Category: Bergen County

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Ramsey Doubles Down on Gun Range Ban

Guns

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.

https://www.nj2as.org/ramsey_doubles_down_on_gun_range_ban

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Paramus Truck Accident Shuts Down Route 17 during the Wednesday Morning Rush

Paramus Truck Accident Shuts Down Route 17 during the Wednesday Morning Rush

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.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

AMERICANS BUY EXISTING HOMES AT FASTEST PACE IN A DECADE

ridgewood real-estate

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.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HOME_SALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-22-10-01-25

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Many NJ residents exposed to risk of Edgewater-style fire

CBD high density housing

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.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/02/20/many-nj-residents-exposed-edgewater-style-fire-risk/98164240/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Port Authority eyeing harness-equipped suicide prevention units on George Washington Bridge

GWB

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.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/port-authority-eyeing-harness-equipped-cops-gwb-article-1.2977743

Posted on by — Leave a comment

DHS cancels Obama policies, orders agents to expand deportations

illegal-immigrants

By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times – Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly officially ordered federal agents this week to begin arresting and deporting more illegal immigrants, releasing them from the handcuffs the Obama administration had imposed, and making headway on one of President Trump’s chief campaign promises.

While young adult illegal immigrant “Dreamers” are still exempted, agents were told there are no longer any other special classes of people that should be considered off limits for deportation.

Those caught at the border are to be swiftly shipped back, Mr. Kelly said, and he freed agents to target a broader universe of illegal immigrants for deportation from within the interior of the U.S. The secretary said agents are still to give priority to those with criminal rap sheets, but are free to use discretion — taken away from them in the Obama years — to detain anyone they believe to be in the country illegally.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/feb/21/dhs-cancels-obama-policies-released-agents-to-expa/

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Why this could be the last week for cheap gas in N.J.

gas tax nj

By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 20, 2017 at 8:32 AM, updated February 20, 2017 at 11:15 AM

This week for gas prices might be like the last hours of a great party that you wish could last longer, but you know is starting to wind down.

On Friday, the average price for regular in the state was $2.32 a gallon, but discount stations ranged between $2.07 and $2.09, GasBuddy.com reported. An average price of $2.20 or less wasn’t hard to find.

There are two factors that drivers can thank for keeping prices low at the pump — lousy demand for gas and tremendous supplies of it. But low gas prices aren’t going to last much longer, experts said.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/02/why_this_could_be_the_last_week_for_cheap_gas_in_nj.html#incart_river_home

Posted on by — 1 Comment

CORY BOOKER CONDEMNED DAVID FRIEDMAN WHILE GIVING IRAN A PASS

130111 cory booker ap 605

BY SHMULEY BOTEACH
FEBRUARY 20, 2017 21:5

There is a growing evolution in Cory’s position on Israel which is becoming more aligned with the left wing of the Democratic party.

The hearing for American ambassador-designate to Israel David Friedman at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week was intense. The Democratic senators came after him hard, quoting every controversial thing he’s ever said. Mind you, they couldn’t seem to find one controversial thing he’s ever done. Because no one disputes that David is an upstanding, decent man who has had caused little to no controversy. But they called him out on harsh statements he made about those he felt were not sympathetic to Israel.

But of particular note was how harshly he was treated by my friend, Senator Cory Booker, who told David over and over again that although these were just words, words matter.

https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/No-Holds-Barred-Cory-Booker-condemned-David-Friedman-while-giving-Iran-a-pass-482121

Posted on by — Leave a comment

House Fire in Glen Rock Leaves One Firefighter Injured

House Fire in Glen Rock Leaves One Firefighter Injured

Photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

February 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, A house fire at 506 Prospect Street in Glen Rock on Monday evening, 02/20, was battled by firefighters from Fair Lawn, Glen Rock, Hawthorne, Midland Park, and Ridgewood. At least one (1) firefighter was injured while fighting the smokey blaze. Ridgewood EMS assisted Glen Rock EMS at the scene, and Ridgewood PD units assisted Glen Rock PD with traffic control.

16797391 652629078256462 4643396602854037637 o

16825981 652628961589807 7860865508217378346 o

16819112 652628894923147 1792029642808903201 o

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Car Hits House on Mountain Ave in Washington Twp

Car Hits House on Mountain Ave in Washington Twp

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

February 21,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington TWP, he adult female driver of a Nissan Versa Note escaped injury during a mishap in which her vehicle, while being driven in reverse, crashed into a single family home located at 320 Mountain Avenue, Washington Township on Monday afternoon, 02/20. Washington Township PD & FD personnel were assisted at the scene by members of the Paramus Rescue Squad and Hillsdale EMS personnel. Damage to the structure was extensive; however, the vehicle appeared to have been drive-able.

16826110 652511391601564 1863021630564339098 o

16797539 652511394934897 4046944727327168978 o

Posted on by — Leave a comment

NJ agency paying millennials to throw parties and discuss transportation

Millennials_theridgewoodblg

file photo by ArtChick

By David Matthau February 20, 2017 3:49 AM

Subscribe to New Jersey 101.5 FM on

New Jersey 101.5 related video

The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority wants you to throw a cocktail party — and they’ll foot the bill!

According to David Behrend, department director of communications and government affairs for the Authority, the Set the Table initiative is one part of a broad public outreach effort to update their long-range transportation plan for 13 counties in Central and North Jersey.

“The idea is to look at how we can better involve younger people who maybe haven’t traditionally been involved in some of these public meetings and this process in the past,” he said.

Behrend said participant hosts who should be between the ages of 18 to 29 will be asked to get together a group of six to eight friends. They’ll get a small stipend, around $100, “to get some pizzas or other foods, however they want to organize their particular event.”

He said each group will be given cards with questions about different subjects like transportation safety, technology and the environment.

“These are the folks who are going to be experiencing and using the transportation network 30 years down the road, so we want to hear their input, we want to see what they have to say.”

Behrend says the Set the Table meetings will help to shape what happens in the future

Read More: NJ agency paying millennials to throw parties and discuss transportation | https://nj1015.com/nj-agency-paying-millennials-to-throw-parties-and-discuss-transportation/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Powerball jackpot goes winless again, jackpot up to $403 million

Lottery_theridgewoodblog

By Dan Alexander February 19, 2017 8:56 AM

TRENTON — Nobody won the jackpot in Saturday night’s Powerball drawing, but New Jersey remains a lucky place to play the game.

One ticket sold in New Jersey matched five numbers, but not the power ball, good for $1 million. Another four tickets matched 4 numbers and the power ball worth $50,000 each.

The Powerball jackpot displayed on a lottery machine at a Wawa in Toms River (Dan Alexander, Townsquare Media NJ)

The winning numbers drawn Saturday were: 3,7,9,31,33 and the power ball was 20 giving the jackpot an annuity value of $403 million for the next drawing on Wednesday with a cash value of $243.9 million.

Read More: Powerball jackpot goes winless again, jackpot up to $403 million | https://nj1015.com/powerball-jackpot-goes-winless-again-jackpot-up-to-403-million/?trackback=tsmclip

Posted on by — Leave a comment

19 year old UNF reporter from Fair Lawn Gets Presidents Attention during President Trumps Press Conference

Kyle Mazza

photo from Kyle Mazza’s Facebook page

February 20,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, a UNF News Reporter Kyle Mazza Asks President Trump A Question At White House News Conference — (VIDEO CREDIT: FOX NEWS) https://t.co/Hivt4UpRyp #UNFNEWS

Kyle Mazza is a 19 year old from Fair Lawn New Jersey and studied at the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Hasbrouck Heights.
Mazza’s question focused on the first lady during President Trump’s freewheeling news conference on Thursday.

“Mr. President,” a reporter began, “Melania Trump announced the reopening of the White House Visitors Office. And she does a lot of great work for the country as well. Can you tell us a little bit about what first lady Melania Trump does for the country?”

Mr. Trump lowered his combative tone. “Now, that’s what I call a nice question,” he said. “That is very — who are you with?”

The answer — UNF News — barely registered with Mr. Trump.

“Good,” the president said. “I’m going to start watching, all right?”

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Birders want to keep Meadowlands mall from being bird-killer

xanadu_theridgewoodblog

By SCOTT FALLON
Posted: Feb. 18, 2017 8:00 am Updated: Feb. 18, 2017 11:54 am

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When the owners of American Dream unveiled their latest renderings of the Meadowlands mall and entertainment complex in December, some saw the new glass facade as a significant upgrade from the much reviled boxy exterior.

Don Torino, however, saw only death.

The president of the Bergen Audubon Society feared the glass exterior could be deadly to the barn swallows, marsh wrens and dozens of other bird species that migrate through the Meadowlands each year.

Birds slam into buildings at alarming rates. Studies by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that buildings with reflective glass kill 303 million birds each year, ranking second only to cats in bird kills. Birds can’t see reflective glass well, mistaking it for clear air space. Like moths, they are also attracted to bright lights at night when they migrate and often cannot sense that those lights are part of a larger structure.

“It’s pretty simple: If you put a glassy building in a place where birds migrate, like the Meadowlands, the likelihood of a bird hitting it is high,” Susan Elbin, director of conservation and science for New York City Audubon, told The Record (https://bit.ly/2m8fdi6).

https://www.njherald.com/article/20170218/AP/302189899

Posted on by — Leave a comment

N.J. needs a water plan, or it may be tears that will flow

ridgewood water

February 19, 2017 at 3:00 AM

Smart companies (and states) make long-range plans based on the most accurate data available. But New Jersey’s real estate and home-building industries, the state’s water utilities and, indeed, any N.J. company that depends on a reliable water supply can’t do that right now. The Statewide Water Supply Plan — a document that details where the water for New Jersey’s future is and is not — has not been updated since 1996, despite a state statute requiring that an updated report be provided every five years.

Certainly, the Department of Environmental Protection has been working on an update. But, as Rutgers professor and former DEP official Daniel J. Van Abs said in a Feb. 7 column for NJSpotlight, a new draft plan was “last seen” in 2012, when it was presented to the Water Supply Advisory Council — a panel of water company officials, academic scientists and various nonprofits that advises the DEP on water issues. Since then, nothing has happened.

The DEP says it is still collecting data, but Van Abs and others believe Gov. Chris Christie is sitting on the report because the news is not likely to be good. Their theory is that an updated report could stymie development in the state, and the Christie administration does not want to be bound by it.

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20170219/NJBIZ01/170219830/editorial-nj-needs-a-water-plan-or-it-may-be-tears-that-will-flow