Ridgewood NJ, Eleven RHS band students have been selected to perform in the 2017 All Bergen County Band. More than 300 students auditioned yesterday for 85 positions. Congratulations to: Katlyn Tagliabue, principal bassoon* (10); Joshua (Jaehyeok) Yang, clarinet (11); Tony (Jongyun) An, clarinet (9); Colleen Duffy, clarinet (12); Kieran Corcoran, tenor saxophone (9); Chris Morse, principal baritone saxophone* (10); Jonathan Negron, trumpet (11); Teddy Trent, trumpet (12); Stefanie Haas, trombone (9); and Ethan Glenning, principal euphonium* (12).The All County Band will perform in January.
In addition, two students have been selected to perform in All Eastern ensembles that will perform in April. These students have been recognized as among the top performers on their instrument for the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. Congratulations to: Maxwell Caine, guitar (All Eastern Jazz Ensemble) (12); and the other student, an oboe player (11), whose name is withheld pending media permission.
MILAN (AP) — Italians vote Sunday in a referendum on constitutional reforms that is being closely watched abroad to see if Italy becomes the next country to reject the political status quo.
Premier Matteo Renzi has said he will resign if the reforms are rejected, and opposition politicians have vowed to press for a new government if voters reject the proposed constitutional changes.
The premier made no comment as he voted in Pontassieve, a Tuscan town east of Florence, along with his wife, Agnese Landini. He is expected to return to Rome later this afternoon to watch the outcome of the vote.
The risk of political instability in Italy, Europe’s fourth largest economy, has triggered market reaction before the vote, with bank stocks sinking and the borrowing costs on sovereign debt rising.
New Delhi (AFP) – Britain’s former premier said Saturday the election of France’s Marine Le Pen would be a “big body blow” for Europe, saying he hoped for the victory of a mainstream party.
David Cameron said the recent rise of “anti-system, populist” and “quite extreme political parties” in western Europe did not mark the end of globalisation, but warned of the immediate need to make a “major course correction” to address related economic and cultural challenges.
“If France were to elect Marine Le Pen, that would be obviously a very big body blow for the European project,” he said at a Hindustan Times organised conference in New Delhi, hoping for a victory of “a mainstream party that can unite people behind their candidacy”.
He said the demand for and benefit of free trade, travel, specialisation, technology, innovation were not going away.
“But we do need to understand very profoundly the things that have happened, that have caused the events you have seen in Europe and the wider world in the last one year,” he added.
Cameron resigned as prime minister in June after he — a supporter and campaigner for Britain to remain in the European Union — lost a high-stakes national referendum on the very issue.
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 03, 2016 at 12:24 PM
Mohammad Qatanani, Imam at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, will face deportation charges next week, a report says.File Photo
PATERSON — A prominent Muslim cleric will once again face deportation charges, eight years after the U.S. government tried to expel him over alleged terrorist ties, according to a report.
Christie: Hamas-Linked Mosque “Not Radical Jihadists”
Posted on February 5, 2016
Clarion Project, by Ryan Mauro, Feb. 4, 2016:
GOP presidential candidate New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is still praising a Hamas-linked mosque in his state, saying, “The folks in the local mosque in Paterson, the ones I interact with, they are not radical Islamic jihadists.” He is referring to the Islamic Center of Passaic County—and he’s praised its imam for years even though the Department of Homeland Security is seeking his deportation for his links to Hamas.
You can read our profile of the mosque and its leadership, including Imam Mohammad Qatanani, here.
He was arrested and convicted by Israel for his links to Hamas and then went to NJ to help lead a mosque founded and led by Mohammed El-Mezain, a Hamas operative sentenced to 15 years in prison for financing the terrorist group. El-Mezain was also the chairman of the Holy Land Foundation, which was shut down for being a Muslim Brothehood/Hamas front.
Amid the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in the stock, bond, and commodity markets this week, a few ‘rotten’ things began to emerge. With major indices diverging notably, new highs and new lows soaring, and breadth deteriorating, analysts noted the re-awakening of The Hindenburg Omen signal…
As John Hussman previously wrote, when we think of market “internals,” the number of new highs and new lows can contribute useful information. To expand on the vocabulary we use to talk about internals, “leadership” typically refers to the number of stocks achieving new highs and new lows; “breadth” typically refers to the number of stocks advancing versus declining in a given day or week; and “participation” typically refers to the percentage of stocks that are advancing or declining in tandem with the major indices.
The original basis for the Hindenburg signal traces back to the “high-low logic index” that Norm Fosback created in the 1970’s. Jim Miekka introduced the Hindenburg as a daily rather than weekly measure, Kennedy Gammage gave it the ominous name, and Peter Eliades later added several criteria to reduce the noise of one-off signals, requiring additional confirmation that amounts to a requirement that more than one signal must emerge in the context of an advancing market with weakening breadth.
And this week saw renowned technician Tom McClellan declare a Hindenburg Omen had struck…
Ridgewood NJ, It is with great pleasure that the Ridgewood High School Alumni Association announces the launch of our Commemorative Brick Campaign. This effort is the first of several exciting initiatives we are working on to honor and celebrate 125 years of academics, athletics and the arts at RHS.
Ridgewood High School is built on a tradition of excellence. You can continue to support and inspire students by purchasing your own brick paver today. Commemorate an event, reunion or significant milestone by purchasing a brick. You can memorialize a treasured individual or simply declare your love of RHS through this program. These bricks will line the walkways of our campus and honor the past and the future of RHS.
Please help us spread the word through our RHS community by forwarding this note to other alumni whether classmates, siblings, parents, teachers or friends.
Or ask them to register themselves at rhsalumniassociation.org as we always love to connect with alumni.
This is a wonderful opportunity for alumni and the community to be a part of RHS history and to leave their lasting mark. Hopefully you can come see your brick in person in the fall of 2017 when they are installed. We look forward to celebrating this important anniversary year with all of you.
Ridgewood NJ, While the media said that the mosquito-borne Zika virus is likely causing microcephaly as well as dozens of other illnesses. They also claimed that insecticides were not related to the development disorder. They seem to have been wrong on both cases.
Since December 2015 U.S. media ran a panic campaign around the Zika virus. That virus was said to cause many bad things including microcephaly, a development distortion of the head of unborn babies if the mother was infected with Zika during pregnancy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently downgraded its assessment of the risks posed by Zika now that so many knowledgeable scientists are concluding that it doesn’t, and never did, cause microcephaly. The Ridgewood blog readership was quick to be skeptical and predicted this outcome from the beginning.
Brazil Admits Zika Doesn’t Cause Microcephaly
I hate to mention the dreaded “Z-word” after all my railing against fearmongering, but I can’t let this pass without comment. Because once again we’re being lied to. Once again some very important information is being glossed over. Once again, the American media just isn’t reporting the facts because they don’t align with what CDC and the WHO want us to believe. So no matter how much I hate to bring it up, we need to talk about Zika yet again.
What I’m going to tell you today isn’t going to make it to the mainstream news. The Zika industry is well and truly established, with toxic chemicals being sprayed across the south, a vaccine “trial” underway, and genetically modified mosquitos on the loose. There’s probably no stopping this train now. Too much money is already being made by way too many people. So any evidence that conflicts with the “official” story will be suppressed. Any resistance to the “solution” from here on out is likely to be met with draconian “public health” measures.
Late in 2006, the CEO and co-founder of FieldTurf — the leading maker of artificial sports fields — urgently emailed a supplier about a new turf being marketed and sold to the public as the best money could buy.
The issue was so pressing, some of the messages went out on New Year’s Eve.
The subject was so troubling, it could cripple both companies.
And the problem was so basic, anyone could understand it: Fields were falling apart before they should.
Ten months later, FieldTurf executives flew to New Jersey to check out the product, known as Duraspine, in one of their most lucrative markets. They discovered more trouble. The turf was breaking apart and lying flat, undermining their own breathless marketing materials that heralded its revolutionary durability.
The stakes couldn’t have been higher. Sales to schools and towns across the country were skyrocketing, and the company was turning big profits off taxpayers. A problem this significant, if people knew, could cost tens of millions in warranty claims and ruin its prized reputation for quality.
So FieldTurf powered on, full steam ahead, keeping customers in the dark even as the Great Recession was forcing communities to cut school programs and lay off teachers and police officers.
All told, from 2005 until Duraspine was discontinued in 2012, records show FieldTurf sold 1,428 of the fields throughout the U.S. — including 164 in New Jersey — for an estimated $570 million in revenue.
photo and video courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page
December 4,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,Ridgewood FD personnel from Engine Company #35, “C Shift” transported Santa Claus into the Village on top of a fire truck on Saturday morning, 12/03 and took time out for a photo op inside the Columbia Bank on South Broad Street.
When I called my father back home in Oregon on a recent Sunday, he rattled off his thoughts about the election, the health of his two dogs and queries about holiday plans. But, as the child of a sports-loving house (Go, Ducks!), I was most surprised by what my dad wasn’t talking about on Sunday — football.
He’s not alone in his waning interest. This season, ratings for professional football are down 27 percent across all of the major networks: ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS, according Forbes. The decline in the ratings underscores a bigger truth that no one wants to face: Nothing lasts forever. And that includes the popularity of professional football, which now may be experiencing the slow, inevitable crumble of a Roman-style empire.
Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Steven Mnuchin as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury, Wilbur Ross as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and Todd Ricketts as Deputy Secretary of Commerce. This team will be instrumental in implementing the President-elect’s America First economic plan that will create more than 25 million jobs over the next decade.
Mr. Mnuchin has decades of financial management experience including serving as Chief Information Officer at Goldman Sachs as well as finance director for President-elect Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Steve Mnuchin is a world-class financier, banker and businessman, and has played a key role in developing our plan to build a dynamic, booming economy that will create millions of jobs,” said President-elect Trump. “His expertise and pro-growth ideas make him the ideal candidate to serve as Secretary of the Treasury. He purchased IndyMac Bank for $1.6 billion and ran it very professionally, selling it for $3.4 billion plus a return of capital. That’s the kind of people I want in my administration representing our country.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve our great country in this important role. I understand what needs to be done to fix the economy. I look forward to helping President-elect Trump implement a bold economic agenda that creates good-paying jobs and defends the American worker,” said Mr. Mnuchin.
Since 2004, Mr. Mnuchin has been the Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Dune Capital Management, one of the country’s premier investment firms, specializing in public equity markets, real estate and the entertainment industry. He also founded OneWest Bank Group LLC in 2009 and served as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Prior to that, Mr. Mnuchin worked for 17 years at Goldman Sachs, where he oversaw trading in government securities, mortgages, money markets, and municipal bonds and rose to become the company’s Chief Information Officer.
Mr. Mnuchin has extensive experience in investing and financing the entertainment business. He founded RatPac-Dune Entertainment, which has produced wildly successful films, including Avatar, the highest grossing film in history ($2.8B worldwide), American Sniper, the X-Men series and many more.
He is a Member of the Board of The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA), UCLA Health System Board, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Los Angeles Police Foundation, and Life Trustee of New York Presbyterian Hospital. Mr. Mnuchin has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
In addition, President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Wilbur Ross as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, a man renowned for his extraordinary business career and economic expertise.
“Wilbur Ross is a champion of American manufacturing and knows how to help companies succeed. Most importantly, he is one of the greatest negotiators I have ever met, and that comes from me, the author of The Art of the Deal. Together, we will take on the special interests and stand up for American jobs,” said President-elect Trump. “Wilbur knows that cutting taxes for working families, reducing burdensome government regulations and unleashing America’s energy resources will strengthen our economy at a time when our country needs to see significant growth. I am proud to nominate him as Secretary of Commerce.”
“I am delighted to have been selected to join President-elect Trump’s Cabinet and look forward to working especially closely with Steve Mnuchin to implement the economic programs which we have developed jointly to implement the President-elect’s strategy for accelerating our economic growth,” said Mr. Ross.
For 25 years Mr. Ross headed Rothschild Inc. where he built a legacy of saving jobs and restructuring failing companies back to profitability. He has successfully grown businesses in the telecommunications, textiles, steel, and coal industries. In 2000, Mr. Ross started the investment firm WL Ross & Co.
Mr. Ross served as the President-elect’s top economic advisor on trade policy. He agrees with President-elect Trump’s plan to bring back jobs, eliminate the trade deficit and make good deals for America’s workers. He is a world-class negotiator and can be counted on to be a forceful advocate for America’s interests in the global economy. He received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his MBA from Harvard University.
In addition to Mr. Ross’ nomination, President-elect Trump announced his choice of Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, to serve as Deputy Commerce Secretary.
“Todd Ricketts is an immensely successful businessman with unparalleled knowledge of the finance industry,” said President-elect Trump. “As Deputy Commerce Secretary he will help us cut waste and streamline government so that it works for the people of America. The incredible job he and the Ricketts family did in the purchase and turnaround of the Chicago Cubs – one perfect step after another, leading to the World Championship, is what I want representing our people. I am very proud to have him on our team.”
“I am honored that President-elect Donald J. Trump has asked me to serve our country at this critical juncture in our history. Advancing practical policies that promote economic opportunity is critical to making America great again. I’m eager to begin this important work and serving with Wilbur Ross to implement President-elect Trump’s economic agenda, which will improve the lives of all Americans,” said Mr. Ricketts.
Mr. Ricketts is committed to promoting the values of fiscal responsibility and educating taxpayers on wasteful and excessive government spending. He is the son of Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts and has years of hands-on experience in the finance industry. Like President-elect Trump, Mr. Ricketts will use this knowledge to fix the broken Washington D.C. system, keep jobs in the United States and spur job growth.
Mr. Ricketts has consistently spearheaded efforts to defend the taxpayers’ money. Ricketts is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago. In 2016, Mr. Ricketts helped deliver a World Series Championship to the people of Chicago as a key member of the Cubs ownership group.
Ridgewood NJ, One benefit of the increasing life expectancies for Americans is that more people have bonus years for enjoying the company of their aging parents.
But all is not rosy. Those extended years also boost the odds that parents could go broke or suffer from dementia and be unable to make financial decisions for themselves.
That can leave adult children perplexed about when and whether they should step in and find out what’s happening with their parents’ money, says Carolyn Rosenblatt, a registered nurse and elder law attorney.
“Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to have those conversations,” says Rosenblatt, co-author with her husband, Dr. Mikol Davis, of The Family Guide to Aging Parents (www.agingparents.com) and Succeed With Senior Clients: A Financial Advisors Guide To Best Practices.
“Some stubborn parents just refuse to talk about their money. No matter what their adult children say to them, they put it off, change the subject or tell their children it’s none of their business.”
Of course, many adult children aren’t in any particular hurry to broach the subject either, says Davis, a clinical psychologist and gerontologist.
“They have their own discomfort about it and procrastinate,” he says. “Then a crisis comes up and no one has any idea what the parents have or where to find important documents.”
But Rosenblatt and Davis say it’s critical that these conversations take place so that the offspring can gather information about such subjects as the parent’s income and expenses, where legal documents are kept, and what kind of medical or long-term-care insurance the parent might have.
The success of these conversations often comes down to how you approach the subject, Rosenblatt and Davis say. They offer a few tips:
• End the procrastination by picking a date for the talk. Make an appointment with yourself to bring up the subject at a specific time. An opportune time to schedule this is after a birthday, a family event or a holiday where other family members are together who may share in the responsibility for the aging parents in the future. • Show respect. Tell your parents you understand and respect their reluctance to discuss their finances. You can even make the conversation about yourself rather than about them. Say that you’re concerned that if something went wrong, you would be completely lost as to how to help them. • Address their fears head-on. Let them know you understand they are worried that if they talk about their finances their independence might be taken away. You might add that you want them to maintain their independence as long as possible and you’re willing to help accomplish that, but you can’t do it without the correct information.
“Getting past an aging parent’s fear about talking about finances can be daunting,” Rosenblatt says. “But a well-planned strategy for approaching the subject will give you your best chance.”
About Carolyn Rosenblatt and Dr. Mikol Davis
Carolyn Rosenblatt and Dr. Mikol Davis are co-authors of The Family Guide to Aging Parents (www.agingparents.com) and Succeed With Senior Clients: A Financial Advisors Guide To Best Practices. Rosenblatt, a registered nurse and elder law attorney, has more than 45 years combined experience in her professions. She has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Money magazine and many other publications. Davis, a clinical psychologist and gerontologist, has more than 44 years experience as a mental health provider. In addition to serving his patients, Davis creates online courses and products to assist professionals and the public with understanding aging issues. Rosenblatt and Davis have been married for 34 years.
Ridgewood NJ, Too much holiday cheer? Fatty foods, sweet treats, alcoholic drinks? Fear not! The New Year is your chance to hit the reset button and go healthy.
One way to do that is to try a fast.
“You can lose at least a pound a day, get rid of foggy brain, and recharge your energy,” says best-selling author and nutritionist Cherie Calbom, known as “The Juice Lady” for her expertise in juicing for health and detoxification (www.juiceladycherie.com).
“Fasting is a great way to restart your metabolism, purify your lymphatic system, and revive your soul” says Calbom, author of the new book The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting. “It’s also a way to look younger, clear out the toxins, and restart the systems in your body for optimal health and physical well-being, and to bring restoration to your mind, body and spirit.”
People often think of fasting as a fad, she says, but it’s been touted throughout history – by the healer Hippocrates, the philosopher Plato, and scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few. Germany’s famous “fasting therapist,” Otto Buchinger Sr., M.D., called it an “operation without surgery.”
Even those who don’t believe in fasting’s curative powers agree it can help prevent illness. Want to fend off the flu, a cold or bronchitis? Fasting gives your immune system a boost.
“It’s a lot like a threefold spring cleaning, as you dive deep into the areas in your life that don’t always get the attention they need – mentally, physically and spiritually – and you clean them up,” Calbom says. “You rid yourself of toxic influences that hinder growth, clarity and well-being, and refocus on the future.”
With a liquid fast, you give up solid foods, and enjoy delicious, nutrient-rich beverages. In her book, Calbom provides a variety of fasts to choose from including the smoothie fast, bone-broth fast, 3-day detox fast, and what she says is the most popular of all — the juice fast. If you crave crunch, she offers the Garden of Eden Fast and the Daniel Fast.
“There’s something for everyone — from a short weekend weight loss fast to a 21-day rejuvenation fast,” she says.
If you’re a list maker (and who isn’t this time of year?), Calbom recommends writing down what you hope to achieve with your fast – losing belly fat, cleansing your liver or boosting your brain power, with brains detox juices for example – in order to find a fast that’s a good fit.
If you aren’t sure you can hack a liquid fast because you’ll crave flavor, think again. Here are three of Calbom’s favorite recipes, designed to taste great while doing good:
Weight Loss Buddy Juice Cocktail
Jerusalem artichoke juice combined with carrot and beet is a traditional remedy for satisfying cravings for sweets and junk food. They key is to sip it slowly when you get a craving for high-fat or high-carb foods.
1 Jerusalem artichoke, scrubbed wel
3-4 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
1 green apple (lower in sugar than red or yellow)
½ cucumber
1-inch chunk ginger root
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.
Serves 1
Beet- Berry Liver Cleanse Juice
Beets have been used as a naturally remedy for liver cleansing.
2 medium beets
1 cup blueberries
1 green apple
1 large carrot
1 broccoli stem
1 lemon, peeled
1-inch chunk ginger
1/2 cup coconut water
Juice all ingredients. Add coconut water, stir, and enjoy!
Serves 1-2
Green Muscle Mender
Are you strength training? Spinach helps your muscles recover due to its high magnesium content—157 mg per cup.
1 large handful spinach
1 green apple
1 cucumber
1-inch chunk ginger root
2-inch piece fresh turmeric root (optional)
Juice all ingredients, stir, and enjoy!
Serves 1
About Cherie Calbom, MSN (aka The Juice Lady)
Cherie Calbom holds a master of science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Known as “The Juice Lady” (www.juiceladycherie.com) for her work with juicing and health, she is the author of 32 books, with millions of copies sold worldwide. No stranger to healthy diet trends, Cherie joined George Foreman as nutritional spokesperson in the “Knockout the Fat” phenomenon that forever changed grilling in America.
Lindley Johnson spent 23 years in the U.S. Air Force keeping his eyes above the skies. He helped identify and tackle a growing risk to human space activity—the sheer volume of stuff orbiting the planet—in addition to helping manage and monitor military assets in orbit. In 1982, the Air Force set up a space command to coordinate its activities, not the least of which was making sure the then-new Space Shuttle fleet wouldn’t have a tragic encounter with spacefaring material.
In the early 1990s, Johnson’s focus turned to natural threats to the planet from near-Earth asteroids, now a large and growing class of rocks that scientists track both for their potential impact risk and to study the solar system. About 1,500 new objects are discovered every year. Since retiring as a lieutenant colonel several years ago, he’s become the founding head of NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, overseeing a network of ground-based telescope surveys for new asteroids and working with other agencies to prepare for the unlikely event of a direct hit. His job title—no pressure—is Planetary Defense Officer.
