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Posted on October 8, 2015April 9, 2020 by James — 6 Comments

PSEG Foundation Grants Special Olympics New Jersey $200,000 Towards Inclusive Sports Program

PSEG Foundation Grants Special Olympics New Jersey $200,000 Towards Inclusive Sports Program

Multi-year grant awarded to support the Special Olympics Unified Schools Partnership initiative

October 7,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark, N.J. , Further strengthening its commitment to diversity and inclusion, the PSEG Foundation has granted $200,000 to Special Olympics New Jersey (SONJ) to support their Play Unified. Live Unified. initiative.

The two-year grant supports SONJ’s Play Unified School Partnership, which provides elementary, middle and high schools with training, equipment and technical assistance to implement inclusive sports, education and social experiences. The goal is to help build self-confidence and provide all students with an equal opportunity to participate in athletic, co-curricular and recreational activities.

“This extension of the relationship between PSEG and Special Olympics New Jersey is built on the shared vision of celebrating diversity within communities and connecting students with opportunities to spur change,” said Ellen Lambert, President, PSEG Foundation.

“Special Olympics New Jersey is excited about expanding our partnership with PSEG following the success of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games,” said Heather Anderson, President and CEO of Special Olympics New Jersey. “PSEG’s support allows us to create more awareness in schools than ever before as we strive to make acceptance, inclusion and unity an integral part of every child’s education, both on and off the playing field.”

By teaming up with PSEG over the next two years, approximately 30 schools throughout the state will receive support to create sustainable inclusive youth leadership, social and sports opportunities. The Play Unified. Live Unified. program offers a combination of effective interventions that equip young people with tools and training to create athletic, classroom and community experiences that promote inclusion, combat stereo-types, eliminate hurtful language and foster healthy lifestyles and friendships.

“Students with disabilities gain an enormous amount of confidence from unified play. They are no longer a person with a disability, but rather an athlete who is involved in an activity. Gaining this confidence and experience, they become part of the school community,” said Brett Scully, Washington Park School, Play Unified. Live Unified. club adviser and coach. “Without programs like Play Unified. Live Unified., students may never be exposed to different situations that will eventually lead to their becoming leaders.”

”Kids with disabilities never really get the chance to play on a school’s sport team, but Unified Sports gives kids a chance to play and have fun. It also betters both the kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities because it gives the kids social interaction skills and teaches us respect. Unified sports is an amazing opportunity and I love to do it!” Ashley, Unified Partner, Hamilton West High School, Hamilton, N.J.

PSEG was a Founding Partner of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games and presenting sponsor of the Project UNIFY Youth Summit, which brought together students with and without disabilities from across the country. They participated in a weeklong series of workshops and networking activities that focused on inclusive youth leadership, education and service learning.

Special Olympics New Jersey provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in 24 Olympic-type sports for more than 25,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, completely free of charge, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Visit www.sonj.org for more information.

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Rep, Scott Garrett’s Freedom Caucus backs Webster for Speaker

October 07, 2015, 05:04 pm
By Cristina Marcos

The conservative House Freedom Caucus is endorsing Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) for Speaker, potentially preventing any candidate from securing enough votes to win the gavel on the House floor.

The endorsement of Webster, who won just 12 votes for Speaker against now-retiring John Boehner (R-Ohio) in January, is a blow to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the leading candidate for the position.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus is endorsing Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) for Speaker, potentially preventing any candidate from securing enough votes to win the gavel on the House floor.

https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/256270-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker

Posted on October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 by James — 6 Comments

Travell School on Lock Down this afternoon

Photo credit to Catherine Powell

Ridgewood Schools on Lock Down this afternoon
October 08.2015
the staff of the Rdiregwood blog

Ridgewood NJ ,Ridgewood Schools on lock down after student said he saw a person dressed in black with a gun just past noon near the school..

At least 6 Ridgewood squad cars and 2 un-marked cars encircled the areas.Police had their rifles out and bullet-proof vets. After approx. 45 minutes, they gave the all clear sign.

Police barred reporters from the sight , but news helicopters arrived just while the search was ending

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

UNREAL® LAUNCHES A SUPER-NATURAL CANDY REVOLUTION AT SELECT WHOLE FOODS MARKET® STORES THIS HALLOWEEN

Unjunked, Sustainably-Sourced Versions of America’s Favorite Candies Now Available at Whole Foods Market Ridgewood in Limited Edition, “Day of the Dead” 3-D Themed Packaging

October 8,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, UnReal®, the unjunked food company, announced today that it has partnered with Whole Foods Market® Ridgewood at 44 Godwin Avenue and other regional Whole Food Market stores this Halloween to offer its junk-free candies in limited edition, 3-D packaging with a “Day of the Dead” theme. Now, for the first time, kids and families in the neighborhood can treat themselves to unjunked versions of traditional candies like Reese’s® and M&M’s® that taste unbelievably delicious – no tricks, just 100% real treats. UnReal is reinventing America’s favorite candies by ethically sourcing the best-tasting, non-GMO ingredients without gluten, corn, or soy – and with up to 40% less sugar per serving. The brand’s limited edition seasonal product offerings include a 3-D Halloween Bucket with four varieties of treat size UnReal candies, as well as four different bags containing 10 treat size UnReal candies.

“Whole Foods customers want healthier options for their families without compromising taste and fun, so we’re offering them the Halloween candy they love – without the excess sugar and artificial ingredients that come with the typical trick-or-treat haul,” said UnReal CEO, Steve Konczal. “Halloween is a time when parents are conflicted, wanting their kids to enjoy candy, and yet mindful of the very real health issues. So, we’re launching a super-natural candy revolution alongside Whole Foods Market, and we’re aiming to reclaim Halloween by unjunking it. Together with fun packaging and in-store merchandising grounded in the true ethos of Halloween, we’re helping consumers make a better choice during the biggest candy-buying holiday of the year, when a staggering $3 billion of chocolate candy is purchased.“

Available now at Whole Foods Market Ridgewood, the limited edition UnReal Halloween Buckets feature innovative, 3-D designs with a colorful “Day of the Dead” theme created by renowned illustrator, Steve Simpson. The Halloween Bucket is a one-gallon “paint can” designed for trick-or-treating or for carrying to a party. It’s filled with 40 pieces of individually wrapped UnReal candy in four varieties — UnReal Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, UnReal Dark Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter Cups, UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolates and UnReal Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Peanuts. Four varieties of bags are also available, each containing 10 individually wrapped UnReal candies. Suggested retail pricing is $19.99 for the Halloween Bucket, and $4.99 for each of the 10 piece bags. UnReal’s candy will be showcased with striking and imaginative displays, including painted skulls, all in the spirit of celebrating life and turning reality into unreality at Halloween.

Started by two teenager brothers after much of their Halloween candy was confiscated by their parents, UnReal is making America’s favorite candies better tasting, using the healthiest and most sustainable ingredients possible. While healthy confectionery has historically compromised on taste to deliver on better-for-you ingredients, UnReal puts flavor at the forefront. The team has explored over 1,000 recipes, searching the globe for the best tasting healthy, fair trade, organic, and sustainably-sourced ingredients for its unique recipes. To get your own UnReal Halloween treats, visit Whole Foods Market at 44 Godwin Avenue – or to purchase online, visit https://www.getunreal.com.

Posted on October 8, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 19 Comments

Village of Ridgewood Feasibility Study for Hudson Street Garage Complete

photos by Boyd Loving

2015 Walker Feasibility Study for Garage

Click Here to read the complete Walker Parking Garage Feasibility Study that was presented in the October 7, 2015 Village Council Public Work Session.

Special Public Hearing – October 14, 2015

The Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood shall conduct a Public Hearing in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room on the fourth floor of the Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ at its October 14, 2015 Regular Public Meeting, which meeting begins at 8:00 p.m.

The purpose of this Public Hearing is for the Village Council to receive comments and suggestions from the public for the Village of Ridgewood’s 2015 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund Municipal Park Improvement and Development Grant application. The Village has applied for this grant for Phase 1 work on the Schedler Park property, located at 460 West Saddle River Road, Ridgewood, NJ. Phase 1 would encompass basic infrastructure improvements to include: installation of underground utilities (water, electric, sewer); demolition of two-car garage, small shed; capping of inoperable well; selective removal of down, dead, diseased trees; site clean-up; and cut in proposed parking lot driveway entrance.

Heather A. Mailander

Village Clerk

Posted on October 8, 2015October 8, 2015 by James — 21 Comments

Proposed Parking Garage falls far Short for Ridgewood Central Business District

“File photo by Boyd Loving”

October 8,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Did you watch the UStream from the Village Council meeting last night about the parking garage?

The plan is one of the most bizarre I’ve ever heard of.

Here’s why:

1) No net gain of spaces due to loss of at least 1, if not more private lots because of high density housing (Brogan), and the loss of 17 on street spaces on Hudson Street (Mt. Carmel church goers get screwed, as we expected they would).

2) Garage must be full, yes full, in order for it to pay for itself. They will fill with commuters during day, including out of towners. They will also push all valeted cars into lot at night. Expect them to change zoning to prohibit valeted cars from being parked on private property. Also expect them to push all employee parking (now at Ken Smith) into lot. In short, there will be no room in lot for shoppers/restaurant users during the day.

3) On street metered parking will soon begin at 9AM and end at 9PM. “Premium” on street spots will now cost $1.00 per hour and escalate each year. Rates in surface lots will also increase at the rate of 25 cents per year beginning at 75 cents per hour. Expect parking charges to be incurred on Sundays if money is tight.

4) No mention whatsoever of how much it will cost to park in the garage, but there was talk about making it a 24/7 pay to park facility.

5) Enforcement will escalate to bring in more revenue. More parking enforcement agents?

6) No answer provided to the question of whether parking utility revenues now allocated to fund Village operations will need to be funneled to pay for the garage, leaving tax payers the burden of replacing the funds – increased property taxes maybe?

7) After hearing all of this, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck had nothing to say other than “I’m all about aesthetics,” at which point she then proceeded to lambaste the garage design firm about the exterior appearance of the facility. Can you believe that one?

In short, this entire parking garage will be the biggest boondoggle Village taxpayers will experience in decades, if not the last century.

VOTE “NO” ON NOVEMBER 3 IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMON SENSE.

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 10 Comments

Lamp Post on Dangerous Ridgewood Conner Still Missing Since December

Let’s Play Where’s Roberta

October 08,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the above Picture is taken near the Exxon station which we know would have been an ideal spot for a parking garage.
Confirmed the station is closing next week.

So, this picture shows; Street light near La Bocca is on 24 hours a day. ( Also one down the block)
Small traffic cone across from the barber shop. That used to be a lamp post. Older gentleman hit it in December. When someone complained to the town it looked like it was falling down, lamp post was removed. 10 months and not replaced? Surprised no one has stolen the cone.
Traffic sign near the Woof-Furry, completely bent. Street sign pole to the right of that, leaning precariously.

So, how do we get these fixed??

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 21 Comments

Residents Flip Over Outrageous Ridgewood Water Bills

October 07,2015
Jane Shinozuka

Ridgewood NJ, I know people have been concerned about their “re-calculated” Ridgewood Water bills, but the mismanagement is worse than I thought. I’ve paid my bills, and while they do talk about them being “estimated” – this is just ridiculous! If it is not illegal it is surely unethical! Has anyone pursued this issue?

They assured us they are owed the full amount billed – it not being THEIR fault that they didn’t have the manpower to do anything but estimates for 6 or 7 years! Customers not changing their phone systems for better monitoring to suit Water’s purposes is not an excuse. Where is the genuine attempt at a public awareness campaign? This is outrageous. I’d also like to know if this new calculation is based on current rates. Have those rates been the same for the last 7 or 8 years? At which rate is the catch up bill measured? With each re-calculated bill should come a full reconciliation of each account from when it was first considered underpaid. They insisted they are indeed entitled to the whole amount and offered us a 24 installment payment plan. I’ve since heard from someone else that had a similar problem that he too called to raise the issue and was offered a 15% discount over 5 years… I’d love to know who rates a sweet deal and who doesn’t!

If anyone has an opinion or has dealt with this, please enlighten me. I am always very supportive of all things Ridgewood, even when I’ve had to give the benefit of the doubt – but this is Not Right! Even if every re-calculation turned out to be correct – this is no way to run a business!! Who is “minding the store” ?!

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 6 Comments

Ridgewood Water Lifts all Water Restrictions

Effective Thursday, October 8, 2015, all water restrictions will be lifted. Even though rainfall in our area remains below normal, lower temperatures and the onset of autumn are expected to limit the peaks in demand for water that severely stressed the distribution system this summer. The combination of Stage 4 restrictions and stricter enforcement resulted in a successful outcome – we thank our residents who did comply with Stage 4 restrictions and encourage all to make water conservation a permanent part of their lifestyles. Ridgewood Water will be investigating ways to encourage efficient water use and will be seeking the input of residents from all of the communities we serve.

In the last couple of days we did have a chlorine incident that I would like to explain to you. Just a couple of facts regarding the chlorine agent that we use:

Liquid sodium hypochlorite is standard in the industry for almost 100 years
Its use is mandatory in order to control viruses and bacteria
It is measured in parts per million
Our wells are set to shut down at 3.5 parts per million
Chlorine begins to impact taste and smell at 2 parts per million
DEP guidelines set 4 parts per million as the maximum residual
EPA guidelines require notification to consumers within 30 days

Ridgewood’s water was running at a high of 5 parts per million at some point during Monday-Tuesday of this week. It was a direct result of two issues at the Twinney Water Treatment Facility and impacted those homes served by that facility. The first issue was that a pump failed and the second was that the automatic notification and shut down the well was also not operational. Since it is impractical to identify the exact limits of the affected area, the entire Village community was notified as a precaution.

Ridgewood Water followed all necessary DEP and EPA protocol including notifications and the DEP indicated that it was our decision to flush the system and that this was not a violation. The system was flushed and Twinney was again operational by 5:00 yesterday.

There is nothing that suggests that there was a hazardous public health issue…….however, what I believe could have been done better is a customer service issue and that is more effective communication with our residents. Although technically and legally communications were handled well within guidelines, we should be better than that. And I apologize for that. We did conduct a post mortem this morning with all staff involved and have identified steps in the communication process that can be strengthened including making sure that the correct Ridgewood employee is conducting the communications and that we are quicker to notify the public.

If you did not receive a reverse call about this incident please click here to sign up for future calls.

One more important notification
System Flushing:

Ridgewood Water will be performing system maintenance beginning on October 19, 2015. This work will include the operation of fire hydrants at high velocity which may stir up minerals that have previously precipitated out of the water. This may temporarily discolor the water. The operation of the hydrants will be conducted late at night to minimize effects on consumers. There are no health concerns associated with the minerals that get stirred up, but residents are urged to avoid laundering clothing during the work. Ridgewood Water will notify residents in specific areas of impending work using the Swiftreach calling system. You may register to receive these calls by clicking on the SwiftH2O link on our website homepage at water.ridgewoodnj.net. Maps showing the active work zones will be posted on the website and will be provided to local officials. You may call our Operating Center with questions at 201-670-5524. We thank you for your patience during this temporary inconvenience as we work to improve your customer experience.

Best,

Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Second IT firm agrees to give Clinton’s server data to FBI

Former secretary of state hired Datto Inc. to provide a private cloud backup of her emails

FBI asked the Connecticut company to turn over data. It agreed.

State Department also asking again whether she turned over all of her business emails

BY GREG GORDON AND ANITA KUMAR

McClatchy Washington Bureau

Hillary Clinton hired a Connecticut company to back up her emails on a “cloud” storage system, and her lawyers have agreed to turn whatever it contains over to the FBI, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.

The disclosure came as a Republican Senate committee chairman, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, also asked the firm to turn over to the committee copies of any Clinton emails still in its possession.

There were conflicting accounts as to whether the development could lead to recovery of any of Clinton’s more than 31,000 personal emails, which she said she deleted from her private server upon turning over her work-related emails to the State Department, at its request, in December 2014.

Congressional Republicans have voiced skepticism as to whether the 30,940 business emails that the Democratic presidential candidate handed over represented all of those related to her position as secretary of state. The FBI is separately investigating whether Clinton’s arrangement put classified information at risk but has yet to characterize it as a criminal inquiry.

Datto Inc., based in Norwalk, Conn., became the second data storage firm to become entangled in the inquiry into Clinton’s unusual email arrangement, which has sparked a furor that has dogged her campaign. In August, Clinton and the firm that had managed her server since June 2013, Colorado-based Platte River Networks, agreed to surrender it for examination by the FBI.

Posted on October 8, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

FBI Seizes Four State Department Servers in Clinton Email Probe

hillary-clinton-what-difference-does-it-make

Probe focusing on how classified information was sent to secretary of state

BY: Bill Gertz
October 7, 2015 5:00 am

The FBI has seized four State Department computer servers as part of its probe into how classified information was compromised on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email system, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The four servers, which were located at the State Department’s headquarters building, were seized by the FBI several weeks ago. They are being checked by technical forensic analysts charged with determining how Top Secret material was sent to Clinton’s private email by State Department aides during her tenure as secretary from 2009 to 2013, said two people familiar with the probe. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing investigation.

State Department spokesman John Kirby referred questions about the computer servers to the FBI. An FBI spokeswoman, Carol Cratty, declined to comment.

No other details about the servers, including whether they are part of the department’s classified system, or used for unclassified information networks, could be learned.

A spokesman for the Clinton campaign did not respond to an email request for comment.

Clinton has offered varying explanations for her use of a private email server, initially claiming she had done nothing wrong. Then, under pressure from critics, she said she was sorry people were confused by the practice, later admitting in early September that her use of a private email system had been a mistake.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/fbi-seizes-four-state-department-servers-in-clinton-email-probe/

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Elections Have Consequences Make Sure You Register to Vote

October 13 – Last Day to Register to Vote in Nov. 3 Election

On Tuesday, October 13 from 8:30am to 4:30pm, voter registration forms are available in the Village Clerk’s Office on the 5th Floor of Village Hall.

On October 13 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm the Village Clerk will be in the Ridgewood Library Lobby with forms to assist residents with voter registration.

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

DHS Confesses: No Databases Exist To Vet Syrian Refugees

10/06/2015 06:47 PM ET

Immigration: As the White House prepares to dump another 10,000 Syrian refugees on U.S. cities, it assures us these mostly Muslim men undergo a “robust screening” process. Not so, admits the agency responsible for such vetting.

Under grilling from GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions, head of the Senate subcommittee on immigration, the Homeland Security official in charge of vetting Syrian and other foreign Muslim refugees confessed that no police or intelligence databases exist to check the backgrounds of incoming refugees against criminal and terrorist records.

“Does Syria have any?” Sessions asked. “The government does not, no sir,” answered Matthew Emrich, associate director for fraud detection and national security at DHS’ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Sessions further inquired: “You don’t have their criminal records, you don’t have the computer database that you can check?” Confessed Emrich: “In many countries the U.S. accepts refugees from, the country did not have extensive data holdings.”

While a startling admission, it confirms previous reporting. Senior FBI officials recently testified that they have no idea who these people are, and they can’t find out what type of backgrounds they have — criminal, terrorist or otherwise — because there are no vetting opportunities in those war-torn countries.

Syria and Iraq, along with Somalia and Sudan, are failed states where police records aren’t even kept. Agents can’t vet somebody if they don’t have documentation and don’t even have the criminal databases to screen applicants.

So the truth is, we are not vetting these Muslim refugees at all. And as GOP presidential front-runners duly note, it’s a huge gamble to let people from hostile nations enter the U.S. without any meaningful background check. It’s a safer bet just to limit, if not stop, their immigration.

“If I win, they’re going back,” Donald Trump vowed. “They could be ISIS. This (mass Syrian immigration) could be one of the great tactical ploys of all time.”

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — 3 Comments

Sen. Codey to push bill penalizing athletes who repeat grades for athletic edge

State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) will introduce a bill this fall that aims to penalize athletes who repeat a grade in middle school to gain athletic advantage in high school, NJ Advance Media has learned. Matthew Stanmyre, NJ.com Read more

Posted on October 7, 2015October 7, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Bergen GOP effort to replace Anthony Cappola’s name on the LD38 assembly ballot Continues

Bergen County GOP goes to court in bid to replace Assembly candidate

The Bergen County Republican Organization went to court Monday in an effort to replace an Assembly candidate who suspended his campaign last week over a controversial self-published book that contains racial slurs and stereotypes. John C. Ensslin, The Record Read more

Yudin: Cappola Incident Nobody’s Fault

Last week, a book written by former LD38 assembly candidate Anthony Cappola that featured offensive and bigoted writings led him to drop out of the race. Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin said the situation is a “contrary reflection” on the GOP and on the chairman himself. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

Court Hearing Possible Today Over LD38 Ballot

The GOP effort to replace Anthony Cappola’s name on the LD38 assembly ballot may be heading to court as early as today according to Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

LD38 Case File ‘Pending’ In Judge’s Chambers

According to an source, the LD38 case file is currently pending and is being held in the chambers of Judge Ernest Caposela. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more

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