HEAVY WET SNOWFALL TO IMPACT HOLIDAY TRAVEL INTO TONIGHT…
WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-WESTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-ORANGE-PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-
523 AM EST WED NOV 26 2014
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING
TO 1 AM EST THURSDAY…
* LOCATIONS…INTERIOR PORTIONS OF THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AND
PORTIONS OF INTERIOR NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 12 INCHES…HIGHEST IN
ORANGE COUNTY.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES.
* TIMING…A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW THIS MORNING WILL
CHANGE TO ALL SNOW BY EARLY AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS…THE SNOWFALL WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT HOLIDAY
TRAVEL…MAKING DRIVING DANGEROUS AT TIMES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…
AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
EXTRA RAIL AND BUS SERVICE FOR THANKSGIVING TRAVELERS
Kids Ride Free on NJ TRANSIT All Holiday Weekend
November 24, 2014
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is offering additional trains and buses over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to make it even easier for customers to connect with family and friends, travel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, or get started on holiday shopping at various malls throughout the state.
This year, NJ TRANSIT will once again offer “early getaway” rail and bus service on Wednesday, November 26, for the benefit of customers leaving work early, and to provide additional capacity for customers traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the Newark Airport rail station’s busiest day of the year, with ridership levels about twice that of a typical weekday.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains and buses to the schedule in the morning and midday hours to accommodate customers traveling to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Then on Friday, November 28, traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year, enhanced bus service will be offered to shopping centers throughout New Jersey and additional trains will operate to and from New York.
NJ TRANSIT customer service representatives and volunteers will be deployed at major facilities throughout the holiday weekend to assist customers with their travels.
For complete schedule and fare information, customers may visit njtransit.com or call 973-275-5555.
On Wednesday, November 26, trains will operate on a weekday schedule on all lines with additional “early getaway” service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines. Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line Light Rail service will operate on a weekday schedule. Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information. Selected routes will operate on special holiday schedules to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 and 68 bus routes from the Hudson River waterfront between noon and 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the peak periods and later in the evening due to lower ridership. Special holiday timetables are available on njtransit.com.
On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule. To accommodate customers traveling to and from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trains on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex and Port Jervis lines. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule; Newark Light Rail and River Line will operate on a Sunday schedule. Holiday bus schedules vary by route—bus customers are advised to visit njtransit.com. Selected bus routes will operate extra service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal for customers traveling to the parade. Special service on the No. 111 bus route from New York to the Jersey Gardens Mall will begin operating at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving night.
On Friday, November 28, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Morris & Essex lines. Customers are encouraged to travel early, if possible, when ridership is light. Select morning peak period trains on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line will not operate on Friday, due to expected light ridership—customers should visit njtransit.com and use the “Station-to-Station Trip Planner” to find trains on Friday. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will operate on a weekend schedule. Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule. River Line will operate on a weekday schedule. Holiday bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to visit njtransit.com.
Extra bus service to New Jersey malls
Starting Friday, November 28 and continuing through December 24, NJ TRANSIT will offer additional bus service to major New Jersey shopping destinations to accommodate extended store hours and busy shopping times throughout the day. Throughout the holiday shopping season, extra trips or expanded service will be offered on several bus routes serving malls and shopping centers throughout the state, including Garden State Plaza, IKEA Paramus, Jersey Gardens, Livingston Mall, Harmon Meadow/Mill Creek in Secaucus, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center Mall and West Belt Mall.
Note: Special service on the No. 111 bus route from New York to the Jersey Gardens Mall will begin operating at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, November 27. Special service on the No. 163, 171 and 175 bus routes to Garden State Plaza from 4:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving afternoon, November 27 until 1:15 a.m.
NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES FULL, SYSTEMWIDE CROSS-HONORING IN ADVANCE OF WINTER STORM
Customers advised to check njtransit.com before traveling
November 25, 2014
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT operations, customer service and police personnel are taking steps to minimize delays, and ensure service reliability and safety due to the approaching winter storm. All customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information before starting their trip, and purchase their tickets in advance of tomorrow.
Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect on November 26: To give customers additional travel options during the expected winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring on Wednesday, November 26, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on any NJ TRANSIT mode—rail, light rail or bus—including private bus carriers.
For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge. Customers using their tickets or passes to travel to a destination other than the destination printed on their original ticket will be subject to the appropriate additional fare if applicable.
“This is the busiest travel day of the year for us. We strongly recommend that our customers travel early and take advantage of our systemwide cross-honoring to facilitate safe travel during the storm and Thanksgiving getaway period,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim. “We also strongly recommend buying your round-trip tickets in advance to avoid long-lines.”
NJ TRANSIT will also continue to closely monitor the crowds at New York Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and make adjustments to service if possible.
The Corporation is preparing to minimize disruptions and delays to the extent possible. Rail and light rail crews and equipment are on standby to quickly respond to downed trees, power outages or other issues that may arise. In addition, NJ TRANSIT will be positioning locomotives at strategic locations across the rail system to rapidly respond in the event of a disabled train.
Customers are advised of the following regarding NJ TRANSIT’s “early getaway service” on Wednesday, November 26:
Trains will operate on a weekday schedule on all lines with additional “early getaway” service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.
Newark Light Rail, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and River Line Light Rail service will operate on a weekday schedule.
Bus schedules vary by route—customers are advised to check their timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information. Selected routes will operate on special holiday schedules to match service with ridership demand, including early getaway service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and on the No. 64 and 68 bus routes from the Hudson River waterfront between noon and 4:30 p.m. to accommodate the heaviest travel, with less frequent service during the peak periods and later in the evening due to lower ridership. Special holiday timetables are available on njtransit.com.
Residents head to the grocery store looking to beat the storm
Ridgewood Nj, With perhaps the first snow storm of the season , and Thanksgiving rapidly approaching . Ridgewood residents took to some last minute holiday food shopping .
Some time ago Kings went through a major renovation .The new store design focusing on the freshest organic ingredients, rarest finds, highest quality products and gourmet chef-prepared meals. And, Kings also features a large selection wines, beers and spirits!
PSE&G Prepares for Wintry Weather with Additional crews and equipment on hand to restore service
November 25, 2014
(NEWARK, NJ – Nov. 25, 2014) Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, is preparing for the approaching winter storm system expected to hit the region tomorrow morning through Thanksgiving morning, bringing with it the potential for rain changing to heavy, wet snow.
In anticipation of the storm, PSE&G is ensuring that all available personnel are ready to respond beginning tomorrow morning. The utility is also arranging for additional tree crews to assist PSE&G’s own skilled workforce, and ensuring that additional supplies including poles and transformers are on hand.
While snow usually isn’t an issue for utilities, the possibility of a wet snow can increase the likelihood of downed tree limbs and wires, which causes power outages. Vehicles striking utility poles can also cause wires to come down.
PSE&G urges its customers to be cautious if they see downed lines. Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that it might be in contact with.
To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. Customers can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account on www.pseg.com, PSE&G’s mobile-friendly website.
PSE&G offers the following tips to customers to prepare:
Charge your cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices.
Fill up your car’s fuel tank.
Ensure you have a battery-powered radio and a supply of fresh batteries.
Check your supply of flashlights, blankets, nonperishable food and bottled water for everyone in your family.
Put your refrigerator and freezer at the coldest setting. Keep a blanket handy to throw over these appliances for added insulation. If electricity is interrupted, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG. Call this number to report power outages or downed wires.
PSE&G offers its customers a number of ways to stay in touch and stay informed before, during and after a storm. These tools can be found at www.pseg.com in the “Storm Center,” under “How you can stay connected.”
Sign up for My Account and bookmark the mobile-friendly homepage on your smart phone so it’s easy to report outages and check restoration progress.
To report power outages via text message, and receive outage updates by text and email, sign up for MyAlerts.
Updated every 15 minutes, PSE&G’s online “Outage Map” displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service territory.
The utility’s Twitter and Facebook pages also keep the public informed about our restoration progress. Sign up as a follower to monitor restoration process.
Be sure everyone in the family is prepared. Go towww.pseg.com/sesamestreet to learn how to download the PSEG and Sesame Street “Let’s Get Ready!” emergency preparedness app, along with tips on how to be ready for any emergency.
Ridgewood preservation group seeks new members, fresh ideas
NOVEMBER 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014, 10:26 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The leadership of the Ridgewood Wildscape Association (RWA) is asking for help.
The decades-old group was revived some years ago by Andy Antista and Ellie Gruber, president and secretary of the group, respectively, and both are now looking to step down from the helm in favor of bringing in new leadership and new ideas.
In a letter that recently went out to the group’s approximately 85 members, the pair wrote, “If the RWA is to continue as the guardian of the 10 open spaces, it needs a few people to step up and take the reins of the association. The commitment of time is minimal. The rewards are tenfold.”
RWA was founded in the 1970s by a small group of residents – namely Barbara O’Brien, John Rosengren and Laura Yingling – but lost the majority of its almost 300 members and its guiding force when Rosengren died in October 1999.
Before that, the group drew many participants to activities like cleanups, walks, poetry and photo contests, and film nights. The group had a hand-drawn newsletter and pamphlet along with buttons and other promotional material.
Since its revival, Gruber and Antista have been able to plan about half a dozen big cleanups, but the other activities had low participation numbers and were eventually canceled, though Antista still leads walks now and then and does educational trips with the Scouts through many of the parks and trails.
Ridgewood school board unveils updated mission statement
NOVEMBER 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014, 10:08 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print
Ridgewood reinforced its goal to provide a “rich and challenging education in a safe learning environment” to district students with the release of an updated mission statement.
At a Board of Education (BOE) meeting last Monday, Nancy Stern, of Sousa and Stern Educational Consultants LLC, presented the results of the September community planning session, at which the mission statement was created. The session brought together members of the Board of Education, district administration and other leaders of the community for the four-hour collaborative brainstorming process.
“It was really a very thought-provoking day,” said BOE president Sheila Brogan.
Ridgewood first contracted with the consultants in 2011 to lead this creative planning session as a way to make a long goal review process quicker and more inclusive, district officials said. The consultants recommended that districts update their goals every three years – instead of the state’s recommended five years – to keep up with quickly changing technology and policies.
“You gave the community an opportunity to participate,” Stern said, praising the district for having nearly two dozen residents show up at the Sept. 13 session. “Not every district does that.”
Juan Williams: No. 1 cause of death for African-American males 15-34 is murder
By Linda Qiu on Sunday, August 24th, 2014 at 4:19 p.m.
Amid ongoing protests in Ferguson, Mo., the national conversation about racial justice and police force has ignored a critical point that needs to be discussed, said Fox News pundit Juan Williams
Civil rights activists and black leaders have failed to address the very thing that’s fueling conservative, white backlash — the high crime rate among the black community, particularly among young black men, Williams said on Aug. 24th’sFox News Sunday.
“I think there’s fear of intimidation, harassment being legitimized by the fact that there is a high rate of crime, especially among young black men,” Williams said. “No. 1 cause of death, young black men 15 to 34 — murder. Who’s committing the murder? Not police. Other black men.”
Last year, PolitiFact found that 93 percent of murder victims were killed by someone who shares their race. This time, we want to check out Williams’ claim that homicide is the No. 1 cause of death for black men 15-34 years old.
Sounds Familiar : More development pressures in Bergen
News and commentary from Bergen County’s many municipalities besieged by heavy-handed development proposals underscores boiling dissatisfaction with plans for gross changes in heretofore cherished communities.
Ordinary residents can’t accept claims that big development won’t bring negative impacts, and they can’t understand why their elected and appointed officials and “experts” paid with local property taxes buy into those claims.
Montvale’s Hoboken-based “master planner,” who touts experience developed in Johannesburg and elsewhere in Africa, has told locals that state planners encourage denser development than has prevailed in Bergen traditionally.
That requires zoning changes blessed by planners and local officials alike. The blessings can lead to snags. Montvale’s mayor has told residents he testified in court for four days in a lawsuit brought by The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
In a case that has received virtually no public attention, A&P makes the thunderous charge that Montvale is guilty of “spot zoning” in favor of one family of local farmers and their development partners.
Whether or not the court agrees, proposals in Montvale and elsewhere in Bergen are pitting the few against the many.
Ridgewood High School Marching Band takes second at nationals
NOVEMBER 21, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band, shown here during a recent competition at MetLife Stadium, finished in second place at the recent National Championships.
The Ridgewood High School Marching Band captured second place in the USBands National Championships, which took place earlier this month in Allentown, Pa.
The squad, under the direction of John Luckenbill, took second with a score of 96.050 in the Group IVA competition. The band was also awarded “The Cadets Award of Excellence” in recognition of its achievement in Creativity, Performance and Overall Effect.
With the award-winning performance at Nationals, the band completes its competition season, which was filled with several highlights.
On Oct. 18, the band performed at Rutgers University for USBands NJ State Championships, placing third out of 13 bands, and winning the caption award for Best Visual. The RHS Marching Band also took third out of 13 bands the USBands Yamaha Cup, held at MetLife Stadium, on Nov. 1.
RHS took first place at Pequannock High School, winning the award for Best Music; first at JP Stevens High School, sweeping the caption awards for Best Music, Best Visual, and Best Overall effect; first at Jackson Memorial’s “Showcase of Champions,” winning the caption awards for Best Music and Best Overall Effect, as well as the Esprit de Corps award.
Bergen Freeholders OK new ordinance on tow truck operator assignments
NOVEMBER 24, 2014, 9:21 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014, 9:21 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Bergen County Freeholders gave final approval Monday to an ordinance that changes the way that county law enforcement assigns tow truck operators to remove and store abandoned, disabled and illegally parked vehicles.
In the past, the county sought bids from companies competing for the contract to tow all vehicles. But county officials say that method was “unwieldy, inefficient and subject to abuse.”
Instead, under the new system, the county will license any tow company that meets the standards and conditions detailed in the ordinance.
Those operators will then take turns, one week at a time, in up to five different regions of the county.
“A lot of us have worked very hard on this,” Freeholder Chairman David Ganz said prior to the unanimous vote of adoption.
“We are in need of having a towing ordinance in effect in this county,” Ganz added, noting that he recently needed a tow of his own vehicle in Paramus.
Ganz said the old system was not working: “The people who were in need of a tow thought it was like the Wild West,” he said. The new system will give the county more control, he added.
Among the requirements imposed:
Towing companies must be able to respond within 20 minutes of any law-enforcement call for service within the region they operate.
The companies must carry insurance policies of up to $3 million for accidents involving more than one driver.
All employees must undergo criminal background checks, and no one with a felony conviction will be allowed to do towing work.
County elected officials or county law enforcement or their immediate family members are prohibited from owning all or any part of a licensed tow company.
The ordinance also sets the rates that companies can charge the owners of vehicles towed or stored at the request of police.
Rates for towing range from $150 for vehicles under 6,000 pounds to $450 for tractor-trailers.
Storage fees vary from $35 per day for outdoor storage of the smallest vehicles to $100 per day for the largest vehicles.
Tow companies can charge $75 for jump starts, lockouts, tire changes or $75 plus fuel costs for vehicles that run out of gas.
The RHS Girls Tennis team won the North I Group IV state sectional title
November 24,2014Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Girls Tennis team won the North I Group IV state sectional title, beating Bergen Tech in the finals and Livingston High School in the semis.
The squad also tied for second in the Big School County Tournament this season, and Sara Canilang and Liz O’Keefewon the doubles championship. Medha Kirtane is the coach.
This year girls RHS Tennis was ranked number 2 in The Record’s Top 15 Tennis rankings.
Other team members with media permission granted to be named are Monica Vitting, Kelly Rekucki, Kat Bonfiglion, Brianna Patek, Kolby Erskine, Swathi Raguian, Alex Absey and Julia Yoon.
RHS Latin Team takes First Place n a test of Latin, Roman life, history and mythology
November 24,2014
Ridgewood NJ, For the third consecutive year the RHS Advanced Latin Academic Team took first place in a test of Latin, Roman life, history and mythology with 13 New Jersey schools. The team members arePoyani Bavishi, Ben Bechtold, Charlotte Kahan, Sophie Simpson, Peter Psathas andAnthony Tokarz.
On November 8 all RHS teams spent the day at Yale University for a national competition. The Advanced team made it to the semi-final rounds but was defeated by the country’s top-ranked team, AMSA. TheIntermediate Team made a promising start in its first tournament. The Intermediate players were Sophie Simpson, Matthew Zachem, Audrey Gao and Vanita Sharma. The Advanced players were Henry Seifert, Elizabeth O’Keefe, James Psathas, Poyani Bavishi, Ben Bechtold, Charlotte Kahan, Sophie Simpson, Peter Psathas and Anthony Tokarz.
Residents fighting plan to place antenna on top of Ridgewood church
NOVEMBER 24, 2014 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2014, 12:18 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
About a dozen residents who live near the West Side Presbyterian Church are opposing a plan by Verizon Wireless to put a 3-foot cell antenna on the top of the cross, saying at a zoning board meeting Nov. 11 that it would change the character of the neighborhood.
The telecommunications company is asking for a use and height variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to build what they’re calling a “micro site” antenna at the location, 6 S. Monroe St., to help alleviate a significant gap in coverage.
The antenna, which is not permitted in a residential zone, would bring the total building height to 68.5 feet where 30 feet is permitted by law. Currently the building stands at 65.5 feet when measured to the top of the cross.
Initial plans from Verizon showed the building height with the antenna at 83 feet, which Verizon attorney Warren Stilwell said was caused by an error in measuring that has been fixed.
Because of the new, lower building height, radio frequency engineer Glenn Pierson said about 10 fewer houses would receive coverage from the previous estimate of a 700-home coverage area north of West Ridgewood Avenue on North Monroe Street, Beachwood Road, Monte Vista Avenue, Sheridan Terrace and other roadways. The coverage would not reach West Glen Avenue.
North Jersey commercial sales pacing to hit $5 billion
NOVEMBER 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
* Bergen leads North Jersey in dollar volume of property transactions as investor interest in office market heats up
It’s shaping up to be a banner year for commercial real estate in North Jersey, with the dollar volume on deals expected to top $5 billion, the highest annual total since 2007, according to Massey Knakal Realty Services.
“It is the best year since 2007, since the last proper real estate boom we had,” said Mark Holz, the real estate firm’s research manager.
In its third-quarter update, Massey Knakal estimated that sales are poised to reach $5.2 billion from 1,327 transactions this year, in part buoyed by investor interest in the office market, which has struggled post-recession.
The real estate company also reported that through the first three quarters, there have been $3.9 billion in sales and 995 transactions in North Jersey, both up 40 percent from the same year-ago period. Massey Knakal, which has offices in Rutherford, defines the region as Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Middlesex and Union counties.
