Author: James

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Obama Wrote Secret Letter to Iran’s Khamenei About Fighting Islamic State

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Obama Wrote Secret Letter to Iran’s Khamenei About Fighting Islamic State

Presidential Correspondence With Ayatollah Stresses Shared U.S.-Iranian Interests in Combating Insurgents, Urges Progress on Nuclear Talks

By
JAY SOLOMON And
 
CAROL E. LEE
Updated Nov. 6, 2014 4:56 p.m. ET
354 COMMENTS

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama secretly wrote to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the middle of last month and described a shared interest in fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, according to people briefed on the correspondence.

The letter appeared aimed both at buttressing the campaign against Islamic State and nudging Iran’s religious leader closer to a nuclear deal.

Mr. Obama stressed to Mr. Khamenei that any cooperation on Islamic State was largely contingent on Iran reaching a comprehensive agreement with global powers on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program by a Nov. 24 diplomatic deadline, the same people say.

The October letter marked at least the fourth time Mr. Obama has written Iran’s most powerful political and religious leader since taking office in 2009 and pledging to engage with Tehran’s Islamist government.

https://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-wrote-secret-letter-to-irans-khamenei-about-fighting-islamic-state-1415295291

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’Trojan Horse’ Bug Lurking in Vital US Computers Since 2011

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‘Trojan Horse’ Bug Lurking in Vital US Computers Since 2011

Nov 6, 2014, 2:13 PM ET
By JACK CLOHERTY and PIERRE THOMAS

A destructive “Trojan Horse” malware program has penetrated the software that runs much of the nation’s critical infrastructure and is poised to cause an economic catastrophe, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

National Security sources told ABC News there is evidence that the malware was inserted by hackers believed to be sponsored by the Russian government, and is a very serious threat.

The hacked software is used to control complex industrial operations like oil and gas pipelines, power transmission grids, water distribution and filtration systems, wind turbines and even some nuclear plants. Shutting down or damaging any of these vital public utilities could severely impact hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Hackers Breach White House’s Unclassified Computer Network

DHS said in a bulletin that the hacking campaign has been ongoing since 2011, but no attempt has been made to activate the malware to “damage, modify, or otherwise disrupt” the industrial control process. So while U.S. officials recently became aware the penetration, they don’t know where or when it may be unleashed.

DHS sources told ABC News they think this is no random attack and they fear that the Russians have torn a page from the old, Cold War playbook, and have placed the malware in key U.S. systems as a threat, and/or as a deterrent to a U.S. cyber-attack on Russian systems – mutually assured destruction.

The hack became known to insiders last week when a DHS alert bulletin was issued by the agency’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team to its industry members. The bulletin said the “BlackEnergy” penetration recently had been detected by several companies.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/trojan-horse-bug-lurking-vital-us-computers-2011/story?id=26737476

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Rocky Patel Tasting Event at Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood

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Rocky Patel Tasting Event at Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood

Rocky Patel Tasting
Wednesday, November 19th
in The Davidoff Lounge
at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood

Come and experience the new
Davidoff Lounge while tasting
two new Rocky Patel cigars

Special Rocky Patel promotions during event only
$20 admission, reserve your spot today
(201) 447-2204

The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood | 10 Chestnut Street | Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
Phone: 201-447-2204 | Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00AM – 5:30PM and Thursday Night 6:30PM – 8:30PM

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Parking kunundrum upcoming in Cottage Place lot

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Parking kunundrum upcoming in Cottage Place lot
November 6,2014
Boyd A. Loving
9:48 AM 

Ridgewood NJ, Based on discussions held during 11/05’s Village Council Work Session, beginning in early 2015, the Cottage Place municipal parking lot may become an authorized destination for the following “all day” parkers (in addition to retaining its role as a lot open to all who want to “pay as you go” using coins):1) Vehicles displaying “unlimited parking – resident” hang tags – available for $750 per calendar year to Ridgewood residents (this hang tag will entitle Ridgewood residents to park all day in any municipal parking lot, including Cottage Place – additional sticker required for parking at train station lot, but the sticker is free).

2) Vehicles displaying “unlimited parking – non-resident” hang tags – available for $1500 per calendar year to non-Ridgewood residents (non-Ridgewood residents may park all day only in the Cottage Place lot).

3) Vehicles displaying “unlimited parking – employee” hang tags – available for $80 per month (non-resident employees of Ridgewood businesses may park all day only at the Cottage Place municipal lot, or at the Ken Smith Motors lot).

Coincident with the introduction of the new hang tag offerings, time limits will be reduced to three (3) hours on all parking lot meters and the hourly rate will be changed.

I am wrong to think that some, not all, of the those who should be paying $1500 per year to park in the Cottage Place lot will try to find someone who can get them either a $750 per year resident tag, or an $80 per month employee tag?

What technology, if any, will be used to ensure that the Resident and Employee hang tags are actually being displayed on vehicles being used by those who were entitled to purchase the tags?

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Privatization of public water, sewer systems could be fast-tracked under N.J. bill

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Privatization of public water, sewer services systems could be fast-tracked under N.J. bill

Trenton voters were given the opportunity to sell the city’s water system to a private company in 2010. The $80 million sale was defeated in a 4-to-1 landslide.

At Tuesday’s polls, hundreds of voters in tiny Sussex Borough overwhelmingly rejected a similar sale of their public system to private hands, while Haddonfield in Camden County solidly approved selling its deteriorating system to New Jersey American Water.

But such direct public mandate on water and sewer sales may become a thing of the past, as a bill in the Legislatures allowing public entities to fast-track selling water and sewer systems that serve millions advances this fall.

The sponsors of the “Water Infrastructure Protection Act” say it’s a way to get desperately-needed investment into water systems that have been neglected to the breaking point by government owners. The bill’s opponents warn that it’s an attempt to turn private profits of public infrastructure at the expense of taxpayers – who themselves will end up paying for the purchase prices with each flush of the toilet.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/11/public_would_no_longer_get_vote_on_selling_water_sewer_systems_under_advancing_nj_bill.html#incart_river

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Republicans perform better across New Jersey

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Scott Garrett won by an even larger margin than last time

Republicans perform better across New Jersey

Geoff Mulvhill, Associated Press4:35 p.m. EST November 5, 2014

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s election, some polls indicated that a couple of longtime New Jersey Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives may have been at risk for an upset.

In both the 2nd and 5th Districts, the Democratic challengers were running more sophisticated and expensive campaigns than hopefuls usually mount there. And in both cases, the incumbents said they were confident that they would withstand the challenges —though they dug deeper into their campaign coffers to do it.

Not only did Reps. Frank LoBiondo and Scott Garrett retain their seats, they did so by wider margins than two years ago.

That held true across the state. Republicans held onto all six New Jersey congressional seats they won in 2012 and did so by bigger victory margins as measured by percentage points.

Even in the 3rd District, where Democrats thought they had a realistic chance of gaining a seat as Republican Rep. Jon Runyan did not seek re-election, Republican Tom MacArthur not only defeated Democrat Aimee Belgard, but did so with a bigger percentage margin than Runyan had in his re-election last time.

Democrats also won six New Jersey districts. But according to preliminary data returns, they had closer margins than two years ago.

None of the vote counts are final, and two districts had enough precincts not reported by Wednesday afternoon that it was possible that the trend of improved GOP election performance would not ultimately hold everywhere in the state.

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/elections/2014/11/05/republicans-perform-better-across-new-jersey/18550277/

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GOP preps for power

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GOP preps for power

By Alexander Bolton – 11/06/14 06:00 AM EST

For Republicans, now comes the hard part: governing.

Fresh off its historic gains on Election Day, the GOP will soon have control of both the Senate and the House for the first time since 2007. Republicans are promising to fix Congress, knowing that they — for better or worse — will run a historically unpopular institution ahead of the 2016 elections.

Republican leaders know the mandate they received Tuesday will be short-lived if they cannot enact laws to boost what many voters see as a sluggish economy.

In a rare phone call with President Obama Wednesday, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) identified two major areas of possible compromise: trade agreements and tax reform.

“There are a lot of people who believe that, just because you have divided government, it doesn’t mean you don’t accomplish anything,” McConnell said at a press conference in Louisville, Ky.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said “serious immigration reform” is on the table as well but cautioned it must include strong provisions to secure the border.

Yet the first order of business for McConnell and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will be to put the basic work of Congress back on track. That means passing a budget each year and moving the appropriations bills on schedule instead of letting them pile up in annual year-end omnibus packages.

The GOP leaders say they will tackle more than three dozen House-passed jobs bills, such as an authorization of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. That measure has passed the House and has the votes to clear the Senate next year. The Obama administration has repeatedly delayed a final decision on Keystone.

McConnell on Wednesday said the upper chamber under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was the primary cause of gridlock.

“The Senate was the problem, not the House,” he said. “The House passed over 300 pieces of legislation, many of them on a bipartisan basis, and nothing was done with them in the Senate.

“The American people have changed the Senate, so I think we have an obligation to change the behavior of the Senate and begin to function again,” he added.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/223153-gop-preps-for-power

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Michael Latour at Latour in Ridgewood on his favorite local restaurant and favorite knives

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Michael Latour at Latour in Ridgewood on his favorite local restaurant and favorite knives

NOVEMBER 5, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD

Michael Latour, 51, was no stranger to high-end cooking even before he opened Latour in Ridgewood in 1998 — the Ramsey resident had cooked at the Jockey Club at the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons Hotel, the Doral Park Avenue Hotel (all in New York City) and L’Auberge de France in Wayne before opening his own place. Latour, a French-American restaurant, received three out of four stars from The Record in 2010, when it was last reviewed.

Although he has a degree in culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island, Latour says it was his on-the-job experience that was most valuable — in cooking, he says, everything is based on interpretation, and learning from others is critical to create one’s own style.

Here, Latour talks about convection ovens, his (negative) feelings for tilapia and his favorite local restaurant.

https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/restaurant-reviews/michael-latour-at-latour-in-ridgewood-on-his-favorite-local-restaurant-and-favorite-knives-1.1126687

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RHS Senior Earns Bergen County Salute to Champions Breakfast Award

Matt Mandeli Honor 11_14

Photo: RHS principal Dr. Thomas Gorman, teachers Nancy Reilly and Lynne Feeney, and Ridgewood Paul Aronsohn, congratulate Matt Mandeli at the Bergen County Salute to Champions Breakfast.

RHS Senior Earns Bergen County Salute to Champions Breakfast Award
November 3,2014

Ridgewood NJ, RHS senior Matt Mandeli was honored in October at the Bergen County Salute to Champions Breakfast, for his work over the years with disabled students and adults. Matt has run events such as the annual Club LOU, a night of dancing and fun for the disabled members of the community. He is also a co-president of Project Interact at RHS, a club dedicated to helping the less fortunate. Mandeli was nominated for the award by Ridgewood’s mayor, Paul Aronsohn.

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Ridgewood Schools News

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Ridgewood Schools News 

RHS Learning Commons Ribbon Cutting is Tuesday, November 11

Please come at 6 p.m. to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new Ridgewood High School Learning Commons. The ceremony will take approximately one hour and include comments by Dr. Daniel Fishbein, Board of Education president Ms. Sheila Brogan, RHS principal Dr. Thomas Gorman and Ms. Lori Weil.

Chat with the Board and Superintendent: Coffee and Conversation on November 12

Residents are reminded of the invitation to stop by for coffee and casual conversation with Board of Education members and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Fishbein on Wednesday, November 12 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place. All residents are invited to drop in to share their thoughts, questions, suggestions and concerns.

Ridgewood School Board Meets on  November 17th 

The next Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.

Click here to view the agenda and addendum for the October 20, 2014 Regular Public Meeting.

Click here to view the webcast of the October 20, 2014 Regular Public Meeting.

Curriculum Outreach Series Brings Former DEA Agent to Talk about Heroin Abuse

On Tuesday, November 18, former Drug Enforcement Agent Doug Collier will speak to district parents and guardians about the growing problem of prescription drug and heroin abuse by school-age children. This free program will be held in the Benjamin Franklin Middle School auditorium from 7-9 p.m. Click here for more information.

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Mental health of children and young people ‘at risk in digital age’

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Mental health of children and young people ‘at risk in digital age’

Cyberbullying and rise in self-harm highlighted by MPs voicing concern over violent video games and sexting

Violent video games, the sharing of indecent images on mobile phones, and other types of digital communications, are harming young people’s mental health, MPs warned on Wednesday, amid evidence of big increases in self-harm and serious psychological problems among the under-18s.

Cyberbullying and websites advocating anorexia and self-harm are also posing a danger to the mental wellbeing of children and young people, the Commons health select committee says in its report.

Sarah Wollaston, chair of the committee, who was a GP for 24 years before becoming a Tory MP in 2010, said: “In the past if you were being bullied it might just be in the classroom. Now it follows [you] way beyond the walk home from school. It is there all the time. Voluntary bodies have not suggested stopping young people using the internet. But for some young people it’s clearly a new source of stress.”

However, the MPs said they had found no evidence that the emerging digital culture was behind the worrying rise, of up to 25% to 30% a year, in numbers of children and young people seeking treatment for mental health problems.

The cross-party group acknowledges that forms of online and social communication are now central to the lives of under-18s, but says that a government inquiry into the effects is needed because of the potential for harm.

“For today’s children and young people, digital culture and social media are an integral part of life … this has the potential to significantly increase stress and to amplify the effects of bullying,” the committee’s report says.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/05/children-cyberbullying-self-harm-gaming-mps-concern

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No sidewalks for Clinton Ave despite recommendations by police & Village Engineer

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Do it for the kids, please

No sidewalks for Clinton Ave despite recommendations by police & Village Engineer
November 6th 2014
Boyd A. Loving
10:20 PM 

Ridgewood NJ, Despite being strongly recommended by a police department traffic safety officer, and having been identified as a necessity in the Village’s “Complete Streets” policy, sidewalks will NOT be constructed along Clinton Avenue when it is resurfaced in the coming months.During the Wednesday, 11/05, Village Council Work Session, Council members in attendance opted to side with the sixteen (16) property owners on Clinton, none of whom want sidewalks constructed on their street.

As a result of the Council’s decision, Clinton will remain closed to vehicular traffic before, during and after school hours every day school is in session, and dozens of children making their way to and from points south of Godwin Avenue to the Ridge Elementary school will continue walking to and from school in the middle of that street.

Several Clinton Avenue property owners were present at the Council Work Session, but none spoke.  No representative of the police department was in attendance, nor was Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser, who was present, afforded an opportunity to provide input (Rutishauser’s office authored and manages the Village’s “Complete Streets” policy).

Paradoxically, when many West Side residents expressed displeasure with the reconfiguration of Garber Square, Village Council members cited the “Complete Streets” policy as a primary reason why the changes were being made in conjunction with resurfacing of the area.  I guess the likelihood of 32 potential happy voters trumps “Complete Streets” in the case of Clinton Avenue?

As evidenced by the tragic loss-of-life incident that occurred several months ago in nearby Hawthorne, a driver could disregard posted “Do Not Enter” signs and come barreling down Clinton Avenue at the wrong time, taking out several innocent school children in a heartbeat.

Hopefully Village Council members come to their senses quickly and reverse this potentially tragic decision.

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Reading and math scores dip slightly on N.J. standardized tests

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Reading and math scores dip slightly on N.J. standardized tests

NOVEMBER 5, 2014, 8:31 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014, 8:36 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Student scores on New Jersey tests in reading and math last spring dipped slightly from the previous year, dropping by less than a percentage point in high school and in Grades 3 to 8.

The scores come from the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge and High School Proficiency Assessment — which are in their final year of use in the state. They are being replaced with a new exam, the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, which is tied to the Common Core curriculum standards.

The state adopted the Common Core in 2010 and has spent the past few years teaching those standards and preparing for the new online tests that will be required this spring.

Acting Education Commissioner David Hespe said that the tests given last spring were also aligned with those standards as part of that transition. He noted that the scores were nearly the same as last year.

“Even with the higher standards being incorporated in New Jersey classrooms, the high levels of student performance have remained steady,” Hespe said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/reading-and-math-scores-dip-slightly-on-n-j-standardized-tests-1.1127122

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Bergen County Executive-elect James Tedesco vows to push ahead on police merger

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Bergen County Executive-elect James Tedesco vows to push ahead on police merger

NOVEMBER 5, 2014, 11:48 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014, 12:06 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN AND JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

A day after his come-from-behind victory in the race for Bergen County executive, James Tedesco signaled he will follow through on one of his main campaign pledges: merging the Bergen County Police into the Sheriff’s Office.

At a freeholder work session Wednesday, Tedesco asked the board’s attorney to make a formal request that the county voluntarily drop the lawsuit that County Executive Kathleen Donovan filed against the freeholders seeking to block the merger plan.

Tedesco, a Democrat, defeated Donovan, the Republican incumbent, in a decisive 54 to 46 percent vote on Tuesday.

Tedesco, who will take office in January, has said he will make the consolidation of the two departments one of his top priorities during the first 100 days of his administration.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen-county-executive-elect-james-tedesco-vows-to-push-ahead-on-police-merger-1.1127187

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Number of People Under “Active Monitoring” for Ebola in NYC Triples, City Officials Say

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Number of People Under “Active Monitoring” for Ebola in NYC Triples, City Officials Say

The number of people under “active monitoring” for Ebola symptoms has increased from 117 on Monday to 357 people Wednesday, health officials said.

The vast majority of those being monitored arrived in New York City within the past 21 days from the three Ebola-affected countries, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation said in a statement.

Others being monitored are the staff caring for Dr. Craig Spencer, the physician being treated for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital, the lab workers who conducted his blood tests and the FDNY EMTs who transported the doctor.  

All of those being monitored showed no symptoms but are being checked on out of “an abundance of caution,” the statement said.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/active-monitoring-ebola-doctor-Craig-Spencer-bellevue-hospital-281671121.html