Posted on 6 Comments

Fairway facing danger of possible bankruptcy

Fairway

By Lisa Fickenscher

February 5, 2016 | 10:43pm

Fairway Market is starved for cash.

The quintessential New York grocery chain said Friday it needs to raise more capital by April to meet its debt obligations with its 15 stores in the metro area experiencing “significant losses.”

The company — whose stock is also in danger of being delisted from the Nasdaq — lost $35.7 million in the quarter ended Dec. 27 after losing more than $300 million over the past five years.

Revenue declined by 7 percent to $191.6 million from a year earlier, a regulatory filing revealed on Friday.

Fairway is counting on new stores to drive its growth, but conceded in the filing that “our current limited cash resources and significant leverage will adversely affect our ability to open new stores.”

11038089 10207991371241009 4036722916259513836 n

The company went public in 2013 after decades of being owned and managed by the Glickberg family. Former CEO Howard Glickberg remains on the board.

The IPO was meant to jump-start an ambitious expansion plan led by Sterling Investment Partners, which wanted to expand into other regions of the country. Instead, the business, known for its fresh produce and high-quality prepared foods, is facing a possible bankruptcy.

https://nypost.com/2016/02/05/fairway-facing-danger-of-possible-bankruptcy/

 

https://nypost.com/2016/02/05/fairway-facing-danger-of-possible-bankruptcy/

Posted on Leave a comment

Scary New Ways the Internet Giants Profile You

google-dr-evil-and-mini-me_theridgewoodblog

Facebook, Google, and the other Internet titans have ever more sophisticated and intrusive methods of mining your data, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The success of the consumer Internet can be attributed to a simple grand bargain. We’ve been encouraged to search the web, share our lives with friends, and take advantage of all sorts of other free services. In exchange, the Internet titans that provide these services, as well as hundreds of other lesser-known firms, have meticulously tracked our every move in order to bombard us with targeted advertising. Now, this grand bargain is being tested by new attitudes and technologies.

Consumers who were not long ago blithely dismissive of privacy issues are increasingly feeling that they’ve lost control over their personal information. Meanwhile, Internet companies, adtech firms, and data brokers continue to roll out new technologies to build ever more granular profiles of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of consumers. And with next generation of artificial intelligence poised to exploit our data in ways we can’t even imagine, the simple terms of the old agreement seem woefully inadequate.

In the early days of the Internet, we were led to believe that all this data would deliver us to a state of information nirvana. We were going to get new tools and better communications, access to all the information we could possibly need, and ads we actually wanted to receive. Who could possibly argue with that?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/08/scary-new-ways-the-internet-profiles-you.html

Posted on Leave a comment

Garrett Votes to Put Americans back in Charge of their Health Care Choices

scott garrett in wyckoff

Feb 5, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after voting for H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, Objections of the President Notwithstanding:

“Today I voted to override the president’s veto of the ObamaCare repeal bill because Washington bureaucrats have no place standing between hardworking families and their health care choices. ObamaCare forces American families out of their insurance, skyrockets the cost of care, and stifles the ability of businesses to create jobs. I will continue to fight for families and their right to make their own health care decisions.”

In October Garrett pushed for the Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act , “The last thing New Jersey families need is an unaccountable Washington bureaucrat driving a wedge between them and their doctors or limiting their access to quality health care. Today I supported the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act because Americans deserve the repeal of ObamaCare’s most onerous and costly mandates, and they deserve to be put back in charge of their own health care choices.”

Despite the media hype the disaster that is Obamacare has been well documented . Here are just a few real examples off of social media posts .

“A gentlemen Im friends with was paying 300 a month for insurance on a family of 4. Now because of Obamacare It went to 700 a month and now cant afford it and dropped it and doesnt have it, when he filed taxes was fined 900 dollars because he was unable to provide for his family paying a total of 8400 a year for insurance, kinda seems that they want working people to pay for their family , as well as another family that wont work , an if they dont they pay a fine. Does anybody remember what our great politicians said about this program ? All lies ” David H”I said it two years ago and I will say it again, Obamacare is an epic fail for this country. I couldn’t afford insurance 2 years ago and things have increased since then. My girls insurance premiums have doubled and their deductibles have tripled. Not only that this plan that is supposed to be “AFFORDABLE” covers NOTHING…NOTHING until my deductible is met. I pay full price for doctors visits, x-rays, medication, specialist until the deductible is met. So basically I am required to pay the premium and pay for everything on top of it. Honestly I just need to quit working, reduce my income by 1/2 and get all this stuff for free. Health care is affordable if your rich or if your poor. The people in the middle that are grinding it out every day get screwed….again.”  Jake C

” I was getting FREE MEDS from Johnson & Johnson because I have a life threatening Pancreas Condition. As soon as ObamaCare kicked in first my Doctor was changed to one I dont know and who does not even have my medical records. I had to fight and 3 times they tried to change my Doctor to one who is 25 miles away. I REFUSED EACH TIME! Then Obamacare stopped me from getting my Pancreas pills and I was told I had to take different pills which did not work causing me great stomach pain. With Obamacare you dont get the best meds you get the cheapest ones possible and many times they have side effects or dont work. I have had to fight the effects of ObamaCare many times. I went to the Senior Citizen Center when I became 65 and they helped me find a Health Care provider who will supply my Pancreas pills. Out of 50 available only 1 would pay for my meds. I READ OBAMACAREBEFORE IT WAS MADE A ILLEGAL LAW. I knew what is contained. I tried to tell others and they would not listen. I had to wait 3 years for the people to find out themselves. ObamaCare is CRAP! The only ones being helped are those who had previous medical conditions and those who could not afford health care coverage. So 20 % are being helped by ObamaCareand 80% are paying the huge price.” Mary M
see more real feedback  : https://mychal-massie.com/premium/speak-out-your-obamacare/
Posted on 21 Comments

Reader says This garage is going to be a money loser and the town will be left on the hook for it

BCIA

file photo by Boyd Loving

This garage is going to be a money loser and the town will be left on the hook for it.

I was in town on Saturday and the main streets had people circling for spots as usual on Chestnut, Oak, etc. But, if you drove a couple of blocks away to near Mt. Carmel (and where the new garage would be), there were TONS of metered spots open.

I don’t think the parking problem is that there aren’t enough spots in the downtown area. The problem is that people don’t want to walk a couple of blocks for a parking spot. Building the garage right near Mt. Carmel is NOT going to solve this problem. Maybe, if the new garage was at the old garage next to Ben and Jerry’s or somewhere more central and visible would it be more utilized. I just don’t see the draw to have to park in a multi-level garage when there is street level parking available at most times across the street.

There is no way Ridgewood should be spending $10m plus on this.

Posted on 1 Comment

HEAVY SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF LONG ISLAND AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT TODAY

Ridgewood_snow_storm_theridgewoodblog

Winter Weather Advisory

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
721 AM EST MON FEB 8 2016

…HEAVY SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF LONG ISLAND
AND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT TODAY…

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS
EVENING…

* LOCATIONS…NEW YORK CITY AND THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SUBURBS.

* HAZARD TYPES…ACCUMULATING SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 3 INCHES.

* WINDS…NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 30S.

* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING…AND CONTINUE
INTO THE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW COVERED
ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS
AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

Posted on 15 Comments

Unlike Ridgewood This Meter Thief got Jail Time

parking+meters_the+ridgewood+blog

Former NJ Parking Facility Manager Gets Prison Term For Theft

February 6, 2016 12:42 PM

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — The former manager of southern New Jersey park-and-ride facility is headed to prison for stealing nearly $150,000 over three years.

Ocean County prosecutors say Robert Pentz received a four-year sentence on Friday. The 41-year-old Toms River man had pleaded guilty to official misconduct last July.

Prosecutors say Pentz stole money from automatic teller machines he was supposed to be filling as part of his duties at the Toms River Parking Authority’s park-and-ride facility. The thefts were discovered during an audit in 2013, and investigators determined that Pentz took more than $146,640 overall.

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/02/06/former-nj-parking-facility-manager-gets-prison-term-for-theft/

Posted on 1 Comment

Poll: Trump’s lead grows in NH days before primary

Trump_hat_boarder-theridgewoodblog

Poll: Trump’s lead grows in NH days before primary

By Caitlin Yilek

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s lead widened in New Hampshire just days before the primary, according to the latest CNN/WMUR tracking poll.

Thirty-three percent of likely Republican primary voters said they support Trump, giving the billionaire a 17-point lead over his closest GOP rival. Trump gained 5 points from a similar tracking poll last week.

Trump now has more than double the support of Sen. Marco Rubio, who came in second with 16 percent support.

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/268544-poll-trumps-lead-grows-in-nh-days-before-primary

Posted on 1 Comment

New Jersey governor Chris Christie was the clear victor at Saturday’s ‪GOP Debate

Chris_christie_theridgewoodblog

GOP debate winners and losers

By Niall Stanage – 02/07/16 12:53 AM EST

The final Republican debate before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary was seen as a moment of do-or-die drama for several candidates. In one exchange in particular, the clash at Saint Anselm University in Manchester lived up to its billing.

Who was celebrating and who was left to lick their wounds?

WINNER

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

A Christie-Marco Rubio clash overshadowed everything else, and the New Jersey governor was the clear victor.

The exchange began when Christie told Rubio that he had never been involved “in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable.”

Hitting back, Rubio noted the frequent credit downgrades the Garden State has experienced under Christie’s leadership before trying to pivot toward safer ground: He asserted that Republicans were believing in a “fiction” if they assumed President Obama to be incompetent, rather than purposely changing the nature of the United States.

The pugnacious Christie immediately hit back, accusing Rubio of doing “what Washington D.C., does. The drive-by shot…and then the memorized 25-second speech that is exactly what his advisers gave him.”

Inexplicably, Rubio immediately proved Christie’s point by once again repeating the talking point regarding Obama.

“There it is. There it is. The memorized 25-second speech. There it is, everybody,” said Christie.

It was a dismal moment for Rubio — his worst by some margin in any debate so far — and a terrific one for Christie.

The New Jersey governor was impressive throughout the debate, but everything else paled into insignificance beside the Rubio moment.

Whether any of this will save Christie is highly questionable. He is currently polling right at the back of the “establishment” lane in New Hampshire, behind Rubio, Jeb Bush and John Kasich.

But credit where it’s due: He won big on Saturday night.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/268539-gop-debate-winners-and-losers

Posted on Leave a comment

10 Things You May Not Know About the First Super Bowl

Vince Lombardi

FEBRUARY 4, 2016 By Christopher Klein

On January 15, 1967, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 to win the first Super Bowl. As the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos prepare to take the field for Super Bowl 50, read about 10 ways in which the hastily arranged first Super Bowl differed from today’s modern-day sporting spectacle.

In June 1966, the venerable National Football League (NFL) signed an agreement to merge with the upstart, seven-year-old American Football League (AFL) after the completion of the 1969 season. In the interim, the two rival leagues agreed to stage an annual season-ending contest between their respective champions. The first Super Bowl featured the Green Bay Packers, who had defeated the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFL title, against the Kansas City Chiefs, who had beaten the Buffalo Bills to capture the AFL crown. Legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi, who had never so much as watched an AFL game on television, was wound extra tight leading up to the game. He felt pressure not only to win—but to win big. “We got to win by 21 points to prove that the National Football League is superior to the AFL,” Lombardi told his team, which were 13.5-point favorites. The Packers ultimately won by 25 points.

AFL principal founder and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt suggested that the new championship game be known as the “Super Bowl,” an idea inspired by the ultra-bouncy Super Ball toy from Wham-O—producers of the Frisbee and Hula Hoop—that was popular with his kids and millions of others across America in the 1960s. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, however, thought the name too gimmicky and lacking the weight worthy of his league. He suggested calling the championship game the “Pro Bowl” or even “The Big One” before settling on the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game.” That was quite a mouthful, however, for fans, journalists and broadcasters who instead followed Hunt’s lead and referred to the game informally as the “Super Bowl.” Not until the championship game’s third edition did Rozelle agree to follow suit and officially refer to the game as the Super Bowl.

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-first-super-bowl?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_HISTORY_20160206_360624641&linkId=21029000

Posted on 1 Comment

Germany’s Catholic Church calls for ‘reduction’ in refugees

Cardinal Reinhard Marx

The German Catholic Church called for a reduction in the influx of refugees arriving in Germany, saying the country cannot take in “all the world’s needy,” according to an interview published Saturday.

Germany has been struggling to cope with 1.1 million asylum seekers that arrived in 2015 and Berlin has not yet given an official estimate for how many it expects this year.

“As a church we say that we need a reduction in the number of refugees,” Cardinal Reinhard Marx, chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, told the Passauer Neue Presse daily.

Germany cannot “take in all the world’s needy,” Marx added.

The question of how to respond to the migrant crisis, he asserted, should not solely be a matter of “charity but also reason.”

https://in.news.yahoo.com/germanys-catholic-church-calls-reduction-144444154.html

Posted on Leave a comment

Debt, defaults, and devaluations: why this market crash is like nothing we’ve seen before

Texas Oilfield Confessions

A pernicious cycle of collapsing commodities, corporate defaults, and currency wars loom over the global economy. Can anything stop it from unravelling?

By Mehreen Khan, graphic by Tom Shiel

10:00AM GMT 06 Feb 2016

A global recession is on the way. This truism of economics holds at any point in which the world is not in the grips of a contraction.

The real question is always when and how deep the upcoming downturn will be.

“The crash will come, but it would be nice if it came two years from now”, Thomas Thygesen, head of economics at SEB told over 200 commodity investors and analysts in London last month.

His audience was rapt with unusual attention. They could be forgiven for thinking the slump had not already arrived.

Commodity prices have crashed by two thirds since their peaks in 2014. Oil has borne the brunt of the sell-off, suffering the worst price collapse in modern history. Brent crude has fallen from $115 a barrel in the summer of 2014, to just $27.70 in mid-January.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/12138466/when-is-the-next-financial-crash-coming-oil-prices-markets-recession.html

Posted on Leave a comment

ANTI-ISLAM GROUPS RALLY ACROSS EUROPE; CLASHES IN AMSTERDAM

EURO_theridgewoodblog

DRESDEN, Germany (AP) — Protesters rallied against Islam and immigration in several European cities Saturday, sometimes clashing with police or counter-demonstrators amid growing tensions over the massive influx of asylum-seekers to the continent.

Riot police clashed with demonstrators in Amsterdam as supporters of the anti-Islam group PEGIDA tried to hold their first protest meeting in the Dutch capital. Only about 200 PEGIDA supporters were present, outnumbered by police and left-wing demonstrators who shouted, “Refugees are welcome, fascists are not!”

Dutch riot police detained several people as officers on horseback intervened to separate the two groups of demonstrators. It was not immediately clear how many people were detained.

In Germany, up to 8,000 people took part in a PEGIDA rally in Dresden, according to the independent group Durchgezaehlt, which monitors attendance figures. Up to 3,500 people took part in a counter-demonstration on the other side of the Elbe River that divides the city, it said.

No incidents were reported at the event.

In the northern French city of Calais, police dispersed a rowdy anti-migrant protest with tear gas after clashes with protesters and detained several far-right demonstrators.

Around 150 militants from the anti-Islam, anti-immigration group PEDIGA gathered Saturday chanting slogans like: “We must not let Calais die!”

Calais has been a focal point for migrants who want to slip into Britain via the Channel Tunnel. Several thousand have been living there in slums for months.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_ANTI_ISLAM_PROTESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-02-06-09-43-44

Posted on 5 Comments

Valley’s Sports Institute hosts Free Seminar on Concussion Awareness for Coaches, Parents, and Recreation/Athletic Directors

r-FOOTBALL-HELMET-CONCUSSIONS-LOBBYING-large570

February 6,2016

the staff of the Ridgewoood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  The Valley Hospital Sports Institute will host a free concussion awareness seminar for coaches, parents, and recreation/athletic directors on Wednesday, February 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the The Valley Hospital Auditorium.

Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury, or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury.  Concussion severity varies widely, and the number of signs and symptoms vary as well – serious injuries sometimes show few symptoms.

The event will be hosted by a panel of certified athletic trainers on staff at Valley’s Sports Institute:
· Don Tomaszewski, MS, ATC, Director, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute
· Karen Karosy, M.Ed., ATC, Athletic Trainer at Indian Hills High School
· Sarah Edge, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Ramapo High School
· Rich Raiani, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Mahwah High School

Guest speakers will include:
· Thomas Bottiglieri, D.O. ,Family and Sports Medicine
· Stephen Kanter, ATC, PT, DPT, Director, Athcare Consulting and Education Services

Some of the topics that will be covered include the communication and roles of people in caring for an athlete with concussion, what is known about concussions today and guidelines for returning to play following a concussion.  Participants will learn all about the Concussion Management Program at The Valley Hospital Sports Institute and the ImPACT Concussion Management Test.  There will be a Q&A session and information and resources available on concussion awareness and management.  Attendees will receive a certificate of participation.

Space is limited.  To register for the free seminar, please call 1-800-VALLEY-1 (1-800-825-5391).

The Valley Hospital Sports Institute is an ImPACT testing provider.  The ImPACT Concussion Management Test is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion.  For more information about ImPACT testing, please call the Sports Institute at 201-447-8133.

Posted on 4 Comments

WAITING LIST OPEN – RIDGEWOOD RIDGECREST APARTMENT APPLICATIONS – 2/29/16

seniors

WAITING LIST OPEN – RIDGECREST APARTMENT APPLICATIONS – 2/29/16

 

Please note only 300 applications will be accepted and they are on a first come basis  MONDAY February 29th

Jan Philips

201 280-2328 cell

      IMPORTANT NOTICE

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BERGEN COUNTY

The Ridgewood Senior Citizen Housing Corporation, Inc.

is pleased to announce that applications will be accepted for the waiting list

for Ridgecrest Apartments located at 7-11 Ridge Road Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Beginning Monday, February 29, 2016applications will be available.

Applications may be requested by mail or in person at Ridgecrest Apartments located at:

 

Ridgecrest Apartments

7 – 11 Ridge Road

Ridgewood, NJ 07450

9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

APPLICATIONS MAY ALSO BE DOWNLOADED AT WWW.HABCNJ.ORG/RIDGEWOOD.

PLEASE NOTE: ONCE 300 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED THE WAITING LIST WILL CLOSE!

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY, APPLICANTS MUST BE 62 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND/OR DEEMED DISABLED. THE TOTAL HOUSEHOLD ANNUAL GROSS INCOME CANNOT EXCEED THE FOLLOWING INCOME LIMITS:

MAXIMUM INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Household Size                                       Maximum Annual Income

1                                                                    $32,450

2                                                                    $37,100

 

 

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO RETURN YOUR APPLICATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS IT WILL BE PLACED ON THE WAITING LIST BY THE DATE AND TIME THAT IT WAS RECEIVED AT THE RIDGECREST OFFICE.ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WILL BE SELECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING PRIORITIES IN THE ORDER THAT THEY ARE LISTED;

RESIDENCY, OR PREVIOS DOCUMENTED RESIDNECY, IN RIDGEWOOD, OR IN CENSUS TRACT 221 IN GLEN ROCK. APPLICANTS WHO WORK OR HAVE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT IN RIDGEWOOD OR CENSUS TRACT 221 IN GLEN ROCK WILL BE CONSIDERED RESIDENTS;

RESIDENCY IN BERGEN COUNTY MEMBER COMMUNITY. APPLICANTS WHO WORK OR HAVE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT IN RIDGEWOOD OR CENSUS TRACT 221 IN GLEN ROCK WILL BE CONSIDERED RESIDENTS;

 

  • ALL OTHER APPLICANTS

Advertisement  for Ridgecrest Apartmentsis about to begin. It now states we will only be accepting the first 300 applications. Once 300 applications are received the waiting list will close.

Over the last 5 years the average number of Move-Ins per year is 10.4 and the average number of move-outs is 10. The breakdown is as follows

 

Move in               Move out

2015 –    13                           14

2014 –    10                           7

2013 –    14                           16

2012 –    7                              8

2011 –    10                           5             

 

54                           50

Posted on Leave a comment

Under fire, Marco Rubio crashes and burns

0503-rubio-Immigration-reform_full_600

Chris Cassidy Sunday, February 07, 2016

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A malfunctioning Marco Rubio crashed as he was overloaded by attacks last night from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who tried to portray the Florida U.S. senator as a Washington robot pre-programmed by political consultants during a high-stakes Republican debate.

“See, Marco — Marco — the thing is this,” Christie said, “when you’re president of the United States … the memorized 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it doesn’t solve one problem for one person.”

Rubio’s glitchy debate performance could be a game-changer just as independents make up their minds two days before the crucial first-in-the-nation primary. The first-term senator’s rivals have raised concerns he’s too inexperienced — just like, they say, President Obama was — and isn’t ready for prime time.

Four different times — often word-for-word and at awkward non-sequiturs — Rubio claimed Obama intentionally wants to make America like the rest of the world.

https://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/2016/02/under_fire_marco_rubio_crashes_and_burns