False Alarm Set off by Contractors summons Ridgewood Police
September 17,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The owner of a store front business establishment on East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood inadvertently tripped his hold-up/panic alarm, and then failed to provide the correct “all clear” password to his central station alarm provider early Thursday afternoon, 09/17.
The first uniformed Ridgewood PD officer dispatched to the incident encountered a locked front door and observed the owner inside with two (2) adult males. Based on the circumstances at hand, numerous backup units were summoned to the scene. As the unknown males exited the premises, they were surrounded and detained until it was determined that they were contractors working for the owner, who had erroneously provided an incorrect “all clear” password to his central station alarm provider. No shots fired, no body slams by RPD – true professionals.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015, 2:11 PM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village Council is moving ahead with a design for a parking garage at the Hudson Street lot, selecting Desman Design Management as the firm to provide architectural renderings for the governing body and the public to review.
The council voted 3-1 on Wednesday evening to award the contract for professional architectural and engineering services for the design of a multi-level traditional self-parking structure to Desman Design Management in an amount not to exceed $295,350.
A special public meeting was held last Tuesday by the governing body for the purpose of hearing presentations from four different companies as they pitched their ideas on a downtown parking garage.
The next night, during the Village Council’s regular work session, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said the steering committee decided to recommend either Desman Design Management or Timothy Haahs & Associates Inc.
During the ensuing discussion, three members of the council gave a similar opinion while two others stated a preference for Desman, with all five members eventually agreeing on Desman as the choice for the garage.
Councilman Michael Sedon noted that Desman had focused on the “bones” of the structure more than other presentations, broaching topics such as firewalls and keeping some space between the garage and surrounding businesses.
“They had one design that was interesting with ramps outside the building and a lot of their designs had space between the shops on Hudson Street in the rear of it,” said Sedon. “They would maintain that easement outside the garage, which was different than all the other presenters.”
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Officials cannot disregard laws
To the Editor:
Certain elected and appointed officials in Ridgewood increasingly disregard local ordinances. This is unacceptable.
The organizational chart was revised, creating some positions. A human resources director was hired and working for quite some time before the position even existed. The chart should have been rewritten, then a discussion should have taken place among the entire Village Council at a public meeting, followed by a vote. Then, and only then, should a person have been hired to fill any new position.
Instead, the revisions were introduced and voted in by three council members well after the fact.
Village Code indicates that new hires for civil service classified positions and employees in newly created positions should be hired at the lowest possible salary in the range. At least one new employee has been brought in at a higher salary. Now, the village manager wants to change the ordinance to allow some leeway with new salary offers. While flexibility should be allowed when hiring, this should not have happened before the law was changed.
Laws should be amended as needed, but they cannot be disregarded because an elected (or appointed) government official feels like it. A law should be modified when necessary, and then (and not a moment sooner) the new regulation can be followed.
In the same vein, the third line of a recent grant application regarding the Schedler property states that all members of the Village Council had reviewed the document. This is false. At least one elected Village Council member indicated not even seeing the application before it was submitted.
First, I do not understand why everyone on the council had not seen the document; who is it that decides to bypass the input of certain elected officials? But, since it was not distributed to all, the application should have been withdrawn until all had the opportunity to read it. On Sept. 9, the response from some on the dais about this was that this is common procedure, as long as the final resolution is accurate. I am appalled that some of our officials would willingly sign and send a grant application that starts right out with a known lie.
In a true emergency a rule might be broken. If your child is bleeding heavily, you would rush to the hospital, disregarding speed limits. But these cases have not even remotely been urgent. I am left with the impression that laws are, to certain of our elected and appointed officials, merely suggestions that they can take or leave.
Those who are not diligent disciples of our Village Code, who submit official documents that are known by them to contain inaccuracies, are not appropriate representatives of the citizenry of Ridgewood. They make a mockery of our local village government.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Last week, the Village Council discussed a possible change to an ordinance that would allow for the hiring of employees at a pay rate higher than the lowest salary possible on a case-by-case basis.
The ordinance would give the village manager discretion in hiring an employee with qualifications that suggest bringing them on at a higher salary, which officials said would allow the village to get the best employee for the position.
Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld characterized the change as an attempt to update an ordinance that has become obsolete. The amended ordinance would only apply to Civil Service classified positions that have already been budgeted.
“When you think about the police and bringing in inter-governmental transfers, we would not bring them in at step one. We would bring them in higher,” Sonenfeld said. “Or to the extent we’re bringing in somebody to the water utility that has certain licensing that has different market value than it had, those are the kinds of things I’m thinking about.”
Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli said the change would be a good one since it would give the manager “flexibility” to do whatever is necessary to get the best candidate. The ordinance, as it is currently written, could eliminate candidates who might otherwise be desirable.
Pucciarelli also referenced a situation that occurred in January 2014 when the Ridgewood Police Department had more officers hired than the ordinance allowed as an example of why this change would be beneficial.
“I think that’s consistent with good management rather than as we saw, for example, a couple of years ago in the case of the police department,” said Pucciarelli. “We had a number of police that was established and I said ‘well, maybe we’re breaking the law, but that’s not a good law. Why should the council establish the number of policemen? That’s a management function and it should be done on a case-by-case basis or in conjunction with the chief of police.'”
NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) — European telecom company Altice Group has agreed to buy New York-based Cablevision in a deal valued at $17.7 billion including debt.
Altice, controlled by French cable entrepreneur Patrick Drahi, will pay about $10 billion in cash, or $34.90 a share, for the Bethpage, N.Y.-based Cablevision, the leading cable operator in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The deal creates the fourth largest cable operator in the United States.
The acquisition also includes Newsday Media Group, publisher of Newsday and amNewYork.
New Jersey ranks worst in the country for state debt, according to a new nationwide study.
Each state taxpayer would need to pay $52,300 to erase New Jersey’s existing bills — including public pensions and retiree health benefits — reports Truth in Accounting, a think tank in Chicago.
Among “sinkhole states,” New Jersey was followed by Connecticut, $48,600 debt burden per taxpayer; Illinois, $45,000; Kentucky, $32,600; and Massachusetts, $27,400.
In the past year, the debt per taxpayer in New Jersey increased by $16,300, or 45 percent, according to the nonprofit.
The findings are consistent with a New Jersey Watchdog analysis of State Treasury records that found the Garden State’s pension and health benefit deficit for public workers is nearing $200 billion.
Earlier this week, New Jersey Watchdog reported:
New Jersey’s public pensions are underfunded by $113.1 billion. The state bears $80.5 billion of that burden. Local governments are responsible for the remaining $32.6 billion. State and local governments are also on the hook for $81.4 billion in unfunded health benefits for retired and active workers. The state owes $65 billion; the local share is $16.4 billion. The total shortfall is $194.5 billion – more than $60,000 per household. The figure is nearly six times higher than New Jersey’s total annual budget, currently $33.8 billion.
At the present pace, those unfunded liabilities will exceed $210 billion next year.
In its report, Truth in Accounting reported states have a combined total of $1.3 trillion in debt despite balanced budget requirements in 49 states.
The lack of truthful, timely and transparent financial information is increasing cynicism and mistrust and it is a risk for our representative form of government,” said Shelia Weinberg, CEO of Truth in Accounting. “Citizens do not have the information need to hold their politician accountable, much less cast an informed vote.”
The full study is scheduled for release next week.
PJ Blogger at Independence National Historical Park
On this date two-hundred and twenty-eight years ago, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention completed their arduous work and signed the document designed to restore liberty to the citizens of a new nation.
The American Republic was born out of a struggle against British tyranny and a monarchical system that our forefathers deemed incompatible with the rights of free men and women. Consistent with the principles espoused by the Spirit of ’76 and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution was not imposed on the people. It was humbly submitted to the people for their approval.
A great national debate followed. If the people were to judge the Constitution, they were expected to understand the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, responded to Antifederalist critics by serving as an invaluable guide to the Constitution’s provisions. Their arguments proved decisive and, eventually, the requisite number of states ratified the Constitution. Education was integral to the Constitution’s ratification.
At a time when the globe was dominated by kingdoms and empires, a skeptical world believed that a republic devoted to the ancient cause of liberty would inevitably fail. But the test of time has proven the wisdom, effectiveness, and durability of our great charter.
It has guaranteed our natural rights and preserved our cherished liberties.
It has inspired foreign peoples shackled by tyranny to seek to replicate what the Americans have accomplished.
It has resisted the waves of totalitarian ideologies that claimed human liberty to be a relic of antiquity.
On Constitution Day, Americans follow in the footsteps of the Founders, not only by recommitting ourselves to the Constitution’s enlightened provisions, but also by accepting the duty to provide the education necessary for the survival of a free people.
I commend all those that take the opportunity this day provides to promote the American ideals of human liberty and renew our commitment to the preservation of the Constitution of the United States.
Scott Garrett is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 5th congressional district
By Meghan Bartlett – The Washington Times – Wednesday, September 16, 2015
The former director of Norway’s Nobel Institute revealed this week that he regrets the committee’s decision to give the 2009 Nobel Peace award to President Obama.
Geil Lundestad, director at the institute for 25 years, said in his just-published memoir that he and the committee had unanimously decided to grant the award to Mr. Obama just after his election in 2009 more in hopes of aiding the American president to achieve his goals on nuclear disarmament, rather than in recognition of what Mr. Obama had already accomplished.
Looking back over Mr. Obama’s presidency, Mr. Lundestad said, granting him the award did not fulfill the committee’s expectations.
Fourteen years ago, a leading drug maker published a study showing that the antidepressant Paxil was safe and effective for teenagers. On Wednesday, a major medical journal posted a new analysis of the same data concluding that the opposite is true.
That study — featured prominently by the journal BMJ — is a clear break from scientific custom and reflects a new era in scientific publishing, some experts said, opening the way for journals to post multiple interpretations of the same experiment. It comes at a time of self-examination across science — retractions are at an all-time high; recent cases of fraud have shaken fields as diverse as anesthesia and political science; and earlier this month researchers reported that less than half of a sample of psychology papers held up.
“This paper is alarming, but its existence is a good thing,” said Brian Nosek, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, who was not involved in either the original study or the reanalysis. “It signals that the community is waking up, checking its work and doing what science is supposed to do — self-correct.”
Wednesday’s GOP debate appears to be the highest-rated event in CNN’s history, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings.
The prime time debate averaged a 14.7 household rating, indicating that 1 in 7 American homes with TVs tuned in.
These are NFL-level ratings — affirming that the Donald Trump fueled Republican debate slate is one of the most popular television shows of the year.
The overnight ratings estimates are subject to adjustments. But the 14.7 rating is likely to translate to 20-plus million viewers once final viewership figures come out Thursday afternoon.
Fox’s GOP debate last month received a 16.0 preliminary rating the next morning. That number later extrapolated to 24 million live viewers. (Another 1.1 million viewers watched via DVRs.)
Fox’s debate was two hours long while CNN’s was three hours.
From a campaign’s perspective, longer might have been better, because it gave candidates more time to talk and argue. It also gave CNN more time for commercial breaks.
Documentary Explores Struggle of New Jersey’s Ramapough Tribe
By TAMMY LA GORCEAUG. 8, 2015
Corey Bobker was an accomplished 30-something adult when he took his first drive into the Ramapo Mountains in 2010. But the 12-year-old version of him still had knots in his stomach.
“When I was a kid growing up, everybody knew you don’t go up into the mountains because you’d get shot,” said Mr. Bobker, producer of the documentary “American Native.” His film explores the struggles of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, a Native American tribe with about 5,000 members, according to its chief, Dwaine C. Perry. The Ramapough live mostly across the Stag Hill region of Mahwah, Ringwood and nearby Hillburn, N.Y.
Mr. Bobker, of Los Angeles, grew up in Livingston. As a child, he attended summer camp in Stanhope, near the Ramapos in Mahwah. He had not gotten close to the mysterious mountain chain again until this anxiety-ridden car trip to visit with the tribe for the first time. “I was definitely worried,” he said. “I thought, Maybe it’s true — maybe they’re going to confront us if we say something the wrong way.”
SEPTEMBER 16, 2015, 9:43 AM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015, 12:24 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
PARAMUS — A 27-year-old Clifton man who has an apparent affinity for Red Bull drinks was arrested Tuesday by authorities on three counts of robbery and kidnapping, and two weapons charges.
According to police, Eddie J. Johnson is accused of brandishing a knife and forcing men and women into cars, where he instructed them to drive to an ATM machine to withdraw cash for him or supermarkets to buy him energy drinks in bulk.
Paramus Police said Johnson first approached a woman back in February in the parking lot of Blink Fitness at the Outlets at Bergen Town Center, asking her for money. When she refused his request, Johnson had the woman drive him in her vehicle to an ATM to take out money.
Police said the woman purposely entered the wrong pin number for her account, so Johnson forced her to take him to the Pathmark in Elmwood Park, where he instructed her to buy $70 worth of Red Bull with her credit card. He fled on foot, energy drinks in hand.
Ridgewood NJ, The results of the Board of Education’s 2015 parent/guardian survey are out. Individual school reports and district-wide results have been emailed to parents and guardians.
The survey was conducted via email from May 5-15, 2015 using SurveyMonkey software. Email invitations with private survey links were sent to all district parents and guardians with email addresses on file. Survey respondents participated on a secure survey website. Only one response was allowed for each email address. The survey was completely anonymous. Numerical data were compiled and charts were created using SurveyMonkey. District data were compiled from the grade-level surveys by members of the Ridgewood Public Schools Information Technology Department. The superintendent, administrators and school board members reviewed the data and all comments. How many parents and guardians participated in the 2014-2015 survey? How will these survey results be used? The data in this report reflect survey results for the district as a whole. Questions specific to a school or grade level have been included here with separate notation. District and individual school survey results have been provided to each principal, as well as the central administration and the Ridgewood Board of Education. The data will be used as one of several resources for the ongoing review and refinement of the programs of the Ridgewood Public Schools.
As of 5.31.15 # Enrolled Students 5682 , Emails on File 7786 , Survey Responses Participation Rate In-District 2773 35.6%
85.9 % of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they are satisfied with the overall quality of their child’s education, compared to 87% of all respondents during the previous survey.
80.8% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they are satisfied with the academic progress of their child compared to 82.3% of all respondents during the previous survey.
74.8% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the academic challenge for my child is appropriate ,compared to 75.7% of all respondents during the previous survey.
56.1% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the schools give opportunities to help my child do his or her best ,compared to 54.9% of all respondents during the previous survey.
69.1% of all respondents thought the amount of homework was just right compared to 69.2% of all respondents during the previous survey.
23.5% of all respondents supplement their child education with professional tutors ,compared to 31.9% of all respondents during the previous survey.
82.1% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the condition/quality of the athletic facilities are acceptable compared to 80.5% of all respondents during the previous survey.
77.3% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the parent or guardian was well informed as to the child’s progress compared to 80.4% of all respondents during the previous survey.
68.9% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they had opportunities to express their opinions or concerns regarding their child compared to 74,3% of all respondents during the previous survey.
The homemade clock Ahmed Mohamed brought to school was mistaken for a bomb. (Irving Police Department)
Why a ninth-grader’s arrest over a home-built clock struck a chord across America
A week after 9/11, a lapse of judgement ?
By Abby Phillip and Sarah Kaplan September 16 at 6:20 PM
Ahmed Mohamed just wanted to impress his teachers with a homemade invention. The story of what happened next has made the 14-year-old from Irving, Tex., the object of national outrage and attention.
Eager to show off to his engineering teacher, Mohamed walked into MacArthur High School on Monday morning with his hastily assembled invention: A digital clock.
Hours later, the ninth-grader was escorted out of the school in police custody after teachers mistook the device for a bomb.
The incident has triggered allegations of racism and made a Texas school district the target of outrage that began online and quickly spilled into the most powerful offices in the land.
As the story spread, along with a photo of Mohamed in a NASA T-shirt and handcuffs, support came flooding in.
“Cool clock, Ahmed,” President Obama wrote in a tweet Wednesday. “Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.”
Next CBD Forum – September 23 at 7:30PM – Village Hall
Our Central Business District Forum will resume next Wednesday, September 23, at 730 PM, in the Village Hall Courtroom. We will discuss the new garage planned for Broad and Hudson Streets. No longer just a nice idea, the garage is moving into the design phase. We have already seen some exciting design possibilities that will be offered to our residences for their consideration. The Mayor will attend the forum and he and I will bring everyone up to date as to where the process stands and where it is headed, including a look forward at the all-important referendum on November 3. Please join us and invite your friends and neighbors to attend.
