>Peter J. McKenna President, Concerned Residents of Ridgewood : Modernize within limits

Modernize within limits
Friday, February 18, 2011
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Modernize within limits

To the editor:

As president of Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, Inc., I wanted to share with readers the views of the organization. Some may find it surprising that our views are not materially different than the views shared in this newspaper by a group supportive of Renewal (Ridgewood News; Jan. 28). We too, are supportive of Valley Hospital modernizing, believe that Valley is an integral part of the village and that Valley should provide high-quality health care to Ridgewood residents. We disagree about zoning and land use issues. I would like to reiterate, we have always stated we are pro-health care and that we support modernization at the site.

We are in particular supportive of modernizing within the confines of the village’s 2006 Master Plan re-examination, which allowed hospital expansion up to 16 percent above today’s non-conforming use. We think that the Master Plan re-examination from 2006 was consistent with the Village Council and Zoning Board of Adjustment decisions over the past few decades that heard the hospital’s arguments but still felt the site was already at capacity. While prior land use boards imposed restrictions and capacity limits, their actions have been reversed by the Master Plan amendment.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/116454263_Letter__Modernize_within_limits.html

>Superintendent Daniel Fishbein responds to two Ridgewood News Stories 

Friday, February 18, 2011
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Information was ‘misleading’

To the Editor:

Two lead stories reported on the Ridgewood Public Schools in the Jan. 28 edition were, in fact, misleading. The reporter wrote on two issues currently before the Board of Education: school budget planning for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year and a complaint filed with the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights. These stories, and their accompanying headlines, contained reporting inaccuracies that are important to clarify.

First, the budget story: It was erroneously reported that the district “has slated no raises for staff represented by the Ridgewood Education Association (REA)” and further, that 11 teaching positions may have to be cut in order to close a $655,000 shortfall. In fact, on Jan. 24 the Board was introduced to the 2011-2012 budget through a preliminary review that is part of the budgeting process. For the review, certain assumptions were made as far as teacher and secretary salary increases, because current three-year contracts with REA staff members will end at the close of this school year and negotiations for new contracts have not yet begun.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/116453893_Letter__Information_was__misleading_.html

>The state Senate passes resolution on justice’s resignation

The state Senate passed a resolution by a vote of 21-3 that calls for the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto if the Assembly does not proceed with an impeachment hearing. (Hassan, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/44973/state-senate-passes-resolution-justices-resignation

>N.J. Assembly passes bill to end more regulations of basic cable, land line telephone services

Most of the state’s regulation of basic cable and land line telephone service would come to an end under a controversial bill that passed the state Assembly on Thursday. (Friedman, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_assembly_passes_bill_that_w.html

>New Jersey towns in limbo on affordable housing rules

Another delay in efforts to roll back state affordable housing requirements has left towns uncertain how to proceed on the difficult issue and fair-housing advocates opposed to making changes. (Fletcher, Press of Atlantic City)

https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic/new-jersey-towns-in-limbo-on-affordable-housing-rules/article_1cb901ba-3afc-11e0-8338-001cc4c03286.html

>State Sen. Michael Doherty hosts Tea Party allies at the Statehouse

Amid persistent rumors that he’s running for U.S. Senate in 2012 as the anti-establishment Republican alternative, state Sen. Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) gripped a podium at the head of a committee room packed with Tea Party activists and welcomed them to the Statehouse. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/44955/doherty-hosts-tea-party-allies-statehouse

>There’s no hope for change after you hit 30!—not so says Venn Center

February 16, 2011. Ridgewood, NJ. After you’re 30, it can be much harder to make change happen. True. Change happens less frequently as you get older. But it doesn’t have to be that way. After 30, if you want new things to come your way, you need to become the director of your own life. At the Venn Center in Ridgewood, NJ we have programs designed to help you do that.

You’re not a kid any more. When you were, you might recall being encouraged to learn, try new things, explore, and take on new responsibilities. And in your 20s, well, no one had to push you to try new things, right? But once you hit 30, 40, 50…responsibilities, expectations, and commitments encourage you to do the same things every day; stability becomes the name of the game and change becomes elusive.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can have your cake and change it too.

Venn Center is the only Center in Northern New Jersey offering a full program of services for people 30+, all designed to help people plan the lives they want to lead. Board Certified Child and Adult Psychiatrist Dr. Steve Wruble and Developmentalist Jennifer L. Tanner, Ph.D. fuse clinical experience and research science to create programs that facilitate human development, growth, and well-being in the over 30 crowd. Deborah Erickson, LMSW is offering a series of FREE Talks, workshops, and groups designed to bring adults together to talk about life as a grown up and how change can be part of that life.

 Learn about more programs at www.venncenter.com, call us at 201-444-6824, email us [email protected], or visit us at 1250 E. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ.

>House Passes Amendment to Block Funds for Net Neutrality Order

By Juliana Gruenwald
Thursday, February 17, 2011 | 6:48 p.m.

The House passed an amendment Thursday that would bar the Federal Communications Commission from using any funding to implement the network-neutrality order it approved in December.
The amendment, approved on a 244-181 vote, was offered by Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., to legislation that would fund government agencies for the rest of fiscal year 2011.

https://www.nationaljournal.com/house-passes-amendment-to-block-funds-for-net-neutrality-order-20110217

>The House voted Thursday to dethrone nine White House “czars.”

Republicans successfully added an amendment to the continuing resolution that would leave President Barack Obama’s senior advisers on policy issues including health care, energy and others out of a job. The vote was 249-179.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) offered the amendment that blocks funding for various policy advisers to combat what he called “a very disturbing proliferation of czars” under Obama.

“These unappointed, unaccountable people who are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they’re doing,” Scalise said Thursday. “But we do know that they’re wielding vast amounts of power.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49781.html#ixzz1EJ7QUU2x

>Credit Downgrades loom for US states
By Nicole Bullock in New York
Published: February 17 2011 05:01 | Last updated: February 17 2011 05:01

Cash-strapped US states and cities face the prospect of downgrades after Fitch Ratings changed the way it analyses their burgeoning pension bills.

In a report published on Thursday, Fitch warns the new approach could lead to “limited negative rating action”, particularly for local governments with big wage bills. The changes to the way it assesses pension liabilities come amid growing concern over the scale of municipal debt problems and the effect on state and city finances of generous, unfunded public sector pension schemes that will run for many years. Sharp falls in equities and other risky assets during the financial crisis reduced the funding levels of nearly all these pension plans, increasing the pressure on states and local governments when they have even less cash because of dwindling tax revenues to make up the shortfall. Revenues have tumbled while spending has been rising.

https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cfadc5fe-3a33-11e0-a441-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1EGKD3uei

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DNC playing role in Wisconsin protests

The Democratic National Committee’s Organizing for America arm — the remnant of the 2008 Obama campaign — is playing an active role in organizing protests against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s attempt to strip most public employees of collective bargaining rights.

https://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/DNC_playing_role_in_Wisconsin_protests.html?showall

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>N.J. education chief pushes tougher deals for teachers

In a speech that endorsed many aspects of Gov. Christie’s education agenda, New Jersey’s top education official called Wednesday for making tenure harder to get and keep, holding teachers accountable for student performance, and creating financial incentives for educators. (Giordano and Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20110217_N_J__education_chief_pushes_tougher_deals_for_teachers.html

>Christie proposes ending tenure for poor teachers

One month after Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey used his annual state address to call for an end to tenure for teachers, his administration unveiled a plan on Wednesday that would take away tenure from ineffective teachers but stopped short of eliminating it. (Hu, The New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/nyregion/17jersey.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

>Housing Starts in U.S. Decreased in December to One-Year Low
By Shobhana Chandra – Jan 19, 2011 9:41 AM ET

Builders began work on fewer homes than projected in December, a sign the industry that triggered the recession continued to struggle more than a year into the U.S. economic recovery.

Housing starts fell 4.3 percent to a 529,000 annual rate, the lowest level since October 2009, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey called for a 550,000 rate.

more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-19/housing-starts-in-u-s-fell-more-than-forecast-in-december-to-one-year-low.html