Fight erupts on use of NJ open space money
Just four months after voters in New Jersey overwhelmingly decided to put tens of millions of dollars into the state’s open space program, conservationists are accusing the governor of raiding the fund. (Fallon/The Bergen Record)
https://www.northjersey.com/
file photo Boyd loving
Fort Lee man among three charged in alleged burglary scheme targeting seniors
MARCH 13, 2015, 8:49 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015, 9:38 PM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Police have arrested a Fort Lee man and two others who allegedly ran a scheme targeting elderly people across several states by distracting them while their homes were burglarized, authorities said Friday in a news release.
The men were caught by a law enforcement task force after they allegedly attempted to run the scam in Ridgewood on Tuesday but came away from a Greenway Lane home without taking anything, said Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano. The men were arrested in Lyndhurst, he said.
The task force had been assembled in Somerset County after the three men allegedly stole a safe with $75,000 cash and an undisclosed amount of jewelry from a 90-year-old woman in Somerville late last year; one of the men had distracted her by saying he was with the water company and had come to check the pipes, Soriano said.
Reader says the single most threatening development in K-12 education is the drastic denuding of our academic curricula of crucial content in favor of a single minded focus and emphasis on “process”.
“Content alone will not make our children successful,” Biedron said. “What will? Critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, collaboration skills and communication skills. Are these skills being taught by Common Core and PARCC? That’s a big question. Education is organic, it’s constantly changing.”
One hates to say this, since he was kind enough to visit Ridgewood, but Mr. Biedron reveals himself to be either a fraud or a pathetic dupe for laying his point out in this way. Who on earth ever suggested or sought to prove that content alone will make our children successful?
His efforts are not in vain, for he has managed to articulate perhaps the mother of all straw man arguments in the field of U.S. K-12 education. A man in his position in the home of a well-educated and savvy Ridgewood resident needs to be pinned down by withering intellectual fire until he concedes that the single most threatening development in K-12 education is the drastic denuding of our academic curricula of crucial content in favor of a single minded focus and emphasis on “process”. This is not even debatable, and the incalculable damage that has already been done to young minds in this country places us so far behind the eight ball in comparison to our global peers (and up until recently, our inferiors) will take two generations to repair, and that only if we reverse course immediately.
Reader says Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment
The decision to “recuse” by an elected official is one that is arrived at: 1) by that elected official (i.e., nobody gives an order that another must follow); 2) on a case-by-case basis (i.e., no categorical prohibitions to participation, or recusal “precedent” based on past practice (read: Killion); 3) as a result of a fact-based analysis (i.e.., the details matter and must be considered); 4) in accordance with a pre-determined standard (no making it up as we go along); 5) considering whether the appearance of a conflict would bring scandal even if no actual conflict exists or is likely to arise; but also 6) being careful not to recuse too readily (i.e., not necessarily at the drop of a hat, or in response to the first ‘hint’ of a conflict) lest the electorate be improperly and improvidently deprived of the thoughtful services of their chosen representative (i.e., this is no mere ‘employee’ of the Village).
Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment on this issue, free from either unsolicited heavy-handed advice (pre-recusal) or uncivil and hypocritical scorn (after declining to recuse, if that’s what she decides) from any of her Village Council colleagues.
Reader says development is a Fait accompli
I personally think this issue is a Fait accompli; Kensington is likely to get the nod. Here’s what The African Queen (Councilwoman Hauck) said following the Kensington presentation. Seems to me that her mind is made up, which means that Paul & Albert have likely decided as well.
“So I’ve been sitting in the meetings and I don’t have any questions. But, I thought one thing that would have been great for the presentation is a little more of a demonstration of what your ground floor retail looks like because I think that’s one of the nicer things you have to offer to the Village. So, I guess there are four different public spaces that everyone can visit. There’s the cafe, the art gallery, the hair salon, and the physical therapy. Also, can people sign up for physical therapy classes? And the lobby area and the front door is a welcoming space. It’s really a comfortable scenario. I think when people see the schematics I think they will see that it is very inviting to the public. When I look at all of these plans, when I look at the redevelopment zone parameters the goal was to increase parking for the Village of Ridgewood, which was our main objective, and to reinforce pedestrian and retail activity, and to improve the appearance of the Village. I think that you have hit everything there. We can only address certain issues in the meeting today. We will be dealing with other issues such as remediation and financial impact to the Village taxpayers, but for now I see this as an excellent presentation.”
Bolton calls Iran deal ‘unprecedented’ surrender
March 14, 2015, 11:18 am
By Mark Hensch
Former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton said Saturday that President Obama is negotiating “an unprecedented act of surrender” with Iran in discussions over its nuclear weapons program.
“This deal is fundamentally flawed,” Bolton said at the South Carolina National Security Action Summit in West Columbia, S.C. “There really is no deal I’d trust Iran with. It is a regime determined to have nuclear weapons and this deal will give it to them.”
The Obama administration is hoping Iran will slow or stop its nuclear armaments research in exchange for removing economic sanctions. Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are aiding U.S. efforts to bargain with Iran. The two sides will resume talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, next week.
Controversy erupted over an open letterRepublicans sent Iran’s leadership Monday. It vowed Congress can void any deal it finds unsatisfying and was signed by 47 GOP senators.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/235733-bolton-calls-iran-deal-unprecedented-surrender
Scott Walker on Jeb Bush: We need a name from the future, not the past
By Nick Gass
3/13/15 12:25 PM EDT
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker alternately praised and took swipes at his likely presidential rivals during an interview with the Tampa Bay Times on Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Asked about Republican establishment support for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Walker said the “next up” mentality has not worked with candidates like Bob Dole in 1996, John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, and it won’t cut it against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“Jeb’s a good man. You’re not going to hear me speak ill” of him, Walker said, noting that Bush called him two days before announcing his leadership PAC. “I just think voters are going to look at this and say, ‘If we’re running against Hillary Clinton, we’ll need a name from the future – not a name from the past – to win.’ “
Walker acknowledged Bush’s fundraising advantage as well.
Walker tests his message in New Hampshire
By Jesse Byrnes
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a likely 2016 Republican presidential contender, tested his message of “growth, reform and safety” in New Hampshire on Saturday with a speech at a grassroots workshop in Concord.
In his first trip to the second-in-the-nation presidential nominating state since 2012, Walker donned a sweater he said he bought for a buck from Kohl’s, a big retailer founded in his home state, and cast himself as an executive willing to roll up his sleeves to streamline government and protect the homeland.
Walker kicked off his speech by touting his close geography growing up near fellow Republican Wisconsin natives Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, and Rep. Paul Ryan, recalling that he and Ryan “both flipped hamburgers as kids at McDonald’s.”
Walker’s speech relied on familiar themes, touting reforms during his tenure in Wisconsin to argue that success should be measured “by how many people who are no longer dependent on the government.”
He also suggested his two sons could take off a semester of college to campaign with him, should he run.
Fielding a question on whether he would abolish the federal income tax, Walker said the idea “sounds pretty interesting” but stopped short of giving it his endorsement, emphasizing cuts in other areas of the government.
Presented with a blue baseball cap from a pro-gun member of the audience asking about foreign policy, Walker immediately strapped the hat on his head and threw up an air rifle pose, grinning.
Walker said the biggest national security threat facing the U.S. was” radical Islamic terrorism.”
“I am not proposing to engage full-scale boots on the ground, but I’m not taking that off the table,” he said.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/235736-walker-tests-his-message-in-new-hampshire
College Club Annual Book Sale
Sale to Benefit Scholarships The 60th Annual Book Fair will take place starting March 31st at Somerville School: Tuesday, March 31: 4-8pm Preview and Sale, $20 per person admission Wednesday, April 1: 10am-8pm (no admission fee) Thursday, April 2: 10am-5pm (no admission fee) Friday CLOSED (Good Friday) Saturday, April 4: 10am-2pm Half Price Sale (no admission fee)
Somerville School cafeteria,
45 South Pleasant Ave,
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Come peruse the wide variety of books including: beautiful “coffee table” books, children’s books including “grandparent books” and Easter books, cooking, art, gardening and design books, large print books, curio books, special first editions and signed books, books on tape, CDs, movies and, of course, hundreds of mysteries, novels, and current 2009-2014 best sellers in hard cover and paperback.
Please do not call Somerville school for information. All inquiries should be directed to the event Co-Chairs, Toni Cohen at [email protected] or (201-670-9689) and Dacey Latham at [email protected] or (201-445-5498).
painting by renowned French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir was snapped up at a U.S. flea market for less than $50, according to The Potomack Company, an auctioneer.
Antique Appraisal Event Old Paramus Church
Antique Appraisal Event Saturday, March 28, 1-4 PM Back by popular demand! Do you watch Antiques Roadshow? Have you ever wondered about the value of an antique or collectible in your home? Here’s an opportunity to have it appraised! Jon Felz, a certified appraiser, will be present to speak about and appraise each of your treasured items. A fee of $5 per item will be charged. Limit 2 items per person. Seating is limited. Doors open at 12:30. John Felz has 30 years of appraisal experience and has worked at many estate sales and auctions in the region. He is certified by the New England Appraisers Assn. and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow. Refreshments will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go to Old Paramus Church, 660 East Glen Ave., Ridgewood. There is ample free parking in the church parking lot. The appraisal event will take place in the Education Building. Please call the office at 201 444-5933 for more information, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 1:30 or visit the church website, www.oldparamus.org.
Teens & Broadway Stars Sing for Covenant House
Support Covenant House for Homeless Teens Teens and Broadway Stars Sing for Homeless Kids– March 24 Local Voice Teacher Prepares Covenant House Youth to Perform in Ridgewood, NJ On March 24, a very exciting musical event – A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars – will be bursting out of the windows of Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood beginning at 7:00 pm.
Shining stars from high schools around Bergen County will be performing show stopping tunes alongside Broadway Stars John Treacy Egan (The Producers, Nice Work), Sally Ann Skoric (Jekyll and Hyde, Victor Victoria), Richard Todd Adams, (Phantom, Les Miserables) and David Elder (Curtains, 42nd Street) to benefit Covenant House New Jersey. “One of my favorite days of the year is the day I go down to Covenant House in Newark and meet the young person who will be singing at our show with my students,” says Susan McBrayer. “Wait until everyone hears David. He is so talented, and such a joy!” Students from Stage Right, Art of Motion, McBrayer Vocal Studio, and Ridgewood High School will also be there sharing their talents and their passions to help homeless youth. “This will be my 5th year to perform at A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” exclaimed Sally Ann Skoric, a Broadway performer and Ridgewood mother. “My students at Art of Motion are busy rehearsing their big number! And I heard today that Hollywood Anderson, a beautiful Covenant House youth who made it all the way to Hollywood this year on American Idol will be with us too! How fun is that going to be?” Several young men and women from Covenant House will share their inspirational stories and be singing in the finale. “Each of our homeless kids comes to us with their own story, and we don’t turn any away. We are so grateful to all of these performers – close to 100 Bergen County students – and volunteers who are making it possible for us to keep our doors open for the young people who need us”, says Marcia Mann,
Development Director for Covenant House New Jersey. Covenant House New Jersey serves homeless young men and women between the ages of 18 and 21 at crisis centers and transitional housing in Newark, Montclair, Elizabeth, and Atlantic City. A Night of FUTURE Broadway Stars, March 24, 7:00 pm at Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, NJ. Tickets are $25, $20 for Students and Seniors, and can purchased on-line at chnj.booktix.com, and at the door. For more information, contact Marcia Mann at [email protected].
Opening Day Baseball Parade and Family Fun Day – April 18
Saturday, April 18th at 9am the Baseball Parade starts at Wilsey Square and marches to Veteran’s Field for Opening Ceremonies and a day of fun filled activities – Food Trucks, Vendor pavilion, music, inflatables, instruction clinics, sports demos, wiffleball tournament, carnival games and RHS vs Westwood HS Game.
More info – [email protected]
Click Here for flyer
The Passing for Bill Clark
Pastor Marc’s Lenten Devotional Day Twenty-One:
West Side Presbyterian Church
This past Saturday, a wonderful human being Bill Clark died after nearly five years battling cancer. Bill leaves behind his wife, two sons, mother and brother, and many others who loved him dearly. Bill died too young. He had yet to turn 60 years old and had so much life ahead of him. We will celebrate his life and grieve his death tomorrow at West Side Presbyterian Church (2pm in the sanctuary). People will come from all parts of Bill’s life to share stories, to give and receive comfort, and to find strength in community and in their faith in God.
When I met with his family this past week to plan the Memorial Service, I was touched by the stories they shared, particularly his tenderness and devotion as a son, husband, and father. At one point I asked his sons, “Was there anything your father shared with you this past week that you will treasure?” After some silence, one son answered, “There’s nothing our dad could have said this week that he hadn’t already taught us by being the person he was.” Those words brought tears to my eyes as I was touched by their affection and gratitude for their dad.
This experience has remained with me this week. I’m grieving Bill’s death as many people are, but I’m also challenged again to be the kind of father who will be remembered with similar affection and gratitude. This Lent, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to be a church. What if our primary role was to help shape one another as human beings? What if we helped each other live into the fullness of our God-given humanity? What if we encouraged and supported each other in being the best sons, husbands, and fathers (as well as daughters, wives, and mothers) we can be? Imagine if we looked around at church and saw people who inspired us to grow and stretch in humility and compassion, in whom we saw a special light of life, and with whom we wanted to partner in being a “little Christ” (the literal translation of “Christian”) in the world.
Senate panel probing possible Obama administration ties to anti-Netanyahu effort
By Steven Edwards
Published March 14, 2015
FoxNews.com
A powerful U.S. Senate investigatory committee has launched a bipartisan probe into an American nonprofit’s funding of efforts to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Obama administration’s State Department gave the nonprofit taxpayer-funded grants, a source with knowledge of the panel’s activities told FoxNews.com.
The fact that both Democratic and Republican sides of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations have signed off on the probe could be seen as a rebuke to President Obama, who has had a well-documented adversarial relationship with the Israeli leader.
The development comes as Netanyahu told Israel’s Channel Two television station this week that there were “governments” that wanted to help with the “Just Not Bibi” campaigning — Bibi being the Israeli leader’s nickname.
It also follows a FoxNews.com report on claims the Obama administration has been meddling in the Israeli election on behalf of groups hostile to Netanyahu. A spokesperson for Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican and chairman of the committee, declined comment, and aides to ranking Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, of Missouri, did not immediately return calls.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/14/senate-committee-probes-whether-obama-administration-funded-effort-to-oust/
For now, no more redevelopment zone proposals will be heard
March 14,2015
Boyd Loving
Ridgewood NJ, In response to a taxpayer’s direct question, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld responded on Wednesday evening that Village Council members have no plans at this time to hear any further proposals from developers in connection with the North Walnut Street Redevelopment Plan.
Only two (2) proposals have been publicly presented. One from the Kensington Senior Development, LLC for an assisted living facility/parking garage/retail complex, and the other from Langan Development Corporation, for a large parking garage/luxury apartment/retail complex.
According the Sonenfeld, both proposals are now undergoing an extensive review of “the finances.”
Stay tuned
