Author: James

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After Albano Stumble ,his Supporters take to Name Calling

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After Albano Stumble ,his Supporters take to Name Calling 

Our Guess is these are the same people who sent the Anonymous Email to Mike Sedon’s boss 

But it was obvious it was a set up ! All I’m saying is I’m sure ms Knudsen is not perfect ! She was in on it.

RIdgewood is now filed with a bunch of loony nouveau riche fleabags!!! And Ms. Reynolds and Ms. Knudsen lead the pack. Ms. Reynolds needs to get a life! I grew up in Ridgewood and it is not what it used to be. I made a conscious decision not to live in that town and raise my family because of the type of people that live there.
Anyone with half a brain could see last night that Mr. Albano was set up What does that say about Ms. Knudsen’s character ??

GREAT, no matter what happens we are going to get a newbie in town or possibly two on the council. One who has been here a whole 4 years or the other who has been here 15 years. Neither know the history of this town! This is a real recipe for success. NOT

If you ask me Knudsen came of condescending and arrogant. Didn’t she run for a spot on the BOE or was that her BFF Reynolds and didn’t get elected??? As far as Sedon, he looked like Knudsen’s lap dog….

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Candidates for Ridgewood Council air views at forum

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Candidates for Ridgewood Council air views at forum

MAY 1, 2014    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014, 1:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Voters will select two new members to the Village Council in just two weeks, so they packed a forum to meet the three candidates hoping to earn their support.

It was standing room only in Village Hall for Tuesday’s event, which was organized and hosted by the League of Women Voters.

James Albano, Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon aired their individual views on a variety of village issues, ranging from Ridgewood’s decades-long parking dearth to Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion.

“I believe the idea of a stacked parking deck [as part of the plans] is very troubling and concerning,” Knudsen said of Valley’s proposal to nearly double in size, providing 454 private rooms with 12-foot-high ceilings.

“It will forever change the charm and character of the neighborhood,” said Knudsen, vice chairwoman of Board of Adjustment, who has lived in Ridgewood for 15 years.

Knudsen said the village ordinance providing “interested parties” the freedom to request changes to Ridgewood’s master plan “must be repealed.”

Sedon, a freelance journalist who once worked at the Ridgewood News, said it “is not OK to ask too much of your neighbors and overburden them, and this expansion project is doing that.”

Sedon has lived in the village with his wife and three children since 2010.

Albano, who lives in the neighborhood surrounding Valley Hospital, said hospital and village officials “need to find common ground” on the proposal, but agreed the “neighbors’ concerns need to come first.”

Albano, a 42-year Ridgewood resident, serves as board president of the Ridgewood Baseball Softball Association.

Parking problems have persisted in Ridgewood since “there have been automobiles,” Sedon said, adding that he supports installing second tiers for parking above existing lots in Ridgewood rather than a large parking garage in town that “will concentrate all the cars, concentrate all the traffic, and create havoc.”

Knudsen also supports a “two-tier parking system,” but also advocated “reconfiguring existing parking to get more spots.”

Albano said he thinks a parking garage in the Central Business District would help keep downtown vibrant.

All three candidates placed an importance on stabilizing taxes while maintaining service levels, and agreed government should be both sensible and efficient.

All three also agreed that three high-density, multiple-unit housing projects before the Planning Board would negatively affect the village and fundamentally change Ridgewood’s character.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/hospital-expansion-parking-lead-forum-1.1006839#sthash.JA3mDsPS.dpuf

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US economy slowed to 0.1 percent growth rate in Q1

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US economy slowed to 0.1 percent growth rate in Q1

Apr 30, 9:38 AM (ET)

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy slowed drastically in the first three months of the year as a harsh winter exacted a toll on business activity. The slowdown, while worse than expected, is likely to be temporary as growth rebounds with warmer weather.

Growth slowed to a barely discernible 0.1 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That was the weakest pace since the end of 2012 and was down from a 2.6 percent rate in the previous quarter.

Many economists said the government’s first estimate of growth in the January-March quarter was skewed by weak figures early in the quarter. They noted that several sectors — from retail sales to manufacturing output — rebounded in March. That strength should provide momentum for the rest of the year.

And on Friday, economists expect the government to report a solid 200,000-plus job gain for April.

(AP) In this March 26, 2014 picture, Jon Wyand works on a truck engine assembly line at…
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“While quarter one was weak, many measures of sentiment and output improved in March and April, suggesting that the quarter ended better than it began,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief investment strategist at global financial services firm BTIG.

Still, the anemic growth last quarter is surely a topic for discussion at the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting, which ends Wednesday afternoon. No major changes are expected in a statement the Fed will release. But it will likely announce a fourth reduction in its monthly bond purchases because of the gains the economy has been making. The Fed’s bond purchases have been intended to keep long-term loan rates low.

https://apnews.myway.com/article/20140430/us-economy-gdp-09b1567225.html

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Two members step down from advisory panel on Bergen County police merger

Two members step down from advisory panel on Bergen County police merger

APRIL 29, 2014, 8:40 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2014, 8:40 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

A panel picked to advise the Bergen County freeholders on a contested police merger has lost two local law enforcement officials to a standoff between the board and the County Police Chief’s Association.

Cresskill Police Chief Edward Wrixon and Paramus Deputy Chief Robert Guidetti had been tapped to be part of the eight-member group that was asked to advise the freeholders on how to implement a contested merger that would move the 89-member County Police as an intact division into the Sheriff’s Office.

But both men have indicated to the freeholders that they will not be taking part in the panel after Mahwah Chief James Batelli, the current president of the chief’s association, questioned why his group was not consulted on the makeup of the panel.

The departure of Wrixon and Guidetti leaves the panel without any active-duty municipal police chiefs, although it does have a retired chief plus law enforcement officials from other agencies.

“I was sorry to hear that the chiefs association has asked these gentlemen to step down and not serve,” Freeholder Tracy Zur, head of the board’s shared services committee said Tuesday. “They brought a dynamic that would have been very helpful.”

“I find it unfortunate that they are forced to choose between the president of the chiefs’ association and public service,” Zur added. “We will move forward with other experienced law enforcement officials who are not active chiefs to stop the politicization of the process.”

Batelli, who has criticized the proposed merger, disputed Zur’s claim.

“That’s not the case,” he said. “There wasn’t any pressure put on the chiefs to not participate. What was said was that we wanted to do it as an association.”

Batelli said he understood Zur’s position that the committee is simply there to help the freeholders implement the details of a merger and that a large group of chiefs would prove unwieldy and unworkable. He also noted that within the association, the opinions of chiefs vary on the merits of the merger.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/two-members-step-down-from-advisory-panel-on-bergen-county-police-merger-1.1005379#sthash.xayjDy90.dpuf

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Seeking Residents to Volunteer for Ridgewood Boards and Committees

Seeking Residents to Volunteer for Ridgewood Boards and Committees

TO SERVE ON THE COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY BOARD, PLANNING BOARD, ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RIDGEWOOD ARTS COUNCIL, AND RIDGEWOOD SHADE TREE COMMISSION.

The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Community Center Advisory Board, the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Financial Advisory Committee, the Ridgewood Arts Council, and The Shade Tree Commission.

The Community Center Advisory Board develops policies and procedures for the operation of the Community Center facility and assists in the fulfillment of the County Municipal Alliance Grant requirements. Membership includes: Senior Citizen residents; adult residents with children in the school system; and adult residents with no children in the school system.

The Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivision applications; prepares, adopts, and amends the Master Plan; makes recommendations to the Village Council regarding amendments to developmental regulations and the official map.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment hears variance applications and appeals from rulings and determinations arising from the enforcement of Village zoning ordinances.

The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.

The Ridgewood Arts Council will assist in the promotion of and encourage artistic and cultural programs and will provide for educational opportunities in the areas of art and culture. The Ridgewood Arts Council will also provide advice, guidance, and recommendations to the Village Council, as needed.

The Shade Tree Commission works closely with the Parks and Recreation Department, the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Green Team to promote awareness and education of the residents as well as advise and provide recommendations to the Village Council in promoting and sustaining a safe and productive shade tree resource. Members will preferably have forestry or tree backgrounds or hold the designation of a certified Arborist.

All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board(s) the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:

Heather Mailander, Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07451

Deadline for submissions is May 16, 2014

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China poised to pass US as world’s leading economic power this year

China poised to pass US as world’s leading economic power this year

By Chris Giles, Economics Editor

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d79ffff8-cfb7-11e3-9b2b-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz30MANB8ou

The US is on the brink of losing its status as the world’s largest economy, and is likely to slip behind China this year, sooner than widely anticipated, according to the world’s leading statistical agencies.

The US has been the global leader since overtaking the UK in 1872. Most economists previously thought China would pull ahead in 2019.

https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d79ffff8-cfb7-11e3-9b2b-00144feabdc0.html#axzz30MADL0WC

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Welcome to the Finger-Wagging Olympics

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Welcome to the Finger-Wagging Olympics

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar @kaj33
April 28, 2014

It’s time to look at ourselves — and our collective moral outrage — in the mirror, says former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Moral outrage is exhausting. And dangerous. The whole country has gotten a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome from the newest popular sport of Extreme Finger Wagging. Not to mention the neck strain from Olympic tryouts for Morally Superior Head Shaking. All over the latest in a long line of rich white celebrities to come out of the racist closet. (Was it only a couple days ago that Cliven Bundy said blacks would be better off picking cotton as slaves? And only last June Paula Deen admitted using the “N” word?)

MORE

Los Angeles Is Too Weak to Make Donald Sterling RepentSoccer Star Dani Alves Eats Banana That Was Thrown At Him As a Racist TauntMen Charged With Toppling Ancient Rock Formation Avoid Jail Time Huffington PostHere’s An Updated Tally Of All The People Who Have Ever Died From A Marijuana Overdose Huffington PostIt’ll Be Another Girl for Joe Nichols People

Yes, I’m angry, too, but not just about the sins of Donald Sterling. I’ve got a list. But let’s start with Sterling. I used to work for him, back in 2000 when I coached for the Clippers for three months. He was congenial, even inviting me to his daughter’s wedding. Nothing happened or was said to indicate he suffered from IPMS (Irritable Plantation Master Syndrome). Since then, a lot has been revealed about Sterling’s business practices:

2006: U.S. Dept. of Justice sued Sterling for housing discrimination. Allegedly, he said, “Black tenants smell and attract vermin.”
2009: He reportedly paid $2.73 million in a Justice Dept. suit alleging he discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and families with children in his rentals. (He also had to pay an additional nearly $5 million in attorneys fees and costs due to his counsel’s “sometimes outrageous conduct.”)
2009: Clippers executive (and one of the greatest NBA players in history) sued for employment discrimination based on age and race.

And now the poor guy’s girlfriend (undoubtedly ex-girlfriend now) is on tape cajoling him into revealing his racism. Man, what a winding road she led him down to get all of that out. She was like a sexy nanny playing “pin the fried chicken on the Sambo.” She blindfolded him and spun him around until he was just blathering all sorts of incoherent racist sound bites that had the news media peeing themselves with glee.

They caught big game on a slow news day, so they put his head on a pike, dubbed him Lord of the Flies, and danced around him whooping.

https://time.com/79590/donald-sterling-kareem-abdul-jabbar-racism/

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Let’s Stay Acquainted…Ridgewood Seniors Invited….Thursday, May 1!

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Let’s Stay Acquainted…Ridgewood Seniors Invited….Thursday, May 1!

Let’s Stay Acquainted…

Thursday, May 1st

All Ridgewood resident seniors are invited to join Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck for an opportunity to meet, share thoughts, participate in an activity and enjoy a light lunch. 

The event will take place on Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 12 noon in the Anne Zusy Youth Lounge in the Community Center, located at 131 N. Maple Ave. The “North Jersey English Country Dancers”, complete with live musicians, including a fiddle player, a pianist and a caller, will be here to play and get you up dancing to some English Country Dance tunes. Participation is expected. English Country Dance is a form of regency through socialization, interaction, history and entertainment. Please come join us!

There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required and bus transportation is available. Registration can be done in person, by mail, or by calling The Stable at 201-670-5560 or The Community Center at 201-670-5500, ext 301. Bus reservations can be made by calling 201-670-5500, ext 200, but please call by Tuesday, 4pm.

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Old Paramus Reformed Church : T’ai Chi Chih Course Starts May 12

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Old Paramus Reformed Church :  T’ai Chi Chih Course Starts May 12

T’ai Chi Chih Enhances balance, redistributes energy, has been helpful in lowering blood pressure 

T’ai Chi Chih Course Begins at OPRC A new 8 week session of T’ai Chi Chih will begin Monday, May 12, running through June 30, 2014. This form of 19 gentle movements is beneficial in a variety of ways. It enhances balance, redistributes energy, has been helpful in lowering blood pressure and in general strengthening. The practice is led by certified instructor, Bill Moore, who is well known locally for his skilled teaching. 

The class is from 7 to 8 p.m. The cost for the entire course is $40, payable on or before the first session. The location is Old Paramus Church’s Education Building, located at 660 East Glen Ave., at Rt. 17 South in Ridgewood. Members of the community are welcome to participate. To register, call the church office Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at 201-444-5933.

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Candidates Night for Municipal Election Is Tonight !

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Candidates Night for Municipal Election Is Tonight  

Tuesday, April 29th at 7:30PM

Meet the 3 candidates for Village Council and hear their views! 

The League of Women Voters is holding Candidates Night for the Village Council on Tuesday, April 29 at The Village Hall , Fourth Floor, 131 North Maple Avenue at 7:30.. There are three candidates vying for two open Village Council seats: James Albano, Susan Knudsen and Michael Sedon. There will also be television coverage on Channel 77 for Cablevision users and Channel 34 for Fios users. The League of Women Voters of Ridgewood is a NON PARTISAN, yet political organization whose members become active and informed participants in government. 

The Ridgewood Municipal Election will take place Tuesday, May 13.

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Christie may cut budget to close growing shortfall, Treasury says

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Christie may cut budget to close growing shortfall, Treasury says

TRENTON — New Jersey’s budget shortfall will grow to a staggering $807 million at the end of April, state officials announced Monday while warning of a fiscal emergency that could force Gov. Chris Christie to make deep and unexpected cuts to several programs.

The state Treasury, in a rare announcement last night, said the Republican governor is bracing for a tough financial blow when the month wraps up tomorrow. Despite the setback, Christie “will take any and all actions necessary” to find the money to shore up his $32.2 billion budget — even if it means slashing property tax rebates or other programs, Treasury indicated.

An early look at major tax revenues by Treasury officials showed the state will be $600 million short of Christie’s estimates for April. (Rizzo/Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/04/christie_may_cut_budget_to_close_growing_shortfall_treasury_says.html#incart_river

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Flood Watch for Bergen County – Wednesday PM to Thursday AM

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Flood Watch for Bergen County – Wednesday PM to Thursday AM

Advisory: Flood Watch in effect for Bergen Co. area from Wed. Afternoon thru Thurs. Morning.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS…IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD COUNTY. IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…BERGEN…ESSEX…HUDSON…PASSAIC AND UNION COUNTIES. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…ALL OF NEW YORK CITY…AND ROCKLAND…WESTCHESTER AND NASSAU COUNTIES. 

* FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. 

* RAIN WITH AN APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM SHOULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES BY LATE DAY WEDNESDAY. FLOODING OF URBAN…LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE AS EARLY AS THE WEDNESDAY EVENING RUSH HOUR…WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN EXPECTED BY THAT TIME. 

* AS THE HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES WEDNESDAY NIGHT…STORM TOTAL RAINFALL WILL INCREASE TO 3 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS…INCREASING THE THREAT OF WIDESPREAD…SIGNIFICANT URBAN…LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING…AS WELL AS FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS. 

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING 
DEVELOP.

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Ridgewood Municipal Alliance to host conference for parents

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Ridgewood Municipal Alliance to host conference for parents

APRIL 28, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014, 12:32 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER

Should you friend your child on Facebook? What about knowing their social media passwords? Does “everybody” else let their child have a cell phone, drink or freely go on social media sites? Are most other parents really “more trusting” than you?

These are just a few of the questions facing parents today, and the Ridgewood Municipal Alliance believes “it takes a village” to tackle them.

Village leaders, including local parents, educators, religious leaders and the police chief, want the community to come together and establish new norms for raising young people in the modern world. As a start, the Municipal Alliance is offering its third dinner and conversation meeting in the Ridgewood High School (RHS) Campus Center at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29. Called the “Community Wellness Conference: Keeping Connected, Healthy Families, Healthy Community,” the event is for parents of children in eighth grade through high school.

Forums offered to the community in 2007 and 2011 involved panels of experts; this conference will feature one keynote speaker, psychologist Tim Silvestri. Parents, who will be served a dinner catered by It’s Greek To Me, will be breaking off into groups for facilitated discussion led by local community leaders.

Parents of older children are being targeted for this discussion because their children are now “seeking more freedom,” said Municipal Alliance Chair Sheila Brogan, a mother of three who also serves as president of the Ridgewood Board of Education. And eighth grade parents may especially want to take note: Benjamin Franklin Middle School Principal Tony Orsini, another alliance member, pointed out that the “the most at-risk time for a lot of kids is that summer between eighth and ninth grade,” because of all of the free time, and increased freedoms, that students enjoy at that time.

Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward, an alliance committee member, said, “This is the first step of starting a positive dialogue.” As a parent himself, Ward noted that he understands what it’s like for a child to say “you don’t trust me” in response to rules. But “if we set up that this is the ‘new norm,’ that’s not a matter of trust,” he said.

And this is the purpose of the alliance: having the community work together to reduce negative behaviors.

According to the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, which provides grant money to local alliances, about 400 of these groups have been established by municipal ordinance in more than 530 municipalities in New Jersey with the aim of reducing local alcohol and drug use. Ridgewood’s committee, which has existed for at least 20 years, is represented by individuals from the Ridgewood Police Department, The Valley Hospital, Share House, Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, Renfrew Center, Juvenile Conference Committee, Federated Home and School Association and Ridgewood Guild, among others.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/ridgewood-municipal-alliance-to-host-conference-for-parents-1.1004457#sthash.cJYBkvOR.dpuf

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Agreement between American Dream developers and North Jersey labor unions announced

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Agreement between American Dream developers and North Jersey labor unions announced

APRIL 28, 2014, 8:10 AM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014, 10:55 PM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

More than three years after Governor Christie came to the Meadowlands Sports Complex to trumpet a new vision for the stalled McGreevey Xanadu shopping and entertainment project, he returned on Monday to unveil revised plans with officials from Triple Five, the new developer of the revamped project now dubbed American Dream Meadowlands.

The latest announcement came with plenty of new details, including a revised opening date target of fall 2016; the unveiling of a planned 20-story “drop ride” billed as the world’s tallest; and renderings of the proposed 639,000-square-foot indoor amusement park and water park that will feature 80-foot-high glass walls that allow drivers on nearby highways to see in — and park revelers to see out.

Joining Christie were countless construction workers, including more than 100 who stood behind the governor as he promised to make sure that Triple Five will prioritize “getting that ugly outside [color scheme] the hell off the building.”

The features

Key components of American Dream Meadowlands, according to the project developer’s website and previous announcements this year:

More than 400 retailers, restaurants, and services, including “global retail |influenced by high streets from Bond Street to La Rambla to Soho”
639,000-square-foot indoor amusement park and water park complex
Indoor ski and snowboard park |12 stories high and 800 feet long
Observation wheel similar to the |London Eye
200-foot “drop ride” similar to |bungee jumping
Performing arts center that seats 2,400 to 3,000
National Hockey League-sized |ice rink
180,000-square-foot movie complex with more than 5,000 seats |(700 of them VIP)
Aquarium featuring more than 10,000 “sea creatures”
18-hole miniature golf course

The event provided Christie with an opportunity to come through on a pledge he made to construction workers when they endorsed his reelection last year: to put them back on the job. The Republican governor secured the support of many unions, including Laborers International Union of North America, which had backed Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine four years earlier. The unions cited Christie’s vocal support of American Dream and other developments as well as his signing of the New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act, which offers corporate tax breaks to companies that create and retain jobs in the state. Many Laborers’ Union workers were noticeable in the audience, clad in orange T-shirts.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/agreement-between-american-dream-developers-and-north-jersey-labor-unions-announced-1.1004344#sthash.NBJJ48lc.dpuf

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N.J. budget shortfall grows to $800 million

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N.J. budget shortfall grows to $800 million

Faltering New Jersey Economy mean lower tax collections
Looming Budget Cuts  

APRIL 28, 2014, 5:27 PM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2014, 11:06 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
THE RECORD

Governor Christie’s predictions for tax collections have missed the mark, amounting to an $800 million shortfall that leaves little time and few places for the governor and lawmakers to find savings.

Christie, a Republican who preaches fiscal discipline, has been forced into several budget fixes in recent years to offset missed revenue projections and not break the state constitution’s requirement for a balanced budget. Last year, Treasury delayed about $400 million in property tax relief, and earlier this year the state cut spending by $700 million through a series of lapses and other adjustments.

On Monday, state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff announced the latest bad fiscal news and warned of new budget cuts and “impounding budgeted appropriations.” He said more details would be released in a few weeks.

In past years, governors have delayed school aid and held back pension contributions to alleviate last-minute shortfalls. Sidamon-Eristoff would only say Monday that budget changes will be announced when he comes before lawmakers again on May 21 and 22.

“The state will take any and all actions necessary to offset the reductions in anticipated revenues, including the identification of additional lapses and savings opportunities, as well as the exercise of the full range and scope of executive authority, including, but not limited to, reserving and/or impounding budgeted appropriations,” Sidamon-Eristoff said in a news release.

Christie’s prior budget changes drew the attention of Wall Street ratings agency Standard & Poor’s, which cited the governor’s “bullish revenue assumptions” and the frequent use of “one-time measures” as factors in the downgrading of New Jersey’s credit rating announced earlier this month.

The agency also warned another ratings downgrade could come if forecasted growth estimates “fail to materialize.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-budget-shortfall-grows-to-800-million-1.1004688#sthash.Rhw6RI7h.dpuf