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Democrats on FEC move to regulate Internet campaigns, blogs, Drudge

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Joseph Goebbels

Democrats on FEC move to regulate Internet campaigns, blogs, Drudge

BY PAUL BEDARD | OCTOBER 24, 2014 | 8:26 PM

In a surprise move late Friday, a key Democrat on the Federal Election Commission called for burdensome new rules on Internet-based campaigning, prompting the Republican chairman to warn that Democrats want to regulate online political sites and even news medialike the Drudge Report.

Democratic FEC Vice Chair Ann M. Ravel announced plans to begin the process to win regulations on Internet-based campaigns and videos, currently free from most of the FEC’s rules. “A reexamination of the commission’s approach to the internet and other emerging technologies is long over due,” she said.

The power play followed a deadlocked 3-3 vote on whether an Ohio anti-President Obama Internet campaign featuring two videos violated FEC rules when it did not report its finances or offer a disclosure on the ads. The ads were placed for free on YouTube and were not paid advertising.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/dems-on-fec-move-to-regulate-internet-campaigns-blogs-drudge/article/2555270

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RHS Music Teacher Jeff Haas Recognized by State Educators’ Group

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RHS Music Teacher Jeff Haas Recognized by State Educators’ Group

RHS Music Teacher Jeff Haas will be recognized by the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education (NJAJE) as the 2014 recipient of their Jazz Education Achievement Award. The award is in recognition of his many years of outstanding contributions to New Jersey’s students and teachers in the areas of jazz pedagogy and performance, while promoting the importance of appreciating and studying jazz as America’s original art form. The award will be presented on November 14 at the annual All-State Jazz concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

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Driver plows straight through Ridgewood garage and keeps going

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Driver plows straight through Ridgewood garage and keeps going
October 24,2014
Boyd A. Loving
5:29 PM

Ridgewood NJ, A Walthery Avenue, Ridgewood resident drove her Lexus sedan into her driveway, through a closed door of a detached garage, out the back wall of the garage, into a neighbor’s back yard, into another neighbor’s chain link fence, then turned around in a back yard, drove down a driveway, onto a street, turned around a corner, and then back into her own driveway where she parked.  Ridgewood PD, EMS, FD, and code inspection all responded  to the driver’s 911 telephone call reporting the accident.  There were no witnesses to the event.  The driver was uninjured.  The vehicle sustained moderate to heavy front end and undercarriage damage.  The code inspector deemed the garage structurally sound, despite the heavily damaged back wall.  An investigation as to the crash’s cause remains under investigation by Ridgewood PD.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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Fourteen Ridgewood Students Make Bergen County Honor Band

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Fourteen Ridgewood Students Make Bergen County Honor Band

Ridgewood NJ, Eight BFMS students and six GWMS students were accepted into the Bergen County Honor Band. Those with media permission to be listed are:  Benjamin Franklin Middle School: Andrew Song (7) – Mallet 1 (highest score); Christopher Morse (8) – Bari Saxophone (highest score); Tony An (7) – Clarinet; Teddy Moll (7) – Horn; Stefanie Haas (7) – Trombone (highest score) and Emma Matthews (7) – Trumpet (highest score). George Washington Middle School: Katlyn Tagliabue (8) – Bassoon (highest score); Kieran Corcoran (7) – Tenor Saxophone (highest score); Shalin Patel (8) – Euphonium (highest score); Annie Duffy (8) – Clarinet and Edward Li (8) – Clarinet.

The two middle schools have the most students from one district earning positions into the Honor Band.  Brian Brown is the band director at GWMS and Jason Curcio at BFMS.

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Valley Hospital Welcomes Spectrum for Living

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Supervisor of Junior Volunteers and Community Projects (far left) and Kaitlyn Hipshman, ‎Supervisor of Volunteer Resources (far right). The clients who created the cards and delivered them are from our North Haledon location .

Valley Hospital Welcomes Spectrum for Living
October 23,2014

Ridgewood NJ, Today, Spectrum for Living clients delivered cards of kindness and support to Valley Hospital for Breast Cancer patients in lieu of Breast Cancer awareness month. The clients designed and decorated the cards themselves offering encouraging words like “Don’t give up” and “Stay strong”.

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Spectrum for Living is a non-profit organization dedicated to the philosophy that persons with developmental disabilities have the same rights as others to a fulfilling and meaningful life. Our programs and services support dignity, independence and encourage each person to reach their personal potential.
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Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool adding handicapped accessible ramp

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Ridgewood’s Graydon Pool adding handicapped accessible ramp

October 24, 2014    Last updated: Friday, October 24, 2014, 1:21 AM
The Record
Print

RIDGEWOOD — The village has accepted a $35,000 grant that will fund the construction of a handicapped accessible ramp at Graydon Pool.

Ridgewood officials said the Community Development Block Grant will pay for the entire project.

The plan is to use the money to build a ramp from Graydon Pool’s parking lot to the sidewalk along Linwood Avenue.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/grant-will-cover-cost-of-pool-ramp-1.1117240#sthash.Qw9JtNy1.dpuf

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PSE&G Cuts Residential Gas Bills This Winter With Three Months of Bill Credits

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file photo Boyd Loving

PSE&G Cuts Residential Gas Bills This Winter With Three Months of Bill Credits
October 23, 2014

Bill credits are in addition to 9 percent reduction on Oct. 1

(Newark, NJ – October 23, 2014) Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) announced today that it is providing a bill credit for the next three months for its residential gas supply customers that will cut the average bill for the typical residential gas heating customer by about 31 percent.  The company will provide its residential customers who purchase gas supply from PSE&G a 28-cents per therm bill credit for usage during November, December and January.

A typical residential gas heating customer using 91 therms in November, 165 therms in December and 165 therms in January would see a total bill credit of approximately $118. Depending on meter reading schedules, many customers will see some of the credit in November, December and January with the remainder in February.

These bill credits are in addition to the reduction the utility has already put into effect on October 1, 2014, which reduced its gas supply rate to 45 cents per therm from 54 cents – its lowest rate in 14 years.

“Since 2009, PSE&G’s residential gas customers have benefitted from steady reductions in the cost of natural gas,” said Jorge Cardenas, PSE&G vice president of asset management and centralized services. “We’re able to provide additional savings this winter given the continued availability of low-cost gas from the nearby Marcellus Shale Formation in Pennsylvania. In addition, our transportation and storage capabilities and the way we manage our pipeline contracts have enabled us to seize this opportunity to once again reduce costs for our customers.

“While there’s no guarantee that these savings will be available in future years, we are pleased to pass them on to our customers as temperatures are dropping and they strive to keep their winter heating bills affordable,” Cardenas said.

PSE&G makes no profit on the sale of natural gas. The utility passes along what it pays for the gas to customers. Costs of natural gas supply account for about half of the customer’s monthly bill.

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N.J. lawmakers OK resolution aimed at blocking Christie opposition to greenhouse gas initiative and push for massive tax increase

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N.J. lawmakers OK resolution aimed at blocking Christie opposition to greenhouse gas initiative and push for massive tax increase 

“Bottom line, the program has raised electricity prices, created a slush fund for each of the member states, and has had virtually no impact on emissions or on global climate change.” https://www.masterresource.org/regional-greenhouse-gas-initiative-rggi/rggi-cap-tax-spend-model/

OCTOBER 23, 2014, 3:35 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014, 11:27 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD

Frustrated by Governor Christie’s move to take New Jersey out of a multistate program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Democrats pushed ahead Thursday with their latest plan to challenge the governor on climate change.

Advocates of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which forces power companies to buy credits for every ton of carbon their plants emit, have praised it as an effective way to combat climate change while also boosting the state’s green-energy sector.

But Christie, a Republican who is considering a run for president in 2016, has argued that it does nothing to help the environment while at the same time increasing electricity costs in New Jersey. He announced the state’s withdrawal from the coalition in 2011.

Democrats who control the Legislature in recent years have sent Christie bills to reinstate New Jersey’s membership in the coalition, only to see the governor veto them.

Now, boosted by a recent state appellate court ruling and success they’ve had blocking another Christie initiative this year, lawmakers moved forward with their latest attempt to reverse the governor, one that they say will be successful. Christie’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment, but a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection said the state is making strides to prevent greenhouse gases on its own.

The Senate on Thursday approved a resolution that declares rules passed by the state DEP to formalize the withdrawal from the coalition to be in violation of the legislative intent of a 2007 law they passed after the state agreed to join the program.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-lawmakers-ok-resolution-aimed-at-blocking-christie-opposition-to-greenhouse-gas-initiative-1.1116765#sthash.v1OuhHlP.dpuf

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Ridgewood residents seek support for restorations at Kings Pond

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Ridgewood residents seek support for restorations at Kings Pond

OCTOBER 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER | 
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

George Shabet brought a dead 3-foot carp to a council meeting in 1976 to prove a point: Kings Pond needed to be cleaned up.

Thirty-eight years later, he’s again trying to hook the council to take action on the pond, though this time with a more chummy approach.

He went before the governing body on Oct. 8 with only a sheet of paper containing his talking points, asking the council to consider appropriating money in the 2015 budget for dredging and dam repair.

At 334 Lakeview Drive, Kings Pond is virtually an extension of the Shabet’s front yard. They raised six children and now entertain 16 grandchildren and one great-grandchild by the water’s edge, canoeing and fishing in the summer and ice skating in the winter.

The pond, located between Lakeview Drive and Mountain Avenue, is home to more than 40 species of birds and other wildlife. Although at one point the depth was about 3 feet, Shabet said the legs of the herons that come to feed stick up out of the water, meaning in some spots the pond is only a few inches deep.

The pond is also adjacent to the village’s leaf composting facility, where trucks drive in and out consistently throughout the day.

On Tuesday, Councilman Michael Sedon and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck visited the Shabets with optimism that the pond’s shoreline could be cleaned up. Upon seeing it, they realized the job would require more effort and more funds.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/residents-seeking-support-for-restorations-at-kings-pond-1.1116983#sthash.KmJw3Uge.dpuf

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Ridgewood adds an extra hour to parking meters

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Ridgewood adds an extra hour to parking meters

OCTOBER 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Shoppers and diners will now have an extra hour of parking in Ridgewood.

The Village Council voted on Wednesday to convert all of Ridgewood’s two-hour meters to three-hour meters.

Business leaders have advocated for the change, noting that the switch will give customers more time to leisurely shop and dine without worrying about a parking ticket.

Some concerns about the three-hour limit were previously raised by Councilwoman Susan Knudsen, who argued that four hours was more leisurely. The council ultimately settled on three hours, citing varied reasoning, including the fear that four-hour meters would entice part-time workers to use those spots rather than shoppers.

“It’s never going to be perfect,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said, noting that the meter time could be changed again. “We’ll have to monitor the situation.”

This plan to convert two-hour meters to three-hour meters comes in tandem with a larger discussion about short-term parking solutions. These solutions being discussed would serve as a temporary balm to Ridgewood’s parking woes while the village explores its long-term options, including a proposed county-funded garage (see story on page A1).

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/extra-hour-added-to-meters-parking-1.1117078#sthash.6Bq5I4M8.dpuf

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New water meters lead to much higher bills for some in Ridgewood

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New water meters lead to much higher bills for some in Ridgewood

OCTOBER 24, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER | 
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — A move to upgrade thousands of water meters throughout the village has been a shock for some business owners and residents who have received larger-than-expected bills.

Some residents have received water bills that are thousands of dollars higher than they’ve been used to paying. A number of businesses have paid hundreds of dollars more for their water.

The bigger bills, officials said, are the result of accurate readings on actual use. In recent years, estimated water and sewer discharge bills were based on predicted or past use.

The village has stepped up efforts the past month to replace all of the water meters in Ridgewood, according to officials.

Meters that were installed several years ago have since become obsolete, requiring installation of so-called radio-read meters.

The updated meters emit low-level radio frequencies, easily detectable using specialized hand-held instruments; such meters eliminate the need for readers to enter homes or businesses.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-water-meters-lead-to-surprises-1.1117227#sthash.93rgXbKh.dpuf

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Rep. Scott Garrett calls new Hudson River train tunnel vital

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Rep. Scott Garrett calls new Hudson River train tunnel vital

OCTOBER 23, 2014, 11:35 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014, 11:42 PM
BY HERB JACKSON
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT | 
THE RECORD

Rep. Scott Garrett said Thursday that a new train tunnel should be built under the Hudson River “sooner rather than later” because the potential closing of one or both of the existing tunnels owned by Amtrak “would be a nightmare.”

But Garrett, in a meeting with the editorial board of The Record, said leaders in New Jersey and New York should reach an agreement first on what share of the cost they would bear if they want Washington to become involved.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/rep-scott-garrett-calls-new-hudson-river-train-tunnel-vital-1.1116958#sthash.KITPPupd.dpuf

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What constitutes “repeat parking” and why is it banned?

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What constitutes “repeat parking” and why is it banned?
October 24,2014
Boyd A. Loving
9:31 PM (6 hours ago)

“Repeat parking” is the act of feeding a parking meter beyond the maximum permissible time posted for parking at a specific location.  Example:  if the posted time limit for parking at meters on East Ridgewood Avenue is 3 hours between 9AM and 5PM, it is unlawful to leave your vehicle in place at any meter there for longer than 3 hours during the noted time period, even if you’ve put additional money in the meter.

Why is “repeat parking” banned?  “Repeat parking” is banned to facilitate turnover in parking spaces.  Retail merchants in particular believe that people are more likely to patronize stores when parking spaces are readily available nearby.  If there were little to no turnover in parking places, merchants believe patrons would become frustrated and spend their money in communities other than Ridgewood.

This is how “repeat parking” is described on the Village’s official PARKING GUIDE:

REPEAT PARKING/FEEDING METER
Is not permitted. Once the maximum time on the 
meter is passed, the vehicle must be moved not 
only out of that spot, but out of that lot or to a 
new street.

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/20131127PM.pdf

YOUR OPINION WANTED:  Does it make sense to permit the movement of a vehicle to another lot, or to another street, once it has been parked for the maximum permissible time, or does this defeat the main objective of creating turnover so that parking spots are readily available?  Please weigh in below.

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Officials Looking Into Possible Ebola Case In New York City

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Officials Looking Into Possible Ebola Case In New York City

Sources: Doctor Who Returned From Guinea Went Bowling In Brooklyn On Wednesday
October 23, 2014 5:56 PM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Officials on Thursday were looking into a possible Ebola case in New York City.

Sources tell CBS 2 EMS crews picked up Dr. Craig Spencer just after noon Thursday.

Sources told 1010 WINS he was rushed from a building on West 147th Street.

“Today, EMS HAZ TAC Units transferred to Bellevue Hospital a patient who presented a fever and gastrointestinal symptoms,” New York City officials said in a statement. “The patient is a health care worker who returned to the U.S. within the past 21 days from one of the three countries currently facing the outbreak of this virus.”

Spencer, who is a physician in his 30s and works with Doctors Without Borders, came back a week ago from Guinea, where he is believed to have been treating Ebola patients.

“A person in New York City, who recently worked with Doctors Without Borders in one of the Ebola-affected countries in West Africa, notified our office this morning to report having developed a fever,” Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. “As per the specific guidelines that Doctors Without Borders provides its staff on their return from Ebola assignments, the individual engaged in regular health monitoring and reported this development immediately.  While at this stage there is no confirmation that the individual has contracted Ebola, Doctors Without Borders, in the interest of public safety and in accordance with its protocols, immediately notified the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, which is directly managing the individual’s care.”

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/10/23/cbs-2-officials-looking-into-possible-ebola-case-in-new-york-city/

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Black disappointment with Obama threatens Democrats

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Black disappointment with Obama threatens Democrats

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

McClatchy Washington BureauOctober 23, 2014


MIAMI — Black voters’ disappointment with President Barack Obama, who they so eagerly embraced for so many years, could be costly on Election Day to Democrats, who badly need a big African-American turnout to win Senate and gubernatorial races in key states.

Instead, many African-Americans see an unemployment rate well above the national average, continuing problems with crime in many neighborhoods, and a president more interested in trying to help other voting blocs that didn’t give him such unwavering support.

Related: Rep. John Lewis says he’d ‘vote against’ Obama judicial nominee

He talks about same-sex marriage in a nod to the gay and lesbian community. He discusses immigration and its benefits, an issue particularly important to the Latino community. He fights for equal pay, a vital issue to the women Democrats so avidly court.

Read more here: https://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/10/23/244420_black-disappointment-with-obama.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy