More calls for reform of Port Authority; N.J. legislators criticize heavy overtime
December 26, 2014, 11:18 PM Last updated: Saturday, December 27, 2014, 10:13 AM
By JOHN REITMEYER, DUSTIN RACIOPPI and ABBOTT KOLOFF
staff writers |
The Record
Staggering amounts of overtime at the Port Authority, especially in the police ranks, underscore widespread mismanagement and the need for greater oversight of the bi-state agency, which has come under critical scrutiny since the George Washington Bridge lane-closings scandal last year, state lawmakers said Friday.
The reactions followed a report by The Record that 131 agency employees, most of them police officers, earned so much overtime pay through September that they more than doubled their salaries. Thirteen officers earned more than the executive director, whose annual salary is $289,000, with the top 10 overtime earners, all police, averaging an estimated 46 hours of overtime per week.
“It just points out another example of the lack of management that has gone on there over the last number of years,” said state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, the Teaneck Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the joint legislative committee investigating the 2013 bridge lane closures. She said that “people just don’t function if they’ve worked too many hours straight.”
Hundreds Turn Their Back on de Blasio at NYPD Officer’s Funeral
Dec 27, 2014, 11:36 AM ET
By DEAN SCHABNER
Hundreds of police officers turned their backs on a screen showing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as he spoke at the funeral of one of two officers killed last week in what has been called an “assassination.”
The funeral at the Christ Tabernacle Church, in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens, was broadcast to thousands of police who gathered outside.
The killing of Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu came amid heightened tensions between the police and the mayor over what some police saw as a lack of support for the force.
The atmosphere was mostly respectful, but there were scattered signs of protest even before the police officers action when the mayor spoke.
December 27, 2014 Last updated: Saturday, December 27, 2014, 1:21 AM
By HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
The Record
A security scare at Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School prompted many families to keep their kids home on Tuesday, despite assurances from school officials that there was no actual threat, officials said.
More than 200 students were absent, or about 20 percent of all students, which was an unusually high number even for the day before Christmas vacation, said district Superintendent Raymond Gonzalez on Friday. Some stayed home because of rumors about a threat that was linked to an online book written by a student, officials said.
Gonzalez declined to say what the student wrote or what prompted the scare, but the school did investigate and found “no credible information to support the claims,” he said.
“No specific threats were directed at any of our schools or personnel,” Gonzalez said. “However, local, national and world events have heightened our collective sensitivity to matters of safety in our school.
“As such, the school district takes all matters seriously and works cooperatively with law enforcement to investigate public concerns when they arise to ensure that our schools are safe places for all students.”
Officials declined to identify the student and said that there was no need to discipline the teen.
At top: Apple CEO Tim Cook and U2′s Bono weren’t smiling for long after launching U2′s new album on everyone’s iTunes accounts in September. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
The 5 biggest tech fails of 2014
In the tech world, we can’t all be winners all the time. 2014 saw some rather spectacular failures. Here are our top (bottom?) five:
Reader says The Mike Sedon incident casts a long dark shadow over the august council chambers
The Mike Sedon incident casts a long dark shadow over the august council chambers. Civil behavior will not make it go away.
I am still wondering who wrote the letter or email to Mike Sedon’s former employer saying Mike shouldn’t be allowed to run for Ridgewood council because he is news reporter in Staten Island.
I am sure it wasn’t his wife or mother. That was an uncivil act if I ever saw one. But wait, are we talking about courtesy and politeness only, the veneer of civility. Because in the dictionary that’s what civility means, acting polite and courteous. Or are we talking about ethical and moral behavior too.
Reader says Mayor’s letter to the Editor is complete and total bull
This editorial is so well written that you could almost believe it……except that those of us who know him and his sneaky techniques are well aware that it is complete and total bullshit.
He and his two buddies have been nasty, then contrite, then well-behaved, then nasty again, then contrite again….it is just a ridiculous cycle. If there had been one incident of incivility from Aronsohn and Pucciarelli and Hauck, then maybe this stupid editorial would be believable. But this has been a repetitive cycle that never ends, just that right now the mayor is in the contrite phase. The pendulum will swing again, just wait.
This can be compared to spousal abuse in some ways, where the violent person is so very sorry and swears never to do it again…..until the next time. Their repeated behavior from the dais has brought the outspoken outrage of many, many citizens, not just the few hard-core residents who regularly go to the meetings. There have been long lines of people at some Village Council meetings, waiting to go to the microphone and express their disgust with the INCIVILITY of these three elected officials. And, we have also seen and heard such nasty language off the record from them, in the hallways, after the videocameras go off, even during encounters outside of Village Hall. We know you three read the blog incessantly, and you know what incidents of verbal violence you have been involved in. And, in one instance that I know off, a bystander videotaped a certain someone screaming at a village resident.
And regarding the crime (in my opinion it was a crime) against Mike Sedon, the three of them NEVER, not once EVER showed any outrage about that. It was horrifying how they just ignored it. If a couple of citizens had not pushed for an investigation, it never would have gotten underway. Mayor Aronsohn should have used his connections to push push PUSH for answers as to who sent that despicable email to Mike’s employer. He should have left no stone unturned until answers were clearly revealed. This makes it seem pretty obvious that the stones could not be turned, because lurking under one of them is the guilty party. And all indications are that it is someone who had a vested interest in keeping Mr Sedon off the ballot (and he and Ms. Knudsen won by a LANDSLIDE while a certain elected official fumed in the hallway, making a cell call during which outrage over Albano’s loss was clearly and loudly stated).
So, sorry Mayor Paul, your editorial might make you feel all pumped up and proud, but we see it for what it is, empty words from a nasty man.
The Rotary Club of Ridgewood A.M., is seeking Funds to restore Gaetano Federici sculpture
To the Editor:
The “rediscovery” of the Gaetano Federici sculpture is a blessing for the village (The Ridgewood News, Dec. 19). It needs to be properly restored and relocated. The Rotary Club of Ridgewood A.M., with support of Rotary District 7490, is undertaking fundraising specifically for this purpose.
Anyone interested in donating to the restoration can send a check payable to the Ridgewood Rotary Foundation, with “Federici” in the memo line, at P.O. Box 1152, Ridgewood, NJ 07451-1152. Donations to Rotary are tax deductible to the limit of the law.
December 25, 2014 Last updated: Thursday, December 25, 2014, 1:21 AM
By DAVE SHEINGOLD
STAFF WRITER |
The Record
North Jerseyans could face another round of electricity rate hikes under a disputed multibillion-dollar proposal by the manager of the nation’s largest electric grid that is aimed at making sure power plants across a 13-state region continue to operate, no matter how hot or cold it gets.
The plan was proposed by PJM Interconnection LLC, and it comes as regulators and the energy industry are struggling to improve the regional power grid while containing costs. It would require power plants serving New Jersey and 12 other states to assure that they can provide electricity on demand, especially during heat waves and cold snaps. The impetus for the proposal stems largely from a run of frigid weather last winter when some generators failed to produce electricity, increasing the risk of power outages.
However, the proposal would raise energy production costs, with the increase passed on to consumers, by requiring plant operators to improve maintenance on backup generators and guarantee that they will have fuel to fire them up when needed. Fines for failure could skyrocket, further raising costs.
The plan was filed this month with federal regulators by PJM Interconnection, which runs a section of the national power grid from New Jersey to Illinois. It comes after rate hikes approved this year by New Jersey regulators to fund $1.2 billion worth of other projects aimed at improving the power distribution system in the northern and central areas of the state.
As we had long speculated , the Interview is a bad movie with great PR , in now looks like Sony concocted the whole North Korea nonsense to deflect form the second serious Hacker breach in as many years , PJ Blogger
Movie critics say the controversy surrounding “The Interview” is much more interesting than the movie itself
The movie is scoring just a 50 percent positive review from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website.
It’s fairing even more poorly with top critics, who give it a measly 32 percent positive rating.
The film is doing better with regular fans, however. It gets a 73 percent “liked it” audience score from Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics say the satire about a television host and producer asked by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jung-un doesn’t deliver the goods.
“Characterizing it as satire elevates the creative execution of the film’s very silly faux assassination of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un far beyond what it merits,” writes Betsy Sharkey in the Lost Angeles Times.
Fooled Again : No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony
12.24.14
The FBI and the President may claim that the Hermit Kingdom is to blame for the most high-profile network breach in forever. But almost all signs point in another direction.
So, “The Interview” is to be released after all.
The news that the satirical movie—which revolves around a plot to murder Kim Jong-Un—will have a Christmas Day release as planned, will prompt renewed scrutiny of whether, as the US authorities have officially claimed, the cyber attack on Sony really was the work of an elite group of North Korean government hackers.
All the evidence leads me to believe that the great Sony Pictures hack of 2014 is far more likely to be the work of one disgruntled employee facing a pink slip.
I may be biased, but, as the director of security operations for DEF CON, the world’s largest hacker conference, and the principal security researcher for the world’s leading mobile security company, Cloudflare, I think I am worth hearing out.
The FBI was very clear in its press release about who it believed was responsible for the attack: “The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,” they said in their December 19 statement, before adding, “the need to protect sensitive sources and methods precludes us from sharing all of this information”.
Saudi women drivers sent to ‘terrorism’ court: activists
Riyadh (AFP) – Two women’s rights campaigners detained in Saudi Arabia have been transferred to a special tribunal for “terrorism”, activists said on Thursday after the women appeared in court.
The ruling came at a hearing in Al-Ahsa, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, according to the activists who declined to be named.
Loujain Hathloul has been detained since December 1 after she tried to drive into the kingdom from neighbouring United Arab Emirates in defiance of a ban.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which does not allow women to drive.
CDC reports potential Ebola exposure in Atlanta lab
Researchers studying Ebola in a highly secure laboratory mistakenly allowed potentially lethal samples of the virus to be handled in a much less secure laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, agency officials said Wednesday.
One technician in the second laboratory may have been exposed to the virus and about a dozen other people have been assessed after entering the facility unaware that potentially hazardous samples of Ebola had been handled there.
The technician has no symptoms of illness and is being monitored for 21 days. Agency officials said it is unlikely that any of the others who entered the lab face potential exposure. Some entered the lab after it had been decontaminated. Officials said there is no possible exposure outside the secure laboratory at CDC and no exposure or risk to the public.
Friends, family celebrate life of former Ridgewood High School principal Jack Lorenz
DECEMBER 24, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2014, 2:58 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Jack Lorenz’s family – his wife, Karen, and sons Jake and Matthew – drove 1,000 miles this week to be in the village as residents honored the former Ridgewood High School (RHS) principal.
Monday, Dec. 22, was proclaimed John “Jack” Lorenz Day by Mayor Paul Aronsohn following an emotional two-hour event in the Ridgewood Library to celebrate the educator’s life.
Lorenz, who served at the helm of RHS from 2006 to 2011, died on Nov. 29 in his home in Alabama.
“It’s very comforting,” said Karen Lorenz as she greeted the steady stream of residents filling up the library’s auditorium.
Jake and Matthew Lorenz each wore one of Lorenz’s ties from the nonprofit organization Save the Children for the occasion; Matthew’s had a smiling cartoon sun on its front, Jake’s was covered in lopsided musical notes and dancing stick figures.
The family had not been back to Ridgewood since Lorenz resigned from RHS in 2011.
“It’s cool to see everything he’s done and although it’s on bad terms, we’re very proud to be here,” Jake Lorenz said.
RHS Assistant Principal Basil Pizzuto opened the ceremony.
Ridgewood Schools District-Wide State Testing Report: 2013-2014
Cheryl Best
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
December 15, 2014Click here to read the 2013-2014 state testing report presentation, reviewed at the Board of Education meeting on December 15, 2014.
