>Village Council looks at Preliminary Budget Numbers the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ – With the Village budget set to increase 7.81% the Village Council has started the process of working down the budget increase to get it within a 2% state-mandated cap. The council is expected to pass a resolution allowing it to raise the budget by 3.5 % ,however passing this measure would not necessarily mean the budget will come in over the 2% cap.
The Village needs to cut at least $377,000 from the current preliminary budget numbers. Village Manager Ken Gabbert told the Ridgewood News that at the same time that at this time last year,the Village was looking at a 13.4% budget increase . Measures were taken including employee layoffs that brought the increase down to a still sizable increase of 4.79% . No layoffs have been discussed so far this year.
Governor Christie’s Budget Adds $4.7 Million for Local Schools Kevin O’Toole
Dear Friend:
I am pleased to announce that the proposed state budget for the next fiscal year projects that the towns in District 40 will receive at least an additional $4,703,383 in education aid, almost doubling the total for the thirteen towns in Legislative District 40 and netting $10,693,293.
This additional aid will be applied as badly needed additional property tax relief.
The supplementary aid for our schools is included in a budget that spends less for the second year in a row and cuts business taxes to create jobs and help spur economic recovery. The Governor’s plan is more equitable because it provides increased school aid for every single school district in the state, rural, suburban and urban, not just the select few urban districts.
The tough choices made last year by Governor Christie and the Legislature to bring about fiscal discipline has created the opportunity for the increase in school aid this year. In my role as a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee I will search for any further amounts that can enhance education aid for our schools.
The additional school aid plan would provide local schools with the following additional amounts:
School District School Aid Increase ($) CEDAR GROVE TWP $244,259 FRANKLIN LAKES BORO $251,625 LITTLE FALLS TWP $123,778 MAHWAH TWP $554,386 MIDLAND PARK BORO $191,303 OAKLAND BORO $251,532 RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE $849,425 RINGWOOD BORO $201,584 VERONA BORO $275,172 WANAQUE BORO $145,530 WAYNE TWP $1,290,732 WYCKOFF TWP $324,057
>Projected 8.9 percent increase in N.J. pension bills underscores need for reform, treasurer says Jarrett Renshaw/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — Local governments and school districts will see their pension bills climb by 8.9 percent next year, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Treasury. The steep rise follows an even bigger 22 percent increase in the local pension bill for 2011. State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said the increases underscore the need for lawmakers to pass the pension reforms proposed by Gov. Chris Christie.
“Without passage of the governor’s reform package, local taxpayers will put almost $1 billion more into public employee pension funds over the next five years,” Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said. “The cost of local pension contributions in 2011 and 2012 illustrates again the high cost of doing nothing about pension and benefit cost inflation.”
When thousands of police officers and firefighters converged on the state capitol yesterday, they were greeted by scores of Democratic legislators. From Barbara Buono to Paul Sarlo … from Bonnie Watson Coleman to Joe Cryan — the Democrats were out in full force to welcome NJ’s finest with words of support and gratitude.
In many respects, it was a flashback to an earlier time – when Democrats would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with union workers, particularly those who put their lives on the line every day. The banners and signs. The adrenaline-filled speeches. The solidarity between Democrats and the hardworking people they represent. It was all there, and it was all good.
Sadly, however, it was all too unfamiliar as well.
For the past year, my Party has largely stood on the sidelines as union workers were vilified and scapegoated. Silent and passive, many Democrats did nothing as others attacked the very people at the center of our Party. No defense. No counteroffensive. No nothing. During the past year’s great debate over worker’s rights and responsibilities, the Democrats – by and large – refused to show up.
This is not to suggest that all Democrats have abandoned the cause. Some of our legislators not only get it; they have also demonstrated their willingness to passionately fight for it.
And this is not to suggest that Democrats and union members should agree with each other on each and every issue and negotiating position. Quite the contrary. The Democratic Party is as diverse as union membership, and thus, disagreements over the particulars are not uncommon.
A Christie administration task force has proposed that a combination of test scores, personal observation and school-wide performance be used in New Jersey to figure out which public school teachers are the most successful. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
CantaLyrica Cabaret/Auction, Sunday March 6, Unitarian Society of Ridgewood
CantaLyrica chamber chorus will showcase the talents of its members and their guests at its annual Cabaret/Auction on Sunday, March 6. Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Society, 113 Cottage Place, Ridgewood. Performances will include Broadway show tunes, folk songs, opera arias and art songs, and there will be both a silent and a service auction. Refreshments will be served. For tickets, $25 per person or $40 per pair, call 201-837-1734. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.
Photo Caption: Guests enjoy themselves during intermission at a past CantaLyrica Cabaret/Auction.
>Parents who didn’t support the “dumb dumb” math were talked down to and ignored to promote Math program sold by the text book publisher
“I was one of the parents who examined all four of the proposed elementary school math programs when they had an open house at cottage place. I voted for Singapore Math, along with many others. I have an engineering degree and know a little bit about math. Unfortunately, my vote was overruled.”
“I was one of the parents from my childs elementary school selected to participate in the very first focus group. I also reviewed all of the proposed elementary at Cottage Place and presented my input at that time. I, too, felt Singapore was the best and most appropriate program for our Ridgewood students. On both occasions, my iput was ignored. Why, you ask? Because I am a highly educated, working scientist and not a math educator! I was told that I did not understand the way children learn (despite the fact that I was heavily afterschooling all of my kids in math).”
“How about the math teachers that tell a class full of parents on back to school night NOT to help their children with homework because you (the parents) won’t understand it. Talk about the arrogance! The majority of parents probably have Master’s degrees and NOT from Montclair.”
“I do remember being talked down to by the math teacher. Sort of joking about parents not understanding new math. I may have missed something, but math is not new. The programs sold by the text book publishers are new and there is a sucker born every minute (Botsford).”
“How patronizing to pretend that parents don’t understand how to teach math. I have a middle schooler and I teach him math every night. He gets NOTHING from school.I teach him and he understands.”
>Connected and enVision Math a boom for the math tutoring business
Wow, it sure is a “I told you so” moment. Sad how educators are ruining education from Ridgewood to NYC all in the name of, “it’s for the children.”
Regina has to go and Daniel has to fix this pronto. Not another year should go by with our children being subjugated to either Connected or enVision Math.
Write the cost of both programs off, admit our mistake and implement Singapore Math ASAP. Then parents, teachers and even older siblings will be able to help our kids learn math.
A friend of mine sarcastically quipped that he loves these new crappy math programs. That’s because he owns a math tutoring business.
The marketplace never lies. Create a demand and it will be filled. My friends business is booming. Way to go Regina I had know idea your goal was to create more jobs in the private sector. And all this time I had you pegged as a lefty liberal. My bad. Sorry.
>5 Lesser Known European Islands Here are five spectacular, yet lesser-known European islands where you and your loved ones can escape the crowds.
1. St. Agnes St. Agnes, one of the Isles of Scilly, is the southernmost inhabited bit of England. Temperatures are moderate and pleasant year-round with beaches and shorelines reminiscent of the Caribbean. You can spend your time walking around the island, visiting the lighthouse, and relaxing over a pint at the Turk’s Head, England’s southernmost pub.
2. Corvo, Portugal This island boasts a stunning verdant caldera with two crater lakes. It is also well-known as a birdwatching spot. Food lovers should enjoy Corvo’s local handmade cheese, distinctive corn bread, and larded tarts made with rock grass.
3. Kasos, Greece Situated between Crete and Karpathos, Kasos is a sparsely populated dot on the map at the southern end of the Dodecanese Islands. The island has several remarkable beaches, delightful churches, and maintains a busy festival schedule throughout the year. The festival of St. Marina, held on July 17, is the most important summer season festival event.
4. Bornholm, Denmark This rural island is packed with attractions. Among these is Hammershus, the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe, which dates back to the 12th Century. Bornholm is also a hub for arts and crafts, and hosts an annual Culture Week festival in September.
5. Hiiumaa, Estonia This quiet western Estonian island is full of charming rural corners: old churches, lighthouses, little forested islets, and beaches for swimming and sunning. Hiking is a big draw here, and there are also opportunities for horseback riding and kayaking.
For more information or to book your next trip, contact:
The Travel Center / American Express “Ridgewood’s ONLY Travel Agency” 50 E. Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07450 (201)447-3311 [email protected] TheTravelCenterNJ.com
Residents wondering if their towns should regionalize or share services can click through a new online tool to help find answers. (Jordan, New Jersey Press Media)
>Report: Immigrants living in N.J. healthier than their native counterparts Seth Augenstein/The Star-Ledger
TRENTON — Chicken, beans and rice is a simple, traditional dish Catherine Rousseau Saintilien was cooking up Monday night for her family. But as the 50-year-old Elizabeth mother of three began whipping up the meal from a recipe she learned in Haiti as a girl, her American-born children complained — they wanted something quick, and something fried.
“They wanted to eat McDonald’s,” Saintilien said.
Such a simple dinner conflict might explain some far-reaching new health statistics. Foreign-born residents living in New Jersey are generally healthier than their native-born counterparts, and they also have healthier lifestyle habits, according to a report released today by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
>Math Wars : BOE once again puts Politics over Education
The “text book” does not have any examples, just more questions. Most of the problems are language based. If you don’t know what you are doing there is no where to turn. That is why it takes so long to do the homework – and no two problems are the same. There is no mastery of a topic, they just keep moving around.
It is wrong for the BOE to ignore the problem with the math program. But I forgot – they are busy working on lighting the ball fields for the late night sports. Their priorities are all in the wrong places. EDUCATION FIRST!!!
Saturday, March 19th, 7:00 p.m. Mount Carmel gymnasium,52 Passaic Street.The Village Caterer will be providing traditional Irish fare of corned beef and cabbage. Renowned New York City musicians Bob and Norm will be playing Irish classics and great dance music. There will also be a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers. “This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and it is a great opportunity for friends and neighbors to get together for a night of fun”, said Doug Findlay, organizer of the event. Tickets are $45 each.Payment can be mailed to:Doug Findlay 211 Circle Ave.Ridgewood, NJ 07450,(201) 670-9514
What is wrong with our president? I am getting so sick of him being an American apologist or expounding the virtues of some other countries virtues. It happened again when he addressed the Egyptian uprising by saying “Egyptians have inspired us, and they’ve done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained by violence”. Not trying to sound arrogant but Americans inspire others we do not get inspired by others. Is it lost on the president that an employee of an American company, Google , who has enjoyed the freedoms and rewards of this great nation, inspired the masses through the use of the Internet? I heard more than one Egyptian immigrant in the USA and protestors in Tahrir Square say the Egyptian people want the same freedoms as those we cherish in this country. Is it lost on this president that one only needs to go back to our recent history to see where Americans brought about great change with non violent actions. Reverend King’s march on Washington helped the Civil Rights laws become a reality. Ronald Reagan uttering the six simple words “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall” inspired the Eastern European countries to demand their freedom. And most recently the Tea Party creating one of the greatest shifts in power in the history of this country.
And it is naive for the President to infer that only non-violence is the proper way to bring about justice. Would King George have granted the colonies freedom had the colonist march peacefully to Bunker Hill. Oof course not. Would the King Louis have granted freedom the French had they peacefully assembled at the Bastille. Of course not. and it was the success of our revolution that inspired the French.If this President needs to be inspired, I suggest he look at our own history and stop apologizing to the world for such things as a state that wants to enforce the federal immigration laws (Arizona)and praising people, who decided 230 years after colonists, to declare their God given right to freedom
