomplished, against all odds? Why? Because people are desperate for some common sense which we can’t get from the today”s politicians. Securing our borders; better vetting for refugees and people from terror grown countries; a focus of jobs; deregulating finance/EPA and repairing our infrastructure are all good, common sense things our country is in desperate need of. Where was the outrage when Obama made policy changes that affect Cubans? Is the left anti-Cuban? The left look like idiots fighting and protesting to make it easier for terrorists and illegals to come to our country. So stupid. Why aren’t the majority Muslim countries taken in all these refugees but only majority Christian countries are, tell me why?
“Guys. To my knowledge there have been 4 reported burglaries in our neighborhood the past 2 weeks. A couple were on spring and 1 today on John st. The pattern is mid day breaking glass to enter homes. Heard it’s a white male in a hoodie. We should encourage everyone to take the necessary precautions – hide jewelry, valuables, etc. Set your home alarms and lock doors.
As a member of the safety patrol, BE SAFE!”
Anyone have any further info about this. I see nothing in the town blog, Patch, etc. and I suspect this would be bigger news than busting a couple of unauthorized candy sellers in town — from which some would extrapolate a budding crime wave.
They should be paying for these services but they don’t. The Village Council should be challenging Valley’s “not-for-profit” status in court based on the Morristown precedent but they do nothing. We’re literally leaving millions of dollars of payments in lieu of taxes from Valley on the table as a result. Taxpayers should be sickened by this inability to protect Ridgewood tax payer interests but no one seems to care.
Over the past year, we have all become aware of an increase in vocalized negative rhetoric concerning immigrants and foreign-born visitors to the United States. This problematic discourse has led to a corresponding buildup of concern and uncertainty for many, including for some of our own Village students and their families.
I feel that it may be helpful to remind everyone that our Ridgewood schools welcome and embrace children from all over the world, who by federal, state and local law are guaranteed equal access to an education. Our student database shows that we are truly a “melting pot,” with children from the following countries:
Albania Egypt Lebanon South Africa Australia El Salvador Malaysia Spain Bahrain Ethiopia Mexico Sri Lanka Bangladesh France Monaco Sweden Belarus Germany Netherlands Switzerland Belgium Guatemala Northern Mariana Islands Syrian Arab Republic Bermuda Honduras Pakistan Taiwan Bolivia Hong Kong Panama Turkey Brazil India Peru Ukraine Bulgaria Iran Philippines United Arab Emirates Canada Ireland Poland United Kingdom China Israel Puerto Rico United States Costa Rica Italy Romania Uruguay Czech Republic Japan Russian Federation Uzbekistan Denmark Kazakhastan Saudi Arabia Venezuela Dominican Republic Korea Singapore Vietnam
Far beyond our legal and moral responsibilities for educating all children, the Ridgewood Public Schools have a long and proud history of incorporating and celebrating the diverse cultures of our student body into our regular curricular programming. From the annual Asian Festival held at Ridgewood High School each spring, to the International clubs at the middle school level, and down to International Day at our elementary schools, we affirm our respect and admiration for other nationalities in large ways. We are fortunate to have numerous families and community members from other countries who are willing and eager to share their traditions and we are enriched by the numerous opportunities they give us to learn firsthand about other cultures and beliefs.
Through these opportunities, we are also able to teach our children about tolerance and respect for the dignity of every being. Of course, as we are all prone to making mistakes on occasion, we also have a longstanding official policy of zero-tolerance for prejudice and disrespect that is strictly enforced if the need arises.
In sum, long before the recent uptick in negative rhetoric on immigration issues, inclusivity has been a top priority in the administration of our schools. We have worked hard to be inclusive and we will always continue to work even harder to make all students and their families feel welcome and valued in the Ridgewood Public Schools.
I conclude with the meaningful words found at the base of the Statue of Liberty, that wonderful symbol of welcome to visitors and immigrants from afar:
The New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! Emma Lazarus (November 2, 1883)
If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s principal or me.
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish11:38 p.m. ET Feb. 3, 2017
RIDGEWOOD — With the growth of online retailing, suburban downtowns have undergone a shift toward more service-based businesses. And with that shift has come a greater demand for parking.
Ridgewood is grappling with that need. Recognizing that changing times call for changing parking strategies, officials are taking a look at the village code.
By Thomas Moriarty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 03, 2017 at 4:58 PM, updated February 03, 2017 at 5:58 PM
NEW YORK — A Morris County man was arrested by federal agents Friday morning in connection with allegations he stole more than $5 million from clients of his wealth management practice.
Barry Connell, of Chester, was expected to appear Friday afternoon in Manhattan federal court on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
Federal prosecutors said Connell, 50, had been arrested that morning in Henderson, Nevada on a criminal complaint filed by the FBI.
Yahoo Finance reported Connell had worked in the Ridgewood office of Morgan Stanley, which fired him November 2016.
People can blame the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for many things, but President Donald Trump’s executive order banning refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority nations is not one of them.
On Wednesday, Democratic legislators from New Jersey and New York, with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop, announced bistate legislation that would prevent the Port Authority from using its resources to uphold the president’s executive order. This was shameless grandstanding.
Ridgewood NJ, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean called on New Jersey Senate Democrats to spend less time criticizing Washington and more time working to fix problems here in New Jersey:
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean called on Senate Democrats to stop working for headlines and start working for New Jersey. (SenateNJ.com)
“With Senate Democrats so focused on federal affairs in Washington, they’ve ignored work on reforms they have the power to advance in Trenton that could have a real impact on the lives of every New Jerseyan.
“They’ve planned votes to express opposition, but they haven’t planned any votes on cutting property taxes, nor have they planned votes on creating opportunities for students and job seekers, or on ethics reforms that would help to rebuild trust in our government institutions.
“Rather than work for headlines, Senate Democrats should start working for New Jersey.”
HOUSE GOP’S CORPORATE TAX SCHEME HAS ITS REPUBLICAN SKEPTICS
BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans face opposition to their plan to overhaul the way corporations pay federal taxes from a powerful group of lawmakers – other Republicans.
“I’m not very enthused about it,” said Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the chairman of the Finance Committee and the Senate’s top tax writer.
Another skeptic is John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate.
“The question is, who is going to pay the tax?” Cornyn asked. “Is it going to be our citizens?”
Seeking to overhaul the tax code for the first time in 30 years, the House GOP plan would scrap the 35 percent tax on corporate profits, which is riddled with exemptions, deductions and credits. It would be replaced with something called a “border adjustment tax.”
The half-built American Dream mall in New Jersey’s Meadowlands has yet again missed a target date to secure construction financing, raising fresh questions about the developer’s ability to complete the project.
On December 8th, developer Don Ghermezian told WNYC all the money is teed up — nearly $2.7 billion dollars to complete work on the 90-acre mall near Met Life Stadium. The money is to be raised through tax-free municipal bonds and through private borrowing.
“I anticipate that prior to the Christmas holiday the public will know fully about the commitment on the financing,” Ghermezian said.
But Christmas came and went. Then a company spokesman said early January was more likely. Now it’s February, and there’s still no news of how the Ghermezians’ company, Triple Five, will pay to make a retail and entertainment pleasure dome out of the eyesore on state-owned land next to the New Jersey Turnpike.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Arts Foundation Honors were held on Sunday, January 29, 2017, 4-6pm, at Fish Restaurant in Ridgewood. Honorees for this inaugural event are Parlance Chamber Concerts and Art of Motion, two iconic Ridgewood performing arts organizations.
The event was hosted by former deputy mayor Albert Pucciarelli, now president of the Ridgewood Arts Foundation. Pucciarelli opened the evening by acknowledging those in attendance, including members of the Board of Education, council members and you guessed it former mayor Paul Aronsohn.
The Ridgewood Arts Foundation, a public charitable 501(c)(3) foundation, was created to provide funding for the many worthy artistic endeavors within our village, to encourage the further development of the arts in our community, and to establish a scholarship fund for art students from Ridgewood.
President Trump’s Action to Delay Harmful Fiduciary Rule
February 04,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
WASHINGTON DC, Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Ann Wagner (R-MO), who were with President Trump today at the White House, made the following comments regarding the President’s executive action on the Obama Administration’s harmful fiduciary rule:
Chairman Hensarling: “I was proud to stand next to President Trump in the Oval Office today as he signed two important executive actions that represent the beginning of the end of the Dodd-Frank mistake and the start of a new day that will bring more freedom and economic opportunity to all Americans.
“No unaccountable Washington bureaucrats should get in the way of hardworking Americans and their ability to make financial decisions that work best for their families. Republicans want to empower Americans to make their own financial decisions, but the Obama administration’s so-called fiduciary rule instead empowered unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats. That means costs will go up and choices will go down – just like with Obamacare. Republicans believe if you like your retirement planner, you should be able to keep your retirement planner. If you like your financial adviser, you should be able to keep your financial adviser.
Chairman Wagner: “Today is a great day for low- and middle-income American families. I applaud President Trump’s executive order to delay the Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, listening to the concerns of everyday Americans and protecting their ability to access retirement investment advice. This delay will allow the Administration to potentially repeal the rule entirely, and within this time, I will continue working toward a permanent solution in Congress through legislation to help preserve investment choice, access and affordability while ensuring all families are receiving investment advice that is truly in their best interest.”
“We are seen as a town of soft targets.” Not sure what this means or how you arrive at this conclusion.
Ridgewood’s crime rate (measured in instances per 1000 of population) is historically low (9.3/1000) as compared to neighbors like Paramus (52/1000) or Paterson (39/1000). On a national basis, Ridgewood is in the top 17% of the safest (read: low crime) communities.
Are you implying that suburban privilege is inversely proportional to urban street smarts — giving Ridgewoodians only an illusion of safety — when in fact — we are easy pickings — or “soft” because our average income ranks 37th out of 702 municipalities — according to the 2010 census — and rich folks are easy pickings for criminals? It seems logical that a “good” criminal would want to steal from rich folks, but the opposite is overwhelmingly true. Nationwide, the poor living in poor communities are the most frequent victims of crime hence, considerably more “soft” than we are in this town.
I’m no fan of parking garages, and such structures do bring with them a degree of urban blight and perhaps a bit more property crime — mostly because they afford bad guys a convenient place to hide and steal cars and stuff from cars — which accounts for much of the Paramus spike. But by any reasonable measure, Ridgewood remains among the most crime free towns in the County, the State and the Nation — garage or no garage.
Ridgewood NJ, according to Ridgewood Police,on January 25, a Tappan, N.Y. resident reported a burglary and theft from a motor vehicle while it was parked at 44 Godwin Avenue. The victim reported that when she return to her vehicle she discovered an unknown actor shattered the window and removed a Lenovo laptop computer valued at $500. The Ridgewood Detective Bureau is investigating the incident.
The PD also reported on January 28, patrol units responded to Liberty Street on a report of a burglary and theft from the residence. Upon arrival the victim reported discovering the home disheveled and property missing. Det. Peter Youngberg responded to the scene to further investigate the incident as well as the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Unit. The scene was processed and it was discovered forced entry was made through a locked window and an unknown amount of jewelry, handbags and other property was removed at this time.
