Author: James

Planning Board Special Public Meeting – April 2 at BF Middle School Auditorium

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Work Session & Public Meeting: Tuesday, April 2, 2013

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013, in the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, 335 NORTH VAN DIEN AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Work and Public Meeting at which time the Board will preview presentation and have Board discussion regarding the schedule and scope of future hearings concerning an application for an amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan concerning the H- Hospital Zone, The Valley Hospital, 223 N. Van Dien Avenue, Block 3301, Lot 51.

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Jane Wondergem
Secretary to the Board

Big Government ends where it always does in  bankruptcy

Judge rules Stockton, Calif., to enter bankruptcy
By By Tracie Cone on April 01, 2013

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The people of Stockton will feel financial fallout for years after a federal judge ruled Monday to let the city become the most populous in the nation to enter bankruptcy.

But the case is also being watched closely because it could answer the significant question of who gets paid first by financially strapped cities — retirement funds or creditors.

“I don’t know whether spiked pensions can be reeled back in,” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein said while making the ruling. “There are very complex and difficult questions of law that I can see out there on the horizon.”

The potential constitutional question in the Stockton case is whether federal bankruptcy law trumps a California law that says money owed to the state pension fund must be paid.

In making his ruling, Klein disagreed with creditors who argued that Stockton failed to pursue all avenues for straightening out its financial affairs.

https://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-01/stockton-bankruptcy-decision-only-the-beginning

CANCELLED – Planning Board Special Public Meeting – April 1, 2013 at 7:30PM VH Courtroom

CANCELLED PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

CANCELLED: Work Session & Special Public Meeting: Monday, April 1, 2013

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board special public meeting and work session for MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2013, in the VILLAGE HALL COURT ROOM, 4th Floor, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning at 7:30 p.m. has been cancelled.

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Jane Wondergem

Secretary to the Board

Generation Mooch? Why 20-somethings have a hard time paying for content
By Eliza Kern
Mar. 29, 2013 – 8:00 AM EDT

I distinctly remember learning how to read, and it wasn’t from a book or in a kindergarten classroom.

It was sitting at the breakfast table with my Dad every morning, when we would read the weather section of the Washington Post. We checked to see if it was hot in Arizona (it usually was) and cold in Canada (it always was). For this reason I’ve always felt an affection for the DC-area newspaper, and I continue to read some of its blogs and politics coverage to this day. But when the newspaper rolls out a paywall this summer, it’s doubtful I’ll start paying for access. I can still log in using my parents’ subscription, but if they stop paying? I might owe that newspaper my literacy, but with the rest of the internet at my fingertips, it’s still not enough to get me to pay.

There was an excellent post on Buzzfeed earlier this week about HBO Go passwords, in which John Herrman surveyed everyone in his office and asked how most of them access HBO, a content provider that only gives digital access to cable subscribers. The responses evoked a trend I see among my own 20-something friends, which is that hardly anyone actually subscribes to HBO.

The anecdote struck me as one that perfectly illustrates how much of my generation is building habits around digital content and what exactly we’re willing to pay for. We’ve grown up with a wealth of news and video available for free on the internet, and for many of us, we also have access to high-quality content through parents or friends with subscriptions to services like Netflix or the New York Times. We built media habits around this content from an early age, but we were never forced to actually pay for content.

https://paidcontent.org/2013/03/29/generation-mooch-why-20-somethings-have-a-hard-time-paying-for-content/

David Stockman: We’ve Been Lied To, Robbed, And Misled
And we’re still at risk of it happening all over again
by Adam Taggart
Saturday, March 30, 2013, 12:42 PM

Then, when the Fed’s fire hoses started spraying an elephant soup of liquidity injections in every direction and its balance sheet grew by $1.3 trillion in just thirteen weeks compared to $850 billion during its first ninety-four years, I became convinced that the Fed was flying by the seat of its pants, making it up as it went along. It was evident that its aim was to stop the hissy fit on Wall Street and that the thread of a Great Depression 2.0 was just a cover story for a panicked spree of money printing that exceeded any other episode in recorded human history.

David Stockman, The Great Deformation

David Stockman, former director of the OMB under President Reagan, former US Representative, and veteran financier is an insider’s insider. Few people understand the ways in which both Washington DC and Wall Street work and intersect better than he does.

In his upcoming book, The Great Deformation: The Corruption of Capitalism in America, Stockman lays out how we have devolved from a free market economy into a managed one that operates for the benefit of a privileged few. And when trouble arises, these few are bailed out at the expense of the public good.

By manipulating the price of money through sustained and historically low interest rates, Greenspan and Bernanke created an era of asset mis-pricing that inevitably would need to correct.  And when market forces attempted to do so in 2008, Paulson et al hoodwinked the world into believing the repercussions would be so calamitous for all that the institutions responsible for the bad actions that instigated the problem needed to be rescued — in full — at all costs.

Of course, history shows that our markets and economy would have been better off had the system been allowed to correct. Most of the “too big to fail” institutions would have survived or been broken into smaller, more resilient, entities. For those that would have failed, smaller, more responsible banks would have stepped up to replace them – as happens as part of the natural course of a free market system:

Essentially there was a cleansing run on the wholesale funding market in the canyons of Wall Street going on. It would have worked its will, just like JP Morgan allowed it to happen in 1907 when we did not have the Fed getting in the way. Because they stopped it in its tracks after the AIG bailout and then all the alphabet soup of different lines that the Fed threw out, and then the enactment of TARP, the last two investment banks standing were rescued, Goldman and Morgan [Stanley], and they should not have been. As a result of being rescued and having the cleansing liquidation of rotten balance sheets stopped, within a few weeks and certainly months they were back to the same old games, such that Goldman Sachs got $10 billion dollars for the fiscal year that started three months later after that check went out, which was October 2008. For the fiscal 2009 year, Goldman Sachs generated what I call a $29 billion surplus – $13 billion of net income after tax, and on top of that $16 billion of salaries and bonuses, 95% of it which was bonuses.

Therefore, the idea that they were on death’s door does not stack up. Even if they had been, it would not make any difference to the health of the financial system. These firms are supposed to come and go, and if people make really bad bets, if they have a trillion dollar balance sheet with six, seven, eight hundred billion dollars worth of hot-money short-term funding, then they ought to take their just reward, because it would create lessons, it would create discipline. So all the new firms that would have been formed out of the remnants of Goldman Sachs where everybody lost their stock values – which for most of these partners is tens of millions, hundreds of millions – when they formed a new firm, I doubt whether they would have gone back to the old game. What happened was the Fed stopped everything in its tracks, kept Goldman Sachs intact, the reckless Goldman Sachs and the reckless Morgan Stanley, everyone quickly recovered their stock value and the game continues. This is one of the evils that comes from this kind of deep intervention in the capital and money markets.

https://www.peakprosperity.com/podcast/81371/david-stockman-federal-reserve-fed-wall-street-bernanke-deformation

Best Hospitals in Northern New Jersey

How we picked them: Of all 33 hospitals in Northern New Jersey, the 14 listed below are the top-ranking.

https://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-hospitals/articles/2012/07/16/how-us-news-selected-the-best-regional-hospitals

Hackensack University Medical Center

Hackensack, NJ

Ranked #1 in New Jersey

Ranked #4 in New York

8 Nationally Ranked Specialties
4 High-Performing Specialties

Morristown Medical Center

Morristown, NJ

Ranked #3 in New Jersey

Ranked #10 in New York

2 Nationally Ranked Specialties
9 High-Performing Specialties

Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

West Orange, NJ

Ranked #4 in New Jersey

Ranked #16 in New York

1 Nationally Ranked Specialty
—

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center

Englewood, NJ

Ranked #5 in New Jersey

Ranked #18 in New York

—
10 High-Performing Specialties

Holy Name Medical Center

Teaneck, NJ

Ranked #8 in New Jersey

Ranked #23 in New York

—
8 High-Performing Specialties

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Newark, NJ

Ranked #9 in New Jersey

Ranked #25 in New York

—
6 High-Performing Specialties

St. Barnabas Medical Center

Livingston, NJ

Ranked #9 in New Jersey

Ranked #25 in New York

—
6 High-Performing Specialties

Valley Hospital

Ridgewood, NJ

Ranked #12 in New Jersey

Ranked #28 in New York

—
5 High-Performing Specialties

St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center

Paterson, NJ

ital No. of Specialties Nationally Ranked No. of Specialties High-Performing

Clara Maass Medical Center

Belleville, NJ

Ranked #20 in New Jersey

Ranked #44 in New York

—
1 High-Performing Specialty

East Orange General Hospital

East Orange, NJ

Ranked #20 in New Jersey

Ranked #44 in New York

—
1 High-Performing Specialty

Jersey City Medical Center-LibertyHealth

Jersey City, NJ

Ranked #20 in New Jersey

Ranked #44 in New York

—
1 High-Performing Specialty

St. Michael’s Medical Center

Newark, NJ

Ranked #20 in New Jersey

Ranked #44 in New York

—
1 High-Performing Specialty

Ranked #14 in New Jersey

Ranked #31 in New York

—
4 High-Performing Specialties

UMDNJ-University Hospital

Newark, NJ

Ranked #16 in New Jersey

Ranked #34 in New York

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/nj/northern-new-jersey

www.preservegraydon.org

Parks & Recreation Department – Graydon Pool 2013 Season

Graydon Pool is located at  259 N. Maple Avenue (parking lots are located on the corner of Linwood Avenue and Northern Parkway)

2013 SEASON

Saturday, June 1 – Monday, September 2

CONTACTS

Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-3376
Badge Office – 201-670-5566
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560

[email protected]

Graydon Pool Rules and Regulations – General Public https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/recreation/GraydonRulesandRegulations.pdf

Graydon Pool Deep Water Test Requirements https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/recreation/GraydonDeepWaterTest.pdf

Parks, open space, facilities, year round recreational activities to meet the needs of all residents
Department News

POOL AMENITIES AND ACTIVITIES
Pool facilities include a shaded playground, water features, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, a picnic area with charcoal grills, a sheltered pavilion, and the Water’s Edge Cafe. Additional amenities include volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, four-squares, hop-scotch, backgammon, a lending library and for the little ones, “Storytime Under a Tree”.

Swim instruction is offered for children and adults along with an adaptive swim class. Patron youth (ages 9-14) may also join the competitive Graydon Swim Team sponsored by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Applications are being sought for the many summer positions available with the Parks and Recreation Department including Day Camp Administrators, Day Camp Counselors, Graydon Pool Lifeguards, Concession Attendants, Security Attendants, and Badge Sale Attandants. Applications will be considered for experience, interests, and accomplishments.

Mail completed applications to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.

2013 Seasonal Employment Application https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/recreation/SeasonalEmploymentApplication2013.pdf

Waterfront Lifeguard Employment Application https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/recreation/SeasonalApplicationWaterfront.pdf

 

New, state-approved model for teacher evaluations is being followed this year in Ridgewood
Friday March 29, 2013, 2:24 PM
BY  LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

A new, state-approved model for teacher evaluations is being followed this year in Ridgewood, but the school district’s chief administrator said little has changed from last year.

According to Superintendent Dan Fishbein, Ridgewood has transitioned to the “Stronge” method, because the state last year mandated that public school districts in New Jersey implement one of several standardized options starting in the 2013-2014 school year.

Technically, the 2012-2013 school year is a “pilot year” for many districts, Fishbein said, but Ridgewood’s teachers sitting on the District Evaluation Advisory Committee decided they would rather not wait. The committee, which chose the model developed by College of William and Mary’s educational policy professor James Stronge, also included administrators and a parent representative.

“It was the teachers in the committee who said, ‘Why pilot it? Let’s use it,'” Fishbein said.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/200623591_Teacher_evaluations_remodeled_in_Ridgewood.html

Enjoy a short stack for a tall cause

You’re invited to an Applebee’s® Flapjack Fundraiser breakfast to support the Mary Therese Rose Fund. On Sunday, April 7th, beginning at 8 a.m., at Applebee’s on Route 17 in Paramus, we will be hosting our second annual Flapjack Fundraiser for the Mary Therese Rose Fund.

The cost is $10 per ticket. Proceeds will benefit the Mary Therese Rose Fund, and serve to offset the expenses of our upcoming 5K at Darlington Park, Ramsey, on Saturday, May 11th. In conjunction with the 5K, we will also be sponsoring a Vendor’s Fair. In case you didn’t notice, the next day is Mother’s day.

For those runners ambitious enough, the Flapjack Breakfast is a great way to carbo load for the 5K. Join us for a morning of great food and great people. Please do not hesitate to contact either Jack Crilly at 201-394-5940 or Tara DuHaime at 973-703-4001 for further details.

Meal includes: Pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs and a beverage (coffee, juice, soda or tea.) Please contact organization to purchase a ticket. Ticket valid for pancake event only. Applebee’s® menu items are not included as part of purchase. applebees.com

Mary Therese Rose Crilly was born in 1998 with Joubert Syndrome a rare genetic disorder which left her profoundly disabled. Though physically limited, Mary’s limitless love and courage inspired those closest to her to establish a fund in her name to benefit special needs children
being treated out of the Kireker Center for Child Development. The Fund provides needed therapies and equipment that are so often denied by insurance companies because of lifetime insurance benefit limits or simple denial of reasonable claims.

Each year The Mary Therese Rose Fund helps families pay for needed equipment like orthotics, braces, and standers. It also funds activities such as horseback riding that are therapeutic and brighten the lives of these special kids. It is the goal of The Mary Therese Rose Fund to help
these special children reclaim some of the simple joys of childhood denied them by their

disabilities. Though Mary passed away in 2003 her brief life was filled with joy. In gratitude, and to honor her memory, supporters of the Mary Therese Rose Fund continue to work so that other special children can experience some of childhood’s simple joys as Mary did. For more information on the Mary Therese Rose Fund, go to www.marythereserose.org.

Your tax deductible contribution benefits local special needs kids through The Mary Therese Rose Fund. Reserve your tickets for this special event by calling Jack Crilly at 201-394-5940 or e-mailing [email protected] or Tara DuHaime at 973-703-4001 for further details.

Obamacare and the Medicaid Expansion: How Does Your State Fare?

New Jersey is a Net Payer

Drew Gonshorowski
March 5, 2013 at 1:28 pm

The Medicaid expansion is touted by proponents of Obamacare as a “no-brainer.” While it is true that some states may see projected savings, it is erroneous to claim that this experience applies to every state.

Proponents predict that by expanding Medicaid states will be able to reduce payments to health care providers, such as hospitals, for uncompensated care. As a matter of fact, nationally, the opposite is true:

40 of 50 states are projected to see increases in costs due to the Medicaid expansion.
The majority of states see costs exceed savings when the federal match rate is lowered after the first three years. From there, state costs continue to climb, dwarfing any projected savings.

State savings are concentrated in large states. New York is estimated to see $33 billion in savings, while Massachusetts is estimated to save $6 billion over 10 years. Because of the design of their current programs, these states have a unique opportunity to restructure their programs and transfer significant cost to the federal ledger. (continues below chart)