Author: James

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Most Agree With Trump on America’s Lost Greatness, Bloomberg Poll Finds

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John McCormick

A national survey finds that 72 percent of Americans say their country isn’t as great as it once was—a central theme of front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign.

Americans are “fed up” with politics, suspect the wealthy are getting an unfair edge, and think the country is going in the wrong direction, according to a new Bloomberg Politics poll that lays bare the depth and breadth of the discontents propelling outsider candidates in the Republican presidential field.

The survey shows that 72 percent of Americans think their country isn’t as great as it once was—a central theme of front-runner Donald Trump’s campaign. More than a third prefer a presidential candidate without experience in public office.

Read the questions and methodology here.

Three of the four candidates leading the Republican field fit that description: Trump, the first choice of 21 percent of registered Republicans and voters who say they lean that way, followed by neurosurgeon Ben Carson with 16 percent, former Florida GovernorJeb Bush with 13 percent, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina with 11 percent.

Fiorina and Carson have seen the strongest gains among Republicans since the survey was taken a month ago. In the interim, voters have had their first extended looks at the candidates in two nationally televised debates. Fiorina’s numbers, at 1 percent in the August poll, leaped by 10 percentage points while Carson jumped 11 percentage points, up from 5 percent. Trump’s numbers have remained unchanged. Together, the three candidates who have never held political office account for 48 percent of the Republican vote.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-24/most-agree-with-trump-on-america-s-lost-greatness-bloomberg-poll-finds

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Is the President Really Scared of a 12 year old?

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September 23,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, If one word could describe CJ Pearson, it would be effective., so effective that even the President of the United States has blocked him from his Facebook page .

According to hi Facebook page , ” At 12 years old, CJ Pearson commands a brand, following, and political message that inspires the youngest of followers to even an older generation of conservatives. Since the age 8, CJ has considered himself a conservative. With a Facebook base of over 29,000 followers and a YouTube channel viewership of well over 2 Million, in less than two months, CJ Pearson’s work can be seen in many networks. He’s been featured on Fox News, the Washington Times, USA Today, and from commentators including Mark Levin and Laura Ingraham.

Strongly believing that young people, regardless of political affiliation, must become involved in the political process, CJ founded the Young Georgians in Government. He currently serves as Executive Director where he has introduced pieces of legislation to the Georgia General Assembly. He’s fought for real solutions facing young people across Georgia and has made large strides to engaging young people in the political process.”

CJ recently took the President to task on the on the bogus “clock boy” incident , “ Barack Obama, while I’ve made this request before, to no avail, I’ve decided to make it once more. Because after this week, I might just be on your radar.

With new evidence surfacing, it is increasingly clear that Ahmed Mohammed never built a clock. Richard Dawkins agrees.

So, Mr. President, I ask you to be fair. I ask you to look past party and look towards solutions.

While Ahmed has never built a clock, I’ve written and introduced two pieces of legislation, empowering young people to take a stand in their government!

While Ahmed has never built a clock, I’ve fought for criminal justice reform. An issue, as of recently, very close to your heard.

While Ahmed’s accomplishments seem to be a bit murky, my accomplishments and leadership towards fighting for my generation are indisputable and are well documented.

In this meeting, I’d like to talk about issues of importance to my generation like education policy, our growing national debt, and the steadily rising youth unemployment rate for young people who are desperately struggling to find work.

Like you, I want to give my generation some “hope and change” they can believe. A future they can count on. So, Mr. President, let’s make this happen!

The presidents response to date has to block CJ from his Facebook page.
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Readers Question all the focus on Tito’s Burritos , seems a bit of selective outrage

itsgreektome2 theridgewoodblog.net

All of this focus on Tito’s, but It’s Greek to Me gets a pass on those intrusive planters. I wonder why? Money talks, nobody walks. Support the right candidate for public office and you’ll be good to go too!

Mayor Paul’s friend Paulie V (Greek to Me)got away with that no questions asked. They are ugly, illegal, and dangerous (wall).

I agree, it is clean, it looks good. The colors are not outrageous. No neon green or anything wild. For heaven’s sake, DROP IT

I love Titos, great food, reliably delicious, nice employees, good prices. Leave them alone. Please!

Since when is the opinion of the historic commission binding ???

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N.J.State officials ask Bergen, Passaic and 10 other counties to voluntarily conserve water

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2015, 2:51 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015, 5:48 PM
BY SCOTT FALLON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

State officials on Wednesday began urging North Jersey residents to conserve water with a very dry summer having come to a close and forecasts showing little rain in the near future.

The state’s designated “drought watch” for 12 counties including all of Bergen and Passaic comes about three weeks after some utilities began asking their customers to limit consumption.

The state Department of Environmental Protection singled out United Water for a “significant” decline in reservoir levels because the company has been relying on other water providers to help meet the demand of its 800,000 customers in the counties of Bergen and Hudson. The company’s three New Jersey reservoirs were at 48.6-percent capacity on Wednesday and have been pumping in water from other sources including the Wanaque Reservoir and the Passaic Valley Water Commission for much of the summer.

But United Water executives and their counterparts at other utilities said Wednesday that demand has dropped significantly with cooler autumnal temperatures arriving. The Wanaque Reservoir, which is at 51-percent capacity, is releasing 20 million gallons per day less this week than it was at the beginning of the month, a 16-percent drop.

“We’re getting out of peak season, so things are looking better despite the lack of rain,” said Rich Henning, a spokesman for United Water. “If we were at this point at the beginning of summer or the middle of summer, then there would be much more of a concern.”

Still, water companies have a lot of volume to make up. The counties of Bergen and Passaic have received only 5.7 inches of rain during the past 60 days, about 12 inches below normal, according to the National Weather Service.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-asks-bergen-passaic-and-10-other-counties-to-voluntarily-conserve-water-1.1416223

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Artificial turf gets a closer look after report raises safety concerns

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by Caitlin Gibson September 23 at 8:00 AM

For many athletes who play on artificial turf, the tiny granules of rubber that pad the field are familiar and ubiquitous. The black specks often get trapped in folds of clothing, carried home in shoes or embedded in scrapes and under fingernails.

Crumb rubber infill — the most common material used in artificial turf fields across the country — is intended to improve safety and create a more accessible, easily maintained playing field. But after recent public concerns about possible health risks from exposure to crumb rubber, several local jurisdictions are searching for clearer answers about its potential dangers and considering alternatives.

The  issue is a modern one.

Synthetic turf with an “infill” system — involving a layer of tiny granules of rubber, sand, or other material between the turf fibers and a backing layer — was introduced in the late 1990s and has since become a popular alternative to natural turf fields, according to the Synthetic Turf Council. More than 11,000 synthetic turf athletic fields are in use at schools, colleges, parks and professional stadiums across the country, the council said. In the Washington area, where public school systems started transitioning to artificial turf in the mid- to late 2000s, crumb rubber is the most common infill choice. Organic alternatives are generally more expensive.

Artificial turf has often been considered preferable to natural grass because synthetic fields are easier to maintain, more durable and can be used in a variety of weather conditions. The padded surface has also been shown to reduce the likelihood of impact injuries. Some athletes, however, including numerous professional soccer players, have complained about the way artificial turf affects the game.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/artificial-turf-is-getting-a-closer-look-after-a-report-raises-safety-concerns/2015/09/22/fcf6a0ee-5649-11e5-abe9-27d53f250b11_story.html

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Boehner coup talk has House GOP on edge

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By Scott Wong – 09/23/15 06:00 AM EDT

Growing chatter about a possible coup against Speaker John Boehner has set Capitol Hill on edge.

Talk that conservatives might use a government-funding showdown to overthrow the powerful Ohio Republican has triggered a flurry of behind-the-scenes jockeying among lawmakers eager to move up the leadership ladder.

And that has lawmakers wondering more than ever if Boehner’s days as Speaker are numbered.

“That’s what tells you there’s something afoot. You know there’s some drops of blood in the water, because all the sharks are starting to circle,” said one conservative lawmaker who backs Boehner’s ouster.

Conservatives have threatened to shut down the government on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn’t strip federal funding from Planned Parenthood. Boehner thinks a shutdown would be disastrous for the party in an election year, but he also knows conservatives have vowed to move against him if he teams up with Democrats to fund the government.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/254587-boehner-coup-talk-puts-house-gop-on-edge

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Health Insurance Deductibles Outpacing Wage Increases, Study Finds

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By REED ABELSONSEPT. 22, 2015

It may not seem like much — just an extra hundred dollars or so a year.

But the steady upward creep in health insurance deductibles has easily outpaced the average increase in a worker’s wages over the last five years, according to a new analysis released on Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Kaiser, a health policy research group that conducts a yearly survey of employer health benefits, calculates that deductibles have risen more than six times faster than workers’ earnings since 2010.

“It’s a very powerful trend,” said Drew Altman, Kaiser’s chief executive.

Four of five workers who receive their insurance through an employer now pay a deductible, in which they must pay some of their medical bills before their coverage starts, according to Kaiser.

Those workers’ deductibles have climbed from a yearly average of $900 in 2010 for an individual plan to above $1,300 this year, while employees working for small businesses have an even higher average of $1,800 a year. One in five workers has a deductible of $2,000 or more.

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Fall Registration Open For Classes At Art Of Motion In Ridgewood

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(RIDGEWOOD, NJ) — Fall registration is now in progress for ART OF MOTION, a non-profit educational and cultural organization located in the downtown business district of Ridgewood. Classes are offered for Pre-K through the Professional level in Pilates, Yoga, Classical Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Luigi and Broadway Jazz, Tap, Vocal Music, Choreography and Audition Techniques. https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/getarticle.php?ID=5966

Art of Motion, Inc. is a non-profit educational and cultural organization dedicated to teaching and presenting dance, theatre, vocal music, body conditioning, and literary and visual art projects. AOM welcomes collaborations and site-specific residences featuring professional and community based artists.

AOM serves dancers and artists from the metropolitan region including Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Rockland, and Westchester Counties as well as NYC.

For more information contact AOM Studio Manager, Linda Combs, 201.652.5800 or visit www.artofmotion.org.

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FBI Said to Recover Personal E-Mails From Hillary Clinton Server

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by Del Quentin Wilber

The FBI has recovered personal and work-related e-mails from the private computer server used by Hillary Clinton during her time as secretary of state, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s success at salvaging personal e-mails that Clinton said had been deleted raises the possibility that the Democratic presidential candidate’s correspondence eventually could become public. The disclosure of such e-mails would likely fan the controversy over Clinton’s use of a private e-mail system for official business.

The FBI is investigating how and why classified information ended up on Clinton’s server. The probe probably will take at least several more months, according to the person, who described the matter on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing and deals with sensitive information.

A review by Clinton and her aides determined that about half of the 60,000 e-mails she exchanged during her four-year tenure as secretary of state were of a personal nature, the presidential candidate has said.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-22/fbi-said-to-recover-personal-e-mails-from-hillary-clinton-server

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Office of Personnel Mgmt: 5.6M estimated to have fingerprints stolen in breach

Digital-Fingerprint

Everett Rosenfeld

The Office of Personnel Management announced Wednesday that 5.6 million people are now estimated to have had their fingerprint information stolen.

That number was originally thought to be about 1.1 million, OPM said in a statement. About 21.5 million individuals had their Social Security Numbers and other sensitive information affected by the hack.

According to OPM, “federal experts believe that, as of now, the ability to misuse fingerprint data is limited.” The office acknowledged, however, that future technologies could take advantage of this information.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/23/office-of-personnel-mgmt-56m-estimated-to-have-fingerprints-stolen-in-breach.html

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Port Authority’s role in paying for Hudson Rail tunnel in doubt

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2015, 10:55 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015, 11:02 PM
BY SHAWN BOBURG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A new $20 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River would be built, and partly paid for, by the Port Authority under a plan described last week by Governor Christie and his New York counterpart, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Left unaddressed, though, was a fundamental question: Does the bi-state agency that collects tolls at the Hudson River vehicular crossings have the legal authority to lead a project to build a rail tunnel that will be used exclusively by other agencies — in this case, Amtrak and NJ Transit?

Some lawyers and lawmakers say no — not unless both states’ legislatures specifically approve the Port Authority’s involvement.

The issue is more than just an arcane legal question.

It rekindles other recent controversies over the legality of using Port Authority money — including the $14 cash tolls collected at its bridges and tunnels and airport fees — to fund non-Port Authority projects. The Port Authority is already facing an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and federal regulators for shifting $1.8 billion in toll money to New Jersey-owned roads at the behest of the Christie administration.

The governors’ proposal for the tunnel also puts the Port Authority, an agency buffeted by a series of scandals that have dented Christie’s presidential hopes, at the center of one of the biggest public works projects in the country.

“It’s premature at this point to discuss what role the Port Authority may be asked to play with respect to the tunnel project,” Port Authority Chairman John Degnan said Friday. “At an appropriate time, we will ensure we have adequate legal basis for any involvement we do have.”

By law, the Port Authority is allowed to undertake projects associated with its existing facilities or new projects authorized by state lawmakers in both New York and New Jersey. But over the years, the Port Authority has found creative ways to bypass the requirement of legislative approval.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/analysis-port-authority-s-role-in-paying-for-tunnel-in-doubt-1.1415674

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Yankees legend Yogi Berra dead at 90

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By Don Burke

September 23, 2015 | 2:26am

Yogi Berra, a three-time MVP who was the backbone of a record 10 world-champion Yankees teams in the 1940, 50s and 60s and who became one of the most beloved figures in franchise history despite a lengthy estrangement from the team, died Tuesday night, according to the Yogi Berra Museum. He was 90.

Berra, whose wife of 65 years, Carmen, died in March 2014, had been in failing health for some time. His death was announced by the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Little Falls, N.J., to which Berra had devoted himself in the final years of his life.

Berra died of natural causes Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, according to Dave Kaplan, the director of the Yogi Berra Museum.

“While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom,” Berra’s family said in a statement released by the museum. “We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed.”

Berra, a catcher who was named the A.L.’s most valuable player in 1951, 54 and 55, led the Yankees to five consecutive world championships (1949-53) and also led a team that included Mickey Mantle and, for three of those seasons, Joe DiMaggio, in RBIs for seven consecutive seasons (1949-55). Berra was an 18-time All-Star, a member of a record 14 A.L. pennant winners and a 1972 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. That was the same year his uniform No. 8 was retired by the Yankees.

Berra, who dropped out of school after the 8th grade to help support his family, is nearly as well known for his unique use of the English language as he is for his baseball career. His wit and wisdom — “It’s never over til it’s over.” “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.”— have not only found their way into the American lexicon, but also into Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.

https://nypost.com/2015/09/23/yankees-legend-yogi-berra-dead-at-90/

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Reader says Its Time to Fix Ridgewood Water

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“The Ridgewood Water System is unlike many other systems as it relies on a system of over 45 wells, associated treatment systems, piping, storage and more. These appurtenances have their limits and become extremely stressed when there is noncompliance with watering restrictions during a drought condition”

The candor is indeed refreshing, but it does point out that we are relying on an ancient, decrepit water pumping infrastructure that’s not adequate to our needs. This situation has been ongoing for at least 35 years. Without drastic (Level IV) water restrictions, we run the risk of being unable to fight fires. This is not a particularly extreme drought, but we’re already at the limit of our ability to enforce conservation. And what’s the solution to the problem? Deploy the uniformed services — the ones with the guns — and impose drastic fines

This is not merely oversight; it borders on negligence. It’s exactly the performance we’ve come to expect from public utilities. It’s time to fix this.

Council minutes Work Session ..JANUARY 28, 2009
Valley View Water tank originally was to be 100 foot diameter 1.7 million gallon.
Residents of the Heights got water tank size down to 75 foot 1.13 million gallon

“Mayor Pfund added that he thought that the Ridgewood Water Company actually did a very good job in reaching out to the community. He also congratulated the residents for bringing the size of the tank down from a 1.7 million gallon, 100-foot diameter tank to a 1.13 million gallon, 75-foot diameter tank.”
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/WORK1.2809.htm

The council meeting minutes 2/13/2008 – comments from group of 100 Heights residents opposing the 100 ft diameter tank. The chief engineer at that time even stated if it were up to him, he would build the tank even bigger than the originally proposed 100 ft tank.. The resident living adjacent to tank property, has since sold her house 12/2012. google 69 Valley View, adjacent water tank property is 71 – 73 valley view.
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/PUBLIC2%201308.htm

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Planning Board, Ridgewood restaurant still seeking a solution over color scheme

Titos Burritos theridgewoodblog.net

SEPTEMBER 22, 2015    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015, 10:54 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A discussion on Tito’s Burritos color scheme will have to wait until next month as the Planning Board announced the matter would be carried to the second meeting in October.

Planning Board attorney Gail Price notified the board that attorney David Rutherford had sent a letter requesting the application be carried until the Oct. 20 meeting, stating his client was still working on a few items.

Price said Rutherford’s email indicated they were “re-working” things and were going back for another meeting with the village’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC).

Board alternate Isabella Altano and Councilwoman Susan Knudsen indicated that representatives from Tito’s had recently met with the HPC to discuss the situation and possible solutions.

A public hearing began last month as Tito’s co-owner Mike Caldarella admitted the dark blue paint job on the front entrance was done accidentally, but without permission from the town.

However, some members of the board took issue with the color scheme itself, as did the HPC, which believes the color is out of character with the surrounding buildings.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/board-ridgewood-restaurant-working-on-a-solution-1.1415397