Ridgewood Council accepts funds to fix Stable
Thursday November 14, 2013, 3:45 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The village has accepted philanthropist David Bolger’s donation to fund upgrades to the Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department headquarters, located adjacent to Graydon Pool at the Lester Stable.
Ridgewood Council members unanimously passed a resolution on Wednesday authorizing receipt of the Bolger Foundation’s gift, which states that it will pay the balance for pending improvements to the Stable. The proposed work, which was detailed earlier this fall, includes the installation of new restrooms and a meeting room as well as updates to the kitchen area.
This week’s resolution also mandates the implementation of a construction agreement between the foundation and village, explained Ridgewood Village Attorney Matt Rogers. The agreement, the terms of which were not set in stone at press time, will state that both entities would work jointly to complete the renovation project.
This is the biggest financial decision made in Ridgewood every year. Voters should be asked to give their approval. If this role is eliminated, the gulf in perspective and priorities between Ridgewood residents on the one hand, and the Ridgewood school district and its safely-ensconced bureaucrats on the other, already large, will only widen, much to our disadvantage.
Voting to approve or disapprove of our school budget in Ridgewood is the essence of local self-government. This has always has been a strong NJ tradition and now is no time to discard it. It is also reasonable to view BOE trustees as the agents of the voters and taxpayers in Ridgewood, much as the some of the existing trustees may tend to cringe at that description.
Accordingly, the BOE trustees should not be permitted to give themselves the final word in whether or how to spend 80+ million dollars annually or to increase spending YOY versus holding the line if financial circumstances warrant and the taxpayers are strapped. BOE trustees, this resident asks that you maintain the status quo on the Ridgewood school district’s annual budget vote. Ridgewood residents need that authority and the BOE trustees don’t need to tinker with it!
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Two vehicles wrecked, but no one injured in late day Ridgewood crash
November 14, 2013
Boyd A. Loving
5:04 PM
Ridgewood NJ, Two passenger vehicles collided at the intersection of North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue at approximately 4:15 PM on Thursday. Both drivers, and a passenger in one of the vehicles, escaped without injury. However, the two vehicles involved were far less fortunate; both were unable to move on their own and had to be towed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Ridgewood FD firefighters attended to a minor fluid spill while Ridgewood PD patrol officers investigated the incident.
Obamacare fix for canceled health policies could raise costs: insurers
WASHINGTON Thu Nov 14, 2013 1:23pm EST
(Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s fix for canceled health plans could “destabilize” the insurance market and lead to higher costs for consumers without further steps, America’s Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group, said on Thursday.
“Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the (Obamacare) law could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums,” AHIP President Karen Ignagni said in a statement.
Last week, President Obama apologized for misleading the American public with his false claim that “if you like your insurance, you can keep it.” Without this assurance, it is unlikely ObamaCare would have passed. Obama was not the only politician fudging the truth. Most Democrat lawmakers repeated this claim on the campaign trail and in meetings with constituents. If Obama apologized, they should as well, as they are equally culpable.
Breitbart News has compiled a list of the Top 10 Senate Democrats who should follow Obama’s lead and apologize to the American public. These particular lawmakers either went all-in on the false claim for partisan reasons or were in a position to know that millions of Americans would not be able to keep their health insurance.
If a reader interprets this list as a guide for whom to call in Congress, so be it.
10. SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D-LA): 9. SEN. KAY HAGAN (D-NC):. 8. SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK): 7. SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO): 6. SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): 5. SEN. TOM HARKIN (D-IA): “ 4. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): 3. SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): 2.SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): 1. SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT):
Just as the media and the White House knew and covered up the fact that CommieCare would devastate the individual market, they know and are now covering up the fact that the Obama administration itself has predicted that once CommieCare’s employer mandate hits in about 14 months, tens of millions could lose the insurance President Obama relentlessly reassured them they could keep:
Paper biodegradable leaf bags are available for pick up at:
Village Hall, The Stable and the Recycling Center (behind Fire Headquarters, 201 E. Glen Ave.)
There is a limit of 10 bags per household while supplies last. All bags should be placed directly in the street on your scheduled collection date. Bags will NOT be collected off the curb.
Reminder – when possible please do not park cars on the street or near piles during scheduled collection dates.
FALL LEAF COLLECTION – REMINDERS
With the start of leaf season and the winter season fast approaching – Village Crews are asking all residents for their assistance for this program to be successful.
On RECYCLING and BULK days please place containers on your property and not directly in the street.
When possible please DO NOT PARK CARS IN THE STREET on scheduled leaf collection dates so that piles can effectively be pushed and picked up safely.
A reminder that leaves are to be placed directly in the street no more than 7 days prior to your collection date.
No leaves are to be placed within 10 feet from any catch basin. Updates will be posted when necessary
New plan to lower stroke, heart risk would double number of Americans on pills
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 Last updated: Tuesday November 12, 2013, 11:44 PM
MARILYNN MARCHIONE
Associated Press
“Statins also appear to reduce cardiovascular events through stabilizing the blood vessels and preventing plaques from rupturing. We’re don’t know exactly how — they might work as anti-inflammatories,” Montgomery said. “Heart attacks and strokes are not caused just by having plaques, they happen when plaques rupture.” – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/US_doctors_urge_wider_use_of_cholesterol_drugs.html#sthash.xw4Uy7Iy.dpuf
“Statins also appear to reduce cardiovascular events through stabilizing the blood vessels and preventing plaques from rupturing. We’re don’t know exactly how — they might work as anti-inflammatories,” Montgomery said. “Heart attacks and strokes are not caused just by having plaques, they happen when plaques rupture.” Dr. David Montgomery, director of cardiology at The Valley Hospital
The nation’s first new guidelines in a decade for preventing heart attacks and strokes call for twice as many Americans — one-third of all adults — to consider taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
The guidelines, issued Tuesday by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, are a big change. They use a new formula for estimating someone’s risk that includes many factors besides cholesterol, the main focus now. They take aim at strokes, not just heart attacks. And they set a lower threshold for using medicines to reduce risk.
“This is the controversy that has been going on for many, many years — some think statins should be in the water, that everyone should have them,” said Dr. Jeffrey Matican, chief of cardiology at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. “But they do have side effects, and finding that line is the art of medicine instead of the science.”
The definition of high cholesterol isn’t changing, but the treatment goal is. Instead of aiming for a specific number, using whatever drugs get a patient there, the advice stresses statins such as Lipitor and Zocor and identifies four groups of people they help the most.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/US_doctors_urge_wider_use_of_cholesterol_drugs.html#sthash.xw4Uy7Iy.dpuf
Ex-Fed official: ‘I’m sorry for QE’
Published: Tuesday, 12 Nov 2013 | 6:45 PM ET
By: Bruno J. Navarro | Online Producer
There’s a real question as to whether the massive bond-buying program known as quantitative easing was worth the cost, former Federal Reserve official Andrew Huszar said Tuesday.
“My argument is not that QE was not at all useful,” he said on CNBC’s “Fast Money.”
“I believe that at the time, it was just one more tool that the Fed introduced to try to help the economy,” he said. “My point, ultimately, is the idea that very quickly into QE, it started becoming obvious that it wasn’t working in the way that it was supposed to.”
Huszar, a senior fellow at Rutgers Business School and a former managing director at Morgan Stanley, noted a few of the program’s unintended effects.
(Read more: Hide from Fed taper with 3 stocks: Ron Sloan)
“I think the real issue is that the Fed has expanded its tool kit so dramatically, and really there are some real questions as to how potentially it unwinds, when it unwinds,” he said. “We saw this past summer there was this announcement of potentially a taper and the markets actually tanked, and after that the Fed backpedaled. What’s going to happen if we go on for months, years longer?”
Huszar apologized for his role in QE in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published Monday
Number of U.S. expatriations reaches record high In 2013
Apparently for some U.S. citizens it’s true—you can’t go home again!
The Treasury Department published the names of 560 Americans who renounced their citizenship or are long-term residents who gave back their green cards during the third quarter of 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to tax lawyer Andrew Mitchel who tracks the data, these expatriations reached a record high of 2,369 for the year. The prior highest number of published expatriates was in 2011, said Mitchel.
* A bit of background first: Chef/owner Michael Merida has worked in some of the most high-profile kitchens in the world, including El Bulli in Spain, Park Avenue Café, Vong and Le Bernadin in Manhattan. In addition, he co-founded the now-closed midtown restaurant Mia Donna and most recently was the opening executive chef for the Mediterranean eatery Mezza in Westwood. But when the father of two young daughters prepared to launch his next Bergen County eatery, whom did he turn to for guidance? Women, of course. “Women usually make the choice of where to eat,” says Merida. “The husbands and significant others want to please the women and make them happy.” Doing market research, he noticed that female diners prefer to have a diversity of cuisines, but when going out they usually have to settle on only one. (Sushi or Italian? Spanish or French?) His global small-plates menu is anchored with Spanish tapas dishes, but also includes a French, Japanese, Tuscan and Mediterranean influence. The menu will change seasonally, and with customer demand, he adds. “It caters to everyone’s needs,” he says.
N.J. statewide school test results stay the same as questions get harder
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Last updated: Thursday November 14, 2013, 12:38 AM
BY LESLIE BRODY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Students passed New Jersey tests in reading and math at roughly the same rates in spring as the year earlier — and education officials hailed that as an accomplishment Wednesday because some of the questions were tougher.
Statewide, about 67 percent of students in Grades 3 through 8 scored as proficient or better in language arts, and 75 percent did so in math.
These results come as New Jersey adjusts to a new set of expectations for what children should master in every grade. Known as the Common Core, these guidelines aim to change what’s taught from “a mile wide and an inch deep” to a more focused set of analytical abilities.
Red Velvet Luxe: Freida Rothman of Belargo Trunk Show this Thursday 7pm
Red Velvet Luxe: Luxury Within Your Reach
The appreciation of a luxury brand with fine craftsmanship and exquisite quality makes you the perfect customer – and Red Velvet Luxe-the perfect place for savvy consumers who know designer jewelry and have a passion for luxury watches – and want them at huge savings!
Red Velvet Luxe is a unique in-store retail experience for the local Bergen County community and an extraordinary trove of web savings for those outside the area.
Founder and President of Red Velvet Luxe, Randi Shinske, leverages her more than 20 + years’ experience as a luxury brand executive to find the best buying opportunities on the most exclusive brands. At Red Velvet Luxe, Randi is thrilled to offer luxury watch and jewelry brands to customers at up to 70% off retail – Everyday!
Randi believes: “Owning a luxury item is as much about the purchasing experience as the actual piece. Customers want the attention, the details about the item and appreciate the knowledge from a former CEO in the industry. A luxury item is a special purchase – it should be a unique shopping experience.”
In her unique way, Randi creates a personal experience for each customer. She brings her vast experience and passion for fine brands to the local community in her 950-square foot store in Ridgewood, NJ. The store is intimate with the look and feel of a chic Madison Avenue boutique – antique glass displays, hardwood floors. You’ll leave Red Velvet Luxe dripping in red: velvet pouches and shopping bags, that is. And above all – tremendously satisfied.
The inventory is constantly changing according to the great opportunities Randi unearths. All of the Red Velvet Luxe merchandise is first-quality, with original tags and packaging – no pre-owned or seconds will be found here. The original price and the Red Velvet Luxe prices are displayed on all the merchandise. Red Velvet Luxe offers watch repairs – specializing in luxury Swiss watches, jewelry repairs, custom jewelry work and buying back gold, diamonds and watches as ongoing services. The enormous savings on all merchandise and services are yours for the taking.
59 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
(201) 689-1800
We refuse to reinforce the meme that President Obama cares about the American people. We particularly take offense that he cares about our health. So from now on, we are calling this monstrous, unconstitutional legislation what it is – CommieCare. The Editors
Nearly 5 million American families lost their health insurance this week. But a small cadre of Obama cronies cashed in and landed big pay days when CommieCare rolled out.
Who are these fortunate souls?
Peter Schweizer author of New York Times bestseller, “Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets” chronicles the list of Obama donors who just so happened to be in the right place, at the right time to cash in their chips and benefit from CommieCare –
Wyckoff questions timing of notice on lead in drinking water
Thursday, November 14, 2013
BY REBECCA GREENE
STAFF WRITER
Wyckoff Suburban News
Wyckoff – The Township Committee is asking Ridgewood Water to provide information about elevated levels of lead found as a result of tests that were conducted more than a year ago.
“The community is concerned about the notice regarding lead we received recently,” Committeeman Brian Scanlan said at the Nov. 4 meeting. “Why are we getting this only now?”
The township sent a letter to Ridgewood Water in response to a notice it sent to residents this fall. While Ridgewood Water received results of the tests in the summer, they only notified customers about them on Nov. 1. And the township wants to know whether a “serious” health concern exists and why it did not pinpoint its source.
Ridgewood Water recently issued a notice that it had “found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some buildings during routine monitoring conducted in June of 2012.”
The utility explained that it was required to alert the public about the contamination and said it was working to remediate the situation.
