Kristie Cattafi , Staff Writer, @KristieCattafi1:24 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2016
LODI ― The borough could become home to the first hydrogen fueling station in New Jersey and one of the few retail stations open to the public across the country.
Air Liquide US has filed an application with the borough’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to install a hydrogen gas fueling dispenser, a hydrogen fueling storage facility and other improvements to an existing Shell gas station at 110 Essex St.
By Anthony G. Attrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 24, 2017 at 9:24 AM, updated February 24, 2017 at 4:24 PM
CLIFTON – Police have arrested a Bergen County man and charged him in the theft last week of a chalice and money from a donation box at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church on Union Avenue.
The chalice, worth about $15,000, has not been recovered and police are still looking for it. A chalice is a goblet or cup used in religious services.
Peter M. Heitmann Jr., 26, of Saddle Brook is charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief and possession of burglar’s tools, said Detective Lt. Robert Bracken of the Clifton Police Department.
February 22, 2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Bergen County Sheriff’s Office are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Bergen County Youth Police Academy – Class #13.
The Academy is a two-week “day camp” (Monday through Friday) that is offered to qualified Bergen County high school students who are entering the 9th, 10th , 11th and 12th grades, free of charge. The camp is funded through the use of monies forfeited from criminal enterprises, and is staffed by members of the Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office. This year’s Academy will run from June 26 through July 7, 2017.
The motto of the Bergen County Youth Police Academy is “Honor – Respect – Commitment.” The objective is to educate young people about public service including emergency services, law enforcement, and government agencies.
“Designed by law enforcement professionals, the Academy provides high school students with a real understanding of what police academy cadets experience,” stated Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal. “This is a unique opportunity for young people to focus on strengthening their life skills of self-respect, respect of others, teamwork, and commitment to one’s goals.”
The curriculum will consist of hands-on, interactive educational activities as well as physical training activities. Daily programs include presentations from educators, interaction with county agencies, and field trips. The cadets will be given exposure to available state and county resources.
The Youth Police Academy will be held at the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah, and is headquartered at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack. Application forms are available at local high schools, police departments or online at www.BCPO.net (at Resources tab), and must be submitted by Friday, April 14, 2017. Space is limited. If you have any questions, contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Community Outreach unit at 201-226-5509, or [email protected].
February 25,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, Jersey Born and Bred Gubernatorial candidate Joseph R. Rullo has put together a few ideas to solve the state’s massive pension crisis. Most of the ideas are relatively painless for employees and taxpayers and unlike other grand schemes easily doable .
Rullo starts with investing basics by looking to eliminate $700 million in pension fees to NYC politically connected brokerage houses and replace with licensed brokers in the state investors division to pay savings towards pension payment. The pension fees went from 125M to 700M per year in the last 7 years.
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2016/10/new-jersey-gubernatorial-candidate-remove-wall-street-from-new-jersey-pension-system/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJAwKQ8TLOM&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop
Let’s face it according to the all the town hall protesters New Jersey loves Obamacare so Rullo says :
*Open up state employee health insurance bids across America to create competition to lower premiums and get better coverage for employees.
Rullo get creative with the next one;
* Dedicate a portion of recreational marijuana revenues to pay towards pension payment.
Was first reported by The Star-Ledger’s Editorial Page Editor Tom Moran in a Sunday column arguing passionately for legalization. Joseph Rudy Rullo, a declared Republican candidate for New Jersey governor in 2017, also supports marijuana legalization.
https://www.njumr.org/…/praise-for-phil-murphy-marijuana-le…
And finally something that long over do in the state of New Jersey . We can start with the pensions and work our way through every state agency .
* Open up a formal investigation and audit the pension fund for the last several decades to hold politicians in both parties accountable for their actions.
file photo by Boyd Loving
February 24, 2017
Trenton, NJ – A month since the New Jersey Press Association promised, but failed, to provide the public and the Legislature with the revenue totals their members receive from the publication of legal notices, the Governor’s Office today released additional revenue information from its own review that further debunks the multibillion-dollar print newspaper industry’s grossly false and misleading claims.
In an effort to lobby for media titans against overdue property tax-cutting reform bill S-2855/A-4429, which permits legal notices to be published online and has been supported by bipartisan legislators for 16 years, NJPA has claimed their member newspapers take $20 million per year from taxpayers. NJPA continues to provide no evidence to support this claim. Meanwhile, the Governor’s Office has released ample data, such as the attached, publicizing the newspapers’ real taxpayer rake, which is well over $20 million and pushing upwards of $80 million per year.
“The billionaires and millionaires running print newspapers in New Jersey continue to provide false rhetoric that they collect only $20 million in annual tax dollars to publish legal notices that should instead be freely posted online, and have yet to fulfill their promise to release real financial information, conceding that their $20 million claims were a lie to their employees, legislators, readers and taxpayers,” Governor Christie said. “These newspaper operators are so conflicted on this issue that despite my office providing sets of data proving their claims are false, there have been no articles or editorials reflecting that reality.”
Data backing the $80 million and the Star Ledger’s $16.6 million in 2016 legal notices revenue has been public since January 24. It has been provided to and remains unpublished by the following newspapers:
The Record
Gannett
NJ Advance Media
The Associated Press
NJ Spotlight
New Jersey Herald
In the face of this silence, the Governor’s Office has continued its painstaking review with the Gannett newspapers. To date, the Office has reviewed the published 2016 legal notices for three daily newspapers and the revenue generated from just these three newspapers exceeds $20 million:
2016 Revenue Totals
• Star-Ledger – $16,614,923.68
• Courier Post – $2,096,997.42
• Asbury Park Press – $1,989,089.53
Total for 3 Daily Newspapers – $20,701,010.63
With 13 daily papers and dozens of weekly papers left to tabulate, the 2016 legal notices in these three papers alone prove the NJPA’s $20 million per year claim is an outright falsehood.
February 25,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, according to the Pew Research Center , California has by far the largest number of unauthorized immigrants, about 2.3 million in 2014. About six-in-ten unauthorized immigrants live in the six states with the largest populations of unauthorized immigrants—California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
Pew estimated New Jersey to have 500,000, making up 5.4% of the Gardens states population and 7.6% of school kids with a whopping increase of 45,000 since 2009.
https://www.pewhispanic.org/interactives/unauthorized-immigrants/
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving
February 25,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Mahwah NJ, for the second time this week a truck crash on route 17 caused traffic delays . A tractor trailer loaded with Coca Cola rolled over on the flyover ramp of the Route 17/Route 287 interchange in Mahwah on Friday afternoon, 02/24. The truck landed on its right side; the driver, who sustained a minor leg injury, was extricated by Mahwah PD and FD personnel. A crash related fluid spill was attended to by Mahwah FD. The ramp remained closed for an extended period to facilitate righting and removal of the crashed vehicle. Mahwah EMS & Fire Police, NJ State Police, and NJ DOT units also responded.
February 23,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
DANCER BILL HELPS VETERANS RETAIN PROPERTY TAX DEDUCTION
TRENTON NJ, Assemblyman Ron Dancer introduced legislation protecting property tax deductions for veterans. The bill (A4635) allows the deduction to be kept even if the home is placed in trust.
“Veterans who have earned their property tax deduction should retain that benefit as long as they occupy the home,” said Dancer (R—Ocean). “Veterans who protected our nation should also be able to protect their family and assets with sensible estate planning. As long as they continue to live in the home as a primary residence, they should be able to protect it in a trust without losing their deduction.”
Qualifying veterans can apply for an annual $250 property tax deduction for service to the country.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington Twp NJ, Prepare to be “razzle-dazzled” as the New Jersey Choral Society presents “Fosse: the Theater, the Music, the Legend.” The NJCS Pops Spectacular will focus on the musicals of the multi-award- winning choreographer and director Bob Fosse. Performances will be held on Saturday, March 11 at 8:00 pm and on Sunday, March 12 at 3:00 pm at the
Immaculate Heart Academy, 500 Van Emburgh Ave., Washington Township.
The rousing program, under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, features show-stopping songs from such Broadway musicals as “Chicago,” “Pippin” and “Sweet Charity.” Some of the song highlights include “All That Jazz,” “Razzle Dazzle” and “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago;”“Magic to Do,” “Corner of the Sky,” “Morning Glow” and “No Time At All” from “Pippin” and“Big Spender,” “The Rhythm of Life,” “I’m a Brass Band” and “If My Friends Could See Me
Now” from “Sweet Charity.” “Steam Heat” from “Pajama Game” and “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Louis Prima, based on Benny Goodman’s original hit, will also be featured. Linda Sweetman-Waters will accompany NJCS on the piano along with the Pops SpectacularBand. The NJCS Festival Youth Chorus, directed by Noelle Dachis, will join NJCS as well as special guests, the Pops Spectacular Dance Troupe. Several talented soloists and vocal ensembles from NJCS will also be featured and Broadway veteran actor and his wife David and Britt Cryer will serve as the hosts.
Advance tickets are $25.00 for adults and $22.00 for students and seniors (add $5.00 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 that provides an intimate and entertaining preview of the music. 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 next summer in Italy.Immaculate Heart Academy is wheelchair accessible. Funding has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
file photo by Boyd Loving
North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record and the Herald News, announced last month that 141 employees will receive layoff notices. The company reported the layoffs on its website, NorthJersey.com. North Jersey Media Group announced last year that 426 employees will receive notices required by New Jersey state law when “mass layoffs are imminent.
Posted by Alexander Roubian 176sc on February 22, 2017 · Add your reaction
The Ramsey Town Council is doubling down on its attempt to ban gun ranges. Our threat of an immediate lawsuit still stands and we will make good on our promise if the ordinance passes. The bad news for Ramsey is that the odds that they succeed in court are slim.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Ramsey story, you can read a refresher here. Ramsey is trying to pass an ordinance that would ban firing a gun anywhere inside the town, with no exceptions. This would have the effect of banning all gun ranges. This would prevent a gun range that has already been approved for construction from being operational. They couldn’t manage to stop the physical building, so now they’re telling the gun range owners, “You can have your range, but you can’t use it.” There’s just one problem with this.
February 23,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ , Route 17 was closed in both directions between Century Rd and the Rochelle Park Border yesterday during the morning rush do to a massive truck accident.
After a truck swerved to avoid another disabled tractor tailer on 17 northbound, dislodging a steal beam into the southbound roadway damaging two oncoming cars.
One driver sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries and was removed from the vehicle and transported to Hackensack University Medical Center.
Paramus Police were dispatched to the crash at 5:47 a.m. The southbound lanes were open by 7:40 a.m. and the southbound lanes were opened at 9:45 a.m.
The accident is under investigation by the Paramus Police Traffic Division and the New Jersey State Police Commercial Carrier Safety Inspection Unit.
file photo by Boyd Loving
BY CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
AP ECONOMICS WRITER
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans shrugged off rising mortgage rates and bought existing homes in January at the fastest pace since 2007. That has set off bidding wars that have pushed up prices as the supply of available homes has dwindled to record lows.
Home sales rose 3.3 percent in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.
Steady job gains, modest pay raises and rising consumer confidence are spurring healthy home buying even as borrowing costs have risen since last fall. Some potential buyers may be accelerating their home purchases to get ahead of any further increases in mortgage rates. With few homes available for sale, buyers are pressured to rapidly close a deal as they find a suitable property.
The typical house for sale was on the market for just 50 days last month, compared with 64 days a year ago. Strong demand is pushing up median home prices, which jumped 7.1 percent from a year earlier to $228,900.
Just 1.69 million homes were on the market nationwide in January, near the lowest level since records began in 1999. It would take just 3.6 months to deplete that supply at the current pace of sales, matching a record low reached in December. Supply is usually equal to about six months of sales in a balanced housing market.
The supply crunch will likely get worse during the upcoming spring buying season, economists say, as demand typically rises by more than supply during that time.
Nicholas Pugliese , State House Bureau, @nickpugzPublished 5:39 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago
The obliterated homes and torched wedding photos. The lost green cards and melted jewelry. Those things, at least, might have been anticipated once the first flames took hold in the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex in January 2015.
The type of sprinkler system installed in the building, as required by New Jersey’s building code, was designed primarily to give people enough time to get out, not to save the building and its contents. To that extent, it succeeded. No one died. No one was even seriously injured.
At least one Emergency Service Unit tandem — two cops equipped with harnesses — would be permanently stationed on the George Washington Bridge to more quickly respond to people trying to jump from the iconic span, according to a proposal under consideration.
The Port Authority Police Department’s top cop said Monday that the plan would be discussed Tuesday — among other options — to address safety concerns raised by union officials and officers assigned to the agency’s suicide prevention team.
“The safety of our officers is the most important thing,” said Port Authority Police Superintendent Michael Fedorko. “I want to give them all the support they need.”
The Daily News reported Sunday that members of the Port Authority Police Department’s Suicide Prevention Walkway Patrol-Suicide Prevention Team saved 70 people from jumping from the George Washington Bridge last year.
