Category: Bergen County

Posted on by — 3 Comments

The fall of retailers means doomsday for malls

clock_cbd_theridgewoodblog

By Jonathon Trugman

May 14, 2017 | 2:12am

American retail culture may well have reached a tipping point.

Major department stores are floundering about like fish in a rapidly draining pond after reporting dreadful earnings last week.

The time-honored multigenerational giants like Macy’s, Sears and JCPenney are all looking at a dramatically different future.

Macy’s stock collapsed 17 percent after Thursday’s first-quarter report. And high-end retail behemoths like Nordstrom are getting clobbered, too. Shares of that politically petulant retailer fell 11 percent Thursday on news of its first-quarter results.

Better take a good look, because this may be last call for the mall.

https://nypost.com/2017/05/14/the-fall-of-retailers-means-doomsday-for-malls/

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Are NJ police salaries fair? Cops in high-crime areas get less

Honda-Civics-collide-Ridgewood-Police-Ridgewood-Fire-Deparrtment3-300x225

file photo by Boyd Loving

By Sergio Bichao May 15, 2017 4:00 AM

With reporting by David Matthau

Most police officers in New Jersey are earning six-figure salaries before overtime and benefits.

A New Jersey 101.5 analysis of municipal police salaries found the median police salary last year was about $105,000 — an increase of 4 percent since 2012. For comparison, the median household income in the state is $72,000.

But the highest-paid cops are not always the ones patrolling dangerous city streets.

The police departments with the most generous payrolls are often in towns that go decades without experiencing a homicide. According to use-of-force reports that departments file with their county prosecutor, cops in these highly paid towns often retire without ever having to fire their weapon in the line of duty.

Read More: Are NJ police salaries fair? Cops in high-crime areas get less | https://nj1015.com/are-nj-cops-salaries-fair-cops-in-high-crime-areas-get-less/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Scutari to Unveil NJ Marijuana Legislation

up-in-smoke_theridgewoodblog

By JT Aregood • 05/12/17 4:36pm

State Sen. Nick Scutari. JT Aregood for Observer

State Sen. Nick Scutari (D-Union) will be unveiling long-awaited legislation to regulate and tax marijuana in New Jersey on Monday, he announced today.

The proposal has no chance while Gov. Chris Christie remains in office. But with the Republican’s term ending in January, and all the major Democratic candidatesfor governor this year in favor of legalization, Scutari’s plan is likely to serve as an important blueprint for the next administration if a Democrat wins office. The leading Republican candidates — Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno — have said they favor decriminalizing but not fully legalizing the drug.

https://observer.com/2017/05/scutari-to-unveil-nj-marijuana-legislation/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

10 MORE Commandments for driving in New Jersey (as chosen by you!)

Vehicle slides off the roadway into Goffle Brook Pond in Hawthorne

file photo by Boyd Loving

By Double Down May 12, 2017 12:28 PM

Only in New Jersey. You would think listing the 10 Commandments for the rules of the road here in the Garden State would be enough, right?  Yeah, not so much.

There’s so much craziness on NJ’s roads that we came up with a second  list of 10 Commandments for all the people who wrote in and commented on Facebook, Twitter or on our website with some fantastic suggestions. From the left lane laggers to the drivers who think their turn signals were optional equipment on their car, we have heard your cries for sanity on the roads and we are posting them for all to read and (hopefully) adhere to.

Read More: 10 MORE Commandments for driving in New Jersey (as chosen by you!) | https://nj1015.com/10-more-commandments-for-driving-in-new-jersey-as-chosen-by-you/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Rare wildflower blooms in only one place on Earth – New Jersey

Rare wildflower

USA TODAY NETWORKJames M. O’Neill, The (Bergen County, N.J.) Record

WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Despite the large, heavy-duty waterproof boots he wore, Scott Sherwood stepped with a dancer’s delicacy through a mucky meadow, trying to avoid crushing the tiny yellow wildflowers blooming all around him.

After all, this flower grows only in this one location in New Jersey — and no place else on Earth.

https://www.app.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/13/rare-wildflower-only-blooms-only-new-jersey/321008001/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Fender Bender in front of an Fair Lawn Auto body shop

Fender Bender in front of an Fair Lawn Auto body shop

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook

May 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, If you’re going to have a fender bender, there’s no more of a convenient place to have it than in front of an auto body shop. That’s exactly what happened on Wednesday afternoon, 05/10, when two (2) vehicles collided in front of Tri Boro Auto Body, 5-35 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn. Neither vehicle was extensively damaged, but one (1) driver experienced a serious medical condition that required him being transported to The Valley Hospital by ambulance. A paramedic team was dispatched to the incident, but released from the scene shortly after their arrival. Fair Lawn PD responded to aid the victim and to investigate the crash.

Posted on by — 9 Comments

Town taking tribe to court over teepees built near million-dollar homes

teepees

By Allison Pries | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 10, 2017 at 4:57 PM, updated May 10, 2017 at 5:00 PM

The township is taking the Ramapough Mountain Indians to court in its latest effort to remove structures that were erected last year in a flood plain and conservation zone.

Camping tents, teepees, pop-up tents, a canvas cabin and a wood structure with a roof, floor and cabinets were set up at 95 Halifax Road near the banks of the Ramapo River in November, and are being occupied on a permanent basis, according to a civil court filing this week in Bergen County Superior Court.

“We filed this action for zoning violations on this property as we would for any other resident violating our zoning laws,” Mayor Bill Laforet said. “We’re treating them exactly the same.”

The property, which is owned by the Ramapoughs, is at the base of a neighborhood known as the Polo Club, an enclave of million-dollar homes off Route 202. The parcel last sold in 1995 for $1, according to property records.

https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2017/05/town_taking_tribe_to_court_over_teepees_built_near_million-dollar_homes.html#incart_river_home

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Why there’s a chance N.J. licenses won’t work as ID at airports this fall

nj MVC drivers licenses

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 10, 2017 at 9:39 AM, updated May 10, 2017 at 11:37 AM

New Jersey may not make an October deadline to have state driver’s licenses conform to stricter security requirements to meet the federal Real ID act.

The state may need a “short extension” past October to meet the standards, said Ray Martinez, Motor Vehicle Commission chief administrator.

“We are very confident it will be done by the end of the year, but it may not be in October,” Martinez said at an assembly budget committee hearing on Monday. “Real ID compliance is top priority.”

New Jersey is one of 12 states that have an extension until October. A first extension was granted in January 2016 by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Not meeting the Real ID requirements would mean New Jersey driver’s licenses and non-license ID cards issued by the MVC would not be accepted at airports for identification. Currently, licenses and other ID issued in four states are not accepted for identification by federal agencies because they don’t meet Real ID standards.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/05/why_theres_a_chance_nj_licenses_wont_work_as_id_at_airports_this_fall.html#incart_river_home

Posted on by — 1 Comment

No Injuries Reported for multi vehicle collision on Lincoln Avenue in Glen Rock

multi vehicle collision on Lincoln Avenue in Glen Rock

courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page

May 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock PD responded to a multi vehicle collision at the intersection of Isabella Place and Lincoln Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, 05/09, the impact of which sent an SUV careening off of the roadway. No injuries were reported in the incident. Two (2) vehicles were removed from the scene by separate flatbed tow trucks. No word from police on the scene as to whether any crash related summonses were issued. Traffic on Lincoln Avenue was minimally affected as wreckage was cleared from the intersection.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Trump Says “You’re Fired ” to FBI Director and Allendale Native James Comey

FBI Director James Comey

May 10,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Allendale NJ, The White House announced Tuesday afternoon that FBI Director James Comey was fired. Comey the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) , and served from 2013 until his dismissal by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017.

Comey tenure had come under pressure by both Clinton supporters ,claiming his actions cost her the election and Trump supporters finding the continued “Russian Collusion” investigation given the confirmation that “there was no evidence of Russian Collusion with the Trump Administration”  was purely politically motivated .  In recent testimony Comey seemed a bit out of his depth and over his head .

“Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement. “President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.”

According to Wikipedia James Comey was Born in Yonkers, New York, but Comey grew up in Allendale, New Jersey, the son of Joan and J. Brien Comey. His father worked in corporate real estate and his mother was a computer consultant and homemaker. Comey is of Irish heritage. He attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. Comey graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1982, majoring in chemistry and religion. His senior thesis analyzed the liberal theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and the conservative televangelist Jerry Falwell, emphasizing their common belief in public action. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.

Posted on by — 17 Comments

Cops in N.J. now earn over $100K. See how much they make in your town

keystone cops

Ridgewood Village , Bergen County , Median Years of Service 13  Median Salary Amount $145,874
By Carla Astudillo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on May 09, 2017 at 8:13 AM, updated May 09, 2017 at 10:37 AM

New Jersey cops now earn a median salary of more than six figures, state treasury data shows.

An NJ Advance Media analysis of public employee salary data found that the median salary for more than 19,000 municipal police officers was $105,106 as of the end of 2016.

That’s an increase of about $14,400, or 16 percent, from what it was seven years ago when The Star-Ledger did the same analysis.

The analysis also showed that 60 percent of municipal police officers made at least $100,000 in 2016 – up from 30 percent in 2009.

The data also shows that the towns with the highest median salaries were wealthier suburban towns with very little crime and higher costs of living, and were mostly in Bergen County.

For example, officers in Saddle River were paid a median salary of $155,508 – the highest in the state. Saddle River is a town of just over 3,000 residents with a median household income of about $121,026, one that only had two violent crimes in 2015.

In some of the municipalities with the highest median police salaries, the disparity between police and civilian income was stark.

 

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/05/how_much_is_the_median_cop_salary_in_your_town.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Many parts of New Jersey face stressed drinking water supplies

glass_of_water_privatisation

James M. O’Neill , NorthJerseyPublished 1:42 p.m. ET May 8, 2017 | Updated 18 hours ago

Residents in parts of New Jersey use tens of millions of gallons more water a day than their watersheds can safely supply – and other areas of the state could soon be in similar stress according to a state report.

Demand in much of Salem and Cumberland counties outstrips local supply by 70 million gallons a day. In Atlantic County, the deficit is 25 million gallons daily.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2017/05/08/new-jersey-has-many-stressed-drinking-water-supplies/310316001/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-09-05-9569518&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

Posted on by — 2 Comments

For the second time less than 12 hours, Glen Rock Fire Responds to Rock Road Home

Glen Rock Fire Responds to Rock Road Home

courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook Page

May 9,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, For the second time less than 12 hours, Glen Rock FD responded to a house fire at 289 Rock Road, Glen Rock. The fire this time, on Monday morning, 05/08, appeared to have been contained to a laundry basket. A Glen Rock PD officer had removed the burning laundry basket from the home prior to the arrival of FD personnel. Firefighters from Ridgewood and Hawthorne assisted Glen Rock FD personnel at the scene. No injuries were reported; Rock Road was again closed between South Maple Avenue and Harding Plaza while emergency crews worked.

18320541 688394544679915 2238786414673112166 o

Posted on by — 3 Comments

FBI confirms the deadly costs of a ‘War on Cops’

Protests in Baltimore After Funeral Held For Baltimore Man Who Died While In Police Custody

By Post Editorial Board

May 7, 2017 | 6:32pm

A new FBI report finds that the “War on Cops” is real and has deadly consequences.

Undertaken last year after a spate of cop-killings around the nation, the study confirms that areas across the nation have seen “de-policing” in the wake of protests that political leaders seemed to support.

“Law enforcement not only felt that their national political leaders [publicly] stood against them, but also that the politicians’ words and actions signified that disrespect to law enforcement was acceptable in the aftermath of the [Michael] Brown shooting,” the study notes.

“The Assailant Study — Mindsets and Behaviors” examines the men behind 50 cop-killings last year. Most of the perps were simply looking to avoid arrest, but a full 28 percent actively hated police and desired to “kill law enforcement.”

Several, including the killers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, were clearly inspired by the protests that began in Ferguson, Mo.

https://nypost.com/2017/05/07/fbi-confirms-the-deadly-costs-of-a-war-on-cops/

Posted on by — 1 Comment

No Injuries were Reported at Single Family Home Fire in Glen Rock

Single Family Home Fire in Glen Rock

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page

May 8,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock FD responded to a working fire in the bedroom of a single family home located at 289 Rock Road, Glen Rock on Sunday evening, 05/07. Three (3) Glen Rock PD officers entered the home prior to the arrival of FD personnel and knocked down the bulk of the blaze with dry chemical fire extinguishers. The fire reportedly started in a second floor bedroom closet. Glen Rock EMS also responded to the scene. No injuries were reported that required ambulance transport to a hospital. Rock Road between South Maple Avenue and Harding Plaza was closed while emergency crews worked.