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Allendale Building Sustains Minor Damage after Being Struck by Car

Allendale Building Sustains Minor Damage after Being Struck by Car

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook Page

February 17,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Allendale NJ, Members of the Allendale Volunteer Ambulance Corps evaluated two (2) individuals in connection with a Thursday morning, 02/15, motor vehicle crash into a building at 111 West Allendale Avenue, Allendale. Two (2) adult females, the vehicle’s driver and an employee of the insurance office located in the building, appeared uninjured and both refused transportation to a local hospital for any treatment. The building sustained moderate damage but was rendered safe for occupancy. The SUV involved in the crash was removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck.

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New Jersey Choral Society presents The Key of B – Billy Joel, The Beatles and Beautiful

New Jersey Choral Society

February 16,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington Township NJ,  The New Jersey Choral Society continues its Jubilee Season with The Key of B- Billy Joel, The Beatles and Beautiful. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of artist-in- residence Linda Sweetman-Waters, the NJCS Pops Spectacular highlights iconic music of legendary artists Billy Joel, Carole King and The Beatles. Performances will be held on Saturday, March 10 at 8:00 pm and on Sunday, March 11 at 3:00 pm at the Immaculate Heart Academy, 500 Van Emburgh
Ave., Washington Township.

Ms. Sweetman-Waters will be featured on piano, accompanied by the Pops Spectacular Band.Several talented soloists and a vocal ensemble from the chorus will also perform. The concerts will include classic songs such as Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” “Everybody Has a Dream,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” a medley of hits from The Beatles including “In My Life,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” “Yesterday,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” as well as songs from Carole King’s best-selling album, Tapestry, and the Broadway musical, Beautiful.

Advance tickets are $25.00 for adults and $22.00 for students, seniors, and patrons with disabilities (add $10.00 if purchased at the door). A 10% discount for groups of 10 or more is also available. Come one hour prior to performance time for The Inside Line, a complimentary lecture for all ticket holders, presented by Seth Saltzman. For reservations or more information, visit www.NJCS.org or call the New Jersey Choral Society at (201) 379-7719.

Established in 1980, the New Jersey Choral Society is one of the state’s most prestigious choral groups, well-known for presenting outstanding and unique programs. Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, NJCS performs three major concerts annually in Bergen and Essex counties. They have performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House and have toured internationally in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Australia, England, France and Italy. In 2017, they received “honorable mention” in the Jersey Arts People’s Choice Awards for “Best Choral Group” in New Jersey.

Immaculate Heart Academy is wheelchair accessible. Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

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Glen Rock Crash Sends One to Valley Hospital

Glen Rock Crash , Sends One to Valley Hospital

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

February 14,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, A two (2) vehicle, Tuesday afternoon, 02/13, collision at the intersection of Harristown Road and Prospect Street in Glen Rock injured the adult male driver of a 4-door passenger sedan involved in the crash. Glen Rock Police and EMS responded to aid the victim, who sustained a non life threatening head injury. He was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Glen Rock EMTs with patient care. A tow truck was dispatched to remove the wrecked sedan. The other vehicle involved, a small SUV, may have also required a tow.

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Judicial Watch : is the FBI Protecting James Comey?

james-comey

February 13,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Allendale NJ, according to Judicial Watch , “the more we learn about the FBI under Allendale native James Comey’s supervision the more we have reason to question the activities of the fired FBI Director. Because he has left a trail of suspicious activities in is wake, Comey now stands out as key figure in the Deep State’s illicit attempts to target President Trump.”

And it looks like the Deep State is protecting Comey still. We were forced to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit for FBI records about former Director Comey’s book, which he signed to write in August 2017 and is set for publication in April 2018 (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice, (No. 1:18-cv-00220)).
Our suit also seeks records of communications between Comey and the FBI prior to and regarding Comey’s controversial June 2017 testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Judicial Watch filed on January 31 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Justice Department failed to respond to our August 14, 2017, FOIA request for:
All records of communications between the FBI and Comey prior to and regarding Comey’s testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on June 8, 2017.
All records of communications between the FBI and Comey relating to an upcoming book to be authored by Comey and published.
All records, including but not limited to forms completed by Comey, relating to the requirement for prepublication review by the FBI of any book to be authored by Comey with the intent to be published or otherwise publicly available.

Comey reportedly received an advance in excess of $2 million for his book, Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, reportedly set for publication on April 17th. Former FBI agents and officials intending to write books concerning their tenure are customarily required to submit the entire transcript for pre-publication review.

A month after President Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017, Comey provided highly controversial testimony before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the circumstances that led to his dismissal, the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s illicit email server. During that testimony, Comey admitted he leaked information about his conversations with President Donald Trump in order to get a special prosecutor appointed. (In November, we filed a separate FOIA lawsuit against the Justice Department for its records about Comey’s testimony.)
Comey seems to have protected status for any misconduct, and we want to know if he had a special deal for his book from his friends in the FBI. The Deep State is in cover-up mode. The FBI, DOJ, and the Special Counsel are stonewalling our requests for Comey documents.

We have several other lawsuits pending for Comey-related records:
Two lawsuits (hereand here) seek specifically the “Comey memos” ((Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice(No. 1:17-cv-01189)) and (Daily Caller News Foundation v. U.S. Department Justice (No. 1:17-cv-01830));
Onelawsuit seeks metadata of the “Comey memos” and related records-management information ((Judicial Watch, Inc., v. U.S. Department of Justice(No. 17-cv-01520));
And anotherlawsuit seeks non-disclosure agreements pertaining to the handling, storage, protection, dissemination, and/or return of classified information signed by Comey ((Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-01624)).

On January 11, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg the FBI to turn over the “Comey memos” for in camera review by the court. In doing so, the court rejected arguments by the Sessions Justice Department to dismiss the lawsuits seeking the Comey information.

Unfortunately, on February 2, Boasberg ruled that the “Comey memos” would not be made public. Judicial Watch and the Daily Caller News Foundation almost immediately appealed the ruling. We don’t intend to let up in our pursuit of the truth about the egregious conduct of the FBI’s former director.

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Assemblywomen Threatened at Unemployment Office

Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi

February 13,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ , Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi intervenes in a constituents unemployment claim is almost tossed from the building.

According to Schepisi’s Facebook post  , “Over the past two weeks I watched through social media the struggles of Monica Brinson as she attempts to have an unemployment claim fixed. Today I went to the unemployment office to see firsthand how it operates. I almost got physically removed for videotaping the attached but afterwards did get a comprehensive tour and analysis of the good, bad and ugly of these offices. First, the State needs to provide additional personnel. There is currently 1 employee working today in this office to service a county of almost 1 million people. They stopped handing out tickets to see people at number 7. That is right, for the entire day they will only be able to service 7 people. The group of people to the far right in the video against the wall are there to try to reach a live person at the Department of Labor. These are “dedicated phone lines” that are supposed to allow people to reach a human being but the minimum wait time on these phones is in excess of 1 1/2 hours. Many of the people I spoke to this morning wait outside in the cold for upwards of several hours because only 5 people at a time are generally allowed in the building. People will wait for 3-4 hours inside and then find out that they cannot be seen that day. We must find a better way to provide staffing.
On the upside I was provided with a comprehensive tour of the building, including the employment opportunities, the Bergen One-Stop Career Center and the available training programs. In a separate post I will provide some of the resources given to me today.
Finally I am glad that I did not need bail money today. The armed guard with the weapon on his side did tell me that if I continued to hand out my assembly business card to those seeking help that I would be physically removed from the premises. An exciting way to begin a Monday morning.”

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State Senator Gerald Cardinale Says Governor’s Sanctuary State Plan Would Protect Accused Rapists

Senator Gerald Cardinale

February 13,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Senator Gerald Cardinale (R- Bergen and Passaic) said that the arrest of three sexual assault suspects in Bergen County shows the need for cooperation among local and federal law enforcement agencies.

“A woman was gang-raped by three men Bergen County, while ‘incapacitated and physically helpless.’ This makes me physically ill,” said Cardinale, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “We need to do everything we can to protect and ensure justice for this helpless victim.”
On February 5th, an adult female victim reported she was gang-raped in Bergen County. An investigation was conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the East Rutherford Police Department, leading to the arrest of three suspects.The three accused have been charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have placed detainers on the three men who are believed to be in the country illegally.

According to ICE, detainers are placed on people who have been arrested on local criminal charges and for whom ICE possesses probable cause to believe that they are removable from the United States so that ICE can take custody of the person when he or she is released from local custody.

“It’s clear that the suspects in this horrific sexual assault should not be set free, even if local authorities choose not to keep them in detention until trial. I’m glad that ICE is stepping up to keep these accused rapists off the streets. This horrible tragedy provides a clear example of why we need local, state, and federal law enforcement officials to work together to ensure public safety.”

Governor Murphy has proposed making New Jersey a “sanctuary state,” preventing local law enforcement agencies from coordinating in this fashion.

“Survivors of sexual assault need to know that their perpetrators will be held accountable, and communities need to know that criminals won’t escape justice and end up back on the streets,” added Cardinale. “The Governor’s sanctuary state plan is contrary to those needs. In this case, he’d protect the accused rapists by preventing the coordination need to keep them in custody of law enforcement. That’s not good for the victim, and it’s not good for public safety in New Jersey. While defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, I hope and pray this victim receives the justice she deserves.”

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Bergen County Sheriff’s Office offering Vivitrol to eligible inmates

Bergen County Shefifs department

February 12,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office announced  that, effective this week, we have begun offering Vivitrol to eligible inmates as part of our reentry program and specifically to those individual who are struggling with opioid / heroin addiction. The first two participants have already been enrolled and we will be monitoring these individuals to support them and to measure the impact of this initiative.

Vivitrol is an injectable medicine used to block the effects and cravings for both opioids and alcohol for a period of one month. Participants are often prescribed this medication for up to one year in conjunction with out-patient therapy for best results. We are excited to offer this program in partnership with two outstanding local agencies, www.transitionprofessionals.org, and www.cbhcare.com .

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Former Representative Scott Garrett Heading for the Securities and Exchange Commission

House Budget Panel Holds Hearing to Receive  Views on Fiscal 2012

February 11,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Former Representative Scott Garrett, the New Jersey Republican whose bid to become chairman of the Export-Import Bank failed last year after the Senate Banking Committee rejected his nomination, to lead the agency that Garrett had criticized for corrupt practices and cronyism.

The former Representative has been tapped to work as a senior adviser to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, according to unnamed sources at the SEC. While he was a lawmaker, Garrett was also a critic of the SEC after it dropped the ball in 2008 and served as chairman of the House Financial Services subcommittee on capital markets.

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“Jaws of Life” deployed for 2-vehicle crash at the intersection of Carl Place and Paramus Road

Carl Place and Paramus Road

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

February 11,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, Paramus Police, EMS, Fire Department, and Rescue Squad personnel responded to aid the entrapped adult female driver of a 4-door passenger sedan involved in a 2-vehicle crash at the intersection of Carl Place and Paramus Road, Paramus on Saturday afternoon, 02/10. Members of Paramus Rescue 7 used the “Jaws of Life” to remove the driver’s side door of the victim’s vehicle in order to free her. She was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center’s main campus. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Paramus EMS. Both vehicles involved in the crash were removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck.

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Five Car Pile Up in Paramus Results in Multiple Injuries

Paramus 5 car crash

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

February 9,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, A five (5) vehicle, Thursday morning, 02/08, crash on Route 17 southbound near West Century Road in Paramus resulted in multiple injuries and snarled traffic on Route 17 in both directions. Paramus Police responded along with Paramus EMS and mutual aid ambulances from The Valley Hospital and Holy Name Medical Center. All five (5) vehicles involved in the collision required tow trucks to remove them from the highway.

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8 towns in Bergen County that lowered property taxes form 2016 to 2017

bergen county

February 9,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, surprisingly there were actually 66 towns in NJ where property taxes actually went DOWN. According to NJ105 radio , while the Village of Ridgewood had a 2.80% property tax increase from 2016 to 2017.The were however 8 towns in Bergen County that lowered property taxes , none of them bordering Ridgewood.

RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE
2017 avg: $17,667
2016 avg:$17,181
Change: 2.80%

Towns that border Ridgewood :

PARAMUS BORO
2017 avg: $9,440
2016 avg:$9,098
Change: 3.80%

MIDLAND PARK BORO
2017 avg: $11,571
2016 avg:$11,272
Change: 2.70%

HO-HO-KUS BORO
2017 avg: $15,957
2016 avg:$15,583
Change: 2.40%

GLEN ROCK BORO
2017 avg: $15,805
2016 avg:$15,462
Change: 2.20%

WYCKOFF TWP
2017 avg: $13,778
2016 avg:$13,481
Change: 2.20%

HAWTHORNE BORO
2017 avg: $10,481
2016 avg:$10,331
Change: 1.50%

WASHINGTON TWP – Bergen
2017 avg: $10,777
2016 avg:$10,693
Change: 0.80%

7 towns in Bergen county had property tax decreases :

ROCKLEIGH — Bergen County
2017 average: $14,315
Cut from ’16: -8.%

NORTH ARLINGTON — Bergen County
2017 average: $9,631
Cut from ’16: -2.2%

CARLSTADT — Bergen County
2017 average: $6,886
Cut from ’16: -2.%

WOODCLIFF LAKE — Bergen County
2017 average: $15,467
Cut from ’16: -0.6%

HAWORTH — Bergen County
2017 average: $17,696
Cut from ’16: -0.4%

SADDLE RIVER — Bergen County
2017 average: $17,172
Cut from ’16: -0.3%

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS — Bergen County
2017 average: $10,707
Cut from ’16: -0.2%

LODI — Bergen County
2017 average: $10,275
Cut from ’16: -0.1%

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Pedestrian Struck by a Motor Vehicle at the Intersection of Broadway and Irvington Street, in Westwood

Pedestrian Struck by a Motor Vehicle at the Intersection of Broadway and Irvington Street, in Westwood

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

February 7,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Westwood NJ, A pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle at the intersection of Broadway and Irvington Street, Westwood on Tuesday morning, 02/06. The victim was seriously injured and transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Westwood Police responded along with a BLS ambulance from Hackensack University Medical Center North and an ALS unit from The Valley Hospital.

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Organization For Economic Growth says Tedesco has no intention of fighting for the taxpayers of Bergen County or doing anything to promote business growth

JimTedescoJuly72014

February 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood

Hackensack NJ, Alex Cucciniello, the Executive Director of the Organization For Economic Growth commented on Jim Tedesco’s announcement he plans to run again for Bergen County Executive, “Apparently Tedesco supports the senator’s recent churlish behavior as Menendez remained seated and scowling while President Trump delivered a well received State Of The Union speech highlighting the growth in the U.S. Economy and honoring the heroes who have given so much to this country.”

“It is truly troubling that our the current county executive chose to announce his re-election bid in a room filled with state politicians who are out of touch with Bergen County residents. Tedesco’s choice of supporters says a lot about where he stands on the issues – and he apparently stands far to the left – too far for most Bergen County residents.

“The fact that Mr. Tedesco invited U.S. Senator Bob Menendez to be by his side, after Menendez’s his recent federal corruption trial is curious. Apparently Tedesco supports the senator’s recent churlish behavior as Menendez remained seated and scowling while President Trump delivered a well received State Of The Union speech highlighting the growth in the U.S. Economy and honoring the heroes who have given so much to this country.

It is also instructive to see that Tedesco is so overwhelmingly supportive of a governor who wants to make New Jersey a sanctuary state and force taxpayers to fund legal aid for illegal immigrants who are flouting federal law.

Apparently Mr. Tedesco has no intention of fighting for the taxpayers of Bergen County or doing anything to promote business growth.”

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Bergen County Republican Chairman Paul DiGaetano on the way out

Paul DiGaetano

February 5,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ, the NJ Insider is reporting the Bergen County Republican Chairman Paul DiGaetano will “resign soon, for the good of the party” . This comes after one devastating election loss after another .

The same source said the impending resignation sets up a showdown between last years LD38 senate candidate Kelly Langschultz (a New Milford Councilwoman) and former Hackensack Mayor Jack Zisa to chair the wounded and financially broke party organization.

The failing and broke Bergen GOP has done much to alienate its voter base and continues to look more like a party of Democrat Lite than and real GOP opposition party .With the states finances in disarray , a pension crisis and massive affordable housing being jammed down many towns throats there are ample opportunities for the GOP to strike at the heart of deep blue Bergen County .

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Midland Park Police : Pooper Scooper Alert

Vicious_dog_theridgewoodblog

February 3,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Midland Park  NJ, the Midland Park Police Department have had several incidents of an unknown person walking their dog in front of the Godwin School and not picking up their dogs fecal matter. If you see someone walking their dog near the Godwin School and they do not remove the dogs fecal matter please call the Midland Park Police Department at 201-444-2300. Thank you!