Author: James

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Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million donation to Newark public schools failed miserably — here’s where it went wrong

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By Abby Jackson

In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg donated $100 million to Newark, New Jersey’s failing public-school system with the intention of turning around the schools in five years.

The goals Zuckerberg set out to achieve — to enact a number of reforms that would make Newark a model city for education reform — are widely seen as a failure, journalist Dale Russakoff told Business Insider.

So where exactly did that $100 million go if the turnaround was a failure?

Russakoff mapped the money trail in her new book “The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools,” which tracked the five years since Zuckerberg’s donation.

The $100 million from Zuckerberg actually became $200 million under the agreement other sources would match his contribution. Here’s where that money went:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mark-zuckerbergs-100-million-donation-155608055.html

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Save Our Village!!

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TODAY AND SUNDAY!!

Dear Friend,

We are asking for your help this weekend to get the word out about the big vote on Wednesday. The future of our village is at stake.

Come join a group of enthusiastic volunteers TODAY and/or Sunday at 1:00 pm to help pass out flyers and talk to our fellow residents about the importance of showing up for Wednesday’s vote at Village Hall.

Many, many residents have written emails to the Mayor and Council (it’s not too late for you to write, too — see attachment), there were four compelling Letters to the Editor in the paper yesterday (see links below), and our cause has gone viral on Facebook.  We have a lot of momentum going into Wednesday’s meeting, and we need all the help we can get to make one final push!!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

When: Sat/Sun 1pm
Where: Northwest corner of Van Neste Park (Across from Raymond’s)
Why:  Because this is the real rent we pay for living in a great democracy and a place like Ridgewood.

If you have kids, please bring them. This is a great opportunity to teach civic engagement.

If you plan to arrive, please email Dana at [email protected] or call 917-685-9056

If you can’t make it but want to be involved, email Dana as well.

Hope to see you out there this weekend — and at the Village Council meeting on WEDNESDAY!!

Thank you for your continued support!!

Citizens for a Better Ridgewood
[email protected]

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Pedestrian Struck Crossing North Monroe Street in Ridgewood

Pedestrian Struck
photo courtesy of Boyd Loving s Facebook
Pedestrian Struck Crossing North Monroe Street in Ridgewood
September 26,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, An adult female reported to be in her early 60’s was struck by a passenger vehicle as she crossed North Monroe Street, near North Hillside Place, in Ridgewood shortly after 7 PM on Friday, 09/25.
The victim reportedly sustained compound fractures to both of her legs. She was conscious and alert as Ridgewood EMS emergency medical technicians attended to her injuries. An ambulance transported the victim to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. No crosswalk was evident in the vicinity of the incident. Ridgewood PD is conducting an investigation.
 No summonses were immediately issued to the driver of the vehicle involved, who remained at the scene and was cooperating with police investigators.
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Celebrate The 1876 American Centennial

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Celebrate The 1876 American Centennial

All Are Welcome to Attend!
UPCOMING – A PERIOD BALL TO CELEBRATE THE 1876 AMERICAN CENTENNIAL! The North River Historical Dancers, a local historic dance troupe, is proud to present “A Centennial Ball 1776-1876” to kick off its 2015-16 class season at the Ridgewood Community School. The Ball will be held at the Willard School Auditorium, located at 601 Morningside Road, Ridgewood, NJ on Saturday evening, September 26, 2015 from 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. Be transported to another time or to your favorite historic film…. Enjoy live period music by The Gotham Gals – Julia Hartman (violin), Norma Castle (flute and percussion) and Robin Russell (piano) – and engage in dances that span the tumultuous decades from the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 through the Centennial Celebrations of 1876, called by troupe member Janice Wolk. The event is open to the public. All dances will be instructed– no experience necessary. Come alone, or bring a friend — or two — or three! There are no young children’s activities planned for this evening. Attire is period/period-inspired from Colonial to Victorian, or modern festive.
The cost is $25 per person. Make your reservation in advance (recommended) by contacting Steve Tichenor [email protected] or Janice Wolk [email protected]. You may also pay at the door. For more information about the North River Historical Dancers, visit our website: www.NorthRiverHistoricalDancers.com and our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCplbaclyaO2zMw4xJniYb5g. Our RCS class, entitled “English-American Historical Social Dancing (17th-19th Century),” is held on Friday nights from October through May, and can be found in the below link. https://register.capturepoint.com/reg/cat_program_list_detail.cfm?s=&t=&season_id=10953&program_group_id=17&program_id=378723
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“Boehner is the type of guy who couldn’t get laid in a monkey whorehouse with a handful of bananas.”

Boehner and McConnell

Will the speaker’s resignation lead to a better, more effective House of Representatives?

Nick Gillespie|Sep. 25, 2015 1:37 pm

So John Boehner is stepping down as Speaker of the House. To paraphrase various Monty Python bits: And there was much rejoicing.

Pretty much from across the spectrum, I’d say. To conservatives, Boehner was a squish on all the things they care about (the Ohioan had the temerity to want to avoid a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding). Earlier today, Donald Trump greeted Boehner’s resignation by saying, “I think it’s wonderful, frankly.” That sentiment is widely shared by many, perhaps most Republicans pols.

To liberals, Boehner was always ready to help defend war, surveillance, No Child Left Behind, the unpaid-for Medicare expansion under Bush, you name it.

And for libertarians, he was terrible in virtually every possible way. He was a go-along, get-along kind of guy always willing to do the bidding of state at the expense of the individual. And despite professions on his part of having a small-government vision, he could never quite get around to naming a program he was, you know, actually willing to cut or even trim in any sort of way that might impact things.

As it happens, in my latest Daily Beast column, which went live just a few hours before Boehner announced his resignation, I wrote this about his lack of vision and clarity when it came to minimizing the size, scope, and spending of government:

https://reason.com/blog/2015/09/25/boehner-is-the-type-of-guy-who-couldnt-g

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Glen Rock cop accused of sexting teen girls arrested again

glen_rock_theridgewoodblog

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015, 4:26 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2015, 5:35 PM
BY JOHN SEASLY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A Glen Rock sergeant who was out on bail while facing charges that he sent sexually explicit texts to two teenage girls has been arrested again, this time on charges that he tried to sell guns that had been surrendered to the Glen Rock Police Department.

Sgt. Eric Reamy, 51, is a 27-year veteran of the department and was the Evidence Officer in charge of the department’s Detective Bureau. He allegedly took custody of several handguns and rifles and tried to sell them at two gun stores “as though they were his own property,” Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said in a release.

A laptop and a pellet gun, which should have been secured in evidence, also were found at his previous residence during the execution of a search warrant on Aug. 5, Molinelli said.

Reamy faces seven counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of property received, all third-degree crimes.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/glen-rock-cop-accused-of-sexting-teen-girls-arrested-again-1.1418918

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Reader say , The apartments will be filled with the people who always move to towns with good schools

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Schedler and Valley people are tired of fighting and people are confused/think it is over anyway.

I am not one of those three but I will tell you this, the worst way to reduce taxes is to have high density housing that is not age restricted. The absolute worst. Actually no, the worst is that they are tricking seniors/empty nesters into believing that this is for them, if it were they would be age restricted. Fact is one of the developers admitted there is not enough market for empty nesters to even get a loan for that purpose so they are well aware that the demand is not there. The apartments will be filled with the people who always move to towns with good schools, young families who use services at a rate much higher than seniors.

So our beautiful town will not only be more congested but you will pay more for it.

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Reader says The vote yes for parking signs are generally accompanied by signs supporting Mr. Vagianos’ candidacy.

Parking Garage

Just so we’re completely TRANSPARENT about factors driving the garage project, Paul Vagianos, President of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, owns & operates a restaurant located within 1 block of the proposed garage AND owns a commercial building located immediately next to the proposed garage. Mr. Vagianos is currently running for State Assembly in the 40th District. The vote yes for parking signs are generally accompanied by signs supporting Mr. Vagianos’ candidacy.

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Reader says , Despite what proponents of the parking garage say & write, there will be virtually ZERO NET GAIN IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES.

Hudson_street_parking_theridgewoodblog

DO NOT BE HOODWINKED; READ THIS: Despite what proponents of the parking garage say & write, there will be virtually ZERO NET GAIN IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES. How could this be you ask? Because, by approving the construction of high density housing in the Central Business District, all commuter parking spaces at the old Brogan Cadillac site get wiped out. Furthermore, there are no provisions in any of the high density housing ordinances that would require a developer to construct additional parking for use by the public. To repeat, there will be ZERO NET GAIN IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES. Don’t be hoodwinked. Vote “NO” on the parking referendum unless you like having your property taxes jacked up needlessly.

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Summonses issued for Stage IV Water violations in Ridgewood

Sprinkler watering the lawn

September 25,2016
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Data obtained in response to a written request for public records of the Ridgewood Municipal Court revealed that between September 1, 2015 and September 23, 2015, owners of the below listed properties received summonses for reported violations of the declared Stage IV Water Emergency. Those street addresses listed more than once indicate owners who were recipients of multiple summonses.

The owners of these respective properties should be considered innocent of violating provisions of the declared Stage IV Water Emergency unless they are officially declared guilty by the Ridgewood Municipal Court.

Street Name House number Offense Date Fine
Avondale 220 9/10 $65.00
Avondale 241 9/10 $65.00
Banta 537 9/15 $65.00
Barrington 55 9/8 $65.00
Bedford 303 9/11 $65.00
Beechwood 202 9/16 $65.00
Beechwood 375 9/17 $65.00
Bellair 165 9/7 $65.00
Bellair 165 9/9 $65.00
Bellair 165 9/17 $65.00
Bellair 215 9/12 $65.00
Belmont 734 9/14 $65.00
Belmont 756 9/11 $65.00
Berkshire 382 9/6 $65.00
Berkshire 382 9/9 $65.00
Bogert 318 9/21 $65.00
Brookside 18 9/23 $65.00
Brookside 155 9/10 $65.00
Carlton 360 9/16 $65.00
Circle 108 9/9 $65.00
Colonial 445 9/18 $65.00
Colonial 470 9/16 $65.00
Concord 610 9/23 $65.00
Cottage 122 9/23 $65.00
Darby 501 9/10 $65.00
Dorchester 435 9/15 $65.00
E Glen 453 9/16 $65.00
E Ridgewood 797 9/23 $65.00
E Ridgewood 807 9/18 $65.00
E Ridgewood 906 9/17 $65.00
Eastbrook 612 9/21 $65.00
Eastbrook 623 9/21 $65.00
Eastgate 468 9/17 $65.00
Eastgate 487 9/10 $65.00
Eastgate 488 9/10 $65.00
Eastside 332 9/15 $65.00
Fairmount 105 9/10 $65.00
Fairmount 155 9/10 $65.00
Fairmount 201 9/10 $65.00
Fernwood 750 9/21 $65.00
Glenwood 355 9/14 $65.00
Godwin 252 9/23 $65.00
Godwin 305 9/17 $65.00
Greenway 201 9/9 $65.00
Greenway 201 9/13 $65.00
Greenway 201 9/21 $65.00
Greenway 201 9/23 $65.00
Greenway 221 9/9 $65.00
Greenway 285 9/10 $65.00
Grove 500 9/18 $65.00
Grove 508 9/16 $65.00
Grove 519 9/10 $65.00
Grove 615 9/15 $65.00
Hanks 484 9/18 $65.00
Heights 47 9/8 $65.00
Heights 47 9/21 $65.00
Heights 53 9/14 $65.00
Heights 145 9/10 $65.00
Heights 219 9/8 $65.00
Heights 456 9/19 $65.00
Heights 465 9/10 $65.00
Heights 517 9/10 $65.00
Highland 107 9/8 $65.00
Highland 200 9/12 $65.00
Highland 217 9/17 $65.00
Highland 272 9/16 $65.00
Highland 353 9/8 $65.00
Highview 384 9/16 $65.00
Hillcrest 473 9/12 $65.00
Hillcrest 706 9/8 $65.00
Hillcrest 751 9/12 $65.00
Hillcrest 811 9/21 $65.00
Hillcrest 941 9/8 $65.00
Howard 704 9/17 $65.00
Katherine 205 9/8 $65.00
Kenilworth 340 9/4 $65.00
Lincoln 171 9/8 $65.00
Lincoln 203 9/13 $65.00
Linwood 312 9/18 $65.00
Linwood 570 9/16 $65.00
Madison 87 9/8 $65.00
Manor 276 9/13 $65.00
Meadowbrook 443 9/10 $65.00
Melrose 120 9/8 $65.00
Melrose 213 9/8 $65.00
Morningside 608 9/9 $65.00
Mountain 345 9/14 $65.00
N Maple 140 9/10 $65.00
N Monre 368 9/13 $65.00
N Monroe 68 9/16 $65.00
N Monroe 132 9/15 $65.00
N Monroe 761 9/21 $65.00
N Monroe 801 9/22 $65.00
N Pleasant 60 9/23 $65.00
N Pleasant 236 9/23 $65.00
N Van Dien 17 9/18 $65.00
N Van Dien 130 9/17 $65.00
N Van Dien 155 9/17 $65.00
N Van Dien 155 9/23 $65.00
N Van Dien 167 9/9 $65.00
N Van Dien 223 9/23 $65.00
N Van Dien 262 9/18 $65.00
Nagle 553 9/17 $65.00
Norgate 836 9/17 $65.00
North 10 9/16 $65.00
Northern Parkway 151 9/8 $65.00
Orchard 310 9/14 $65.00
Orchard 310 9/16 $65.00
Paul 5 9/19 $65.00
Phelps 234 9/19 $65.00
Phelps 242 9/10 $65.00
Prospect 106 9/17 $65.00
Prospect 145 9/23 $65.00
Prospect 255 9/23 $65.00
Richards 275 9/8 $65.00
Roslyn 902 9/21 $65.00
S Irving 117 9/10 $65.00
S Maple 66 9/16 $65.00
S Pleasant 460 9/18 $65.00
S Pleasant 466 9/8 $65.00
S Van Dien 249 9/17 $65.00
S Van Dien 262 9/13 $65.00
S Van Dien 291 9/6 $65.00
S Van Dien 304 9/10 $65.00
Shelbourne 408 9/11 $65.00
Sheridan 150 9/17 $65.00
Spencer 195 9/8 $65.00
Spring 375 9/23 $65.00
Spring 386 9/18 $65.00
Spring 464 9/18 $65.00
Spring 537 9/10 $65.00
Steilen 203 9/8 $65.00
Sterling 516 9/16 $65.00
Stevens 490 9/13 $65.00
Stratford 820 9/11 $65.00
Sunset 211 9/8 $65.00
The By Way 245 9/13 $65.00
The By Way 260 9/13 $65.00
Union 164 9/8 $65.00
Union 220 9/8 $65.00
Upper 446 9/21 $65.00
Van Dyke 564 9/17 $65.00
W Glen 232 9/17 $65.00
Waiku 225 9/22 $65.00
Walthery 112 9/17 $65.00
Walthery 219 9/17 $65.00
Walthery 351 9/15 $65.00
Wastena 352 9/7 $65.00
Wastena 352 9/8 no entry
Wellington 620 9/11 $65.00
Wellington 713 9/21 $65.00
Westgate 301 9/9 $65.00
Willow 319 9/15 $65.00

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Liberals Are Done Debating

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When a group confuses its politics with moral doctrine, it may have trouble comprehending how a decent human could disagree with its positions.

David Harsanyi | September 25, 2015

This week, for example, while thinking about the pope’s take on global warming, I tweeted out this comment: “Celebrate climate change, an externality of the greatest poverty destroying program in the history of mankind.” There is plenty to disagree with in my observation, I admit. Although I believe what I wrote to be true, I sent it out partly to elicit exactly the sort of reaction my tweet got—with one person calling me a psychopath (a Slate writer, not some anonymous critic) and another calling me sociopathic, among other things. I don’t mind the insults (perversely, in fact, I sort of enjoy them), but I do mind that the debate is over.

Conservatives may be ethically compromised, uninformed or—if liberals are in a generous mood—mentally unstable, but they can’t be for real. At least, that’s the sense I increasingly get from the left these days. Blame it on social media.
When a group confuses its politics with moral doctrine, it may have trouble comprehending how a decent human could disagree with its positions. This is probably why people confuse lecturing with debating and why so many liberals can bore into the deepest nooks of my soul to ferret out all those motivations but can’t waste any time arguing about the issue itself.

Are you also corrupt? Probably. Bought off by big oil, big food or big something or other? Washington is teeming with Manchurian candidates, because no one could possibly be this malicious on his own. Why should liberals debate a point when they can debate your imaginary sugar daddy? Why else would conservatives “hate workers”? Why would they “bet against America”? Why do they want to destroy democracy? Why would conservatives vote against their own interests? Someone pays them to lie.

https://reason.com/archives/2015/09/25/liberals-are-done-debating

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RIDGEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT TAKING BACK UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Prescription-Drugs

September 26 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, On September 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Ridgewood Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its tenth opportunity in five years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to Ridgewood Police Headquarters at 131 N.Maple Ave. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last September, Americans turned in 309 tons (over 617,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. When those results are combined with what was collected in its eight previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 4.8 million pounds—more than 2,400 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

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Trump on Boehner resignation: ‘It’s a good thing’

The Celebrity Apprentice

September 25, 2015, 11:44 am
By Jonathan Easley

Donald Trump said Friday it was time for Speaker John Boehner to go because he didn’t fight hard enough for conservative principles.

Mobbed by reporters outside the main ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington ahead of his speech to the Values Voters Summit, the front-runner for the 2016 GOP nomination said Boehner’s announced resignation was “a good thing.”

“I think it’s time, it’s a good thing,” Trump said. “Someone else will come in and maybe they’ll have a tougher attitude.”

Asked by The Hill if Boehner fought sufficiently for conservative principles, Trump responded: “No, he didn’t. Not enough.”

“I don’t think he’s a conservative,” the celebrity real estate tycoon said of Boehner.

“I think it’s time for him [to move on] and the party and everybody,” Trump added

 

https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/254944-trump-on-boehner-resignation-its-time