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Google’s “knowledge panels” materialize at random, as unsourced and absolute as if handed down by God:

google-dr-evil-and-mini-me_theridgewoodblog

Betty White is 94 years old.

The Honda Civic is 2016’s best car.

Taipei is the capital of — ahem — the “small island nation” of Taiwan.

If you’ve ever Googled a person, place or thing — which, survey suggests, you almost definitely have — then you’ve encountered these aggressive, bold-faced modules, one of Google’s many bids for your fleeting attention. Since their quiet, casual introduction in 2012, knowledge panels and other sorts of “rich answers” have mushroomed across Google, appearing atop the results on roughly one-third of its 100 billion monthly searches, not only in response to simple, numerical queries like “Betty White age,” but also to more complex, nuanced questions like “capital of Israel” or “D.C.’s best restaurant.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/05/11/you-probably-havent-even-noticed-googles-sketchy-quest-to-control-the-worlds-knowledge/

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Middle class takes financial hit in most US cities this century

Obama-Golf

Sam Fleming and Shawn Donnan in Washington

More than four-fifths of America’s metropolitan areas have seen household incomes decline this century, according to new research that exposes the politically charged reality of middle-class decline at the heart of this year’s presidential election.

The research on urban centres that are home to three-quarters of the US population shows that median household incomes, adjusted for the cost of living in the area, grew in just 39 out of 229 metro areas between 1999 and 2014.

https://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/695bfa18-1797-11e6-b197-a4af20d5575e.html#axzz48Ob4POHz

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Ridgewood Schools Superintendent and Board Host Coffee and Conversation on May 24

Dan Fishbein 10

Superintendent and Board Host Coffee and Conversation on May 24
Ridgewood NJ, The Board of Education and Superintendent will host residents for Coffee and Conversation on Tuesday, May 24. The public is invited to drop in at the Education Center at 49 Cottage Place, floor 3 between 7 and 8:30 p.m. to ask questions and share suggestions and concerns.

2016-2017 School Budget Information
Click here to view the 2016-2017 User Friendly Budget.
Click here to look at a 2016-2017 budget summary sheet.
Click here to view the latest information on the budget, updated on May 2, 2016.

BOE-REA Negotiations

Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of The Ridgewood News, published on April 8, 2016.
 
Click here to view the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Post Hearing Fact Finding Brief and attachments.

Click here
to view an analysis of “Unused Funds’ identified by the REA during Fact Finding Proceedings, presented at the March 7, 2016 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of The Ridgewood News, which appeared in the paper on March 4, 2016.

Click here to read the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.

Click here to view the backup for the Ridgewood Board of Education’s Fact-Finding Presentation with The Ridgewood Education Association.

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Plot Thickens for Transportation Trust Fund as Turner Proposes Tax Break for the Poor

Road_work_theridgewoodblog

 

Senate Democrats announced a bill to raise New Jersey’s Earned Income Tax Credit by ten percent Tuesday, predicting that the move would cost the state $120 million but generate $180 million worth of increased economic activity. The bill from Senator Shirley Turner (D-15) bill is the latest development in the legislature’s amorphous definition of “tax fairness,” the phrase that Governor Chris Christie lit on when asked about the compromises he is willing to make to raise the state’s gas tax in an attempt to fund the ailing Transportation Trust Fund. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more

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How To Prepare Your Ridgewood Teen To Succeed In A Complex World

skateboarding_theridgewoodblog

May 11,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, When a bright, happy preteen evolves into a self-absorbed or anxious teenager, apprehensive parents can’t help but wonder, “What’s wrong with my child?”

The answer could be “nothing,” other than the typical struggles adolescents have always faced, says Jeffrey Leiken, author of “Adolescence is Not a Disease: Beyond Drinking, Drugs and Dangerous Friends – The Journey to Adulthood” (www.Leiken.com).

As CEO of Evolution Mentoring International, Leiken provides mentoring for teens and young adults, going beyond the typical work of a therapist by building a relationship so that they come to see Leiken as a trusted confidant who answers their late-night text messages and isn’t quick to label them.

“I don’t start with the premise that there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed,” Leiken says. “The teens and young adults I work with often are saner than the system they are in – a system that seems to forget we are raising humans, not building robots.”

Parents sometimes get caught up in that system, too, but in many cases they just need to chill, he says.

Leiken says parents who want to prepare teenagers for the day they will venture out on their own should:

• “Great advice, wrong source” – Enlist the aid of other adults. Parents are puzzled when they give excellent advice that their teenager promptly ignores. But adolescents often discard words of wisdom from their parents that they would embrace if the guidance came from someone else. That’s why it’s important to enlist the help of other adults who can offer coaching, training and guidance to the teen.
• Avoid letting fear be the guide. Too many parents are on edge, worried that if their teen isn’t in the top 1 percent of the high school class, they will be denied hope for economic prosperity, status and independence. Their anxieties can rub off on young people who become hesitant to take risks for fear of endangering their future. Instead of scaring them, parents need to encourage teens to step outside their comfort zones and take risks that will help them grow into confident, well-rounded adults.
• Help teens eliminate choices. One popular bit of advice parents hear is they should encourage teenagers to keep all their options open. That sounds like a good strategy, but isn’t. In reality, parents need to encourage teens to eliminate options – such as for colleges or careers – that aren’t and never will be right for them. The teens’ decision-making abilities will increase as a result. 

“Parents also need to realize they don’t have to become experts in raising teenagers,” Leiken says. “They just have to become expert in raising their own teenager.”

About Jeffrey Leiken

Jeffery Leiken (www.Leiken.com) is the CEO of Evolution Mentoring International and is co-founder of HeroPath International. Leiken also is author of “Adolescence is Not a Disease: Beyond Drinking, Drugs and Dangerous Friends – The Journey to Adulthood.” He has presented at TED in Athens, Greece; guest lectured at Stanford University; and facilitated programs for teenagers on three continents and in seven countries, among other accomplishments. He has a master’s degree in educational counseling.

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The Valley Hospital Receives Excellence Award from Vizient, Inc. for Sustainability Practices

honey-bee-3810
May 10,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital announced today that it has received the Vizient Excellence Award for Sustainability. The award honors The Valley Hospital’s strong commitment to good governance, community engagement and environmental stewardship in 2015. Vizient, Inc., the largest member-owned health care company in the country, presented the award on Thursday, April 14 during the 2016 Vizient Connections Summit held in Las Vegas.

The hospital received this award in recognition of its apiaries (bee hives), which are helping to combat the nearly 40 percent decrease in the New Jersey bee population annually. With eight hives in total, the bees help to pollinate a 2-mile radius around the hospital and the hospital’s offsite ambulatory surgery center, increasing the yield of flowers, fruits and vegetables over a 17,400 acre area.

Beekeeping is just one example of Valley’s efforts to “go green” and support locally produced food. In 2010 Valley signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, which calls for hospitals to use more locally grown food, work with vendors to obtain products free of pesticides and hormones, purchase more organic foods, educate the community about nutritious and ‘’socially just” foods, minimize or reuse food waste, use ecologically protective food packaging and support humane agriculture systems. Initiatives to date conducted in support of the pledge include buying local produce from Catalpa Ridge Farm, which is a community supported agriculture program in Sussex County, the hospital’s commitment to buying cage-free eggs, promoting “Meatless Monday” and a year-long partnership with the community supported agriculture program offered by Hesperides Organica, a farm in Warwick, N.Y.

“We have always been big supporters of locally produced food and what could be more local that producing your own honey?” said Dawn Cascio, Director of Valley Dining. “We also like the idea of supporting the declining honey bee population while enhancing our community’s gardens, foliage, and trees.”

Since the addition of the initial two hives that marked project’s inception in 2013, the annual honey harvest has increased from 30 pounds to over 100 pounds. The honey is utilized in menus for the hospital’s patients, visitors and staff. The beeswax has been used as an ingredient in the hospital’s all-natural, house-made lip balm, body butter, hand lotion, foot balm and vapor rub. These products, along with jarred raw honey, are available for sale at the hospital’s retail locations.

“Across the country, Vizient members are leading the development of sustainability programs that make the delivery of care more environmentally conscious and resource considerate,” said Scott Downing, executive vice president, Collaboration and Performance Improvement Networks. “We are proud to recognize The Valley Hospital’s commitment in this area and their program’s achievement.

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AIR FORCE GENERAL TO SPEAK AT RIDGEWOOD ROTARY MEETING

Major General Garrett Harencak
May 9,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Major General Garrett Harencak, Commander of the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service, will be guest speaker at the regular Tuesday midday meeting of the Ridgewood Rotary Club, May 17, at Old Paramus Reformed Church Hall, on East Glen Avenue.

General Harencak’s will speak on “Airpower and Defending America As an Aerospace General Harencak, who grew up in Elmwood Park, entered the Air Force in 1983 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. His assignments included command of the B-52 bomber; instructor pilot and squadron command in the B-1B bomber and service as aide to the Commander of the U.S. Central Command. Before his current assignment,General Harencak was the Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear
Integration, stationed in Washington, D.C. The general’s appearance was arranged withthe assistance of Ridgewood resident, Dr. Anthony Cipriano, who is President of the Iron Gate Chapter of the Air Force Association, in the New York area.

Club president, Bob Freudenrich announced that the public is invited to attend the meeting which begins with buffet lunch at 12:15 P.M. Reservations should be made by emailing Harris Reinstein at [email protected] or telephoning him at
(201) 652-7877. The cost of the lunch is $15.00, payable at the door.

In addition to Ridgewood, the local service club draws its members from Glen Rock and HoHoKus. Information on becoming a member of Rotary can be requested from Mr. Reinstein.

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Model Congress for high school students to be held in Ridgewood on Saturday

scott garrett model congress

May 10,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) will be hosting young legislators from 35 New Jersey high schools in Bergen, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties (full list below) at the third annual Model Congress this Saturday in Ridgewood. The Model Congress is an educational event for students where they will replicate a day in the life of a Congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives. The event is open to all media, but please observe an embargo on this information until Saturday at 9am.

About:  The Model Congress gives students a first-hand opportunity to learn how Congress works by allowing them to research legislation currently being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives, break into committees to further examine and debate the legislation, and finally bring the legislation to the House floor for a vote. Students will be assigned to represent different states, but not specific political parties. This is a nonpartisan event. Each school in New Jersey’s Fifth District was invited to recommend two students for the Model Congress, and awards will be given for best debater, best consensus builder, best speaker, best research, best counterargument, and leadership at the end of the event.

Address:          Ridgewood High School

627 E. Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

 

When:             Saturday, May 14
9am12:30pm

Students from the following schools will be participating (by county):

 Bergen:

Bergen County Academies

Bergen County Technical High School
Bergenfield High School
Dumont High School
Fair Lawn High School
Glen Rock High School
Hackensack High School
Indian Hills High School
Lodi High School
Mahwah High School
Midland Park High School
Northern Highlands High School
Northern Valley Regional-Demarest
Paramus High School
Park Ridge High School
Pascack Hills High School
Pascack Valley High School
Ramapo High School
Ramsey High School
Ridgewood High School
River Dell High School
St. Joseph Regional High School
Teaneck High School
Waldwick High School
Westwood Regional High School

Passaic:

Lakeland Regional High School
West Milford High School

Sussex:
High Point High School
Kittatinny Regional High School
Newton High School
Pope John XXIII High School
Vernon Township High School
Wallkill Valley Regional High School

Warren:

North Warren High School
Warren Hills High School

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Election signs in Village of Ridgewood non-residential areas

Village Council election signs
May 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, As per Village Code 190-122 H 6:  Election signs. Temporary signs for elective office shall be permitted in nonresidential zones. Such signs shall be removed no later than 10 days after the date of the election to which they pertain. In the case of a primary election, the signs of all candidates who fail to remain as candidates in the ensuing general election shall be removed no later than 10 days after the date of the primary election. Such signs may be freestanding or attached to a building wall

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Ridgewood’s various boards and committees are a Key to building trust and Reengaging the Community

Ridgewood_-Village_Hall_theridgewoodblog
May 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , this is a reminder that Village all depends on you and the new council can use all the help it can get on various boards and committees . The new village council is going to need your help in rebuilding trust , and reengaging the community . Residents input is going to be key to the future . Time to polish up those resumes and get involved.

SEEKING RESIDENTS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 25, 2015

The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the following Boards and Committees: Community Relations Advisory Board; Library Board of Trustees; Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; Project Pride Committee; Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee; Citizens Safety Advisory Committee; Historic Preservation Commission; The Green Team; and the Shade Tree Commission.

All interested residents should:

1.   Fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on  the Village website under “Forms”)

2.  Prepare a cover letter indicating on which board or  committee the resident wishes to serve and a brief  explanation as to why the resident chose the  particular board(s) or committee(s)

3.   Include a biography or resume

and send all of them to:

Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ  07450

Deadline for submissions is November 25, 2015.

A brief description for each Board/Committee is listed below:

The Community Relations Advisory Board promotes the development and implementation of educational programs which celebrate our diversity and provides offers assistance to victims of bias-related crimes.

The Library Board of Trustees is the governing board for the Ridgewood Public Library and its employees.  The Board of Trustees works with the community to establish Library policy and secures funds to carry on services to the public, and set goals and objectives.

The Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board recommends rules for use and monitors recreation facilities.  The Board coordinates community recreation programs and develops and updates the long-range Master Plan for recreation in the Village.

The Open Space Committee assists in identifying specific types of open space, and makes recommendations to the Village Council on the development of existing open space acquisitions.

The Project Pride Committee plants and waters flowers, throughout Ridgewood’s Central Business District and organizes the Village Garden program with local landscapers.

The Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee assists the Village Council in long-range planning concerning environmental issues as well as anticipating environmental problems and recommending solutions.

The Citizens Safety Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Village Council on issues concerning pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety on all roads, parks and open space in Ridgewood and promotes awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety in order to improve the safe travel of all people in Ridgewood.

The Historic Preservation Commission identifies, records, and maintains a survey and inventory of all buildings sites, landmarks of historical or architectural significance.  Oversees the preservation of structures and properties which reflect the heritage of the community.  Acts as an advisory board to the Planning Board.

The Green Team Advisory Committee is looking for residents who are interested in making Ridgewood a sustainable community; and/or are LEED Certified; and/or have working experience with sustainable practices such as solar energy or recycling; and/or have experience in obtaining grants for sustainable purposes.

The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource. Members will preferably have forestry or tree backgrounds or hold the designation of a certified Arborist.

SEEKING RESIDENTS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 25, 2015

The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the following Boards and Committees: Community Relations Advisory Board; Library Board of Trustees; Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; Project Pride Committee; Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee; Citizens Safety Advisory Committee; Historic Preservation Commission; The Green Team; and the Shade Tree Commission.

All interested residents should:

1.   Fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on  the Village website under “Forms”)

2.  Prepare a cover letter indicating on which board or  committee the resident wishes to serve and a brief  explanation as to why the resident chose the  particular board(s) or committee(s)

3.   Include a biography or resume

and send all of them to:

Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ  07450

Deadline for submissions is November 25, 2015.

A brief description for each Board/Committee is listed below:

The Community Relations Advisory Board promotes the development and implementation of educational programs which celebrate our diversity and provides offers assistance to victims of bias-related crimes.

The Library Board of Trustees is the governing board for the Ridgewood Public Library and its employees.  The Board of Trustees works with the community to establish Library policy and secures funds to carry on services to the public, and set goals and objectives.

The Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board recommends rules for use and monitors recreation facilities.  The Board coordinates community recreation programs and develops and updates the long-range Master Plan for recreation in the Village.

The Open Space Committee assists in identifying specific types of open space, and makes recommendations to the Village Council on the development of existing open space acquisitions.

The Project Pride Committee plants and waters flowers, throughout Ridgewood’s Central Business District and organizes the Village Garden program with local landscapers.

The Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee assists the Village Council in long-range planning concerning environmental issues as well as anticipating environmental problems and recommending solutions.

The Citizens Safety Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Village Council on issues concerning pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety on all roads, parks and open space in Ridgewood and promotes awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety in order to improve the safe travel of all people in Ridgewood.

The Historic Preservation Commission identifies, records, and maintains a survey and inventory of all buildings sites, landmarks of historical or architectural significance.  Oversees the preservation of structures and properties which reflect the heritage of the community.  Acts as an advisory board to the Planning Board.

The Green Team Advisory Committee is looking for residents who are interested in making Ridgewood a sustainable community; and/or are LEED Certified; and/or have working experience with sustainable practices such as solar energy or recycling; and/or have experience in obtaining grants for sustainable purposes.

The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource. Members will preferably have forestry or tree backgrounds or hold the designation of a certified Arborist.

. Many of these boards and committee have significant input into the quality of life issues that effects the Village . The new Village council is going to need help building trust, reestablishing community ties and building and even better Village of Ridgewood.

SEEKING RESIDENTS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 25, 2015
 
The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the following Boards and Committees: Community Relations Advisory Board; Library Board of Trustees; Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; Project Pride Committee; Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee; Citizens Safety Advisory Committee; Historic Preservation Commission; The Green Team; and the Shade Tree Commission.
 
All interested residents should:
 
1.   Fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on  the Village website under “Forms”)
 
2.  Prepare a cover letter indicating on which board or  committee the resident wishes to serve and a brief  explanation as to why the resident chose the  particular board(s) or committee(s)
 
3.   Include a biography or resume
 
and send all of them to:
 
Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ  07450
 
Deadline for submissions is November 25, 2015.
 
A brief description for each Board/Committee is listed below:
 
The Community Relations Advisory Board promotes the development and implementation of educational programs which celebrate our diversity and provides offers assistance to victims of bias-related crimes.
 
The Library Board of Trustees is the governing board for the Ridgewood Public Library and its employees.  The Board of Trustees works with the community to establish Library policy and secures funds to carry on services to the public, and set goals and objectives.
 
The Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board recommends rules for use and monitors recreation facilities.  The Board coordinates community recreation programs and develops and updates the long-range Master Plan for recreation in the Village.
 
The Open Space Committee assists in identifying specific types of open space, and makes recommendations to the Village Council on the development of existing open space acquisitions.
 
The Project Pride Committee plants and waters flowers, throughout Ridgewood’s Central Business District and organizes the Village Garden program with local landscapers.
 
The Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee assists the Village Council in long-range planning concerning environmental issues as well as anticipating environmental problems and recommending solutions.
 
The Citizens Safety Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Village Council on issues concerning pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety on all roads, parks and open space in Ridgewood and promotes awareness of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety in order to improve the safe travel of all people in Ridgewood.
 
The Historic Preservation Commission identifies, records, and maintains a survey and inventory of all buildings sites, landmarks of historical or architectural significance.  Oversees the preservation of structures and properties which reflect the heritage of the community.  Acts as an advisory board to the Planning Board.
 
The Green Team Advisory Committee is looking for residents who are interested in making Ridgewood a sustainable community; and/or are LEED Certified; and/or have working experience with sustainable practices such as solar energy or recycling; and/or have experience in obtaining grants for sustainable purposes.
 
The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource. Members will preferably have forestry or tree backgrounds or hold the designation of a certified Arborist.

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Landslide Victory Signifies Major Shift in Village of Ridgewood Politics

village Council Elections
photo courtesy of Melanie McWilliams
May 11,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood
Ridgewood NJ, the victory for Ramon Hache, Jeff Voigt and Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh it was nothing more than a total reject of Mayor Paul Aronsohn’s entire agenda . The new trio will begin their four year terms on July 1, joining Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon.

Now the hard work has to be done restoring the luster to the tarnished reputation of the Village and building on the unique nature of the Village of Ridgewood and moving forward.

Congratulations to Ramon Hache, Jeff Voigt and Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh and all there supporters and all the volunteers who put in countless hours and faced down both threats , physical and personal attacks to do the right thing .

The Ridgewood blog would like to say thank you. Now lets move forward and build a positive future .

2016 MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS – UNOFFICIAL

FOR COUNCIL

Jeffrey Voigt – 3839 – 67.37%

Janice M Willett – 1803 – 31.64%

Evan Weitz – 1736 – 30.47%

Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh – 3611 – 63.37%

Richard S Brooks – 1656 – 29.06%

Ramon M Hache – 3867 – 67.87%

Total Registration – 16,740
Votes Cast – 5,698
Percentage – 34.04%

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Former Facebookie…FAKEBOOK Workers: We Routinely Suppressed Conservative News

facebook-dislike-1

Michael Nunez
Today 9:10am
Filed to: FACEBOOK ie… FAKEBOOK

Facebook workers routinely suppressed news stories of interest to conservative readers from the social network’s influential “trending” news section, according to a former journalist who worked on the project. This individual says that workers prevented stories about the right-wing CPAC gathering, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul, and other conservative topics from appearing in the highly-influential section, even though they were organically trending among the site’s users.

Several former Facebook “news curators,” as they were known internally, also told Gizmodo that they were instructed to artificially “inject” selected stories into the trending news module, even if they weren’t popular enough to warrant inclusion—or in some cases weren’t trending at all. The former curators, all of whom worked as contractors, also said they were directed not to include news about Facebook itself in the trending module.

In other words, Facebook’s news section operates like a traditional newsroom, reflecting the biases of its workers and the institutional imperatives of the corporation. Imposing human editorial values onto the lists of topics an algorithm spits out is by no means a bad thing—but it is in stark contrast to the company’s claims that the trending module simply lists “topics that have recently become popular on Facebook.”

https://gizmodo.com/former-facebook-workers-we-routinely-suppressed-conser-1775461006

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Obama’s last act is to force suburbs to be less white and less wealthy

Obama-Golf

By Paul Sperry

May 8, 2016 | 7:30am

Modal Trigger

Hillary’s rumored running mate, Housing Secretary Julian Castro, is cooking up a scheme to reallocate funding for Section 8 housing to punish suburbs for being too white and too wealthy.

The scheme involves super-sizing vouchers to help urban poor afford higher rents in pricey areas, such as Westchester County, while assigning them government real estate agents called “mobility counselors” to secure housing in the exurbs.

Castro plans to launch the Section 8 reboot this fall, even though a similar program tested a few years ago in Dallas has been blamed for shifting violent crime to affluent neighborhoods.

It’s all part of a grand scheme to forcibly desegregate inner cities and integrate the outer suburbs.

Anticipating NIMBY resistance, Castro last month threatened to sue suburban landlords for discrimination if they refuse even Section 8 tenants with criminal records. And last year, he implemented a powerful new regulation — “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing” — that pressures all suburban counties taking federal grant money to change local zoning laws to build more low-income housing (landlords of such properties are required to accept Section 8 vouchers).

Castro is expected to finalize the new regulation, known as “Small-Area Fair Market Rents” (SAFMR), this October, in the last days of the Obama presidency.

It will set voucher rent limits by ZIP code rather than metro area, the current formula, which makes payments relatively small. For example, the fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York City is about $1,250, which wouldn’t cover rentals in leafy areas of Westchester County, such as Mamaroneck, where Castro and his social engineers seek to aggressively resettle Section 8 tenants.

https://nypost.com/2016/05/08/obamas-last-act-is-to-force-suburbs-to-be-less-white-and-less-wealthy/

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Voigt, Hache and Walsh in a Landslide Victory in Ridgewood Council Race

Vote Ridgewood

still unofficial with the numbers

The Reign of Terror Has Ended
13221027 10153604012564786 654027987926608353 n
photo by Melanie McWilliams
May 10th 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

unofficial updates to follow   5698 voted 34.04% of total voters

Jeffery Voigt                3839  67.37%
Janice M. Willett     1803   31.64%
Evan Weitz                   1736    30.47%
Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh  3611  63.37%
Richard S. Brooks       1656  29.06%
Ramon M. Hache       3867  67.87%

Ridgewood NJ, Voigt, Hache and Walsh in a Landslide Victory in Ridgewood Council Race .Six candidates were running for three, four-year terms on the Ridgewood Village Council in this year’s non-partisan election. In what could only be called one of the most contentious elections in many years. With None of the three incumbents seeking re-election it was a wide open race .

 The Mayor , developers ,  Chamber of Commerce , and Ridgewood Guild endorsed  Willett , Brooks and Weitz  who failed to impress the public with their message of build build build . While Voigt, Hache and Walsh focused more on a vision of keeping the small town feel to Ridgewood. It was above all else a resounding rejection of Mayor Paul Aronsohn’s policies , a rejection of over development, machine politics , professional politicians and a blatant disregard  for residents desires .