Author: James

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Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Warns Village Business owners on New Parking Rules

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Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Warns Village Business owners on New Parking Rules 

To all business owners and employees in Ridgewood
important notice about parking!

Please read carefully.
Effective November 1, 2014
The Village of Ridgewood will begin strictly enforcing
REPEAT PARKING VIOLATIONS – on that date the police department will begin issuing tickets to vehicles that remain in a parking space beyond 3 hours.
This means that you will no longer be able to extend the time at the parking meter by adding additional quarters to the meters at the end of the time allowed.
The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Ridgewood have arranged for a limited number of employee parking spaces at the former Ken Smith Motors Lot (at the corner of N. Broad St. and Franklin Ave)
Beginning October 20, 2014, PARKING PERMITS maybe purchased at Village Hall (first floor receptionist desk)-for $80 per month – Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm – you must have proof of employment and your driver’s license with you at the time of purchase – cash/check and/or credit cards accepted.
For additional information call
Village Hall 201-670-5500 x 200
Spaces at Ken Smith are extremely limited.
PLEASE REMEMBER YOU WILL BE TICKETED FOR REPEAT PARKING VIOLATIONS.
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Reader says MSNBC viewers are anti-business, anti-military, and pro-conspiracy

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Reader says MSNBC viewers are anti-business, anti-military, and pro-conspiracy

I, too, laugh at MSNBC’s ratings. However, don’t disregard the power of these seemingly low numbers of people who follow their nonsense. They absolutely rule the comments sections of the online news and blog sites with their anti-business, anti-military, and pro-conspiracy stance. I’m convinced that few of them actually work based upon their whacky beliefs and total lack of understanding of how real humans go about their lives. But, they are incredibly powerful and in this age of the Internet and having a collective voice, they cannot be dismissed as the nutters that they are

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Reader asks have we received signed assurances that our children would not be tracked?

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Reader asks have we received signed assurances that our children would not be tracked?

Why do we have an online system that is a hodgepodge? Multiple signons. Skyward, blackboard, Google groups and that awful system to pay fees.

Do we have any assurance from Google that they will not be tracking our children? Teachers use Google class management. Is Google tracking the student’s grades and progress in school?

In California parents pushed for and received signed assurances that their children would not be tracked. Do we have the same guarantees?

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Ebola Health Worker Flew Hours Before Reporting Symptoms

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Ebola Health Worker Flew Hours Before Reporting Symptoms
By Caroline Chen  Oct 15, 2014 11:38 AM ET  

Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) — A second health-care worker in Texas tested positive after caring for an Ebola patient, opening new questions about oversight lapses by federal officials and spurring a nurses’ group to criticize safety precautions used within the hospital. 

The second health-care worker diagnosed with Ebola in Texas flew between Cleveland and Dallas hours before she reported symptoms to state health workers, U.S. health officials said today.

The caregiver caught the deadly virus while treating patient Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas this month. She flew to Dallas on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 the night of Oct. 13, according to a e-mailed statement by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She then reported symptoms the next morning.

“Because of the proximity in time between the evening flight and first report of illness the following morning, CDC is reaching out to passengers,” the agency said. The plane had 132 passengers, the CDC said.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-15/ebola-health-worker-flew-day-before-reporting-symptoms.html

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Minivan and pickup collide in Ridgewood

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Minivan and pickup collide in Ridgewood
October 15, 2014
Boyd A. Loving
6:03 PM

Ridgewood NJ, A Ford pickup truck collided with a Chrysler Town & Country minivan at the corner of Robinson Lane and Oak Street, Ridgewood at approximately 2:15 PM on Wednesday, 10/15.  The minivan driver sustained a minor injury, but refused medical aid.  The pickup truck driver was uninjured.  A flatbed tow truck removed the minivan from the scene.  The pickup truck drove off on its own power; damage to it was limited to a dented front bumper.  The pickup truck driver told police that the minivan had run a stop sign.  Police at the scene did not say if any summonses had been issued in connection with the crash.  Ridgewood PD, EMS, and FD responded.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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DC Babble Outbreak

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CDC Director Thomas Frieden

DC Babble Outbreak
Oct 15 2014
Mike Huckabee

Two suspected Ebola patients, one in L.A. and one in Boston, fortunately tested negative, but they raised distrust among Americans that the CDC knows what it’s doing. And their own statements aren’t helping. Mike Huckabee

We don’t have an epidemic of Ebola, but we do seem to be suffering an outbreak of DC Babble…Two suspected Ebola patients, one in L.A. and one in Boston, fortunately tested negative, but they raised distrust among Americans that the CDC knows what it’s doing. And their own statements aren’t helping. First they assured us it wouldn’t come to the US, then that it was highly unlikely, then that it was unlikely to spread. Once it did spread on US soil, from the late patient in Dallas to a nurse who cared for him, CDC Director Thomas Frieden blamed the hospital. In a line worthy of the Pentagon babble from “M*A*S*H,” Frieden said, “I think the fact that we don’t know of a breach in protocol is concerning because clearly there was a breach in protocol.” That angered all caregivers, accusing them of making a mistake with no proof. And the hospital says the nurse wore protective gear at all times. So if all the protocols failed to stop the spread, maybe the protocol should’ve been to keep it out of the US in the first place.

https://www.mikehuckabee.com/2014/10/dc-babble-outbreak

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N.J.’s long-term unemployed rate worse than 48 states

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Congressmen Scott Garrett  points out  ,” Really disappointing news. It’s time to do away with the stale, failed ideas of the past. We must unleash our economy and help get our people back to work. The House has passed more than 40 jobs bills that are#StuckInTheSenate; it’s time for the Senate to take action.” 

N.J.’s long-term unemployed rate worse than 48 states
By Erin O’Neill | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on October 15, 2014 at 6:50 AM, updated October 15, 2014 at 7:41 AM

Nearly half of jobless residents in New Jersey have been out of work for more than six months, according to a new report, a level that ranks the state among the worst in the country.

The brief released today by New Jersey Policy Perspective notes the “long-term unemployment crisis is a national problem” but found every other state except Florida fared better than New Jersey. Also, while the share of long-term unemployed in New Jersey has fallen from its peak in 2010, the brief found that drop has not been as sharp as it has nationally.

“We’re in a much deeper pickle than most of the rest of the country,” said Gordon MacInnes, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal-leaning think tank. “The reason for that is pretty plain: we haven’t produced enough jobs for people who are unemployed over a long period of time to fill.”

The report, which relies on analysis of federal labor data by the Economic Policy Institute, shows that 46.3 percent of the state’s jobless residents were unemployed for more than six months as of March 2014, compared to the state’s peak of 51.4 percent in December 2010. Those values represent 12-month moving averages.

On the national level, the share of long-term unemployed peaked at nearly 44 percent of all jobless residents in November 2011 and has since dropped to roughly 37 percent.

Only Florida had a larger share of long-term unemployed among the states in March at 46.5 percent.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/njs_share_of_long-term_unemployed_ranks_among_worst_in_us_data_shows.html#incart_m-rpt-1

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President Obama Cancels Trip to Meet on Ebola Outbreak

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President Obama Cancels Trip to Meet on Ebola Outbreak

October 15th, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is cancelling political travel to meet with his Cabinet on the Ebola outbreak.

The White House says Obama is calling off a planned trip to New Jersey and Connecticut and instead will convene Cabinet officials coordinating the government’s Ebola response at the White House.

The change comes as a second health worker in Dallas who provided care for the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. has tested positive for the disease.

https://www.wggb.com/2014/10/15/president-obama-cancels-trip-to-meet-on-ebola-outbreak/

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The Secret Casualties of Iraq’s Abandoned Chemical Weapons

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The Secret Casualties of Iraq’s Abandoned Chemical Weapons
BY C. J. CHIVERS

The soldiers at the blast crater sensed something was wrong.

FROM 2004 TO 2011, AMERICAN AND IRAQI TROOPS REPEATEDLY ENCOUNTERED, AND AT TIMES WERE WOUNDED BY, CHEMICAL WEAPONS THAT WERE HIDDEN OR ABANDONED YEARS EARLIER.

It was August 2008 near Taji, Iraq. They had just exploded a stack of old Iraqi artillery shells buried beside a murky lake. The blast, part of an effort to destroy munitions that could be used in makeshift bombs, uncovered more shells.

Two technicians assigned to dispose of munitions stepped into the hole. Lake water seeped in. One of them, Specialist Andrew T. Goldman, noticed a pungent odor, something, he said, he had never smelled before.

He lifted a shell. Oily paste oozed from a crack. “That doesn’t look like pond water,” said his team leader, Staff Sgt. Eric J. Duling.

The specialist swabbed the shell with chemical detection paper. It turned red — indicating sulfur mustard, the chemical warfare agent designed to burn a victim’s airway, skin and eyes.

All three men recall an awkward pause. Then Sergeant Duling gave an order: “Get the hell out.”

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/14/world/middleeast/us-casualties-of-iraq-chemical-weapons.html?_r=0

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6th Annual “Access Ridgewood” Disability Awareness Program

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6th Annual “Access Ridgewood” Disability Awareness Program

6th Annual Access For All Weekend – October 17 – 19

Ridgewood CAN !!!

Ridgewood Community Access Network

Three-Day Program to Feature Education, Entertainment, Religious Services

The Ridgewood Community Access Network (CAN) will be hosting the 6th annual “Access Ridgewood” disability awareness program October 17-19.

“The purpose of this three-day program will be to promote a better understanding and appreciation of the special needs and special gifts of people with disabilities,” explained Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “In so doing, it will provide a great opportunity for our entire community to come together to learn, to share and to embrace an issue — disability — that affects every person and every family … either directly or indirectly.”

Among our special guests for the weekend will be U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and Bergen County Director of Disability Services James Thebery.

“I look forward to joining Mayor Aronsohn at this year’s ‘Access Ridgewood’ disability awareness program,” said Senator Booker. “This annual event is made possible by the generosity of so many, and it is a wonderful showing of how communities can come together to raise awareness and appreciation for people with disabilities.”

Below is the program for the weekend:

Friday, October 17

– Schools Program: All of our public schools will address the topic of disability through film, discussion or other means. The format for each school will vary, but most programming is expected to take place in the morning.

– Seniors Program: Seniors will be invited to a special program entitled, “When Clutter Becomes a Problem.” This event will take place in Village Hall at 10:00am.

– Family Party: Young children and their parents will be invited to a fun party at which they can create a mask with special art instructor Marcia Matthews, listen to music by Marlene Pillow and eat lots of fun food. This event will take place in the Library auditorium at 5:00pm.

– Teen Dance Party: Students – middle school and older – will be invited to a “Twilight” dance party with DJ and refreshments. This event will take place in Village Hall at 7:30pm.

Saturday, October 18

– Community Fair: The entire community will be invited to enjoy performances and a fashion show including children of different abilities. Local organizations will also be on hand to share information about programs and services. Food and refreshments will be served. This event will take place in the Village Hall courtyard and Library auditorium from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

At 1:00pm, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan will kick-off the performances in the library, and Bergen County Disability Services Director James Thebery will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

At 1:40pm, U.S. Senator Cory Booker will kick-off the fashion show in the library, and NJTV’s Marie DeNoia Aronsohn will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

Sunday, October 19

– Interfaith Service: The entire community will be invited to an interfaith service at the First Reformed Church in Ridgewood. Led by Pastor Judy Broeker, the service will include clergy from various local houses of worship. This event will take place at 303 Prospect Street at 7:00pm.

Throughout the weekend, some of the other houses of worship will include a discussion of disability issues in their respective services.

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Ridgewood Schools Technology Outreach Programs for Parents and Guardians

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Ridgewood Schools Technology Outreach Programs for Parents and Guardians

The district’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment has added a session on financial literacy to the 2014-2015 Community Outreach Program. This series for parents and guardians consists of evening presentations focusing on current education topics. First up is “Technology in Our Schools,” presented by district Manager of Information Technology Ryan Kenny on Thursday, October 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Ryan will share information on the district’s 1:1 Chrome Book initiative, which was just launched this fall at RHS.
 
His presentation will be followed by presentations by six new Technology Teacher Coaches from elementary, middle, and the high school, showcasing examples of how technology is being used in classrooms in all schools and levels of education.
 
K-5 – Stephen Polanin and Susan Foreman
6-8 – AJ Bianco and Mary Lou Handy
9-12 – Stef Gigante and Daisy Sam
 
This not-to-be-missed presentation will give parents exposure to their how technology is enhancing their children’s education everyday across the District.

Click here for more information on the October 16 program and the entire series.
Click here for the press release with more details.

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Obama no longer drawing a Jersey crowd

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Obama no longer drawing a Jersey crowd

OCTOBER 14, 2014, 10:10 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014, 11:02 PM
BY CHARLES STILE
RECORD COLUMNIST
THE RECORD

A visit by Barack Obama once had the buzz of Beatlemania.

When he visited New Jersey, crowds were packed with college kids who hoisted cameras and chanted “Yes We Can,” and the stages bulged with Democratic officials eager to bask in his glow.

But as Obama returns to New Jersey today for the first time in 16 months, his popularity is in a tailspin. And instead of headlining a campaign rally in a civic center, he will be escorted into a pricey, closed-door fundraiser in Union County, a visit that is supposed to draw donors and not attention. And the Democrats are more than happy to keep it that way.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell is an eight-term Democrat from Paterson running for reelection against Republican Dierdre G. Paul, a Montclair State University professor, and he said his campaign polling detected a noticeable drop in Obama’s numbers. For Pascrell, the Obama effect has forced him to navigate – keep his distance from Obama on some issues but not abandon him altogether, which could potentially alienate hard-core Democrats who remain loyal to Obama.

“You have a choice if you are a Democratic candidate. You can run away from the president, you can embrace everything he does, or you can say it like it is,” Pascrell said last week while campaigning in Fort Lee. “When I agree with him, I agree with him; when I don’t agree with him, I say so.”

The president who could electrify crowds four years ago is now radioactive. With Obama besieged by multiple foreign policy crises and his popularity in free fall, Democratic candidates around the country are taking measures to separate themselves from the party’s standard-bearer.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/stile-obama-no-longer-drawing-a-jersey-crowd-1.1109223#sthash.ISCIZzSs.dpuf

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Reader says Booker turned out to be an enormous disappointment

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Reader says Booker turned out to be an enormous disappointment

Booker turned out to be an enormous disappointment. He signaled an end to the third-world politics of Newark’s Sharpe James. He’s now moved on to bigger things having left behind a city that has worse stats than the ones he railed against in his campaign against James. The man has accomplished absolutely NOTHING, but in this bizarre alternate universe we now live in called image politics, he’s being touted as a future President. After all, why not? The current President’s accomplishments were equally as empty and the media all but refused to do their required due diligence.

Cory Booker has an unusual personality, self-confidence, is hard to throw off his game, the camera just plain likes him, and the vast bulk of the major media reliably purrs like a kitten when he glances in its direction. Other than that we’re talking about a true cipher. An astonishing absence of true accomplishment, or deep or long-lasting relationships with ‘real people’ who are relatable and reliable and are willing to personally vouch for him. He has a shocking willingness to make up and perpetuate blatant myths and other tall tales and vignettes designed to rev up the warm and fuzzy factor in otherwise inattentive voters. He also seems to be riding somewhat of a wave of quasi-approval or anything-goes type of public attitude regarding non-traditional lifestyles, one or more of which he may or may not be leading on any given day, depending on what insinuation his PR people may believe is most politically advantageous for him. The Senator is a witches’ brew of quirks and strange traits that nobody can seem to quite pin down, figure out, or persuade enough additional people to believe or even think clearly about, at least not in time to make him pay at the ballot box.

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Ebola and Obama

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Ebola and Obama
Thomas Sowell | Oct 07, 2014

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is both a danger in itself and a wake-up call for Americans — about President Obama, about the institutions of this country and, most important, about ourselves.

There was a time when an outbreak of a deadly disease overseas would bring virtually unanimous agreement that our top priority should be to keep it overseas. Yet Barack Obama has refused to bar entry to the United States by people from countries where the Ebola epidemic rages, as Britain has done.

The reason? Refusing to let people with Ebola enter the United States would conflict with the goal of fighting the disease. In other words, the safety of the American people takes second place to the goal of helping people overseas.

As if to emphasize his priorities, President Obama has ordered thousands of American troops to go into Ebola-stricken Liberia, disregarding the dangers to those troops and to other Americans when the troops return.

https://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2014/10/07/ebola-and-obama-n1901524

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The riddle of black America’s rising woes under Obama

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The riddle of black America’s rising woes under Obama
By Edward Luce

Those who have fared worst under this president are the ones who love him the most

A paradox haunts America’s first black president. African-American wealth has fallen further under Barack Obama than under any president since the Depression. Yet they are the only group that still gives him high ratings. So meagre is Mr Obama’s national approval rating that embattled Democrats have made him unwelcome in states that twice swept him to power. Those who have fared worst under Mr Obama are the ones who love him the most. You would be hard-pressed to find a better example of perception-driven politics. As the Reverend Kevin Johnson asked in 2013: “Why are we so loyal to a president who isn’t loyal to us?”

The problem has taken on new salience with the resignation of Eric Holder. America’s first black attorney-general has tried to correct the gulag-sized disparities in prison sentencing between blacks and whites. His exit leaves just two African-Americans in Mr Obama’s cabinet. Given the mood among Republicans, it is hard to imagine the US Senate confirming a successor to Mr Holder who shares his priorities.

https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5455efbe-4fa4-11e4-a0a4-00144feab7de.html#axzz3G40e0WkE