Author: James

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Ridgewood plans referendum on parking garage

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JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

On Wednesday night, the Village Council revisited the notion of a non-binding referendum for a municipal garage on Hudson Street and also debated the merits of having a similar vote on the plans for the North Walnut Street redevelopment zone since it could mark a significant change to downtown Ridgewood.

The village is in the midst of doing environmental work at Hudson Street while waiting for results from a parking consultant on a recommendation of a traditional or automated parking garage. A $500,000 bond ordinance for pre-construction activities has been introduced and will be subject to a public hearing on July 15.

Meanwhile, officials are currently working with Kensington Senior Development, which has pitched an assisted living facility for the Town Garage property at Franklin Avnue and North Walnut Street. The village is in the process of reviewing financial information from the developer.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/vote-on-financing-for-garage-planned-1.1363594

Ridgewood might have referendum on downtown parking garage

JUNE 26, 2015, 12:22 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:24 PM

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-might-have-referendum-on-downtown-parking-garage-1.1364140

 

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Poll: 72% fear economic crash, concern ‘highest ever’

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BY PAUL BEDARD | JUNE 26, 2015 | 11:20 AM

The ever-expanding Republican presidential field, which threatens to splinter over social issues as dark horses grab hot-button topics for attention, is being urged to stick to the economy where the real pot of voter gold sits.

“Concern over the economy is the highest I’ve ever seen,” top GOP pollster Ed Goeas told the moderate Republican Ripon Society. He said 72 percent are worried about an economic downturn.

“Republicans need to get into the game on better turf and that means talking in specifics about how we will bring the economy back and help create the jobs that go with real recovery,” added pollster David Winston.

The exit polls from the 2012 and 2008 primaries and caucuses back them up, and show that the candidate who was considered by voters to be best on the economy usually won that state’s contest.

According to Winston, the economy was the top voter concern in 45 of 46 primaries and caucuses. The only exception was the 2008 Iowa caucus when illegal immigration trumped the economy, 33 percent to 26 percent.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-72-fear-economic-crash-concern-highest-ever/article/2567095

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Americans Are Delaying Major Life Events Because of Money Worries

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By ANN CARRNSJUNE 26, 2015

About half of American adults have postponed a major life decision in the past year for financial reasons, mainly because they lack sufficient savings or are worried about the economy, or both, a new survey finds.

The survey, conducted for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, found that the proportion of people delaying big decisions like buying a home or getting married had risen to 51 percent, from 31 percent in a similar survey in 2007, before the start of the financial downturn.

(The telephone survey of 1,010 adults, age 18 and older, was conducted in March by Harris Poll. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.)

The change was striking, and the percentages more than doubled in some areas. Nearly a quarter said they had delayed higher education, up from 11 percent in 2007, and 18 percent said they had put off retiring, compared with 9 percent in the earlier survey. Twenty-two percent said they delayed buying a home in 2015, compared with 14 percent in 2007.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/your-money/americans-are-delaying-major-life-events-because-of-money-worries.html?_r=0

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Anonymous poop smearer loose in the Village of Ridgewood

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June 27,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police report that on Saturday June 20, 2015, an employee at a service station on Goffle Road reported that an unidentified white male, about 5’10” with short blonde hair, 19-25 years of age, wearing shorts and a tee shirt entered the business bathroom where he wiped excrement on the walls, floor and toilet. The suspect left the area in a white van. This is the fourth such incident to occur at a Ridgewood business in the last week and anyone who might be able to identify the suspect is asked to contact the detective bureau at (201) 251-4536.

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Congress Bought and Paid For Passes Trade Promotion Authority bill

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Here’s how much corporations paid US senators to fast-track the TPP bill

Robert Gibson and Taylor Channing

*Out of the total $1,148,971 given, an average of $17,676.48 was donated to each of the 65 “yea” votes.
*The average Republican member received $19,673.28 from corporate TPP supporters.

*The average Democrat received $9,689.23 from those same donors.
*The amounts given rise dramatically when looking at how much each senator running for re-election received.

Critics of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership are unlikely to be silenced by an analysis of the flood of money it took to push the pact over its latest hurdle.
A decade in the making, the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is reaching its climax and as Congress hotly debates the biggest trade deal in a generation, its backers have turned on the cash spigot in the hopes of getting it passed.

Barack Obama given ‘fast-track’ authority over trade deal negotiations

“We’re very much in the endgame,” US trade representative Michael Froman told reporters over the weekend at a meeting of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on the resort island of Boracay. His comments came days after TPP passed another crucial vote in the Senate.

That vote, to give Barack Obama the authority to speed the bill through Congress, comes as the president’s own supporters, senior economists and a host of activists have lobbied against a pact they argue will favor big business but harm US jobs, fail to secure better conditions for workers overseas and undermine free speech online.

Those critics are unlikely to be silenced by an analysis of the sudden flood of money it took to push the pact over its latest hurdle.

Fast-tracking the TPP, meaning its passage through Congress without having its contents available for debate or amendments, was only possible after lots of corporate money exchanged hands with senators. The US Senate passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – the fast-tracking bill – by a 65-33 margin on 14 May. Last Thursday, the Senate voted 62-38 to bring the debate on TPA to a close.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/may/27/corporations-paid-us-senators-fast-track-tpp

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RHS Boys Track & Field underclassmen show they belong at Nationals

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOB BROWN
Ridgewood’s Kobi Grant, left, takes a handoff from Matt Tai in the sprint medley relay at last weekend’s New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEW

In the final meet of the 2015 season, the Ridgewood High School boys track team’s contingent of young talent traveled to the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., not to show what they could provide the squad in 2016, but to prove that they were ready for the big time right now.

“Before the meet started, we challenged them that this meet wasn’t about getting ready for next year,” RHS head coach Josh Saladino said in a phone interview Monday night. “This meet was about rising to the expectation and the pressure of performing at a national-level championship this year.”

Saladino and the Maroons returned north happy with the work done by the six underclassmen that earned their way to Nationals, held on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

The quartet of freshman Matt Tai, sophomores Kobi Grant and Kyle Mack and junior Michael Thurston finished 21st in the sprint medley relay and 10th in the Swedish relay.

Tai also competed in the freshman 100-meter dash, and Thurston took 11th in the Emerging Elite Division 800 race.

https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/boys-track/maroon-boys-finish-year-on-a-positive-note-1.1363732

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Garrett was target of crackdown by House Speaker Boehner, report says

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“Today’s Trade Promotion Authority bill doesn’t do enough to ensure proper congressional oversight of future trade deals, strengthen middle class New Jersey families, or protect American jobs; and therefore I could not support it. Trade requires trust, and many New Jerseyans find it difficult to trust a White House that gave us unconstitutional amnesty, maintained the broken tax code, and implemented a massive government takeover of our health care system. While I believe there is a path to trade agreements that strengthen our country and protect American jobs, today’s bill falls short of the mark.”

Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the above statement after he voted against the Trade Promotion Authority bill:

Garrett was target of crackdown by House Speaker Boehner, report says

JUNE 25, 2015, 5:16 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015, 5:21 PM
BY HERB JACKSON
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT |
THE RECORD

Rep. Scott Garrett’s penchant for bucking the Republican House leadership and voting his own way almost cost him his chairmanship of a House subcommittee, according to a report by Politico.

But Garrett told The Record he hasn’t been approached about his voting by either Speaker John Boehner or Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. But he also went out of his way to mention he was pleased another conservative who did lose his chairmanship got it back on Thursday.

Politico reported Wednesday night that Garrett was one of the targets of a crackdown Boehner had begun on on conservatives who oppose the party on major legislation, especially those in privileged spots as subcommittee chairmen.

Prefering to handle discipline through committee chairmen, Boehner had House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy approach Hensarling, and he vouched for Garrett, Politico said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/garrett-was-target-of-crackdown-by-house-speaker-boehner-report-says-1.1363514

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The Watcher’ scares couple into fleeing $1.3 million dream home

By Leonard Greene
June 24, 2015

A New Jersey couple is suing the people who sold them their dream home for neglecting to tell them about a stalker who calls himself “The Watcher,” who has been harassing them since they moved in.

Derek and Maria Broaddus paid $1.3 million last year for their six-bedroom Union County dream house only to learn of “the Watcher,” who had a fixation on the home, the suit says.

In their suit, the couple says the stalker threatened them with several letters and packages — mail the previous owners received before unloading the haunted house.

The house “has been the subject of my family for decades,” one letter said.

“I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming,” said

https://nypost.com/2015/06/24/the-watcher-scares-couple-into-selling-1-3-million-dream-home/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow

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FISH, a new Ridgewood restaurant, plans soft opening

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JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

One of the cornerstones of the Central Business District is getting a facelift, and the general public will have its first official glimpse (and taste) inside the renovated First National Bank and Trust Company building once all inspections are complete.

The re-opening of the iconic building on East Ridgewood Avenue was scheduled for the week of June 29 with the soft opening of its flagship tenant, FISH Urban Dining. Owners of the upscale seafood restaurant, already with an established location in Asbury Park, have been rigorously repurposing the interior of the former bank to create an environment unique to the FISH brand.

Similar to FISH’s space in Asbury Park, the Ridgewood location will use the bank’s vacated features, including the large vault on the main floor, as part of the restaurant.

“It’s cool, fun and interesting to use a space that was created to be something entirely different than what we are using it for today,” said Jim DeGilio, managing partner of City By the Sea Hospitality Group, which operates FISH and other restaurants in Asbury Park and Long Beach Island. According to DeGilio, who runs the restaurant group with his wife, Karen, FISH will offer a fresh and seasonal menu similar to what is found at the Asbury Park establishment “in an appealing and comfortable environment.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/fish-prepares-to-open-doors-1.1363783

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Ridgewood senior closes career with All-American ending

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JACOB BROWN
Ridgewood’s Carleen Jeffers and girls track head coach Jacob Brown celebrate Jeffers’ fourth-place finish in the 5,000-meter race to earn All-America status at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals meet in Greensboro, N.C. last weekend.

JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

One final race last Friday night provided the perfect ending to the careers of two Ridgewood High School girls track legends: one who served as the founder and leader of the team for the past 44 seasons, and the other a relative newcomer to the sport whose performances over the past two years electrified the program and rewrote the record books.

Senior Carleen Jeffers capped her abbreviated yet spectacular Ridgewood career as an All-American, taking fourth place in 16:58.19 in the 5,000-meter race at New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., to make longtime RHS girls head coach Jacob Brown’s final meet a memorable one.

“It doesn’t even feel real right now,” said Jeffers in a phone interview Monday night. The senior became the first Maroon girl to earn All-America status since 2012 when the 4-x-800 and distance medley relay teams both won their races at Nationals.

But Jeffers, who didn’t begin running track until her junior year, heaped much of the credit upon Brown, who started the RHS girls track and field program in 1972 and whose retirement from the head coaching post went into effect at the end of the season.

https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/girls-track/careers-capped-in-all-american-style-1.1363744

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Ridgewood residents might see a drone over the high school in the fall

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JUNE 25, 2015, 11:41 AM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015, 11:42 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Village residents need not call authorities this fall if they happen to see a drone hovering above the high school.

During its meeting Monday evening, the Ridgewood Board of Education accepted a donated GoPro Phantom 2 Quadcopter.

School officials said the drone will be used to film various activities at the school. It will also be utilized by students for video productions.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-residents-might-see-a-drone-over-the-high-school-in-the-fall-1.1363209

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Full Ridgewood Council discussion is needed

gwenn hauck

file photo by Boyd Loving 

JUNE 26, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print

Full council discussion needed

To the Editor:

Re: “HR addition spurs debate in Ridgewood,” The Ridgewood News, June 19, page A1.

I disagree with Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck; a discussion by all Village Council members regarding the addition of a Human Resources department was both warranted and appropriate. Any time taxpayer dollars are being spent, the full council should be given ample opportunity to openly weigh in before a decision is made.

This is not the first time Ms. Hauck has publicly suggested that an open discussion by all council members was not necessary because the majority of council members had already agreed on an issue, and this is not the first time I’ve publicly disagreed with her.

During a public meeting several weeks ago, she harshly suggested that there was no need to reopen council discussions on installing sidewalks along Clinton Avenue because the “council majority” had already agreed not to support such an endeavor. Seriously, there was no need for the full council to participate in a continued discussion on a matter related to the safety of school aged children? I think there was such a need, and so do many other taxpayers.

Councilwoman Hauck’s almost laughable suggestion that the democratic process calls for an end to open public discussion once a majority decision is reached, coupled with her continued public display of contempt and arrogance toward selected council colleagues, makes me wonder if this is the type of individual who should continue to represent the village’s taxpayers.

Boyd A. Loving

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-full-ridgewood-council-discussion-is-needed-1.1363782

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Council sets just 1 date for public hearing on downtown housing

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June 25 2015

Boyd A. LovingRidgewood NJ, In 2011, Village Council members scheduled their official public hearing on The Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion over six (6) separate dates.  The schedule was developed to insure there would be ample opportunity for members of the public to express their views of the issue, and that no individual(s) would miss out due to planned business travel/vacation, family emergency, illness, etc.  The public hearing dates were:  9/13/2011, 9/19/2011, 10/13/2011, 10/24/2011, 11/22/2011, and 11/29/2011.  Current Mayor Paul Aronsohn was a member of that Council.

On July 15 of this year, Village Council members expect to introduce four (4) separate ordinances related to proposed changes in the Village’s Master Plan that would permit high density housing in our Central Business District.  There has been significant controversy associated with the proposed Master Plan revision.

During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced the Council’s firm intent to set September 16, 2015 as the one and onlydate for their official public hearing on all four (4) “changes to Master Plan” related ordinances.  That’s right folks, if you’re not around on September 16, or if the meeting room is closed off due to over crowding, you’re SOL.

So I wonder, why is Mr. Aronsohn so hell bent on pushing these Master Plan changes through to the point of scheduling just one (1) official opportunity for residents to comment?  He was a primary proponent of a former Council’s plan to allow multiple opportunities for official public comment regarding The Valley Hospital expansion plan.  Why the change in attitude related to high density housing in our Central Business District?  What’s the rush?  Am I missing something here?

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Valley Hospital researchers say early lung cancer test shows promise

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JUNE 24, 2015, 10:12 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015, 10:14 PM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Researchers at The Valley Hospital and a private lab have developed a blood test that they hope will someday help to detect early-stage lung cancer when it’s most treatable, officials said this week.

If the preliminary findings are replicated in a larger study, oncologists may have a cheaper, less invasive and more accurate test to diagnose the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the nation.

The research focuses on identifying biomarkers — such as a certain protein in the blood — to screen for cancer at the molecular level.

The field of study under way at the Ridgewood hospital and in many other institutions nationwide is known as precision medicine. Researchers hope that it will radically change the way disease is detected, how drugs are developed, and how treatment can be tailored to an individual based on a patient’s genetic makeup to prevent side effects and yield better results.

“It’s detected early so the chemotherapy and radiation can better target the cancer,” said Dr. Ganepola A.P. Ganepola, director of the Center for Cancer Research and Genomic Medicine at Valley, who developed the blood test with the Wistar Institute, a private lab based in Philadelphia.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/valley-hospital-researchers-say-early-lung-cancer-test-shows-promise-1.1362168

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Confederate Flag Memorabilia Sales Boom after Ban

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The Ban on Confederate Flag Memorabilia Is Having One Unintended Consequence…

BY CONOR SWANBERG

The Confederate flag has been under heavy fire following the shooting in Charleston. It’s been removed from major stores like Walmart, Ebay, and Sears.

But now small, independent stores which still sell the merchandise have been surprised with an unexpected consequence—a massive spike in sales.

CNN Money has been actively tracking and interviewing stores that sell the items, such as Flag and Banner, based in Little Rock, Arkansas,

Owner Kerry McCoy has been surprised:

“Somebody in Rhode Island ordered in 50 Confederate (lapel) pins”

“We sold 20 (flags) today and we would normally sell none,”

Another small business owner, Freddie Rich, who runs the Rebel Store in North Carolina, said that sales are “unbelievable right now. This is something I never envisioned.”

He has sold nearly 200 flags in 24 hours, and included this message on his site:

The message reads:

“We appreciate your support during this terribly sad time while the intolerant, the mean spirited, and the uneducated attack our Proud Southern Heritage with a vengeance.

Sorry – we have sold out. Thank you so much – our faith in the South has been renewed!

If you have already placed an order with us – please be patient and rest assured that we are working as quickly as possible to get your order out to you and we will send an email as soon as we ship with the tracking information. We have received over 3,000 orders in less than 24 hours, when a good day for us is 20 orders in 24 hours. We are filling them and shipping in the order in which they were received.

As soon as we are ‘caught up’ with the backlog, we will again have the website back up and running.”

There’s still no verdict on whether or not the Confederate flag will be removed from the South Carolina statehouse grounds, but that hasn’t stopped people from scooping up whatever they can get their hands on after large vendors ceased sales.