New Jersey is among U.S. states least equipped to respond to an economic downturn, according to a new study comparing states’ savings. Samantha Marcus, NJ.com Read more
N.J. ranks among worst in nation in ability respond to future recession: study
Author: James
11th Annual Ridgewood Alumni Art show Starts tonight
January 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, This is just a sneak peak of our 11th Annual Alumni Art show. The photos don’t do it justice…come see the show in person. There’s so much more to see and so much talent! Our reception is this Thursday, 1/7 at 7:00 pm.
Where Has Ridgewood Gone??
January 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, For those of us who have lived many years in Ridgewood, we sit and wonder what has happened to the Village we once loved. The walls of the courtroom in Village hall are covered with the photos of those man and women who cared for the Village’s business. Some were great, some were good and some not so. To a great extent most of them thought only of their Village and guided Village government on a course set by those who came before them. They were selfless, caring and kind to the residents who duly elected them and place their trust in them. Today we have a sad situation where Paul, Al and Gwenn clearly are only interested in what THEY want and dismiss the concerns of residents as they would swat away a fly. They are self-serving, nasty, untruthful and full of venom for those who disagree with them. For those who have served with and around them and have disagreed with them, they attack, belittle and create personal and economic hardship. The walls in Village hall that will eventually hold their photos will be stained with their disgusting legacy. Many of those who voted for them now understand that they were taken in by their smooth talk and promises of a better Village. What they got was a Village with employee morale at its lowest, diminished services and a management staff who writes their own rules to fit their personal needs. Residents have always expected and deserve better. As does our country, Ridgewood needs and feels change coming. We will need to wipe the slate clean in the upcoming May election and rid the Village of this angry, nasty belittling trio and the minions they have surrounded themselves with.
Reverend Jan Philips accuses Ridgewood residents who were about to speak as GRANDSTANDING
file photo by Boyd Loving Ridgewood Residents Grandstanding
What was shocking to me was when Reverend Jan Philips at the beginning of the public comment session accused the Ridgewood residents who were about to speak as GRANDSTANDING.
My God, Reverend Philips, And you head the Civility Meetings.
The residents who attended and spoke had heartfelt concerns. They love Ridgewood and have a vision for Ridgewood and wanted to make that vision known.
They want to preserve the charming character of Ridgewood. So they took time out of their busy lives to stand in line for hours for the opportunity to express themselves. For the allotted time of FIVE MINUTES.
Jan Philips you accused the residents of not engaging in diaglogue. Please tell me Reverened what you meant by that. Residents are given five minutes to pour their heart out.
What should they do? Tell me. Tell me. Knock on the doors of the council people’s homes and demand a long discussion.
Jan Philips you are a disgrace to organized religion. You make people WANT TO leave the church. And they do.
But believe me MS. Philips, we still believe in God, and the love and tolerance God wants us to have for our fellow beings, the civility that God wants us to show to our neighbors. In spite of you.
Ridgewood Garage Council Meeting: It is now crystal clear that 3 council members, led by the village manager and mayor, were not forthcoming about their intentions ahead of the vote
January 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, There were too many discussions focused on needing a garage or not. I voted no, but it passed, let’s build a nice one. We need to be talking about what it looks like and how we pay for it. The only design offered to date is ugly, doesn’t fit the lot, and the council is in a rush to build it. We don’t really know how it gets paid for. The traffic impact is going to be huge. The garage is going to be filled with train commuters every day- the village has been clear about that. The one traffic study (done over 4 hours on one day) says we need to know more about overall traffic impact. The village has a poor record dealing with traffic design. This is a traffic disaster waiting to happen.
Judging by comments to the council and online discussions, too many voters did not educate themselves ahead of the vote. A lot of buyer’s remorse and people who “assumed”. There were some amazing speakers who clearly and smartly got to the issue and were ready to dive into to the details the council wishes to avoid. There were also uninformed garage supporters who thought the architect’s renderings were fakes made by opponents of the garage. Quite the indictment when supporters of the garage have no idea what it looks like and even they think it can’t possibly “look like THAT”.
It is now crystal clear that 3 council members, led by the village manager and mayor, were not forthcoming about their intentions ahead of the vote. They promised a conversation about design and then offered one photo ahead of the vote and no options on design. The only design option was a meaningless 10′ difference. The village seems to revel in ignoring codes and statutes created to preserve what everyone loves about the village. The village should set the standard and go beyond what is required. This manager and 3 of the council now have a demonstrable record of doing the opposite. Let’s hope the promise of a new design to be created is true.
Bill Clinton rape accuser: Hillary ‘tried to silence’ me
January 06, 2016, 05:18 pm
By Mark Hensch and Jonathan Easley
A woman who publicly accused former President Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978 is resurrecting her claims on social media.
“I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me,” Juanita Broaddrick tweeted Wednesday.
“Hillary tried to silence me,” she wrote of Bill Clinton’s wife and the current Democratic presidential front-runner. “I am now 73…it never goes away.”
The Hill reached a woman by phone in Van Buren, Ark., on Wednesday who identified herself as Broaddrick. She said the Twitter account is hers.
Broaddrick said she set the account up in 2009 but hasn’t used it much since because she’s unfamiliar with Twitter.
The former nursing home administrator alleged in 1999 that Bill Clinton raped her in Little Rock, Ark., during his 1978 gubernatorial campaign.
In a brief interview, Broaddrick, who said she retired after selling her nursing home business in 2008, said she’s decided to play a more visible role heading into 2016.
“I’ve been quiet for too long, and now with the possibility of [Hillary Clinton] being the Democratic nominee and possibly president, I feel the need to get involved,” she said
Longtime Ridgewood restaurant Natalie’s closes
JANUARY 5, 2016, 12:40 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016, 1:09 PM
BY ESTHER DAVIDOWITZ
FOOD EDITOR |
THE RECORD
Longtime Ridgewood restaurateurs Natalie and Frank Trent have closed their beloved casual restaurant Natalie’s after 25 years, and Due Bistro, the well-received modern Italian restaurant just a few doors down, is set to take over the space next month.
“It will almost triple the size of Due,” said executive chef Adam Weiss, who received 3 1/2 stars for his cooking for guests at the bistro’s small (42-seat) dining room.
Weiss said that Due will probably close its doors at the end of this month at its present location – 13 E. Ridgewood Avenue —and move sometime in February into its new location — 16-18 S. Broad St. Currently, he is “redoing the menu, updating things.” He said that the new Due will be a little more casual but with an “elegant upscale feel.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/longtime-ridgewood-restaurant-natalie-s-closes-1.1485188
mémoire in Ridgewood has closed
mémoire in Ridgewood has announced they have closed. The restaurant opened back in 2013.
Below is the full statement from owner/chef Tom Finnelli:
“This was probably one of the toughest decisions that I’ve ever had to make. I love the restaurant business and opening mémoire was the realization of a childhood dream. It pains me to close it. But it comes down to risk versus reward. There is the obvious financial and emotional burden that comes with owning and operating a small business; but more importantly, there is a quality of life burden. I have a wife and two young children whom I love very dearly. As Executive Chef and Owner, it wasn’t uncommon to work 75 to 90 hours a week. In fact, it was often the norm. I have no problem working hard, but there has to be a balance. And I think working as an Executive Chef for a place that I don’t own will likely create the balance that I’m looking for.
We have so many wonderful guests that will be missed. They were not only huge supporters of our restaurant, but were like family to us. Thank you for your loyalty. It was a pleasure to serve you.
Maybe one of the hardest parts of closing the restaurant was saying goodbye to my team. Everyone on our team worked very hard. They were loyal and helped to make the restaurant the best that it could be. Especially Frank, our Maître d’, whom many of guests assumed was my partner because of his passion and love for hospitality. He treated the restaurant as his own and always went above and beyond to make our guests feel welcome.”
see boozyburbs for more details https://www.boozyburbs.com/2016/01/06/memoire-in-ridgewood-has-closed/
REMINDER: 2016 RIDGEWOOD RESIDENT PARKING PERMITS – AVAILABLE NOW
Ridgewood NJ, January – December 2016 Ridgewood Parking Permits – RPP Click Here for information and details. RPPs will be sold each business day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For both new and renewal RPPs, please bring a driver’s license, showing your Ridgewood address, and the registration(s) for the car(s) you wish to register. In addition, annual Ridgewood Resident Parking Stickers are available for free, which allow residents to park at the train station and will also be given as part of the RPP package. In order to obtain a Ridgewood Resident Parking Sticker (both new and renewal), please bring a driver’s license, showing your Ridgewood address, and the registration(s) for the car(s) you wish to register.
Ridgewood Train Station: New Hudson rail tunnel project would dwarf initial plan
JANUARY 7, 2016 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016, 6:48 AM
BY PAUL BERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
When Governor Christie, citing potential cost overruns, scuttled an $8.9 billion tunnel project in 2010, he set in motion a string of moves by local, state and federal officials that have resulted in a proposal for a much larger, federally driven project to build new rail tunnels under the Hudson River that by some estimates could cost $20 billion.
Planning for the new tunnels, dubbed Gateway, is expected to ramp up this year as the Port Authority takes the reins of what could be the largest public works project in the nation. And it joins new efforts – such as one announced Wednesday by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to spend $3 billion to overhaul New York Penn Station — to rebuild crumbling infrastructure in the region.
Like its predecessor, Gateway plans to deliver rail tunnels that would double the train capacity into New York City. And Gateway, like the canceled Access to the Region’s Core project, also envisions a new set of tracks that bypass Secaucus Junction, creating a one-seat ride from North Jersey into Manhattan.
But Gateway is a much broader project that also includes critical repairs to the existing train tunnels, upgrades and replacements of several bridges along Amtrak’s heavily traveled Northeast Corridor line, and miles of additional tracks between Newark and New York City.
With any luck, it should be completed in the next 20 years.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-hudson-rail-tunnel-project-would-dwarf-initial-plan-1.1486094
Village of Ridgewood Live Stream – Council Meeting – 01/06/2016
photo by Boyd Loving , see https://www.facebook.com/theridgewoodblog/ for more photos
Valley Hospital : NJ Legislature works out PILOT program details for non-profit hospitals
Passage nears in N.J. Legislature on hospitals-towns tax deal
JANUARY 6, 2016, 7:47 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016, 6:49 AM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Last-minute negotiations on Wednesday set the stage for passage of a bill requiring New Jersey’s non-profit hospitals to contribute financially to their |host towns, a measure crafted after a landmark state Tax Court decision raised doubts about their century-old property tax exemptions.
The measure would put up to $25 million into the coffers of municipalities where hospitals are located statewide, including an estimated $2.7 million to towns in Bergen and Passaic counties.
The state’s largest hospital association, in a historic shift, agreed to the “community service assessments” — with exemptions for hospitals in serious financial trouble — required by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney’s proposed law. However, the measure is opposed by the League of Municipalities, whose members generally think towns deserve more from the hospitals.
Today, the Assembly Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote on an amended version of Sweeney’s bill, and both houses of the Legislature are expected to vote on it Monday, Senate staff said. The measure, sponsored by Sweeney and state Sens. Robert Singer, a Republican of Monmouth and Ocean counties, and Joseph Vitale, a Middlesex County Democrat, has bipartisan support.
“The goal isn’t to put them out of business, or [see] how much can we get out of them,” Sweeney said of the state’s 60 non-profit hospitals. “But we wanted to acknowledge and come up with a fair process. You don’t want a free-for-all where everyone is going to court, everyone’s suing.”
The New Jersey Hospital Association’s endorsement came after a precedent-setting decision by state Tax Court Judge Vito Bianco in June opened the door to new tax bills — and lawsuits — for non-profit hospitals statewide. Bianco found that the non-profit Morristown Medical Center was not entitled to its property-tax exemption because its operations were hardly different from those of a for-profit business. The two sides in that dispute settled, with the medical center agreeing to pay $15.5 million over 10 years.
The bill would preserve the New Jersey Constitution’s century-old property tax exemption for non-profit hospitals, a protection sought by the hospital industry. But it assesses a daily fee of $2.50 per hospital bed, payable to the host municipality, to be used for police and fire protection or to lower property taxes. Five percent of the assessment would be paid by the municipality to the county government.
Two amendments were negotiated Wednesday, and the measure was scheduled for votes in the Legislature’s final voting sessions. One amendment added an inflation clause, increasing the assessment by 2 percent annually. The other changed an exemption for hospitals in danger of bankruptcy or close to violating their bond covenants by allowing the finances of a hospital system, rather than an individual hospital, to be considered when exemptions are decided.
For the 4th year in a row New Jersey leads in the nation on people moving out
file photo by Boyd Loving
Where’s America Moving? Oregon Named Top Moving Destination of 2015United Van Lines’ Annual National Movers Study Shows Americans Continue to Move West and South
January 7,2015
the staff of the Rmidgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , For the third consecutive year, Oregon holds on to the No. 1 spot as “Top Moving Destination,” as Americans continue to pack up and head West and South. Those are the results of United Van Lines’ 39th Annual National Movers Study, which tracks customers’ state-to-state migration patterns over the past year.
Oregon is the most popular moving destination of 2015 with 69 percent of moves to and from the state being inbound. The state has continued to climb the ranks, increasing inbound migration by 10 percent over the past six years. New to the 2015 top inbound list is another Pacific West state, Washington, which came in at No. 10 with 56 percent inbound moves.
The Southern states also saw a high number of people moving in with 53 percent of total moves being inbound. In a separate survey of its customers, United Van Lines found the top reasons for moving South included company transfer/new job, retirement and proximity to family.
The Northeast continues to experience a moving deficit with New Jersey (67 percent outbound) and New York (65 percent) making the list of top outbound states for the fourth consecutive year. Two other states in the region — Connecticut (63 percent) andMassachusetts (57 percent) — also joined the top outbound list this year. The exception to this trend is Vermont (62 percent inbound), which moved up two spots on the list of top inbound states to No. 3.
“For nearly 40 years, we’ve been tracking which states people are moving to and from, and we’ve also recently started surveying our customers to understand why they are making these moves across state lines,” said Melissa Sullivan, director of marketing communications at United Van Lines. “Because of United Van Lines’ position as the nation’s largest household goods mover, our data is reflective of national migration trends.”
“This year’s data reflects longer-term trends of people moving to the Pacific West, where cities such as Portland and Seattle are seeing the combination of a boom in the technology and creative marketing industry, as well as a growing ‘want’ for outdoor activity and green space,” said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The aging Boomer population is driving relocation from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South, as more and more people retire to warmer regions.”
United has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2015, the study is based on household moves handled by United within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. United classifies states as “high inbound” if 55 percent or more of the moves are going into a state, “high outbound” if 55 percent or more moves were coming out of a state or “balanced” if the difference between inbound and outbound is negligible.
Moving In
The top inbound states of 2015 were:
Oregon
South Carolina
Vermont
Idaho
North Carolina
Florida
Nevada
District of Columbia
Texas
Washington
The Western U.S. is represented on the high-inbound list by Oregon (69 percent), Nevada (57 percent) and Washington (56 percent). Of moves to Oregon, a new job or company transfer (53 percent) and wanting to be closer to family (20 percent) led the reasons for most inbound moves. Nevada remained on the high inbound list for the fifth consecutive year.
Moving Out
The top outbound states for 2015 were:
New Jersey
New York
Illinois
Connecticut
Ohio
Kansas
Massachusetts
West Virginia
Mississippi
Maryland
In addition to the Northeast, Illinois (63 percent) held steady at the No. 3 spot, ranking in the top five for the last seven years.
New additions to the 2014 top outbound list include Connecticut (63 percent), Massachusetts (57 percent) and Mississippi (56 percent).
Balanced
Several states gained approximately the same number of residents as those that left. This list of “balanced” states includes Alabama,North Dakota, Delaware and Louisiana.
McGreevey pushes latest Boondoggle in Paterson
McGreevey comes to Paterson to defend controversial prison reentry initiative
JANUARY 6, 2016, 9:57 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016, 10:02 AM
BY JOE MALINCONICO
PATERSON PRESS
PATERSON — Former Gov. Jim McGreevey made a surprise appearance at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in an attempt to defuse criticism aimed at the new prisoner reentry program he is launching in Paterson.
Speaking to the council members, McGreevey said a similar reentry initiative he oversees in Jersey City has achieved low recidivism rates and high employment among its participants by providing them with counseling, job training and other services to ease their transition to life outside prison.
Then the former governor addressed council members’ concerns about Paterson’s use of municipal public works department employees working overtime to complete renovations on the privately-owned Montgomery Street building where some of the post-prison services will be provided.
McGreevey said the “crazed drive to get this done quickly” stemmed from concerns that the city could lose the $180,000 federal grant paying for the work if it were not completed quickly. McGreevey’s explanation matched the one provided by Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres on Monday. The mayor has said the overtime costs would be covered by the federal grant.
In an interview after his presentation to the council, McGreevey said he expected the program to begin operation in the middle of this month with its first group of 11 to 15 participants. He said that it would serve between 175 and 250 released inmates per year. In an effort to dispel some residents’ concerns that parolees would be living at the Montgomery Street building, McGreevey said the site would only be used during business hours to provide services and referrals.
“I believe we’re changing lives through the process of reentry,” said McGreevey, chairman of the board of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, the nonprofit organization working on the project.
For the most part, council members seemed to show deference to the former governor as they complimented his efforts. Not until later in the night, long after McGreevey had left the building, did several council members sharply question administration officials about the project
Kudlow Plans Senate Bid Decision by February
By John Gizzi | Sunday, 03 Jan 2016 06:51 PM
As Connecticut Republicans increasingly hope he will say yes to a U.S. Senate race in 2016, conservative TV and radio host Larry Kudlow told Newsmax he will make a decision on whether to challenge Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal “before the end of February.”
In an exclusive interview with Newsmax, Redding resident Kudlow, 68, came the closest he has so far to becoming a full-fledged candidate.
Best known as a spirited champion of smaller government and slashing tax rates, the onetime Reagan administration deputy budget director told us that the issue that motivates him the most to run is the war on terror.
“The war against ISIS is the great issue of our time,” said Kudlow, widely known for his long-running “The Kudow Report” on CNBC and his nationally-syndicated radio show. “ISIS wants to destroy America and it is in cahoots with the groups that want to destroy Israel. But we must destroy ISIS.
“It burns in me we have a mediocre, left-leaning senator agreeing with Obama that ‘global warming is the issue of our time.’ And whatever skills I have, I will use them to run a scathing campaign on this issue.”
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com https://www.newsmax.com/John-Gizzi/kudlow-close-run-senate/2016/01/03/id/707968/#ixzz3wTxYIZ1bhttps://www.newsmax.com/John-Gizzi/kudlow-close-run-senate/2016/01/03/id/707968/#ixzz3wTxYIZ1b
