In Sandy’s aftermath, lessons learned in Ridgewood
Thursday October 31, 2013, 3:17 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
One year after Sandy, the village is reflecting on what it needs to do to prepare for another big storm, while remembering those unreal days: when homes and summer memories were destroyed, when Ridgewood was a cold ghost town at night and when the Central Business District, shelters and heated homes became bustling, luxurious retreats.
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF BOYD A. LOVING; BOTTOM PHOTO BY MARION BROWN
What a difference a year makes: Above, Grove Street between Hopper Avenue and South Irving Street shortly before noon on Oct. 30, 2012. Below, the same area this week.
Buy or license this photo
This week, the mayor, village engineer and schools superintendent all noted that a lot was done right in the aftermath, but improvements are also being considered for the next storm.
The unfortunate reality, officials said, is that nothing can be done to fully prevent flooding or fallen trees from causing week-long power outages.
Still, some hope the chance of both happening with the next storm has been lessened.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/230089131_In_Sandy_s_aftermath__lessons_learned_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.w3zRFJjt.dpuf
Americans who sign up for insurance on the state exchanges may not have access to the nation’s top hospitals, Watchdog.org reports.
By Watchdog.org
The Obama Administration has been claiming that insurance companies will be competing for your dollars under the Affordable Care Act, but apparently they haven’t surveyed the nation’s top hospitals.
Americans who sign up for Obamacare will be getting a big surprise if they expect to access premium health care that may have been previously covered under their personal policies. Most of the top hospitals will accept insurance from just one or two companies operating under Obamacare.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” said Gail Wilensky, Medicare advisor for the second Bush Administration and senior fellow for Project HOPE. “There has been an incredible amount of focus on the premium cost and subsidy, and precious little focus on what you get for your money.”
Regulations driven by the Obama White House have indeed made insurance more affordable – if, like Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, you’re looking only at price. But responding to Obamacare caps on premiums, many insurers will, in turn, simply offer top-tier doctors and hospitals far less cash for services rendered.
Watchdog.org looked at the top 18 hospitals nationwide as ranked by U.S. News and World Report for 2013-2014. We contacted each hospital to determine their contracts and talked to several insurance companies, as well.
A little history lesson on Halloween for the Christians who believe it’s a Pagan holiday
Djmc King Cassanova
So since I can’t help myself… Lets have a little history lesson on Halloween for the Christians who believe it’s a Pagan holiday reserved for witches and devil worshippers (not saying any names to avoid the impending embarrassment that is surely heading your way)
Oh, and for those who think this Athiest can’t possible know anything about religion lets just add this little tidbit: I was raised Catholic, have read the bible all the way through many times, have done extensive research and am well versed on many religions, (and yes this does include Wiccan). I am not one to tell anyone they are wrong for their religious views, unless of course they are wrong based on fact and plain common sense. So, lets have a history lesson, shall we? I think we all could use one.
Halloween falls on the eve of the Christian holy days of All Hallow’s Day and All Saints Day. the days are collectively known as Hallowmas. Like many other major “holidays” in Christianity, celebrations begin the night before. This includes All Hallow’s which is where Halloween got its name from: Hallow’s Eve.
Hallowmas is used to honor the saints and to pray for recently departed souls who haven’t reached Heaven yet. It was customary for people, known as criers, to dress in black and ring a bell to call on Christians to remember departed souls. The custom of trick or treating came from the Christian custom of “souling”. Children would go door to door collecting “soul cakes” as means of praying for souls stuck in purgatory. During Hallowmas, Churches that were too poor to have displayed relics of saints allowed parishioners to dress up as martyred Saints as a way to honor them.
In many countries of Europe, Christians believe that once a year the souls return for a party known as the “danse macabre” which is actually depicted in decor on the walls of many churches and cemeteries. This is where the custom of modern day costume parties originates.
Halloween was (and still is) celebrated to honor the Saints and the souls of the deceased. In many countries children dress as departed Saints and other biblical figures.
Yes there are some Christians (nonconformist protestants in particular) who at one point believed that the spirits who returned were evil since they believed in predestination therefore redefining Hallow’s Eve without purgatory. Their homes and barns were blessed to protect themselves from evil spirits and the witches that were thought to accompany them.
My history lesson on “witches” and Wiccan religion will have to be another time. That being said, as with anything in life, things can be twisted to reflect your own personal beliefs or changed completely. Excellent example would be the Swastika which, up until Hitler got his hands on it, represented life and good luck. Hallowmas didn’t have a negative connotation until the Protestants tweaked it to coincide with their own beliefs.
Halloween was and still is a Christian holiday.
That concludes our history lesson. Be sure to hand out the big candy bars to the pagan children running the streets worshipping the devil.
Bergen County freeholders override Donovan veto of police merger
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Last updated: Wednesday October 30, 2013, 10:25 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Here’s how frosty the relationship between the Bergen County freeholders and County Executive Kathleen Donovan has grown.
At the start of Wednesday’s work session, each of the two branches of county government had their own stenographers record the meeting.
Both started to transcribe as the freeholders prepared to override Donovan’s veto of a measure to merge the County Police into the Sheriff’s Office.
After 30 minutes of discussion, the dispute was ironed out and one stenographer was sent home. The board, as expected, voted 6-1 to override the veto.
But the spectacle of dueling stenographers was the latest symptom of the large, ongoing dispute over where the power of one branch ends and the other begins.
And as with three earlier versions of that dispute, the latest override heads for a court battle where the transcript will become more fodder for a hearing scheduled for Nov 7.
“It shows, unfortunately, that the relationship has deteriorated,” County Administrator Ed Trawinski said after the meeting. But he said no county services will be affected.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/Bergen_County_freeholders_override_Donovan_veto_of_police_merger.html#sthash.HQt8WMGF.dpuf
New health law puts many N.J. college students in coverage limbo
Wednesday October 30, 2013, 11:31 PM
BY COLLEEN DISKIN AND PATRICIA ALEX
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
The nation’s top health official struggled Wednesday to explain why policy cancellations and a crippled website have left many people — including tens of thousands of suddenly uninsured community college students in New Jersey — in a state of health insurance limbo.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius underwent heated questioning from Congress on continuing website problems.
Both she and President Obama went on the defensive against the growing outcry over cancellation notices that many insurance companies have sent to their customers. The new law outlaws many of the bare-bones-coverage policies that individuals, small businesses and colleges used to offer, and as a result many insurers have raised prices or scrapped plans altogether.
In New Jersey, college students who enrolled this fall were among the first to experience unforeseen changes in the marketplace, with many seeing their annual health insurance costs triple. At community colleges in Bergen and Passaic counties, students lost coverage altogether.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/New_health_law_puts_many_NJ_college_students_in_coverage_limbo___.html#sthash.uXufUzns.dpuf
Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock begins campaign
Wednesday October 30, 2013, 2:59 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
A local outreach project several years in the making was designed to curb a social dilemma that has seemingly plagued generation upon generation.
Members of the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock officially kick-started their campaign against bullying last Wednesday, with group leaders unveiling the centerpiece of the initiative: a thought-provoking poster demanding respect for one another.
Titled “Respect: Give It to Get It,” the poster, as well as a postcard-sized version, were produced over the course of the past year and combined the ideas and efforts of all board members. Each component of the design, from the interlocking grip of the Roman handshake to the advice and statistics compiled on the backside of the card, was meticulously selected for the poster.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/health/Sebelius_heads_to_Hill_to_defend_health_law_job.html?page=all#sthash.h6MveolV.dpuf
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/health/Sebelius_heads_to_Hill_to_defend_health_law_job.html?page=all#sthash.h6MveolV.dpuf
New security issues surface as Health and Human Services chief testifies
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Last updated: Wednesday October 30, 2013, 5:05 PM
BY LAURIE KELLMAN AND RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s embattled top health official declared herself accountable Wednesday for failures of the much-maligned health insurance website as a newly surfaced government memo pointed to security concerns that were laid out just days before its launch.
Despite the problems, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defended the health care overhaul, the signature legislative accomplishment of Obama’s first term. She said the website problems will be fixed by Nov. 30 and gaining health insurance will make a positive difference in the lives of millions of Americans.
The website HealthCare.gov was still experiencing outages, even as Sebelius was testifying to the House Energy and Commerce Committee that “I’m responsible.” And she faced a new range of questions about an internal memo from her department that revealed the troubled website was granted a temporary security certificate on Sept. 27, just four days before it went live on Oct. 1.
The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, said incomplete testing created uncertainties that posed a potentially high security risk for the website. It called for a six-month “mitigation” program, including ongoing monitoring and testing.
Republicans opposed to Obama’s health care law are calling for Sebelius to resign. She apologized to people having trouble signing up but told the committee that the technical issues that led to frozen screens and error messages are being cleared up on a daily basis.
Security issues raise major new concerns on top of the long list of technical problems the administration is grappling with.
Leaf Bags Now Available for Village of Ridgewood Residents
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.
Reader asks How can you take the position that a 10 year construction project right next door to B.F. will not have any negative impact on children attending B.F.?
How can you take the position that a 10 year construction project right next door to B.F. will not have any negative impact on children attending B.F.? You all have sold out our children and we won’t forget it. You have shown us all what matters to you and it certainly is not our kids’ health or education. What a pathetic, spineless board we have. No need to reply to this email, you already gave me and my family the finger last night.
I’m really confused as to how a teacher(s), as good as Ms. Brogan thinks he/she is, will somehow make the learning experience for a BF student (who is, at the very least, “distracted” by the noise that will come from this construction) no different than a GW student. Does the teacher just yell out the window and tell the guy with the jackhammer to stop, go outside and tell him, or just tell the kids,” will get to that later ?” Get real…
After saying all the politically correct, not to mention obvious things any parent would say regarding the “concerns” related to this really bad joke of an idea, she copped out.
I don’t have any children in this school system anymore but I have to say Ms. Brogan’s statement regarding the above was one of the more bizarre. And I thought the Valley “experts” were done. Silly me !
Reader Says : KIDS AT BF WILL BE EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS REMOVAL OVER A PERIOD OF 10 years
I especially liked the question by a resident about the landscaping of the school property and the fact that all of that is done during non school hours and therefore how can you say that 10 years of everyday construction would have no impact on the students! Yeah right!!
As a special education teacher I’m here to tell you it will have a significant impact on the children.
Who is at risk for an asbestos-related disease?
Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil. However, most people do not become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact.
KIDS AT BF WILL BE EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS REMOVAL OVER A PERIOD OF 10 years. That is substantial environmental contact!
President of Concerned Residents of Ridgewood opponents of Valley Hospital expansion makes presentation
Wednesday October 30, 2013, 8:49 AM
BY BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Residents who oppose The Valley Hospital’s plan to nearly double in size erupted in a standing ovation Tuesday night when the president of their group was finally given the chance to voice their concerns about the expansion to the Planning Board.
“We are seven years into this and we are discussing a proposal that increases above grade “bulk” from around 400,000 square feet to 1 million square feet,” said Pete McKenna. “This applicant is running a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week business operation in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It is incompatible with its surroundings and it impacts the quality of life every day.”
Opponents had been increasingly frustrated that they had not had a chance to speak in three previous board meetings, which were either cut short or delayed with objections and questions by Valley’s attorney.
On Tuesday night McKenna and two other members of Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, Melinda Wagner and Marc Harris, told the Planning Board it should not be deciding whether the traffic plan is sufficient or if the construction schedule can be set to work around the hours of the school next to the hospital. Rather, they said, the board should be considering whether the hospital should nearly double in size on its 15-acre site in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
“The Planning Board never felt it appropriate to start by challenging the premise of expansion,” Harris said. “It started at the applicants’ conclusion….and then we began a decade-long journey of traffic, construction, impact and other endless statistical data dumps.”
Talks on removing school budget vote continue in Ridgewood
Wednesday October 30, 2013, 9:26 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
After another discussion last week about the potential elimination of the school budget vote, a split Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) has opted to continue talks on a public opinion telephone poll.
“I am not sure of the date for the poll. We have further work to do on it,” said BOE President Sheila Brogan. “I am hoping to do it by the middle of November if possible.”
The poll would gauge public opinion on whether the board, one of about 40 New Jersey districts that still held elections this past spring, should join about 500 other school districts in New Jersey and move next year’s school board elections to November. The date switch would eliminate the budget vote in the spring, when the school budget for the following year is finalized, but it would save about $43,000 and could theoretically increase voter turnout.
The BOE’s discussion was largely focused on the perceived lack of public interest, supported partly by the fact that 12 percent of registered voters came out to the polls this past spring, and the few residents who have personally expressed an interest in keeping the April budget vote.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/229856691_Talks_on_removing_school_budget_vote_continue_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.vHH3svs3.dpuf
TESTIMONY GIVEN BY SHEILA BROGAN REGARDING THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD MASTER PLAN AND VALLEY HOSPITAL’S REQUEST TO AMEND IT
click here to view testimony given by Sheila Brogan, Board President, on October 29, 2013 regarding the Village of Ridgewood Master Plan and Valley Hospital’s request to amend it.
BOE MEETS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4
The Board will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the October 21, 2013 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the webcast of the October 21, 2013 Regular Public Meeting.
Poll: Chris Christie Poised for reelection landslide
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continues to sail toward reelection, with a new poll on Tuesday a week before Election Day showing him with a 2-1 lead over his Democratic opponent.
Christie leads state Sen. Barbara Buono 64 percent to 31 percent in a Quinnipiac poll. He leads across most demographic groups, and even picks up support of 31 percent of Democrats. (Kopan/Politico)
