By Matt Arco and Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 20, 2017 at 7:05 AM, updated March 20, 2017 at 11:26 AM
TRENTON — Phil Murphy, the early Democratic favorite in this year’s race for New Jersey governor, has donated at least $1.15 million to state and local Democratic organizations and candidates since 2001, according to an NJ Advance Media analysis of campaign finance records.
More than 40 percent of that money — about $466,000 — was shelled out over the past three years, a period during which Murphy, a millionaire former Goldman Sachs banking executive, took steps toward launching his campaign to succeed Republican Chris Christie as governor.
The donations came from Murphy, his wife Tammy, jointly from the couple, or from his gubernatorial campaign, according to the analysis, the most in-depth look so far at how much Murphy has given to in-state causes.
We had a significant snow and rain storm across the Garden State last week, but the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection has not changed any of its drought warnings or watches in central and north Jersey — yet.
A drought warning remains in effect for Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
However the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report for New Jersey shows 43 percent of the state (southern and coastal) is now classified as being drought-free, while only 6 percent of northern New Jersey is still listed as being in a “severe drought” situation.
The U.S. Drought Monitor report takes into account several hydrological indicators, including soil moisture and stream flow variability, while the DEP drought indicators strictly measure reservoir levels in New Jersey.
“This is definitely good news but we can’t get too excited because all it takes is a prolonged dry spell at the wrong time of year and we can quickly move back into drought conditions,” said Tony Broccoli, a professor of atmospheric sciences and chairman of the Department of Environmental Sciences School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University.
Paramus NJ, An aerial lift platform trailer being towed by a pick up truck rolled over on Route 17 southbound in Paramus on Monday afternoon, 03/20. Only one (1) travel lane of traffic on Route 17 southbound near A&S Drive remained open while two (2) flatbed tow trucks worked in unison to right the device. No injuries were reported in the mishap. Paramus PD responded to the incident. The trailer was removed from the scene by one of the aforementioned flatbed tow trucks.
The Supreme Court has rejected Sen. Bob Menendez’s attempt to throw out the bribery and corruption charges against him, setting the stage for a trial for the New Jersey Democrat this fall.
With Monday’s announcement, Menendez can no longer block the proceedings against him from moving forward, a major setback for his efforts to avoid criminal trial.
Abbe Lowell, Menendez’s lead defense attorney, said the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the appeal was “disappointing,” but still said Menendez will be “vindicated when all the facts are heard at trial.”
“It’s disappointing that the Supreme Court did not take this opportunity to set a clear, bright line of the separation of powers to ensure that Congress remains an independent and co-equal branch of government, free of interference and retribution from the executive as the Framers intended,” Lowell said in a statement. “While the senator always understood it is rare that the Supreme Court hears any case before trial, given the gravity of the Constitutional issues raised, he believed it was important to try.”
JOHN LATKA, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ELECTRIC & GAS OPERATIONS – PSE&G
Ridgewood NJ, You may have seen dramatic TV coverage of manhole covers popping off in the street and hurdling through the air. While rare in our service area, manhole covers sometimes become dislodged. The root cause varies; however, these incidents all have two ingredients: combustible fumes and an ignition source.
During the snowy months and spring thaw, the flammable gases are often caused by the salt we put on roads and sidewalks to keep us safe from slippery snow and ice. Other sources of potentially dangerous fumes include sewer lines, gas pipes, decaying organic matter, and the disposal of combustible materials in the streets.
In the late winter and early spring, salty runoff can make its way down a manhole shaft and compromise the insulation around electric cables. The cables begin to smolder, releasing gases like carbon monoxide, methane and hydrogen. In high concentrations, all that’s needed to release this energy is a spark.
Manhole covers serve an important purpose. They keep debris from falling into our electric vaults, keep unauthorized people out and ensure we can provide you the safe, reliable electricity service you expect from PSE&G.
We have 28,547 manholes in our system. Underneath their 400-pound cast iron covers are vaults measuring 6 feet high, by 12 feet long and 8 feet wide. The vaults house high-voltage electric cables about the size of your fist in diameter. Multiple cables are bundled together and wrapped in insulation. Those cables feed transformers that step down the high voltage electricity to a level suitable for distribution to homes and businesses.
We have another 11,251 “hand holes” that are covered by the small, rectangular metal covers you most often see in urban areas. These smaller vaults house low-voltage lines that bring electricity to individual customers such as small businesses, apartment buildings, or street and traffic lights. The covers on these hand holes don’t pop often. The lower voltage, combined with a smaller space, make it less likely to trap and ignite gas.
Manhole incidents in our system happen very infrequently. However, if you see something suspicious, like a manhole spewing smoke, it is important to report it. Call 911. Also, be sure to call PSE&G if you see a manhole or hand hole cover ajar or in any way out of place. It could be a sign of a problem lurking underneath.
Fair lawn NJ, A driver exiting Broadway westbound at Plaza Road in Fair Lawn crashed through a fence and wound up in the back yard of a home on 26th Street late Saturday night, 03/18. The driver was not injured in the crash and no one was in the back yard at the time of impact. A flatbed tow truck removed the vehicle from its predicament. Fair Lawn PD responded to the incident. A garden/tool shed was also damaged in the mishap.
Waldwick NJ, A Waldwick Department of Public Works employee was injured when a piece of heavy equipment rolled over on its side while performing snow removal work at the intersection of Sheridan Avenue and Maple Court in Waldwick on Thursday afternoon, 03/16.
The victim’s injuries were reported to be non life threatening. An ambulance from Ho-Ho-Kus transported the victim to The Valley Hospital. The piece of heavy equipment was righted by a heavy duty wrecker. The cause of the accident is under investigation by Waldwick PD.
Westwood NJ, The BERGEN COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS COORDINATING COUNCIL, INC., a grass-roots, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization consisting of senior clubs in Bergen County and serving all the senior citizens of Bergen County since 1974, invites all Bergen County Senior Citizens’ Clubs to send a representative to our monthly meetings. Those clubs which are not currently members of the Council should go to the FORMS link on our website at www.bcscccouncil.wordpress.com, (IMPORTANT INFORMATION—FORMS) and download the application to join our organization or e-mail John A. Walsh, President, at [email protected]. If you don’t have a computer available, contact John A. Walsh, President, at 201-483-8633 for an application.
Meetings start at 1:00 p.m. on the second Monday of each month from September through June. Meeting location is at the HUMC at Pascack Valley, 250 Old Hook Rd., Westwood, NJ 07675. Important information for seniors is provided by special speakers, other club and Council members, and senior citizen service agencies of Bergen County. See our website at www.bcscccouncil.wordpress.com for many more important details to include past meeting topics, directions, photos, and more, about our organization.
By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 18, 2017 at 9:15 AM, updated March 18, 2017 at 9:16 AM
TRENTON — “Saturday Night Live” alum Joe Piscopo has decided he will not run for governor as a Republican and instead is planning to declare he will jump into the race to succeed Gov. Chris Christie as an independent candidate, NJ Advance Media has learned.
Piscopo made his decision because he did not begin the process of running early enough to run as a Republican, according to two sources close to the performer who requested anonymity because they did not want to publicly discuss an official announcement that could trigger state election laws on fundraising.
Republican county chairs started the process of making endorsements awarding their ballot lines starting in late January in anticipation of the April 3 deadline to file as primary candidates. Thus far, the lion’s share of endorsements have gone to Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
“You have to be out early,” explained one Piscopo insider. “And he didn’t start early enough.”
The sources say Piscopo was also unwilling to give up hosting his morning radio show on New York City’s 970 AM, owned by the conservative leaning Salem Broadcasting, during the primary season.
Have a Fun and Safe St. Patrick’s Day, But Don’t Push Your Luck
March 17,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
West Trenton, NJ , If you plan on participating in St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans this year, don’t leave your safety and the safety of others up to luck. Troopers will work with local law enforcement agencies to keep intoxicated drivers off of the roadways and help protect New Jersey motorists from the tragedies associated with impaired driving.
The New Jersey State Police have planned to significantly increase traffic enforcement details across the state from Friday, March 17 to Monday, March 20. During this period, over 140 troopers will be on special details targeting aggressive driving, speed, seatbelt usage, distracted driving, and DWI. The details will supplement regular State Police patrols that will continue to diligently enforce New Jersey’s traffic laws.
Often, we remind motorists to be alert of pedestrians, especially during parades when people are celebrating and may be drinking alcohol. It is just as important to remind pedestrians to pay attention to motorists as well. Here are some safety tips that you and your loved ones can follow to ensure a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day:
• Cross the street at appropriate and legal locations.
• Always obey the crosswalk traffic signal.
• If you are driving in the area of a parade, watch for pedestrians, especially small children.
• Designate a sober driver and give that person your vehicle keys.
• Use mass transit, a car service or ride sharing application if you don’t have a designated driver.
• Remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. Never let a friend drive drunk.
• Report hazardous driving by dialing #77 from a hands-free mobile device.
CLOSTER – Local police say a recent car burglary may be tied to a national criminal organization known as Felony Lane Gang.
Police are looking to question two people after a vehicle was broken into outside a gym last week and a credit card taken from the vehicle was used, according to a press release.
“It appears to be the same M.O. as Felony Lane Gang but we haven’t tied them to crime,” Detective Vincent Aiello told NJ Advance Media Thursday.
The incident occurred last Friday, March 10, when a car was broken into outside the CGI Holistic Fitness & Spa. An iPhone and personal information were taken from the vehicle.
Fair Lawn NJ, No injuries were reported in connection with a Wednesday afternoon, 03/15, rollover crash on Broadway in Fair Lawn. The vehicle involved, a 4-door Saturn sedan, was righted and removed from the scene by a hydraulic lift tow truck. Fair Lawn FD Company #3 and Fair Lawn Heavy Rescue responded to assist Fair Lawn PD. A Paramus PD ESU unit helped with traffic control. Traffic on a service road feeding Saddle River Road southbound was detoured until the crash scene was cleared.
Hackensack NJ, GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Joseph Rudy Rullo has decided not to participate in the Bergen screening and convention . ”
“Fighting Joe Rullo” told the Ridgewood blog on Wednesday,”I’m not going to participate in the Bergen screening and convention. I want to send a message to Bergen County voters that I’m the outsider Republican candidate. I believe the Republican organization is divided and want to stay neutral. I believe Bergen County is key to general election and staying neutral will help unite both sides in November.”
Rullo has attended to all major GOP speaking opportunity events and now will focus on other groups over the next couple of months. Rullo commented , “I am meeting with liberty group and other conservative groups” Rullo feels he has some establishment support from speaking at their events.
Special Guest Speaker Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi
March 21 – 7pm
650 American Legion Drive, Teaneck N J
(Don’t forget to bring a pantry item for the American Legion food drive-support our veterans’ good works)
Teaneck N J , We are very fortunate to have Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi as our guest speaker on March 21, Tuesday. Assemblywoman Schepisi has been an advocate for towns deciding what happens in their own town….wouldn’t you think that is the right way forum for these decisions to be made?
Don’t think for a moment this isn’t going to affect your town or any town in NJ for that matter….we brought this issue to your attention last year and now it’s rearing it’s ugly head in full force on the state level.
In a decision that could reshape hundreds of communities, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in January that municipalities must allow the development of affordable housing for poor and middle-class families whose needs were ignored for more than 16 years.
A recent article in NorthJersey.com highlighted Affordable Housing affecting the towns in Bergen County.
“Two Pascack Valley towns have thrown their support behind legislation that aims to bring affordable-housing litigation in the state to a screeching halt and pressure the state Legislature to take action on the issue. The governing bodies in Emerson and Woodcliff Lake approved resolutions last week backing the bills, which were introduced by Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi.
One bill – A4666 – urges a freeze on all affordable-housing litigation through the end of the year. A companion bill – A4667 – calls for establishing a bipartisan Affordable Housing Obligation Study Commission that would be composed of professionals and elected officials to determine each town’s affordable-housing obligations.
State Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Demarest, has sponsored similar legislation in the Senate.
Towns have been submitting their housing plans to state judges for approval, after the state Supreme Court ordered them to bypass the Council on Affordable Housing, which has been inactive for years because of bureaucratic dysfunction.
Schepisi said the Legislature should be dealing with the issue, not the courts. “There are a host of out-of-the-box ideas and thinking that we as legislators should be exploring, and we’re not,” Schepisi said, adding: “We need to also question if the obligation should rest with the state rather than each municipality.”
Ridgewood NJ, The Christian Health Care Center (CHCC) Foundation recently welcomed two new trustees: Ms. Kathleen Entwistle, CFP, CDFA, and Mr. John Plum.
Ms. Entwistle is Senior Vice President – Wealth Management at the UBS Ridgewood Wealth Management Group. She has more than 25 years of experience in the financial-services industry and has been recognized with multiple awards and designations for her achievements during her tenure at both Morgan Stanley and UBS. Ms. Entwistle, a resident of Ridgewood, received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Providence College in Rhode Island and a master’s in business administration from Fordham University in New York. She serves on the board of directors of the Ridgewood Public Library Foundation, The Family Support Organization of Bergen County, St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, and the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary. She is an active member of the Commerce and Industry Association of NJ and Women United in Philanthropy, and cofounder of an executive women’s networking group. “Christian Health Care Center is a community of caring, dedicated professionals with a shared purpose of providing exceptional health care to those in need of our services,” said Ms. Entwistle. “My goal as a Foundation trustee is to support the Foundation through sharing Trustees awareness in the community about all the services we provide, as well as participating in fundraising efforts.”
A resident of Saddle River, Mr. Plum has more than 35 years of professional expertise in the financial-services industry. He is the founding partner of Emery, Kim Global Advisors, LLC, a firm specializing in investment advisory, corporate finance, and money management services. Previously he was the President and CEO and Managing Director for Citigroup Asset Management in Japan. Prior to Citigroup, Mr. Plum was employed by Chase Manhattan in corporate finance, Shearson Loeb Rhoades in electric-utility finance, and Blyth Eastman Dillon in health-care and public finance. Mr. Plum lived in Japan for eight years and has extensive business experience throughout Asia. He was a founding board member of the non-profit Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute of Japan, and a board member and treasurer of the American School in Japan. In the United States, Mr. Plum was a board member and treasurer of Doctors Without Borders in New York City. Mr. Plum received a bachelor of science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Following graduation, he remained actively involved with his alma mater, serving as a board member of MIT’s Alumni Fund, Alumni Association, Alumni Association of Northern New Jersey, and MIT Alumni Association of Japan. “Christian Health Care Center has a richly deserved reputation for excellence in innovation and health-care delivery. My family and I have lived in Bergen County for more than 40 years and have watched, with much admiration and curiosity, as the Center adapted to the MORE Trustees … Page 3 changing landscape of the industry and the changing population and needs of Northern New Jersey,” Mr. Plum says. “My goal as Foundation trustee is to enable the Center to meet its strategic objectives over the next 10 to 20 years. The health-care industry will again undergo major reassessments at both federal and state levels. Because of its long-standing reputation and talented personnel, CHCC stands at the nexus of these changes and can take advantage of new opportunities for progress and leadership to improve the health-care experience of all New Jersey residents.”
