Author: James

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Nominating packets can be picked up for Ridgewood Council seats

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Nominating packets can be picked up for Ridgewood Council seats
Thursday February 13, 2014, 11:03 AM
BY  DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Nominating packets are now available for pickup by residents interested in running for Ridgewood Council this spring.

Two seats on the village’s governing body, each carrying a four-year term, will be up for grabs during the municipal election in May.

The Ridgewood Council is a non-partisan, five-member body that carries out the municipality’s legislative functions, including the passage of new ordinances and the approval of bills and payments, among other responsibilities. Council members, who receive an annual stipend, hold open public meetings at least twice a month and also serve on other village boards and committees.

Ridgewood’s chief executive, the village manager, is directed by the municipal council.

Residency as well as a completed nominating petition is requisite to run for council, and individuals have until March 10 to file their petitions at Village Hall.

The election will be conducted on May 13, and the two winners will be sworn into office on July 1.

Tom Riche, who is serving his second non-concurrent term with the Village Council, has not publicly expressed his decision to seek reelection. On Tuesday, he told The Ridgewood News that he was still undecided about another term, saying he is “keeping my options open.”

Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh announced in December that she will not seek reelection, choosing instead to focus on winning a bid as a Republican nominee for Bergen County freeholder. The Bergen County GOP will select its two party representatives in March, and the freeholder election takes place in November.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/245381331_Nominating_packets_can_be_picked_up_for_Ridgewood_Council_seats.html#sthash.fhqkhYcI.dpuf

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An uptick in crimes in Ridgewood, but village is still on safest lists

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photos by Boyd Loving

An uptick in crimes in Ridgewood, but village is still on safest lists
Thursday February 13, 2014, 10:57 AM
BY  DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

Ridgewood witnessed an increase in overall crimes in 2012, according to preliminary statistics for the state’s annual Uniform Crime Report (UCR), but others maintain the village’s reputation as one of the safest municipalities in the country.

The UCR is based on information provided to the New Jersey State Police by individual law enforcement agencies. In addition to statistics, the report also calculates crime rates and trends.

Representatives at the state police’s Uniform Crime Reporting Unit noted this week that the 2012 UCR has not yet been released, and statistics compiled and posted on the AG’s office website are still considered unofficial. The UCR has historically been released in the late fall with the previous year’s data, but state police have said they were behind schedule.

Agencies have already submitted 2013 crime data, though the state has not yet conducted a review of that information.

But based on the 2012 numbers, Ridgewood reported 346 incidents of crime in 2012, 25 percent more than the amount filed in 2011.

The most recent UCR statistics also show the total number of violent crimes in Ridgewood increased to 11 in 2012, up from eight incidents in 2011. In 2012, seven assaults, three robberies and one rape were reported.

The AG’s office defines a violent crime as any murder, rape, aggravated assault or robbery.

Non-violent crimes in Ridgewood also spiked through the course of 2012 – burglaries jumped by 11 percent while the number of reported larcenies increased by 45 percent, with 210 cases in 2012 compared with 144 the previous year.

The police department also recorded the theft of eight motor vehicles in 2012, three more than in 2011. Ridgewood’s 2012 reports buck the trend of decreasing overall crime.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/245379801_An_uptick_in_crimes_in_Ridgewood__but_village_is_still_on_safest_lists.html#sthash.BRJlIGq0.dpuf

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Storm Message form Chief John Ward

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Storm Message form Chief John Ward

First I would like to thank our residents for demonstrating concern and compassion for the neighbors. Throughout the day I witnessed neighbors helping neighbors. We have experienced a significant snowfall thus far with another 3-6 inches anticipated by tomorrow morning, so I am making the following requests;

I would encourage those of you with snow blowers to lend a hand to your elderly and special needs neighbors.

Please check on your neighbors to be sure they are okay.
Please continue to reframe from driving unless absolutely necessary, as road conditions will continue to be dangerous.

Please do not park your vehicles on the roadway through noon tomorrow, so our plow crews can continue to clear our streets.

Please do not throw and/or push snow onto the roadways.
Further information is available of the Village of Ridgewood website www.ridgewoodnj.net

I thank you for your continued cooperation
Chief John M. Ward

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Al Roker: politician fact-checker?

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Al Roker: politician fact-checker?

The NBC meteorologist and “Today” show host took New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to task on Thursday for criticizing the National Weather Service, tweeting that the mayor’s “poor policy” was to blame for the city’s snow response.

Al Roker        ✔ @alroker Follow

@NYCMayorsOffice says snow was faster/heavier than expected. No, Mr. Mayor. It came as predicted. Don’t blame weather for YOUR poor policy

Al Roker        ✔ @alroker Follow

How dare @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools throw NWS under the school bus. Forecast was on time and on the money

Al Roker        ✔ @alroker Follow

I knew this am @NYCMayorsOffice @NYCSchools would close schools. Talk about a bad prediction. Long range DiBlasio forecast: 1 term

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/al-roker-hits-bill-de-blasio-on-nws-remarks-103492.html#ixzz2tFD6B9gV

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NJT : Systemwide Cross-Honoring still in Effect on Friday, February 14

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NJT : Systemwide Cross-Honoring still in Effect on Friday, February 14

Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect on Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14:  To give customers additional travel options during winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring on Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14, enabling customers to use their NJ TRANSIT ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail or bus—including private bus carriers.

For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station.  Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge.  Customers using their tickets or passes to travel to a destination other than the destination printed on their original ticket will be subject to the appropriate additional fare if applicable.

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RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL HAVE A DELAYED OPENING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14

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RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL HAVE A DELAYED OPENING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14

DELAYED OPENING: Under the delayed opening plan, the school day will begin two hours later than usual. School bus schedules will operate two hours later. The morning kindergarten will be cancelled; the afternoon kindergarten will follow the regular hours. Children in grades 1-5 who have not ordered lunches must bring a bag lunch to school. There will not be sufficient time for children to go home for lunch when there is a delayed opening.

This message will be updated if necessary:

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Internet governance too US-centric, says European commission

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Internet governance too US-centric, says European commission

Commission says NSA revelations call into question US role in internet governance, which should be more global

The mass surveillance carried out by the US National Security Agency means that governance of the internet has to be made more international and less dominated by America, the European Union’s executive has declared.

Setting out proposals on how the world wide web should function and be regulated, the European commission called for a shift away from the California-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), which is subject to US law, is contracted by the US administration and is empowered to supervise how digital traffic operates.

“Recent revelations of large-scale surveillance have called into question the stewardship of the US when it comes to internet governance,” said the commission.

“Given the US-centric model of internet governance currently in place, it is necessary to broker a smooth transition to a more global model while at the same time protecting the underlying values of open multi-stakeholder governance …

“Large-scale surveillance and intelligence activities have led to a loss of confidence in the internet and its present governance arrangements.”

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/12/internet-governance-us-european-commission

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Holder: State Laws That Bar Felons From Voting Are ‘Too Unjust to Tolerate’

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Holder: State Laws That Bar Felons From Voting Are ‘Too Unjust to Tolerate’
February 12, 2014 – 7:11 AM
By Susan Jones

(CNSNews.com) – Three days after announcing that the U.S. Justice Department will recognize same-sex marriages in all legal matters, even in states that forbid it, Attorney General Eric Holder took a swipe at states that don’t allow felons to vote.

“In many states, felony disenfranchisement laws are still on the books. And the current scope of these policies is not only too significant to ignore — it is also too unjust to tolerate,” Holder told a criminal justice forum at Georgetown University Law Center.

Holder urged lawmakers “to stand together in overturning an unfortunate and outdated status quo.” And he called on the American people “to join us in bringing about the end of misguided policies that unjustly restrict what’s been called the ‘most basic right’ of American citizenship.”

– See more at: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/holder-state-laws-bar-felons-voting-are-too-unjust-tolerate#sthash.nu3SbENf.R0D5CHx2.dpuf

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Repeatedly raising the debt ceiling,offers a glimpse into the very real and very sad state of our nation’s finances.

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Repeatedly raising the debt ceiling, offers a glimpse into the very real and very sad state of our nation’s finances.

Garrett Statement on Debt Ceiling Vote
Feb 12, 2014

Washington, DC – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Budget Committee and Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, issued the following statement after voting against raising the debt ceiling on Tuesday night:

“Repeatedly raising the debt ceiling, as if it’s just a tedious task that must be dealt with, offers a glimpse into the very real and very sad state of our nation’s finances.  While this bill has been heralded as a ‘no strings attached’ debt limit increase, the reality is there are strings attached and they’re directly attached to our children and grandchildren’s future.

“Politically, it is much easier to avoid the trillion dollar elephant in the room. But the cycle of borrowing and spending and borrowing more cannot continue indefinitely.  The longer it goes on, the worse the problem will get, and the harder it will be to solve.  It would be better to solve the problem now by cutting spending and adopting a plan to balance the budget in the near future with specific, achievable goals.  Sadly, the political will to do so does not abide in this Congress.”

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If Only a Snow Shovel Could Dig Us Out of This

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If Only a Snow Shovel Could Dig Us Out of This
Amy Payne
February 13, 2014 at 6:30 am

Thanks to Congress, the U.S. now doesn’t have a debt limit for the next year. Let two Heritage experts put this into perspective.

“President Obama, after less than five years in office, has already increased the debt limit by more than any other president in U.S. history, including President George W. Bush over eight years in office,” report Romina Boccia and Michael Sargent, authors of the newly updated Federal Budget in Pictures.

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For the next year, now that Congress has given Obama a blank check, we’ll be following the borrowing and the spending and all the debt Washington is piling on Americans. The national debt, at $17.3 trillion, already exceeds $140,000 per household.

Sargent and Boccia, the Grover M. Hermann Fellow, teamed up with Heritage’s Senior Data Graphics Editor John Fleming to bring us 20 charts that will convince you the country’s in trouble.

There are some scary fiscal times ahead.

Imagine all of America and all of the taxes people pay to the federal government every year. Do you have an overwhelming idea in your mind? Just 16 years from now, ALL of that money will pay for just two things: entitlement programs and interest on the debt.

All of it.

The entitlement programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare’s new entitlements. So if you think anything is important besides these mammoth entitlement programs—like national defense, a real constitutional priority—Congress needs to get going on some major reforms.

These are just a few of the mind-boggling facts you can see and share—if you dare—in this visual resource. Find out where your tax money went and get the latest on Obamacare’s tax hikes.

https://blog.heritage.org/2014/02/13/debt-limit-increase-national-debt-piling-on/

 

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Teenagers in the United States are experiencing higher levels of stress than many adults, USA Today reported.

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Teenagers in the United States are experiencing higher levels of stress than many adults, USA Today reported.

Posted: Feb 12, 2014 7:25 AM EST Updated: Feb 12, 2014 11:30 AM EST
By FOX News

As a part of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Stress in America survey, more than 1,000 teenagers and 2,000 adults answered questions about their overall stress levels and coping habits. Though the APA has conducted similar surveys in the past, this was the first to focus specifically on stress among teenagers.

Overall, the survey revealed that 27 percent of teenagers reported feeling “extreme stress” during the school year, compared to 20 percent of adults.

While levels of “extreme stress” among teens fell to 13 percent over the summer months, 34 percent of teens surveyed said they expected their stress levels to increase over the next year due to a variety of stressors, including school, work, family and friends.

“The last two years in high school have been the most stressful for me and my friends,” survey participant Hannah Sturgill, 18, of Portsmouth, Ohio told USA Today. “We have to do everything and be perfect for colleges and we have a big workload. Most of the time we talk about how stressed we are.”

Many of the teenagers surveyed said they were suffering from irritability or angriness (40 percent), nervousness or anxiety (36 percent) or depression and sadness (33 percent) because of their stress. Sturgill told USA Today she sometimes skips meals because of high levels of stress.

Read more: https://www.myfoxdc.com/story/24701111/us-teens-more-stressed-than-adults#ixzz2tCGJaTwa
Follow us: @fox5newsdc on Twitter | myfoxdc on Facebook

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N.J. renews support for Common Core learning goals

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N.J. renews support for Common Core learning goals
Wednesday February 12, 2014, 9:43 PM
BY  LESLIE BRODY
STAFF WRITER
The Record

The state Board of Education voted on Wednesday to express its commitment to the Common Core, a set of guidelines for what children should learn that has sparked opposition from some parents.

The standards, adopted by New Jersey in 2010 and phased into classrooms more recently, face critics from various points of the political spectrum nationwide. Some argue that they represent federal overreach. Others say they overemphasize testing or will be too daunting for already struggling students.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_renews_support_for_Common_Core_learning_goals.html#sthash.FvuVBOCI.dpuf

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Reader urges caution for Schedler development do to its uniqueness

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Reader urges caution for Schedler development  do to its uniqueness
Jane S

I didn’t ask them to build or not to build anything in particular. I only asked that the Council be aware of its geographical reality (for lack of a better description) before they decide on anything.

The property is right on the highway. A parking lot, especially if it has lights and no developed police presence, is an obvious spot for drug sales. You’d pull in, buy or sell drugs and be back on Rte. 17 and in NY in minutes.

It wouldn’t be like trouble at Vets Field or the high school. It’s a bit remote and off the radar. #4, I’d agree that people might use spike in crime, child safety, pedestrian safety, etc. to win other arguments, but this is one of the most unique spots in town and as such makes it worthy of extra caution.

Hotwire US

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Reader Suggests Locating a Town Garage at the Schedler Property

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Reader Suggests Locating a Town Garage at the Schedler Property 

Not sure if we really need a third firehouse to handle the half a dozen fires we have in town each year but if we combined it with a police station to handle the increase in the size of the police force it might be cost effective. If the police were stationed there it would also stop the spike in crime.

A town garage would be a perfect use for that property. With the easy on/off access from Rt. 17 the Village could move all of its trucks, loaders, and equipment over there. Sanitation could move all of their garbage trucks over there as well as the recycling that is currently behind the fire house. There would be plenty of room for storage of sand and salt and I would bet there is even room for the mulching unit that property is so big. The Village could explore a joint usage agreement with the BOE who could store all of their trucks, mowers, tractors, and plows there as well and get that stuff out from behind BF where it takes up a lot of parking spaces and looks like hell. With the property completely fenced in with 10 foot high privacy fencing and a police substation, crime would not be a problem. It would also be a natural spot for the cell tower that is currently across Rt. 17 and is causing so much consternation. I think the cell tower would be a revenue generator as well.

With the recycling moved from behind the firehouse that land could be allowed to return to its natural state and Village’s net open space remains the same. The brook that carries the treated sewage water from Waldwick will then be able to flood and not damage any Village vehicles.

Thankfully the Village Council has not accepted the Village Engineering Dept’s plan for a multi-use park that contains an athletic field that might have been used a couple of hours a day. Although many residents could have used such a facility, by using the property for a multi-use Municipal Garage, Firehouse, Police Substation, Recycling Center, and Storage area everyone in town will benefit from a reduction in taxes as well as the revenue from the cell tower. Brilliant!

I would recommend that the plans for such a facility be drawn up as quickly as possible. Once the snow and ice are gone construction could begin as early as this spring and the site could be fully functioning by late fall.