Back to School (and Reality) in N.J.
Sep. 04
By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Yes, your little ghouls and gobblins were back at school this morning, Save Jersey, ready for another year of ruining new expensive sneakers, learning bad words at recess and, of course, having their sweet little heads packed full of liberal mush courtesy of the Common Core standards.
But in between the endless annual bus stop photo ops and after-school homework grumbling, please don’t lose sight of an all-important fact: you’re paying out the ass for a substandard product.
Assuming, of course, that you’re paying property taxes like I do.
The number crunchers over at NJ Spotlight recently broke down the latest statistics and what they found is staggering (though not surprising); on average, New Jersey spent $18,891 per pupil for the 2013-2014 school year, buoyed by $9 billion in direct aid from the state, representing a significant 4.8% overall spending increase from the 2011-2012 academic cycle. Since our genius politicians decided to tether property taxes and education funding, your taxes continue to climb (though somewhat less precipitously, on average, thanks to the 2.0 cap), to pay for an indoctrination program which leaves little Bobby and Susie ill-equipped to compete with the kids in China who are kicking your kids’ butts in mathematics.
Do the math. We’ve talked about it plenty of times before here at Save Jersey. That works out to almost $500,000 per class room. When the average teacher salary in N.J. is $60,000, then even when you take account of things like teacher benefits, electricity, chalk, etc., you still come nowhere close to justifying nearly $19,000 per student. Each of our kids should sport a solid gold laptop, Star Trek-style tricorder and 140 IQ score for that kind of money. But they’re not.
– See more at: https://savejersey.com/2014/09/school-student-cost-new-jersey/#sthash.lz1sai5b.dpuf
Author: James
Ridgewood teen seeking record with swim across English Channel
Ridgewood teen seeking record with swim across English Channel
SEPTEMBER 7, 2014, 1:19 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014, 3:08 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG AND JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
She spent the night alone with the water and the moon. Somewhere behind her in the darkness was a small boat, which carried food, and her parents, and a captain hired to keep her safe.
But nine hours into her swim across the English Channel, this is what 16-year-old Charlotte Samuels experienced as she lifted her mouth from the water to breathe:
Wind hitting her in the face at 8 miles an hour. Waves nearly a foot tall. The lights of the Nord de Calais, a 520-foot passenger ferry, passing at 20 miles an hour directly in her path.
And the water, always the cool salt water, pushing and tugging her in a zig-zagging S-curve across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
If she crosses the Channel successfully, Charlotte won’t simply break a world record. She’ll shatter it. At 16 she hopes to become the youngest person ever to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming, coming in two years younger than an 18-year-old Australian who broke the record just last month.
Click here to follow Charlotte’s swim in real time (via her guide boat Anastasia’s GPS) https://www.lovechannelswimming.com/swims
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/update-ridgewood-teen-seeking-record-with-swim-across-english-channel-1.1082700#sthash.fOEx55Qy.dpuf
RHS Ice Hockey Foundation
RHS Ice Hockey Foundation
The Ridgewood High School Ice Hockey Teams will be holding their annual MUM PLANT SALE, from September 1st through the 20th. Players will be calling upon Ridgewood residents and businesses asking for orders during that time. Delivery of the plants will take place the weekend of September 27th. This plant sale is the biggest fundraiser of the year and literally keeps our athletes on the ice! Please consider saying “Yes”, if a player calls on you. Thank you for your support!
Jazz Feast
Jazz Feast
September 14, 2014
Sponsored by Ridgewood Guild
The Ridgewood Guild will present the second annual Jazz Feast in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square on Sunday, September 14 from 1PM to 7PM. This years event will include food from 16 restaurants and a Beer Garden. Come enjoy the food while listening to great jazz!
Come Meet Dolley Madison at the Village Hall
Portrayed by Cynthia Janzen
Come Meet Dolley Madison at the Village Hall
Sponsored by Bergen County
A Historical Portrayal of Dolley Madison, A Presentation of American Historical Theatre – will be held in Ridgewood Village Hall Court Room on Tuesday, September 9th 11:30am to 12:30pm. All are invited to this free program.
Dolley Madison was born into a wealthy Quaker family who moved to Philadelphia to allow their daughter to be educated, perhaps at the Pine Street Meetinghouse. Dolley made great use of this education when President Thomas Jefferson, a widower, tapped her to fill the important, if unofficial, role of White House First Lady. A natural hostess, Dolley was able to converse and entertain guests from the United States and Europe at White House events. She was particularly adept at pairing the most unlikely people and sparking discussion. Dolley reprised this key role when her second husband, James Madison, became President. Her famous turban and feather acted as a lightning rod, enabling her 5’6” husband to find her in a crowd so they could compare notes and perspectives gleaned from their important guests.
Dolley’s ability to create rapport with her guests made her one of the most sought-after women of her time. Her wit, charm, education and popularity made her a trend-setter. She experimented with fashion, introduced ice cream to the United States, and hosted children’s events, introducing the Easter Egg Roll at the White House.
Cynthia Janzen has been a professional actor for the last 20 years, performing in Calgary and Vancouver Canada and in Philadelphia. She has just concluded a run of an enormously popular and heart wrenching new play in Virginia called “Kiss my Little Girls” which is scheduled to tour in 2012. For the last four years she has been portraying the remarkably affable and very intriguing Dolley Madison. Engagements include the National Portrait Gallery, Mount Vernon, National Archives and the Smithsonian.
Ridgewood Girls Volleyball reshapes its lineup
Ridgewood Girls Volleyball reshapes its lineup
September 5, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 5, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Greg Tartaglia
SPORTS EDITOR
RIDGEWOOD — The consensus remains among Ridgewood High School girls volleyball players.
When asked on Wednesday if there was one match that they most looked forward to playing this year, seniors Elyssa Gould, Erica Schultz and Niki Walker all gave the same answer.
“Paramus,” the Maroon tri-captains responded in unison.
“Paramus is a big one,” Gould said.
Like its next-door neighbor, RHS is one of the oldest programs in the state. The Maroons have compiled 620 wins since the early 1970s, and two annual matches against Paramus (New Jersey’s all-time winningest team with 794 victories) provide a good measuring stick for them.
Ridgewood has been swept by its Big North Freedom Division rival in each of the past two years, including last fall’s 11-12 campaign.
The teams’ first dual match of 2014 is slated for Sept. 16, but with plenty of other strong opponents looming before and after that, the Maroons have kept their focus on the big picture during the preseason.
Ridgewood Girls Tennis poised to make return run at a title
Ridgewood Girls Tennis poised to make return run at a title
September 5, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 5, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Matthew Birchenough
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Ridgewood High School girls tennis team begins a new season Saturday at the September Slam Tournament in Livingston, but you can’t blame the Maroons if the venue triggers at least a few reminders of last season’s greatest triumph.
RHS usurped perennial powerhouse and playoff rival Livingston as North 1, Group 4 champion last fall, knocking off the Lancers, 3-2, in the sectional final before losing in the state semifinal to Cherry Hill East, 3-2.
“Last year was a super exciting year,” head coach Medha Kirtane said prior to the team’s practice Wednesday. “The girls did such a good job achieving benchmarks and pushing themselves beyond what they even thought was possible. It’s the first time that group had ever experienced anything like that.”
Ridgewood’s 21-5 record and its first sectional championship since 2005 helped it secure the No. 2 spot in The Record Top 15 rankings.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/girls-tennis/maroon-tennis-squad-seeks-an-encore-1.1081417#sthash.gjixvwXC.dpuf
Football Preview: Ridgewood welcomes host of new faces
Football Preview: Ridgewood welcomes host of new faces
September 5, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 5, 2014, 12:31 AM
By JIM MCCONVILLE
CORRESPONDENT
RIDGEWOOD – What a difference a year makes.
Last season, the Ridgewood High School football team was built for the now, with 31 seniors and expectations of reaching the North 1, Group 5 championship game, which it did.
This season, the Maroons are building toward an uncertain future.
Not only did the bulk of their starters graduate, but four assistant coaches elected not to return, including the offensive and defensive coordinators and the line coach. In their place are a couple of old returning faces in Jim Stroker and Mark Aramburu, plus a group of younger coaches.
“We are green as the grass,” RHS head coach Chuck Johnson said. “There are a lot of unknowns, but it has really been fun so far, and I’m excited to see where this goes.”
The first Maroon victory this season will be the 200th of Johnson’s 31-year career at Ridgewood (he has 35 more wins from his six seasons at Bogota from 1978-83), but milestones are taking a back seat to player development.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/football/ridgewood-welcomes-host-of-new-faces-1.1081515#sthash.3eycR1G6.dpuf
The streets of Ridgewood are in full bloom
The streets of Ridgewood are in full bloom
SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY BETTY WIEST
Print
All I can say is, “Wow!” Surely by now you have seen the amazing amount of bountiful blooms in Ridgewood’s Central Business District (CBD). The planters are overflowing with color; the reds, the yellows, the pinks, the greens. They are plentiful and they are beautiful. The CBD has never looked so amazing! The numerous gigantic planters, overflowing with colorful cannas and countless other plants, are striking indeed.
Project Pride, The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood, The Ridgewood Conservancy for Public Lands, Ridgewood’s Department of Parks, seven local landscape contractors and many individual businesses contributed to make our streets and vest pocket areas in Ridgewood really come alive. We should all extend a hearty “Thank you!” to all who contributed to make our village gorgeous!
It is all a matter of presence and we want our residents, visitors and those who work in the village to be proud of our appearance. This is a “feel good” story. How can you not smile at all the beautiful planters as you walk around the streets in Ridgewood this summer, not to mention many of the tree wells, the planters provided by local businesses and the tremendous efforts by volunteer groups.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/recreation/the-streets-of-ridgewood-are-in-full-bloom-1.1081499#sthash.u9YqJZr3.dpuf
Emails Raise New Questions About IRS Targeting
Emails Raise New Questions About IRS Targeting
By John D. McKinnon
Judicial Watch, the conservative group, has landed another batch of emails from the Internal Revenue Service that raise new questions about the possible extent of alleged targeting of conservative groups.
The new documents could help stoke the IRS targeting story again, as lawmakers return to Washington next week.
Perhaps the most intriguing of the new documents shows that IRS officials had some sort of “secret research project” going that related to the donor lists it had collected – inappropriately, as it turned out – from many conservative nonprofit groups.
The IRS demanded the donor lists in the course of reviewing dozens of conservative groups’ applications for tax-exempt status starting in 2010. An inspector general found in 2013 that the IRS targeted many of those conservative groups for improper scrutiny, including the demands for donor identities. Democrats say some liberal groups eventually were caught up in the net as well.
Unfortunately, it’s not at all clear yet what this “secret research project” concerned. If the project involved the IRS systematically targeting conservative donors for extra scrutiny too – as some GOP lawmakers suspect – that’s a very big deal.
https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/09/04/emails-raise-new-questions-about-irs-targeting/
Top CIA officer in Benghazi delayed response to terrorist attack, US security team members claim
Top CIA officer in Benghazi delayed response to terrorist attack, US security team members claim
Published September 05, 2014
FoxNews.com
A U.S. security team in Benghazi was held back from immediately responding to the attack on the American diplomatic mission on orders of the top CIA officer there, three of those involved told Fox News’ Bret Baier.
Their account gives a dramatic new turn to what the Obama administration and its allies would like to dismiss as an “old story” – the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
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Speaking out publicly for the first time, the three were security operators at the secret CIA annex in Benghazi – in effect, the first-responders to any attack on the diplomatic compound. Their first-hand account will be told in a Fox News special, airing Friday night at 10 p.m. (EDT).
Based on the new book “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi” by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team, the special sets aside the political spin that has freighted the Benghazi issue for the last two years, presenting a vivid, compelling narrative of events from the perspective of the men who wore the “boots on the ground.”
The security contractors — Kris (“Tanto”) Paronto, Mark (“Oz”) Geist, and John (“Tig”) Tiegen — spoke exclusively, and at length, to Fox News about what they saw and did that night. Baier, Fox News’ Chief Political Anchor, asked them about one of the most controversial questions arising from the events in Benghazi: Was help delayed?
Word of the attack on the diplomatic compound reached the CIA annex just after 9:30 p.m. Within five minutes, the security team at the annex was geared up for battle, and ready to move to the compound, a mile away.
“Five minutes, we’re ready,” said Paronto, a former Army Ranger. “It was thumbs up, thumbs up, we’re ready to go.”
But the team was held back. According to the security operators, they were delayed from responding to the attack by the top CIA officer in Benghazi, whom they refer to only as “Bob.”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/09/05/top-cia-official-in-benghazi-delayed-response-to-terrorist-attack-us-security/
NRA boss LaPierre: Americans fear their country ‘off the rails’ under Obama
NRA boss LaPierre: Americans fear their country ‘off the rails’ under Obama
Wayne LaPierre’s message targets middle class worried about U.S. direction, security, freedom
Association has unleashed a multimillion-dollar TV advertising campaign that its longtime leader says is aimed at messaging beyond gun rights and reaching middle-class mothers, minorities and other Americans “who believe our country is off the rails.”
The gun lobby’s campaign, launched in the last 10 days, uncharacteristically delves into issues far beyond the Second Amendment to explore the IRS scandal, media elitism and security vulnerabilities, with a call to return “good guys” to power.
Remembering 9/11 With Good Works and Good Deeds
Join the 9/11 Day Observance today. Visit https://911day.org/ and share your message or good deed tribute. Or share your message on Twitter, #911day.
Our mission is to honor the victims and survivors of 9/11 and those that rose to service in response to the attacks by encouraging all Americans and others throughout the world to pledge to voluntarily perform at least one good deed, or another service activity on 9/11 each year.
9/11 Day is the grassroots movement to observe September 11 every year as a day of charitable service and doing good deeds, and to inspire individuals to continue to help others in need whenever they can. Today more than 35 million Americans and others participate annually by taking time out on 9/11 to help others in need, in their own way! We created this observance soon after 9/11 to provide a positive way to forever remember and pay tribute to the 9/11 victims, honor those that rose in service in response to the attacks, and remind people of the importance of working more closely together to improve our world. In 2009 the U.S. Congress and President Obama joined together to officially establish 9/11 as a National Day of Service and Remembrance under bi-partisan federal law.
Participating in 9/11 Day is easy. Simply dedicate time each September 11 to helping others in any fashion that you choose, like making a donation, performing a good deed, helping a friend, relative or neighbor, or volunteering your time. All we ask is that you remember by doing something positive that helps others. Be sure to share your plans or message on Twitter, using #911day, on Facebook, or by visiting our website, https://911day.org/
A few suggestions on how to help from the Ridgewood News :
Give blood. Donate books to a library or volunteer to read to children. Donate pet food to an animal rescue or shelter or volunteer to foster an animal. Donate food to a food pantry. Give clothes to a homeless shelter.
Companies, groups, municipalities and schools can also band together for special projects such as sponsoring a collection, volunteering time to help nonprofits in the area or just sprucing up public places.
For example, the Rotary Club of Ridgewood A.M. is collecting new and used shoes for donation to the Soles4Souls charity. The non-profit group monetizes used shoes and clothing to create sustainable jobs and fund direct relief efforts, including distribution of new shoes and clothing.
Drop off locations for the shoe drive include all Ridgewood public schools and the Education Center, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Chestnut Deli, Columbia Bank, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Morgan Stanley, Old Paramus Reformed Church, Ponds Reformed Church, Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church, Ridgewood Community Church, St. Elizabeth’s Church, Temple Emmanuel, Ulrich, the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, Upper Ridgewood Community Church, Village Hall, West Side Presbyterian Church.
For additional information about the shoe drive, contact Betty Wiest at 201-652-0858.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-editorials/a-day-to-make-a-difference-1.1081489#sthash.CddwFVWx.dpuf
Ridgewood teen plans to swim English Channel for Triple Crown today
Charlotte Samuels begins her swim, which is now scheduled for 6 p.m. UK time – 1 p.m. in New Jersey
Ridgewood teen plans to swim English Channel for Triple Crown today
SEPTEMBER 6, 2014, 12:32 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2014, 2:29 AM
BY ALLISON PRIES
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Charlotte Samuels, the 16-year-old Ridgewood girl who wants to be the youngest person to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, will attempt the final leg on Sunday by swimming across the English Channel, her mother, Suzanne Samuels, said today.
Originally she planned to begin the 21-mile swim from England to France at 5 a.m. London time—midnight in New Jersey. But every swimmer in the Channel must be accompanied by a guide boat, and the boat assigned to Samuels was running late, pushing her start time back approximately four hours, said Suzanne Samuels, Charlotte’s mother. Her mother later said they rescheduled the swim for 6 p.m. in the UK – 1 p.m. in New Jersey.
“Delays of this sort are not unusual,” Samuels said, adding that the wait was caused by a British athlete attempting to swim across using the breaststroke. “Charlotte is understandably disappointed, as are we. But at this point, the weather conditions seem to be favorable for her swim.”
Last month, exhausted by an arduous 20.2-mile swim from Catalina Island to the coast of California, Samuels said she would not attempt the English Channel crossing this year.
Traffic Impact Study to Continue for Garber Square
Traffic Impact Study to Continue for Garber Square
Ridgewood NJ, Chief John M. Ward updates residents on the process .As many of you are aware we undertook a traffic impact study from late May through the end of July. This study utilized specialized camera suits loaned to the police department at no cost by a community-policing partner Secure Watch 24. Additionally to avoid costs to our residents college interns working with the department as well as myself conducted the study. Staff from Secure Watch 24 also monitored the cameras during the period of June and July.
During the months of June and July no evidence of significant delays related to the new traffic patterns were observed. We realize that the study was conducted during the summer, and that traffic flow is generally lighter. However the study was dependent upon the availability of the camera units and interns. Unfortunately the company did need the loaned equipment to assist with event security elsewhere during the month of August.
Secure Watch 24 has again provided two camera suits (at no cost) for our continued traffic impact study. The study is scheduled to resume within the next week. We hope to gather more data now that school is back in session.
I would like to thank Secure Watch 24 for their continued assistance as well as our interns for their hard work.
Chief John M. Ward















