Author: James

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Garrett bill on SEC disclosure rules sails through House Streamlining Paperwork for Startup Companies

1625457_10152051708643402_1659328087_n

Garrett visiting local businesses in Ridgewood

Garrett bill on SEC disclosure rules sails through House Streamlining Paperwork for Startup Companies

DECEMBER 3, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 12:02 AM
BY HERB JACKSON
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT |
NORTHJERSEY.COM

The Securities and Exchange Commission would be required to simplify some of the disclosures that public companies must make under a bill sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett that won unanimous approval in the House.

Garrett, R-Wantage, was one of the sponsors of a 2012 law intended to make it easier for startups to raise funds through financial markets, and the law included a section directing the SEC to study disclosure simplification.

On the House floor Tuesday, Garrett said the SEC produced a study in December 2013 that did not call for any changes but did call for more study.

“I believe we need to stop studying and start taking action,” Garrett said. “Simplifying and streamlining disclosure requirements will enable companies to divert fewer resources to compliance, freeing up additional capital to create American jobs.”

The Disclosure Modernization and Simplification Act, which was approved in a voice vote on Tuesday, directs the SEC to allow public companies to submit a summary page of annual reports on Form 10-K that cross references the contents of the report, Garrett said.

It also directs the SEC to revise Regulation S-K “to better scale disclosure rules for emerging growth companies and smaller issuers.”

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said the SEC’s 2013 report showed that the commission had studied ways to streamline disclosure in 1969, 1977, 1992, 1996 and 2007.

“What this history demonstrates is that the process of scaling and streamlining the reporting requirements for smaller companies is something that we all need to focus on in order to keep pace with the ever-evolving marketplace,” she said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/garrett-bill-on-sec-disclosure-rules-sails-through-house-1.1145369

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Average US 30-year loan rate falls to 3.89 percent

DSCF3113

Average US 30-year loan rate falls to 3.89 percent

DECEMBER 4, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014, 10:25 AM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |
WIRE SERVICE

WASHINGTON – Average U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell for the fourth straight week, a continuing boon for potential homebuyers.

Mortgage company Freddie Mac says the nationwide average for a 30-year mortgage declined to 3.89 percent this week from 3.97 percent last week. It is now at its lowest level since May 2013.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/average-us-30-year-loan-rate-falls-to-3-89-percent-1.1146595

Posted on by — Leave a comment

High-performing N.J. school districts will no longer have intensive state monitoring

images-1

High-performing N.J. school districts will no longer have intensive state monitoring

DECEMBER 3, 2014, 1:42 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 9:04 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Print

TRENTON — High-performing school districts will no longer have to participate in an intensive state monitoring and evaluation system used to measure schools, education officials said Wednesday.

Districts can now request waivers from the commissioner of the state Department of Education if they meet certain benchmarks, Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe announced Wednesday. The move will allow schools to focus more time and resources on students and instruction and free up the department’s time and staff so they can work more closely with struggling schools, he said.

To get a waiver, schools must score 80 percent or higher in all areas of review under the system, known as the Quality Single Accountability Continuum. The areas are instruction and program, fiscal management, governance, operations and personnel.

The exempt districts will have to submit proof that they remain high-performing, in lieu of receiving a full review every three years.

Hespe said that about half of all districts could be exempt, but that it will remain a critical method to assess struggling districts.

The changes will help ease the burden on school districts, which have complained about the time and paperwork associated with the review. The typical performance review takes several months to complete and consumes large amounts of time for district and county staff to complete.

Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Board Administrators, welcomed the decision.

“This effort to streamline the process, increase efficiency, and provide flexibility for educators are educational reforms that the NJASA supports and changes that will benefit New Jersey’s students,” he said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/high-performing-n-j-school-districts-will-no-longer-have-intensive-state-monitoring-1.1145410

Posted on by — 2 Comments

New Jersey improves high school graduation rates

imgres-7

New Jersey improves high school graduation rates

DECEMBER 3, 2014, 12:16 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014, 9:28 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A small arts-themed high school in Paterson and a large Bergen County magnet school had perfect graduation rates in 2014 and were the only schools in their counties to achieve that distinction in a year when graduation rates went up across North Jersey, reflecting a statewide trend, according to state data released on Wednesday.

Across New Jersey, 88.6 percent of students who entered high school in 2010 graduated last spring, up about one percentage point from the year before. Throughout the state, minorities and low-income students had larger gains than the average student, but the achievement gaps remained wide.

The largest gains were in places like Paterson, Garfield, Cliffside Park and Passaic that are lower-income, urban and home to many immigrants. Those districts have made targeted efforts to help more students graduate by creating smaller schools, using more support staff and allowing failing students to make up credit via online classes, among other methods. Graduation rates at many smaller suburban districts stayed mostly steady, with only tiny gains or dips, largely because they have had strong graduation rates for years.

In Bergen and Passaic counties, a 100 percent graduation rate was achieved at two high-performing, but very different high schools.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-jersey-s-high-school-graduation-rate-is-up-slightly-1.1145376

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Mayor and Village Manager hold Meet Ups for Residents

imgres-11

Mayor and Village Manager hold Meet Ups for Residents

MAYOR’S OFFICE HOURS FOR RESIDENTS -Saturday, December 6th from 9 AM to Noon

Mayor Paul Aronsohn holds office hours for Ridgewood residents the first Saturday of every month. Mayor Aronsohn will meet with residents on Saturday, December 6th from 9AM to Noon in the Council Chambers (Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room) on the fourth floor of Ridgewood Village Hall.

For an appointment to meet with the Mayor, please call the Village Clerk’s Office at 201-670-5500 ext. 206. You may come to the Mayor’s office hours without an appointment, but those with appointments will be given priority.

Meet the Manager – Monday, December 15th 5:30 to 7:30pm

Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld will hold office hours for Ridgewood residents and business owners on Monday, December 15th between the hours of 5:30pm to 7:30pm. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and provide input to Roberta. These sessions will be scheduled at 15 minute intervals and will be held in the Council Chambers on the 4th Floor of Ridgewood Village Hall. Please contact Beth Spinato at 201-670-5500, ext. 203 to make an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but should realize that the schedule may already be booked. We will announce the schedule for these meetings on a monthly basis.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

New Jersey bear hunt fueled by emotion over mauling death

unnamed-3

Recent Ridgewood Ridgewood School Bear , sound a sleep after tranquilized

New Jersey bear hunt fueled by emotion over mauling death

By Frank McGurty

WEST MILFORD, N.J. (Reuters) – New Jersey’s annual black bear hunt is stirring up even more emotion than usual this year after the mauling of a student by a 300-pound male bruin and controversy over how much humans may be responsible for the fatal encounter.

For opponents of the six-day hunt that starts Monday, the September death of Darsh Patel could not have come at a worse time, since the state is considering expanding hunting as part of a new five-year bear management plan.

Hunters say the mauling of the 22-year-old Rutgers University student was an extreme consequence of allowing black bears to encroach on populated areas by failing to cull their numbers.

“Animal rights activists have been calling bears ‘the dolphins of the forest’ … but things like this can happen,” said New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Chairman Anthony Mauro.

“I think that is why the attack may have been good, to help sober up people a little bit,” he said.

The attack on Patel while he was hiking in New Jersey’s Apshawa Preserve, some 30 miles west of New York’s bustling Times Square, marked the first fatal mauling ever recorded in the state. It came during a year when sightings and complaints about bears have jumped, despite their reduced numbers, in the northwest corner of New Jersey.

The state determined that the mauling was a rare case of predatory behavior by a male black bear, which, unlike the more aggressive grizzly of the western U.S. states, tends to be shy and avoid conflict with humans.

In North America, only 63 people have been reported killed in black bear attacks from 1900 to 2009, according to a study led by University of Calgary professor Stephen Herrero.

Opponents say bears in New Jersey have gravitated to populated areas in part because hunters are allowed to use bait, conditioning the animals to seek out garbage, barbecue grills and even kitchen pantries.

At the same time, there are no state requirements that New Jersey residents use bear-resistant garbage containers.

“Hunting does not solve any problems; it creates new ones,” said Susan Russell, wildlife policy director at the Animal Protection League. “Residents and public safety are far better served by removing attractants and learning how to behave in the presence of bears.”

https://news.yahoo.com/jersey-bear-hunt-fueled-emotion-over-mauling-death-164044394.html

Posted on by — 9 Comments

IMPORTANT VILLAGE ROAD WORK NOTICE -PSE&G Paving – December 8 & 9

imgres-5

file photo Boyd Loving

IMPORTANT VILLAGE ROAD WORK NOTICE -PSE&G Paving – December 8 & 9

We have just received word that PSE&G will be paving the following streets on December 8 & 9 : Vesta Ct.; Down St.; Meadowbrook Ave.; Rose Ct.; Libby Ave.; Pearsall Ave.; Northern Parkway.

LEAVES ON THESE STREETS WILL BE COLLECTED ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5TH – Residents are asked to NOT put leaves in the street over this weekend.

Posted on by — 10 Comments

Ridgewood Waters FAQ could take out downtown development with a flush

waterheader2

 

Ridgewood Waters FAQ could take out downtown development with a flush 
December 4, 2014
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, On July 17 , during the annual summer water restrictions David Scheibner, Ridgewood Water’s business director, said the developments, proposed for the Central Business District (CBD) would not strain the village’s water supply. https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-experts-weigh-in-on-housing-proposals-1.1053299?page=all

Yet according to Ridgewood Waters recent FAQ posted on the Village website , we are told  the vast majority of unexpectedly high consumption is due to lawn sprinklers and toilets .

So the new multi housing plan for the Central Business district will not involve flushing toilets ?

As for handling waste water  no mention here.

 

Ridgewood Water – Quarterly Billing FAQ

Quarterly Billing FAQ

The following facts may be useful:

Each meter removed is tested for accuracy. If over-registering were to be discovered, we would follow the refund procedure New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requires.

New meters are similarly high in accuracy. They also have features that can be used to help determine the causes of unusually high consumption.

In certain circumstances where a customer had been receiving estimated bills, over/underestimation may have occurred which could result in an unusually high bill or credit.

Any customer receiving an unusually high bill after a period of estimated bills is eligible for a deferred payment arrangement with no interest charges. Any account that was improperly charged interest will be credited for those charges.

The new meters will provide actual readings remotely with no hindrance to the customer.

If you would like to obtain a reading yourself on the new meter, simply shine a flashlight on the display and it will activate. Two screens will then cycle. The first will be the current read and the second is a rate screen which shows the current gallons per minute passing through the meter.

The vast majority of unexpectedly high consumption is due to lawn sprinklers and toilets.

Many people do not realize or notice that water may be trickling from the toilet tank into the bowl and down the drain. This can really add up when it’s happening 24/7. Ridgewood Water has free dye tablets that can be used to determine if this is happening.

Verizon announced in May 2014 that they would be discontinuing the access to their system for meter reading by the end of the month. That deadline was extended to the end of December.

If you have any further question please contact our Customer Service Department at 201-670-5500 ext. 269 or 275 M-F 8:30 – 4:30. You can also contact us by email at [email protected]

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Historic Ridgewood parking studies have familiar findings

images-3

Historic Ridgewood parking studies have familiar findings

DECEMBER 3, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 10:32 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

They’ve been mentioned. They’ve been complained about. They’ve been disbelieved.

And now, for easy referral, all four of Ridgewood’s much-discussed parking studies – from 1945, 1967, 1971 and 2002 – are on the history page of the library’s website.

They were put online this fall by local realtor Bill Gilsenan, partly for the public’s research and perusal, and partly just to add urgency to what has been characterized by some members of the public as an increasingly tiresome parking conversation.

“They [the studies] were all around in different places, but they weren’t around in one central location … People don’t believe us when we say this has been going on forever,” said a half-laughing and half-exasperated Gilsenan.

Gilsenan, who owns Gilsenan & Company on East Ridgewood Avenue, scanned all the studies and worked with Ridgewood librarian and local historian Peggy Norris to get them online.

The realtor, who was in possession of the 1971 and 2002 studies, happens to have a personal connection to the studies: His uncle was president of Ridgewood’s Chamber of Commerce for many years and is actually mentioned in one of the studies, Gilsenan noted.

To complete the study package, Gilsenan obtained the 1967 study from longtime local businessman Tom Hillmann. The library had the 1945 document.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/historic-ridgewood-parking-studies-have-familiar-findings-1.1145306

Posted on by — Leave a comment

N.J. Supreme Court: Fort Lee co-op board violated man’s free-speech rights in leafletting case

CommonsenseLG

N.J. Supreme Court: Fort Lee co-op board violated man’s free-speech rights in leafletting case

DECEMBER 3, 2014, 1:36 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 5:57 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the free-speech rights of a resident of a high-rise co-op building in Fort Lee were violated when the co-op’s board barred him from distributing leaflets under the doors of his neighbors.

In a unanimous decision, the court held that Robert Dublirer, a regular critic of the co-op board, had been denied a fundamental right guaranteed by the state’s Constitution.

In 2008, Dublirer sued the owners of the 483-unit Mediterranean Towers South complex, claiming a rule it enforced against him was unconstitutional.

Dublirer was contemplating a run for a seat on the board, but was denied permission to distribute campaign materials to residents. The board had previously distributed literature that criticized its opponents.

But the board cited a “house rule” that barred soliciting and distributing written materials without board authorization. The rule was intended to preserve the residents’ privacy and quiet enjoyment of their homes, and minimize litter.

“Dublirer’s right to promote his candidacy, and to communicate his views about the governance of the community in which he lives, outweigh the minor interference that neighbors will face from a leaflet under their door,” Chief Justice Stuart Rabner wrote in the 24-page decision.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-supreme-court-fort-lee-co-op-board-violated-man-s-free-speech-rights-in-leafletting-case-1.1145408

Posted on by — 9 Comments

Moody’s says N.J. pension fund shows severity of credit status

imgres-1

Moody’s says N.J. pension fund shows severity of credit status

DECEMBER 3, 2014, 2:20 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 2:20 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS

TRENTON  — A rating agency says New Jersey’s unfunded pension liabilities show the severity of the state’s credit circumstances.

Moody’s finding comes after the state’s recent announcement that public pension liabilities nearly doubled to $83 million, due to new accounting rules.

The agency laid out its concerns in a report released this week. Among the concerns it raises are the possible depletion of public worker and teacher pension funds by 2024 and 2027, respectively.

Despite the concern, Moody’s says the new liability figure is in line with its own calculations.

Moody’s says it has downgraded the state’s credit rating twice, in part due to the pension fund.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/moody-s-says-n-j-pension-fund-shows-severity-of-credit-status-1.1145420

Posted on by — Leave a comment

T’is the Season – join the Celebration in Ridgewood 2014

unnamed-23

T’is the Season – join the Celebration in Ridgewood 2014

The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Wishing everyone Happy Holidays

The Seasons is here!

Ridgewood presents its 29th Annual Tree Lighting Celebration and

unnamed-26

Downtown for the Holidays.

Bring you family, friends and neighbors to share the excitement of this evening,

Friday, December 5th, 2014
5:30pm-9pm … enjoy
the music, lights, shopping, dining,
and (you bet) Santa!
Tree Lighting will happen around 7:30pmish!
For more details: [email protected]
201-445-2600 www.experienceridgewood.com
see you there!

wine.comshow?id=mjvuF8ceKoQ&bids=209195

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Top Republicans to SEC: Shift Resources to ‘Immediately’ Boost Advisor Exams

images-2

Top Republicans to SEC: Shift Resources to ‘Immediately’ Boost Advisor Exams

Hensarling and Garrett tell SEC Chief White to inform them by Dec. 5 how the agency plans to reallocate resources, consider possible third-party exams

Two top Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee told Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary Jo White in a recent letter to reallocate resources to “immediately” boost the number of investment advisor exams because allowing the SEC to collect user fees from advisors to achieve this same goal is too costly.

In their Nov. 24 letter to White, Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., chairman of the committee’s Capital Markets Subcommittee, said that user fees “will impose significant new costs” on RIAs and that those “added costs will be passed along to their customers in the form of higher advisory fees.”

User fees, the two lawmakers say—who both will resume their current positions in the new Congress—could also have a “disproportionate impact on small and mid-sized” RIAs, making it more difficult to compete with larger firms.

“Increasing costs for small businesses and retail investors and curtailing access to investment advice will directly undermine the SEC’s statutory mission to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets and facilitate capital formation,” the two lawmakers said.

What’s more, the two argue that authorizing the SEC to collect user fees would require the agency to hire “hundreds of additional examiners and enforcement lawyers, with six-figure salaries,” which will also increase costs.

The solution, Hensarling and Garrett write, is for the SEC to reallocate existing agency resources “to immediately increase the amount” of RIA exams. The two cite their Sept. 2013 request that the SEC redirect resources its using to protect “millionaire and billionaire” investors in private funds and to shift “more responsibility” for broker-dealer exams to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2014/12/02/top-republicans-to-sec-shift-resources-to-immediat

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Lego misses U.S. Christmas rush with new ‘Frozen’ sets

imgres-3

Lego misses U.S. Christmas rush with new ‘Frozen’ sets

DECEMBER 3, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY KATARINA GUSTAFSSON AND BENJAMIN KATZ
BLOOMBERG NEWS |
WIRE SERVICE

Kids in North Jersey and elsewhere in the U.S. asking Santa for a “Frozen” Lego set won’t find it under the tree this year — unless their parents travel to Santa Claus’ back yard to make them happy.

One of the Lego sets that will be out in 2015.

Lego, Europe’s biggest toymaker, will add a product based on Walt Disney Co.’s animated hit film to its Disney Princess line in the U.S. in January. The toy will go on sale in the Nordic and Baltic regions, as well as select other northern European markets between Dec. 13 and Dec. 19, said Vicki Stoltz, a Lego brand manager.

The post-Christmas release date means that Lego is missing out on offering a “Frozen” product in the U.S. at a time when items related to the movie are ranked as most desired by American girls. Lego, which generates about half its revenue at the holidays, tops the list of items wanted by boys in the world’s biggest economy, the National Retail Federation said last week.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/shopping/lego-misses-u-s-rush-1.1145126

Posted on by — Leave a comment

NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS

Ridgewood-Trainstation1_theridgewoodblog.net_

NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS 

“Chicken on the Tracks” Video to Promote Rail Safety
November 18, 2014

NEWARK, NJ — At an assembly hosted at Hackensack Middle School, NJ TRANSIT  today debuted an updated version of its “Chicken on the Tracks” video, a dramatic depiction of incidents on the rails involving young people – to educate students on the possible consequences of trespassing near rail lines. The video was accompanied by a presentation and interactive session by NJ TRANSIT personnel from the agency’s Office of System Safety.

Continue reading NJ TRANSIT ROLLS OUT NEW RAIL SAFETY VIDEO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS