The future of an ObamaCare program that was intended to create non-profit insurers is increasingly in doubt, with several of the ventures forced to close down around the country.
On Friday, co-op insurance plans in Colorado and Oregon became the latest to call it quits, following the closure of similar plans this month in Tennessee, Kentucky and New York.
Just 15 of the original 23 co-ops remain in operation, and the administration acknowledges that more of them could fail, potentially leaving a strike against President Obama’s signature law.
“The co-op program was always kind of swimming upstream,” said Larry Levitt, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which does nonpartisan health analysis. “Starting an insurance company is not easy, and there’s a reason why it’s not done very often.”
Democrats created the non-profit co-ops under ObamaCare as a way to increase competition with established, for-profit insurers. Liberals rallied to the idea after they failed to secure the passage of a government-run insurance option.
But experts say the co-ops are facing a range of problems that could prove hard to overcome.
HUNDREDS OF INTERNATIONAL GIRL SCOUT ALUMNAE HONOR NEW JERSEY GIRL SCOUT, IDAMAE TRENNER WITH PAVILION DEDICATION
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2015
Time: 10:00a.m.
Where: Camp Lou Henry Hoover
961 Rt. 521 West Shore Drive
Middleville, NJ 07855
Who: Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey and International Girl Scout Alumnae
What: Hundreds of original New Jersey Girl Scout Alumnae convene from around the world at Camp Lou Henry Hoover, a Girl Scout Camp owned and Operated by the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, to honor influential Girl Scout, IdaMae Trenner at the celebration and dedication of a new pavilion built in her honor.
About Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey:
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey (GSHNJ) builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place by providing girls access to premier leadership programs and mentors throughout New Jersey. GSHNJ provides leadership experiences to over 20,000 New Jersey girls each year. For more information about the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, visitwww.gshnj.org.
OCTOBER 16, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern NJ is exhibiting at the West Side Presbyterian Church Gallery in Ridgewood this month. The show is a good sampling of the variety of professional painting that can be created by a group of dedicated artists, according to Herrat Sommerhoff, one of the member artists.
The group is composed of 31 professional painters committed to contemporary artistic expression in a broad range of styles and techniques. They exhibit individually and as a group in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. This exhibit features 10 of the artists. Realistic as well as abstract painting, mixed media, collages, landscapes, still life, floral, prints and even examples of digital photography are on display.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, October 19, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting may also be viewed on FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda for the October 19, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the September 21, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.
Community and Strategic Plan Approved by the Board
At its October 5 meeting, the Board of Education approved the Community & Strategic Plans for the 2015-2016 school year. Click here to view this document.
Access Ridgewood 2015 is October 16-18
Events are taking place Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18 in the schools and Village. Event information can be found at [email protected].
Click here for more details.
LSHSA Holds Two Social Events
Welcome Brunch: October 26 from 9-11 a.m.
Evening Social November 18 at 7:30 p.m.
No RSVP required
Click here for details.
RHS DECA Sells Maroons Apparel through October 23
Proceeds support RHS DECA and Operation Shoebox. Orders are due by October 23. Click here for details and the order form.
Ridge School Holds Tag Sale on October 17
The multi-family sale will run from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Ridge School. Questions should be directed to [email protected]. Click here for the flyer.
RHS New Players Hold Trunk or Treat on October 30
Children are invited to come to the RHS Little Theatre in costume to hear Halloween tales, followed by trunk or treating in the parking lot. $10; children under 3 Free. Rsvp. Click here for details.
Junior NP Weekend is November 13-15
Click here for Junior New Players registration information. RHS Gymnastics Clinics Continue for Grades K-8
The RHS Varsity Gymnastics team continues its annual October gymnastics clinics on Saturdays, October 17 and 24 from 8-9 a.m. Individuals in Kindergarten through Grade 8 are welcome to participate in the clinics, which will be held in RHS Gym 3. Children should be dressed in proper attire (t-shirt and shorts/leggings or a leotard and spandex if they have them). Guardians are required to sign a permission slip the first they attend clinic. Clinics are provided free of charge, but donations are welcome. If you have questions please email Coach Karen Mendez at [email protected]. No need to RSVP. Click here for the flyer.
Driver Loses Control and Knocks out Signal at intersection of Franklin Avenue and Oak Street in Downtown Ridgewood
October 16,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a Subaru Forester was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital with non-life threatening injuries following early evening crash in Ridgewood on Friday, 10/16 in which the Subaru mounted a sidewalk and felled a traffic signal at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Oak Street.
Ridgewood FD personnel attended to a minor crash resultant fluid spill and an electrician from the Ridgewood Traffic & Signal Bureau disconnected power and disassembled the downed light assembly. A flatbed tow truck removed the vehicle. No other injuries were reported in the crash. Ridgewood PD, EMS, and Emergency Services also responded to the scene.
Ridgewood NJ, Rhe Ridgewood Police report that on Friday, October 9, 2015, a youth dance party sponsored by the Ridgewood Guild was held at Van Neste Park. During the course of the evening eleven (11) juveniles displayed signs of being under the influence of alcohol necessitating their being taken into custody for their safety before being released to parental/adult custody.
Additionally two (2) juveniles were transported to the Valley Hospital Emergency Room by the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps for treatment of medical emergencies related to the consumption of alcohol. Juvenile complaints for underage consumption of alcohol are pending.
Ridgewood NJ, Aronsohn, Hauck, and Pucciarelli use the word “civility” so often that you might just think that they are disciples of the church of kindness. And yet, what are we seeing under this reign? We are seeing so much hostility in the meetings that it is an embarrassment to behold.
The three of them have attacked Councilwoman Knudsen ruthlessly, as well as Councilman Sedon, former manager Ken Gabbert, Village Clerk Heather Mailander, former Councilman Tom Riche, former Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh, and Chief of Police John Ward. They also have gone after certain members of the public, as when Aronsohn and Manager Sonenfeld double-teamed Mrs. Reynolds and badgered her about something she said. She had been neither incorrect nor impolite, yet they decided they could bully her because they did not like her message. They permitted the former labor attorney to go on a 50-minute rant, a verbal assault, against Councilwoman Knudsen. They publicly annihilated Tom Riche, against the advice of Matt Rogers, because they wanted to be bullies. When people go to the microphone to speak, Aronsohn will let someone with whom he agrees talk way past the 5-minute mark, while he shuts down anyone he does not like as soon as the buzzer sounds. This is despicable. Mayor Aronsohn, members of the public elected you (or at least some of them did) and they have a right to speak. And Aronsohn often strolls out of the meeting to schmooze with one person or another in the hallway, thereby thumbing his nose at whoever is speaking or whatever is being discussed in his absence. One of them was heard screaming at Councilwoman Knudsen to the point that the witness advised Susan to file an official report. The three of them have admitted that they text or email during the meetings, thereby disregarding that they are conducting an OPEN PUBLIC meeting. The list just goes on and on.
And why the heck has Aronsohn allowed three consecutive meetings to extend into the wee hours of the morning? Why doesn’t he manage things better, schedule more hearings, and make them have defined end-times, so that people can get home at a reasonable hour? This is another form of bullying, when you think about it. The idea seems to be that if they go late enough, people will get tired and head home before speaking. Seemingly many people are mad enough that they stay as late as 2:45 AM.
Anyone who watches these meetings can see that the hostility level is unprecedented. This past week one resident called another an “s.o.b,” and what did Aronsohn do? Nothing. One resident called three others liars, and what did Aronsohn do? Nothing. People are at the point of tears, they are angry, frustrated, they are pleading, they are screaming. People are getting babysitters and missing evenings with their families and going to bed a few hours before they have to start work again, and when they are at the meetings the anger level is off the charts. Residents are coming together to sue the Village. Residents are spending unprecedented amounts of money to take out newspaper ads that encourage residents to fight city hall. The entire atmosphere is toxic and completely unproductive. The topics are many – Schedler, Parking Garage, High-Density Housing, the ramp to nowhere, the bike lane under the train trestle, and on and on. Their ill-advised projects have pretty much antagonized the entire populace of Ridgewood. They have made sure that no resident would feel at peace. What a complete train-wreck this entire administration has proven to be.
And what do they do? Preach civility! Egad, how disingenuous.
Paul and Albert and Gwenn like to think that there are a few “bad apples” in town who are their only critics. They blast this Blog for the anonymity of its posters. Um, excuse me….have you seen the hundreds of residents who come to the meetings and complain about your plans and your policies? Not only are their numbers huge, but they are not anonymous. Have you read the published letters in the newspaper to which authors’ names are attached?
You three have carved your legacies in this town, and the image is miserable to behold. Yes, you will be remembered long after you have gone. Everyone remembers the people who ran over them, bullied them, and wreaked havoc. We won’t forget you, but oh, we will be so glad to see you go next July.
Waldwick NJ, New Jersey Transit train #1212, which departed from Waldwick at 8:56 AM en route to Hoboken, apparently struck and killed a male trespasser in Paterson at approximately 9:10 AM on Friday, 10/16. The incident occurred near the intersection of Governor and Straight Streets.
After being struck, the victim fell from the elevated track area and landed on Governor Street. He was pronounced dead on the scene at 9:40 AM. Paterson PD, NJ Transit PD, and the Passaic County Medical Examiner’s office are conducting a joint investigation.
By MATT APUZZO and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDTOCT. 16, 2015
WASHINGTON — Federal agents were still cataloging the classified information from Hillary Rodham Clinton’s personal email server last week when President Obama went on television and played down the matter.
“I don’t think it posed a national security problem,” Mr. Obama said Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” He said it was a mistake for Mrs. Clinton to use a private email account when she was secretary of state, but his conclusion was unmistakable: “This is not a situation in which America’s national security was endangered.”
Those statements angered F.B.I. agents who have been working for months to determine whether Ms. Clinton’s email setup had in fact put any of the nation’s secrets at risk, according to current and former law enforcement officials.
Investigators have not reached any conclusions about whether the information on the server had been compromised or whether to recommend charges, according to the law enforcement officials. But to investigators, it sounded as if Mr. Obama had already decided the answers to their questions and cleared anyone involved of wrongdoing.
Former Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) believes that CNN stacked the odds for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) during the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday.
“Online poll: Was the CNN #DemDebate rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton?” he tweeted Friday, referencing a Daily Caller sampling that shows 98 percent answering “yes.”
Webb’s post follows his insistence late Thursday that CNN moderator Anderson Cooper helped the network’s coverage skew toward Clinton and Sanders.
“I’m going to be very frank, it was rigged in terms of who was going to get the time on the floor by the way that Anderson Cooper was selecting people to supposedly respond to something someone else said,” he said during an address atthe Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
“It’s very difficult to win a debate when you don’t have the opportunity to speak the same amount of time on issues as the others did,” the long-shot Democratic White House hopeful said.
“It’s a reality that the debate was being portrayed as a showdown between Mrs. Clinton and Bernie, but if you’re going to be invited to participate and people are going to judge whether you, quote, ‘won’ or not, at least you should be able to have the kind of time that’s necessary to discuss the issues that you care about, that you’ve worked on,” Webb added.
By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
WASHINGTON — If U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett faced a backlash from his comments earlier this yearabout not supporting gay candidates, it didn’t come from the financial industry.
Political action committees representing banks, insurers, investors and other industries regulated by the House Financial Services Committee accounted for more than $8 of every $10 in PAC money Garrett raised during the last three months, Federal Election Commission filings show.
Garrett (R-5th Dist.) raised $63,500 in PAC money from July 1 to Sept. 30, with $52,000, or 82 percent, coming from the financial industry. Overall, he took in $179,486 during the three-month period, bringing his 2015 total to $574,164.
That trailed his expected Democratic opponent, former White House speechwriter Josh Gottheimer, who brought in more than $1 million, including $400,232 in the last three months.
RIDGEWOOD, NJ In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Hackensack UMC at Pascack Valley and Valley Hospital of Ridgewood welcomed some special individuals from Spectrum for Living to their Breast Care Centers. In support of those receiving treatment for breast cancer, day program attendees from Spectrum for Living delivered handmade cards and good cheer. The cards will be displayed throughout both Breast Centers for the month of October.
This annual visit means a lot to all those who are involved. For several weeks prior to their visit, the day program participants are busy creating the cards and bundling them together. Joe, who attends program at Spectrum’s North Haledon Adult Training Center, said it best when asked why he like to visit every year, “To make someone feel better
and cared for is the most important thing when they are hurting.”
Currently, Spectrum for Living facilities and services touch the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities in over 100 New Jersey communities. Spectrum for Living is one of New Jersey’s most respected and recognized not-for-profit organizations assisting adults with developmental disabilities in Bergen, Passaic, Middlesex and
Monmouth counties. Spectrum provides a wide array of housing, medical, clinical, habilitative, social and educational services to more than 200 residential consumers and hundreds of community clients.
$5.95M Ridgewood, NJ Estate w/ Doggy Spa to Auction on October 24th
October 15,2015
Ridgewood, NJ DeCaro Luxury Auctions has announced the absolute auction of 150 Brookside Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey on October 24, 2015. The eight-bedroom, eight-full and three-half bathroom American classic, shingle style estate features two acres of land and a guest apartment, all of which will be auctioned to the highest bidder without reserve on auction day.
“150 Brookside Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey offers homebuyers the beauty of a historic home with Victorian and Colonial influences. The entire estate was built with the precision of a condo building, yet exudes the space, privacy and family-friendly atmosphere of a home in an affluent suburban neighborhood,” said Daniel DeCaro, CEO and founder of DeCaro Luxury Auctions. “Owners of this Ridgewood home will have the best of both worlds – grounds that feel like a tranquil park, yet you’re only 30 minutes from Manhattan.”
The 15,000-square-foot estate sits on two-acres of lush green lawns with native trees, flowering gardens and several entertaining areas including a playhouse with a microwave and a refrigerator as well as an entertaining cabin complete with electricity, an additional kitchen, a gas fireplace and heat.
Custom Bluestone rock retaining walls line the exterior of the property, which is recognized for its authentic copper gutters and a second – story wraparound veranda overlooking the grounds. All of this enclosed by a beautifully crafted wrought iron fence along the perimeter of the property and intricately – detailed wrought-iron entry gates hand – forged by a French craftsman.
Fine attention to detail carries throughout the home, which was built with a myriad of handcrafted accents by local artists. For example, the entrance of 150 Brookside Avenue features a vestibule with canvas walls that were hand-painted with a nature scene by artist Ornella Muth. Stained glass windows also adorn a variety of doors and windows carrying a unified nature theme throughout the estate. Throughout the home, hand-crafted windows also feature solid mahogany woodwork, copper flashing and antique brass pulley systems.
The master suite is complete with a fireplace, a private terrace and an oversized walk-in closet with built-in shoe racks and garment shelves, as well as a center island. The home’s gourmet kitchen features Viking and Miele appliances, a six-burner stove and a breakfast bar with seating for four. A butler’s pantry with a wine refrigerator is also situated between the home’s kitchen and dining room.
Living areas in the home include a play room with a turret ceiling and built-in bench seating; an English walnut chapel with vaulted ceilings; a third-story library with antique cherry wood floors and 200-year-old English elm beams; and a study with a fireplace and mahogany walls featuring gold-leaf trim.
The estate’s basement is complete with a large room with a full kitchen and French doors that open to the lush backyard and serves as an indoor/outdoor entertaining area; a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest apartment with a kitchenette; a screening room with theater-style seating for 12; and a fully equipped exercise room with a sauna.
Additional amenities include a hospital-grade air filtration system that purifies the home of allergens; radiant heating with a forced hot air system; a control room containing dashboards for the lighting, alarm, temperature, air and audio-visual systems within the home; an onsite well that maintains the property’s lawn; and an automatic snow- and ice-melting system in the driveway and in all the walkways.
Behind the property, a brook sits flush to the lawn, creating separation and privacy. A separate one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest apartment with a kitchenette also sits above a two-car garage, which is adjacent to the home’s attached three-car garage.
Located in the heart of Ridgewood, New Jersey, the estate is minutes from the shops, cafés and restaurants that make up downtown Ridgewood. Just 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan, New York City is also easily accessible from the home, which is one mile from the Ridgewood stop on New Jersey Transit. Ridgewood, known for its top-tier public and private schools, is located in Bergen County, one of the wealthiest counties in the United States according to the latest US Census Report.
150 Brookside Avenue is open for prospective buyers to view beginning on Saturday, October 3, 2015 and continuing every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. until auction day. The last scheduled open house will be held the day before the auction on Friday, October 23, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Additional private tours are also available by calling DeCaro Luxury Auctions at 1.800.332.3767.
The absolute auction of this private estate will be held onsite at 150 Brookside Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. Broker participation is invited.
For additional information on this auction, as well as other DeCaro auctions please, call1.800.332.3767 or visit www.DeCaroAuctions.com.
About DeCaro Luxury Auctions
Founded by Daniel DeCaro, a licensed real estate broker and luxury property auctioneer, DeCaro Luxury Auctions has been auctioning luxury properties of distinction for more than 35 years. DeCaro has settled billions of dollars in luxury assets, executing flawless nationwide live auctions. DeCaro is the foremost leader and innovator in the field of auctioning luxury estates. For more information call 1.800.332.3767.
OCTOBER 15, 2015, 6:14 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015, 9:41 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
GLEN ROCK — A long-awaited report by a former judge that called the state of the borough Police Department “good to excellent” — despite several recent high-profile suspensions — came under fire from residents on Wednesday night, even though elements of the probe were referred to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Commissioned by the Borough Council in May, the report was done by retired state Superior Court Judge Alexander H. Carver III and was intended to “take the pulse” of the department.
Also, Carver was to provide an explanation of how disciplinary charges came to be brought against Sgt. Christopher McInerney and Bryan Scott for the deletion of photographs from a 2005 retirement party.
AG’s Office Denies Dems’ Effort to Prevent Voters from Having LD38 Cappola Option
Bergen County Democratic Committee Counsel Carmine Alampi today fired off a letter to judges in Bergen and Passaic counties requesting that the LD38 voting machine levers be locked to prevent general election voters from being able to record a vote for Anthony Cappola. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
Assembly Speaker Prieto Denounces Bramnick for Stance on Cappola
Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) issued a statement Thursday speaking out against Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-21), who said during a press conference Wednesday that he would not be taking further steps to remove Assembly candidate Anthony Cappola from the ballot in the 38th district. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more
