James - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG. - Page 2985 of 3737

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

N.J. Senate to consider bill Thursday to revamp penalties for drunken driving

N.J. Senate to consider bill Thursday to revamp penalties for drunken driving

FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 7:02 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015, 7:26 AM
BY DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD

Drunken drivers can lose their licenses for a year, serve jail time and pay insurance surcharges of $1,000 a year.

But now safety advocates – including Mothers Against Drunk Driving – are behind an effort to end the harsh penalties for first-time offenders.

Instead of fines, jail time and lengthy license suspensions, offenders would be required to install a device about the size of a cellphone that would measure their blood alcohol content before the car can be turned on.

If approved by the Senate today and signed by Governor Christie, a bill would add New Jersey to the growing list of states shifting from a punitive approach to a behavioral one to combat drunken driving.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-senate-to-consider-bill-thursday-to-revamp-penalties-for-drunken-driving-1.1264415

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by James — 2 Comments

Bergen County freeholders introduce measures needed to meld County Police into sheriff’s force

Bergen County freeholders introduce measures needed to meld County Police into sheriff’s force

FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A plan to consolidate police services provided by Bergen County moved another step closer to fruition Wednesday with the county freeholders giving their initial approval to measures that rename the nearly 100-year-old County Police and put strict limits on the number of patrol officers and higher-ups it can have going forward.

The swift action shows that combining the county police with the county Sheriff’s Office remains on the fast track for the Freeholder Board and the administration of County Executive James Tedesco.

“It’s a good day for Bergen County, for the taxpayers of Bergen County and for law enforcement,” said Tedesco, who attended the meeting.

The two ordinances introduced Wednesday say the county force, when absorbed by the Sheriff’s Office, will be known as the Bureau of Police Services, take away the position of chief of police and slice its overall numbers by roughly half, to 49 officers.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-freeholders-introduce-measures-needed-to-meld-county-police-into-sheriff-s-force-1.1264419

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

N.J. lawmakers: ‘Close’ on plan to extend transportation fund

file photo Boyd Loving

N.J. lawmakers: ‘Close’ on plan to extend transportation fund

FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 1:38 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 5:31 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER AND DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD

State lawmakers on Wednesday tried to assure anxious local officials that they are close to reaching an agreement to extend the state fund that pays for road, bridge and rail improvements in New Jersey.

The lawmakers, however, provided no new details about what that plan could look like even as the state comes closer to the date the current funding source will go broke, and as they await a state budget proposal later this month from Governor Christie.

And for all their talk of agreement, the legislative leaders who participated in a panel discussion as part of the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ annual mayor’s legislative day in the State House also showed ways in which they still remain deeply at odds on the transportation issue — particularly over the potential for raising New Jersey’s gas tax.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said he and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus, have been in talks to come up with a plan for extending the state Transportation Trust Fund, which is set to run out of money in a few months, and now are “close.”

“I think we can come to a solution,” Sweeney said. “I hope we can get an agreement with the administration.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-lawmakers-close-on-plan-to-extend-transportation-fund-1.1264286

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Homicide victim just moved from Ridgewood to Queens, report says

file photo NYPD

Homicide victim just moved from Ridgewood to Queens, report says

By James Kleimann | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 02, 2015 at 7:30 PM, updated February 02, 2015 at 7:31 PMQUEENS, N.Y. — A 42-year-old Italian man who had briefly been living in Ridgewood was shot and killed by a friend in a Queens, N.Y. this weekend, according to authorities.

Police arrested 49-year-old Astoria, Queens resident Alexander Bonich in the killing of William Klinger, a native of Italy who was found in Astoria Park on Sunday with two gunshot wounds to the back of the head, according to the NYPD.

Klinger, a scholar in Croation history, had stayed at Mijo Mirkovic’s Ridgewood home for three days before moving to Queens late last week, Mirkovic told The Record. Klinger had moved to America to start a new life and was set to teach at Hunter College, Mirkovic told The Record.

https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/02/homicide_victim_just_moved_from_ridgewood_to_queens_report_says.html

Posted on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by James — 19 Comments

Street near Ridge school won’t get sidewalks

file photo Boyd Loving

Street near Ridge school won’t get sidewalks

FEBRUARY 5, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD
Print

RIDGEWOOD — The village will not install sidewalks along Clinton Avenue, a street traversed daily by hundreds of children who attend classes at the Ridge Elementary School.

The council largely agreed last week that taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be spent adding sidewalks to a road that is already among the village’s safest.

Police officials and Ridgewood’s engineer had endorsed the sidewalk work during an upcoming repaving of Clinton Avenue.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/street-near-ridgewood-school-won-t-get-sidewalks-1.1265120

Posted on February 5, 2015June 27, 2021 by James — 3 Comments

FEMA FLOOD ZONE MAP – New Flood Hazard Zone

file photo Boyd Loving

FEMA FLOOD ZONE MAP – New Flood Hazard Zone

FEMA has released new Draft Flood Hazard Areas maps for Bergen County. FHA maps show the limits of the 100 year storm event that in turn is used to show flood limits that include or exclude your home from flood insurance requirements.

FEMA and NJDEP are offering two informational seminars – the general public is invited to Open House Sessions – February 10, 2015 at One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack; and February 11, 2015 at the Police and Fire Safety Academy at 281 Campgaw Road, Mahwah. Both sessions begin at 4PM with a tentative end at 8PM.

Further information Click Here

Posted on February 5, 2015February 4, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

BY TOM WHEELER

02.04.15 | 11:00 AM |

After more than a decade of debate and a record-setting proceeding that attracted nearly 4 million public comments, the time to settle the Net Neutrality question has arrived. This week, I will circulate to the members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed new rules to preserve the internet as an open platform for innovation and free expression. This proposal is rooted in long-standing regulatory principles, marketplace experience, and public input received over the last several months.

Broadband network operators have an understandable motivation to manage their network to maximize their business interests. But their actions may not always be optimal for network users. The Congress gave the FCC broad authority to update its rules to reflect changes in technology and marketplace behavior in a way that protects consumers. Over the years, the Commission has used this authority to the public’s great benefit.

The internet wouldn’t have emerged as it did, for instance, if the FCC hadn’t mandated open access for network equipment in the late 1960s. Before then, AT&T prohibited anyone from attaching non-AT&T equipment to the network. The modems that enabled the internet were usable only because the FCC required the network to be open.

https://www.wired.com/2015/02/fcc-chairman-wheeler-net-neutrality/

Posted on February 4, 2015January 20, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Small-plates restaurant Finca is now open in Ridgewood

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Small-plates restaurant Finca is now open in Ridgewood

JANUARY 29, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015, 1:20 AM
THE RECORD

NOW OPEN

Finca

20 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood

201-444-1199; fincanj.com

* How it began: Marcelo Czernizer is no stranger to the Ridgewood restaurant scene. In addition to having owned The Stable, Finca’s prior incarnation, the Hillsdale resident owns Cravings Tapas Bistro, which is just across the railroad tracks on Wilsey Square. He closed The Stable in October and remodeled for three months before reopening two weeks ago as Finca, which means “estate” in Spanish.

For Finca, Czernizer jettisoned The Stable’s rodizio-style menu in favor of a selection of small-plate “global tapas,” which run the gamut from crab cakes and charred octopus to skirt steaks and shrimp tempura.

The two restaurants are differentiated by their size (Cravings has about 60 seats; Finca more than 100) and their décor (Cravings is modern and upbeat; Finca a calmer, statelier spot).

https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/small-plates-restaurant-finca-is-now-open-in-ridgewood-1.1260740

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by James — 4 Comments

N.J. property tax bills increased by more than 2 percent last year, now top $8,000

N.J. property tax bills increased by more than 2 percent last year, now top $8,000

FEBRUARY 2, 2015, 9:50 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 7:04 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD

The cap Governor Christie and lawmakers placed on local property tax increases in 2010 seemed to be working. Average property tax bills in New Jersey had grown since that cap went into effect, but the rate of growth was declining.

That all changed last year when, according to new numbers released by the state, the average property tax bill grew by 2.16 percent, beating both the prior year’s growth rate and exceeding the 2 percent limit for the first time since it was put in place in 2010.

The result was property tax bills — long a top complaint of New Jersey residents — went above $8,000 on average for the first time ever in New Jersey. And in some places the bills were much higher last year.

In Bergen County, average property bills increased to $10,826. Passaic County property tax bills rose to $9,572.

To be fair, property taxes have grown by much larger clips in the past. Just a decade ago, the rate of growth from 2004 to 2005 was over 7 percent.

But last year’s increases also came at a time when Christie, due to state budget problems, delayed property tax relief that comes from Trenton via the state’s popular Homestead tax-credit program. The result of that delay meant no one who qualifies for that property tax relief saw a dime last year even as their bills went up on average by $173 to $8,161.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-property-tax-bills-increased-by-more-than-2-percent-last-year-now-top-8-000-1.1263573

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

RadioShack’s exit could trigger retail space grab in North Jersey

RadioShack’s exit could trigger retail space grab in North Jersey

FEBRUARY 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 11:42 AM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The expected news that RadioShack will close or sell all of its stores is likely to have a significant impact on shopping centers throughout North Jersey.

A decision to close locations in the region could put sought-after locations back in play in the neighborhood strip malls favored by RadioShack. And if Amazon, reportedly one of the bidders interested in RadioShack stores, moves into those shopping centers, it will mean a whole new ballgame for the country’s largest online retailer.

RadioShack, the 93-year-old company created to sell supplies to ham-radio enthusiasts, is on the brink of filing for bankruptcy after numerous failed attempts to turn the chain around. RadioShack was able to survive, and at some times thrive, through waves of new technology — from ham radios, to do-it-yourself phone installations, to citizens band radios, to the first personal computers. But it is being outmaneuvered in the digital age by more nimble competitors.

The company announced in March 2014 that it planned to close about 1,000 of its more-than 4,000 stores, but investors vetoed that strategy, pressing instead for liquidation.

Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Amazon, telephone service provider Sprint, and the investment group behind the Brookstone stores are all possible bidders for RadioShack locations, if they become available.

North Jersey retail real estate experts said any empty RadioShack stores not locked up as part of a bankruptcy bid probably would be easy to lease.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/north-jersey-real-estate-may-see-new-retail-game-1.1263984

Posted on February 4, 2015January 20, 2019 by James — 2 Comments

State lists 40 bridges that may need fixing fast, but the question remains what did they do with all the money in the Transportation fund ?

State lists 40 bridges that may need fixing fast, but the question remains what did they do with all the money in the Transportation fund ?

FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 4:25 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 10:12 AM
BY JOHN CICHOWSKI
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

As Governor Christie’s new transportation commissioner sees it, you don’t need a civil engineering degree to recognize some of the obvious weaknesses in the 40 bridges that his engineers have placed on the Department of Transportation’s high-priority list for immediate inspection, including the Route 3 link over the Hackensack River that’s now undergoing emergency repair.

Related: High priority N.J. bridges for 2015

“It’s quite simple,” Jamie Fox observed. “As anyone can see, our bridges are old and crumbling. If we don’t identify a dedicated funding source now, we’ll have no choice but to close more bridges to ensure public safety.”

In addition to the Route 3 span that connects East Rutherford to Secaucus, 12 of the 40 are in North Jersey — four in Bergen County, four in Hudson and two each in Morris and Essex. Replacing or rehabilitating all 13 would cost a minimum of $300 million — a preliminary DOT estimate that would surely rise sharply by the time work is completed.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/road-warrior-state-lists-40-bridges-that-may-need-fixing-fast-1.1263678

Posted on February 4, 2015February 3, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Ferriero wants U.S. attorney disqualified from RICO case; prosecutors cite new evidence against ex-Democratic leader

Ferriero wants U.S. attorney disqualified from RICO case; prosecutors cite new evidence against ex-Democratic leader

FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 4:29 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 5:43 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Federal prosecutors and lawyers defending Joseph Ferriero are exchanging strong new allegations as they enter the final week before the former Bergen County Democratic chairman is scheduled to stand trial on racketeering charges.

Prosecutors are seeking permission to bolster their case with new assertions that Ferriero made hundreds of thousands of dollars by using his influence in four matters: a landfill redevelopment, a land use matter in Hackensack, a disputed Port Authority lease, and a criminal case involving a medical practitioner.

Meanwhile, Ferriero’s lawyers are demanding that either the indictment be thrown out or U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and his office be disqualified from prosecuting the case. They claim he has an “irreconcilable” conflict of interest because he represented a key government witness before he became U.S. Attorney in 2009.

Moreover, Ferriero’s lawyers say that a member of a prominent Teaneck law firm, referred to as “Attorney 3” in court documents, is “now an immunized government witness central to the government’s case.” Fishman and Attorney 3 once represented the same client, Ferriero’s lawyers said in court documents filed Monday.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ferriero-wants-u-s-attorney-disqualified-from-rico-case-prosecutors-cite-new-evidence-against-ex-democratic-leader-1.1263661

Posted on February 4, 2015February 3, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

The Legacy of Debt: Interest Costs Poised to Surpass Defense and Nondefense Discretionary Spending

The Legacy of Debt: Interest Costs Poised to Surpass Defense and Nondefense Discretionary Spending

By JOSH ZUMBRUN

The U.S. has come a long way since the days of trillion-dollar deficits, just a few years ago. The White House projects 2016 will have the smallest budget deficit in eight years. Yet the budgetary impact of the debt that’s been accumulated–$18 trillion in total, $13 trillion of that owed to the public–will reassert itself.

Currently, the government’s interest costs are around $200 billion a year, a sum that’s low due to the era of low interest rates. Forecasters at the White House and Congressional Budget Office believe interest rates will gradually rise, and when that happens, the interest costs of the U.S. government are set to soar, from just over $200 billion to nearly $800 billion a year by decade’s end.

https://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/02/03/the-legacy-of-debt-interest-costs-poised-to-surpass-defense-and-nondefense-discretionary-spending/?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by James — 1 Comment

Xanadu exec says company was asked for Menendez contribution after key federal permit was issued

Xanadu exec says company was asked for Menendez contribution after key federal permit was issued

FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 4:40 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 4:47 PM
BY HERB JACKSON AND JEFF PILLETS
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

A top executive from the Virginia company that first proposed the failed Xanadu project in the Meadowlands said the firm was asked to raise $50,000 in 2005 for then-Rep. Bob Menendez after it received a critical permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, court documents show.

Jim Dausch said in testimony in 2008 he believed Menendez’s efforts led the Army Corps’ top manager in the New York area to hand-deliver the permit in March 2005, and within two months Menendez telephoned him — a call he assumed was about the contributions.

Related: Ferriero wants U.S. attorney disqualified from RICO case; prosecutors cite new evidence against ex-Democratic leader

Dausch said he could not remember if the initial request to raise $50,000 came directly from Menendez, or from two others working with the Mills Corp. on the project, Teaneck attorney Bob DeCotiis or lobbyist Kay LiCausi, who is a former member of Menendez’s staff.

“But one way or the other, it was clear that the request was coming from Menendez and, and it was in anticipation, we understood, of a run that he was planning to make for the Senate in 2006,” Dausch said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/xanadu-exec-says-company-was-asked-for-menendez-contribution-after-key-federal-permit-was-issued-1.1263676

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood OKsnew gear for police

Ridgewood OKsnew gear for police

FEBRUARY 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD
Print

RIDGEWOOD — The Village Council recently approved spending more than $18,000 to upgrade the camera and audio systems for the Police Department’s interview room.

The current system that documents police interrogations was recently determined to be faulty, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld told Ridgewood’s council last week.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-oksnew-gear-for-police-1.1263951

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