Most cyclists aren’t jerks. But drivers tend to single out the few who are—perpetuating the forever war between road users.
CHARLIE SORREL 09.02.16 12:15 PM
Why do drivers hate cyclists? Ask one, and the top answers are most likely to do with our behavior. Cyclists run red lights. We weave through traffic without looking and ride the wrong way down one-way streets.
First, let’s consider the drivers making these accusations. These drivers never use their cellphones while driving, they stick to all speed limits, they stop at all stop signs, and they never park in bike lanes, or turn right across a bike lane without looking, so they’re clearly well placed in the whole glass-house/stone-throwing scenario.
Back to these terrible cyclist. Are we really so bad? The data says that no, we are not only overwhelmingly decent folks, but we’re getting better. Slate’s Jim Saksa, “asshole cyclist,” and “stereotypical Jersey driver,” took a look at some figures from a 2011 report by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and found that average cyclist behavior is improving pretty fast.
Barbecues have been a White House tradition since Thomas Jefferson. Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, hosted the first barbecue at the White House that featured Texas-style barbecued ribs. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter hosted a “pig pickin’” for about 500 guests including visiting foreign dignitaries. Ronald and Nancy Reagan also were avid barbecuers who entertained with barbecues at their ranch. George H. Bush, 41st president, held a barbecue for Members of Congress annually on the South Lawn of the White House, a tradition continued by his son, President George W. Bush. However, that tradition was interrupted on September 12, 2001, the day after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Secret Service agents, who had evacuated the White House a day earlier, cancelled the barbecue and the White House kitchen released 700 pounds of beef tenderloin to feed the hundreds of rescue workers who had traveled to Washington.
When we barbecue
The most popular holidays for barbecuing are, in order, July 4th (76 percent), Memorial Day (62 percent), and Labor Day (62 percent).
What we barbecue
According to HPBA’s 2013 survey data (the most recent year this data was collected),
The most popular foods for cooking on the grill are, in order: burgers (85 percent), steak (80 percent), hot dogs (79 percent) and chicken (73 percent).
The side dishes most commonly prepared on the grill are, in order, corn (41 percent), potatoes (41 percent), and other vegetables (32 percent).
The most popular flavors of barbecue sauce are hickory, followed by mesquite, honey, and then spicy-hot.
How we barbecue
There are about as many styles of barbecuing as there are opinions – everyone’s got their own! Generally speaking, though, there are barbecue styles that dominate in different regions of the country. In the Carolinas, they can’t agree whether sauce should be vinegar, mustard or tomato based, but they can agree on the meat the sauce goes on – pork. In the Deep South, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Louisiana, you’ll find that Cajun cuisine has had a strong influence. Regardless of whether you’re barbecuing beef brisket, pork ribs, rabbit, or trout, chances are your taste buds will get a kick from a spicy marinade, sauce, or rub. In other parts of the South, pork also rules. In sunny California, lighter fare such as salmon is king of the grill. The Midwest is a barbecue hotbed – if you can’t find a meat and sauce combination you like in Kansas City, you can’t find it anywhere.
Our Utensils
Nearly half of all owners own the most basic grilling accessories (cleaning brush, tongs, glove/mitts), and many plan to purchase more specialized accessories in the year ahead, such as:
Pizza stone (14%)
Fish or broiling basket (14%)
Cedar or other cooking planks (14%)
Motorized rotisserie (12%)
Grill woks (11%)
Our Fuels
Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania patented a design for charcoal briquettes in 1897. After World War I, the Zwoyer Fuel Company built charcoal briquette manufacturing plants in the United States with plants in Buffalo, NY and Fall River, MA.
There are stories circulating that Henry Ford invented the very first briquette in 1920 with the help of Thomas Edison. However, the 1897 patent obviously predates this and Ford and Edison both knew Zwoyer.
Natural lump charcoal costs a bit more than charcoal briquettes, but it burns hotter, which means you use less – and partially burned natural lump charcoal can be reused. Briquettes work better for long cooking periods and they produce more consistent heat.
It’s easy to check how much propane is remaining in your tank. When using a gas grill, be sure to regularly check how much propane remains in your tank. There are several accessories on the market that can easily monitor your propane level without lifting the propane tank. Better yet, keep a full, spare propane tank handy so you never run out of fuel.
Barbecue History
There is no definitive history about how the word “barbecue” originated – or why it’s sometimes used as a noun, verb, or adjective. Some say the Spaniards get the credit for the word, derived from their “barbacoa” which is an American-Indian word for the framework of green wood on which foods were placed for cooking over hot coals. Others think the French were responsible, offering the explanation that when the Caribbean pirates arrived on our Southern shores, they cooked animals on a spit-like devise that ran from “whiskers to tail” or “de barbe a` queue.”
Competition barbecuing is one of the hottest hobbies in the country with hundreds of cook-offs held throughout all 50 states. The biggest and most famous are Memphis in May and The American Royal in Kansas City. Both cities stake their claim to being the barbecue capital of the U.S.
It’s Labor Day weekend, and despite unemployment under 5% and nearly 15 million private-sector jobs created since February 2010, nobody’s celebrating.
Workforce participation is stuck near historic lows, six million people are part-timers but want to work full time, and wage growth remains subdued.
Both presidential candidates have talked a good game about jobs and the economy, but neither addresses the real problem. The U.S. job-creation machine—once the envy of the world—is broken, because American corporations cannot create steady, well-paying jobs here in the USA while also providing maximal returns to their investors, who are really in charge.
See the T-Rex like never before – Unchained and Untamed!
Enjoy “Dining with Dinos” and laugh along at two new shows as Dinosaurs After Dark returns just in time for Halloween!
Get lost in a Mesozoic Maze, carve a T-Rex jack-o-lantern and cast your vote in a dinosaur election!
It’s all happening this fall at the Field Station as we reopen for eight weeks of adventure, mystery and discovery.
Saturday & Sunday, September 24 – November 13. We’ll be open from 10am-5pm with a newMesozoic Maze, a walk through adventure where vicious velociraptors await unsuspecting prey.
Friday & Saturday, September 30 – October 29.Dinosaurs After Dark returns with two new shows – including “Dinosaurs Dino-mite!” – a surprising look at dinosaur discoveries worldwide. Explore our trails by lantern light but beware – there’s a hungry T-Rex on the loose in the woods! It’s a spooky, fun-filled night of songs, shows, games and s’mores around the camp fire!
NEW THIS YEAR. Dining with Dinos! Come early toDinosaurs after Dark and enjoy a delicious Mac and Cheese buffet that’s sure to please kids and parents alike. The baby hadrosaurs will be on hand to greet every guest at this special pre-show dinner.
Saturday & Sunday, October 22 – 30.
Come in costume and get a treat! Then carve your own Dinosaur Jack-o-lantern!
Saturday & Sunday, November 5 – 6.
Cast your vote! We’re holding an election to pick the Field Station’s new dinosaur.
Thursday – Sunday, November 10-13.
Celebrate NJEA Teachers’ Convention and Veteran’s Day at the Field Station. Active Duty, Veterans, Guard, Reserves, and their family members receive special discounts all weekend long!
Field Station: Dinosaurs, Overpeck County Park, Henry Hoebel Section,40 Fort Lee Road, Leonia, NJ 07605
Hackensack NJ, Paul DiGaetano continues to reshape the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO). Once again reaching for youth DiGaetano has picked Bergen County Young Republicans Treasurer Carlo Ghione to become the new interim Executive Director of the Bergen County Republican Organization (BCRO).
Ghione 24 ,is currently pursuing a law degree at New York Law School, will serve as interim executive director through at least November’s general election. Ghione will be in the office daily and focus on communications and digital platforms.
Ridgewood NJ, the press is finally starting to recognize that Josh Gottheimer is a political insider trying to use his Clinton connections to buy a congressional seat. New media reports blast him as a “Clinton lackey” whose resume is merely a “revolving door with the Clintons.”It seems for all his bravado Josh Gottheimer is nothing more than a cog in the Clinton machine and only in Bergen to execute on Clinton business.
Clinton Foundation. Josh Gottheimer has filed no public registrations about the clients he represented during the four years he served as Executive Vice President for Burson-Marsteller. (Josh Gottheimer, LinkedIn, Accessed 8/29/16)
Clinton Connections. “[T]he collection of Clinton associates aiding Mr. Gottheimer is striking in its breadth.” (Alexander Burns, “Protégé of Clintons Takes On Congressman in New Jersey,” The New York Times, 12/26/15)
Clinton Cash. “A review of his filings found that about one dollar in six came directly from fellow alumni of the Clinton White House and campaigns — many of whom are scattered across powerful companies like Time Warner Inc., Bloomberg L.P. and Goldman Sachs — or from major donors and employees of consulting firms tied closely to the Clintons.” (Alexander Burns, “Protégé of Clintons Takes On Congressman in New Jersey,” The New York Times, 12/26/15)
Ford job, courtesy of the Clintons. From Bill Clinton’s White House and Hillary’s Clinton’s campaign, Gottheimer then went to Ford Motor Company, a client of Clinton confidant Mark Penn. (Josh Gottheimer, LinkedIn, Accessed 8/29/16)
Gottheimer’s Ford Failure Resulted in the Loss of At Least 34,000 Jobs And the Closing of 14 Manufacturing Facilities. “‘It’s not a time when everything is rosy,’ says Josh Gottheimer, director of strategic communications.” (Theresa Howard, “Bill Ford Takes Chamois To Namesake Automaker’s Image,” USA Today, 4/17/06)
Burson-Marsteller job, courtesy of the Clintons. After failing spectacularly at Ford, Gottheimer jumped ship to Burson-Marstellar, thanks to Penn’s new role as CEO.(David Shepardson, “Top Ford Political And PR Strategist Departs,” The Detroit News, 11/6/06)
Black Hole: Josh Gottheimer has filed no public registrations about the clients he represented during the four years he served as Executive Vice President for Burson-Marsteller.
FCC job, courtesy of the Clintons. Gottheimer coincidentally joined the FCC right as Penn/Burson client LightSquared petitioned the agency for a waiver. Both the media and Members of Congress noted Gottheimer’s lack of credentials for this job, and the US Senate ultimately investigated Gottheimer for impropriety.
POLITICO: “The FCC will announce today that Josh Gottheimer, executive VP at PR firm Burson-Marstellar, will become senior counselor to Julius Genachowski. Gottheimer…doesn’t have a Capitol Hill background.” (Kim Hart And Tony Romm, “A Big New FCC Hire: Gottheimer To Become Senior Counselor To Genachowski,” Politico, 6/23/10)
Sen. Chuck Grassley: “On June 23, 2010, you announced that Mr. Joshua Gottheimer would be appointed as your Senior Counselor with a special responsibility towards implementing President Obama’s National Broadband Plan. Given the complicated technical issues at play, I was surprised that Mr. Gottheimer’s published qualifications did not include any telecommunications or broadband experience.”(Senator Chuck Grassley, “Letter To FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski,” United States Senate, 1/30/11)
Microsoft job, courtesy of the Clintons. After ascandal-plagued tenure at the FCC, Gottheimer once again followed Clinton confidant Mark Penn, this time to Microsoft. (Nick Wingfield And Claire Cain Miller, “A Political Brawler, Now Battling for Microsoft,” The New York Times, 12/15/12)
Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) a $727,688 competitive grant to enhance efforts to curb the opioid crisis through a series of initiatives and the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) approximately $6.9 million to target prescription and opioid misuse.
“Today is International Overdose Awareness Day, a reminder that the disease of addiction is preventable through education and intervention,” said Governor Christie. “These funding grants are another important step in combating opioid misuse and abuse in New Jersey while strengthening our ability to positively impact the opioid crisis in our state by saving lives.”
Funding for DOH will enable the agency to enhance its data access and analysis; improve prevention planning, including implementing a statewide strategic plan; assess the impact of state-level policies on the opioid crisis; identify and engage communities most impacted by the effects of the opioid crisis; and maximize the New Jersey Prescription Monitoring Program’s public health surveillance potential.
The CDC’s Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention grant helps states combat ongoing prescription drug overdose challenges. The purpose is to provide state health departments with resources and support needed to advance interventions for preventing prescription drug overdoses.
Through 2019, CDC plans to give selected states annual awards between $750,000 and $1 million to advance prevention in four key areas: maximizing prescription drug monitoring programs; community, insurer or health systems interventions; policy evaluations and Rapid Response projects.
Through SAMHSA, DHS will receive a Strategic Prevention Framework for Prescription Drugs five-year grant award for approximately $1.9 million to target prescription drug misuse. The program is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of sharing medications and educate pharmaceutical and medical communities on the risks of overprescribing to young adults.
This grant also will fund prescription drug abuse prevention activities and education to schools, communities, parents, prescribers, and their patients. SAMHSA will track reductions in opioid overdoses and the incorporation of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) data into needs assessments and strategic plans as indicators of the program’s success. The cooperative agreement between DHS and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) calls for up to 25 awards of about $371,616 annually.
The reports developed from the DHS’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) data analysis will be shared with other state agencies and with DMHAS’ Regional Prevention Coalitions to inform planning in local communities.
In addition, DHS is receiving $5 million to target the reduction of the number of prescription drug/opioid overdose related deaths and adverse events among 18 year olds and older. The grant will focus on training key community sectors on the prevention of prescription drug/opioid overdose related deaths and implementing prevention strategies, including the purchase and distribution of naloxone kits. A cooperative agreement between DHS and SAMHSA calls for up to 11 awards of $1million annually.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held annually on August 31 that aims to raise awareness of overdoses and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends who have experienced death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdoses.
Hackensack NJ, Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today the arrests of 40 people from August 28, 2016 through Thursday, September 1, 2016, as the result of “Operation Helping Hand” – an innovative and collaborative law enforcement and public health initiative targeting the heroin and opioid crisis in Bergen County.
Ridgewood had two residents Christopher J. O’Brien and Lyndsay A. Paul, both 32, who were charged with possession of heroin.
This investigation was the result of a multi-jurisdictional task force consisting of local and county agencies coordinated by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Officer-in-Charge, Deputy Chief Robert ANZILOTTI. Assisting in this investigation were members of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael SAUDINO. These detectives and officers formed the backbone of the multiagency task force. The municipal police agencies participating in this investigation were: Bergenfield Police Department; Cliffside Park Police Department; Dumont Police Department; Englewood Police Department; Elmwood Park Police Department; Fort Lee Police Department; Lyndhurst Police Department; Mahwah Police Department; New Milford Police Department; Saddle River Police Department; Tenafly Police Department; and Upper Saddle River Police Department. In addition, valuable assistance was provided by Bergen County officials, including Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco, III, and Bergen Regional Medical Center.In 2015, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Intel Unit and Narcotic Task Force analyzed overdose data as well as deployments of NARCAN, the overdose reversal drug, in
Bergen County. That analysis revealed the following with respect to 2015:
288 total reported overdoses, 231 of which were heroin/opioid-related;
87 overdose fatalities, 71 of which were heroin/opioid-related; and
187 NARCAN deployments by law enforcement officers, resulting in 170 lives saved.In 2015, the hardest hit municipalities were:
Garfield with 23 overdoses;
Lyndhurst with 20 overdoses;
Fort Lee with 15 overdoses;
Lodi with 15 overdoses; and
Cliffside Park with 14 overdoses.Similar analysis of available data for 2016 year-to-date, revealed the following:
202 reported overdoses, 158 of which were heroin/opioid overdoses; and 48 total overdose fatalities, 40 of which are believed heroin/opioid-related.
In an effort to address this issue in a novel way, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office collaborated with Bergen Regional Medical Center to set aside a number of 5-day detox beds for a one-week period for individuals arrested on drug charges, who were battling addiction. Thereafter, on August 28, 2016, members of the multiagency task force described above began enforcement actions in areas known for narcotics sales, namely heroin sales. As a result of those operations, the task force arrested the individuals reflected on the attached spreadsheet. In addition to arresting them, task force members presented the option of participating in a voluntary detox program at Bergen Regional Medical Center that was available to them. The detox program was not in lieu of criminal charges. Approximately 12 individuals have afforded themselves to the detox option, and task force officers then either transported or are presently in the process of transporting those individuals to Bergen Regional Medical Center to enter into the detox program.
Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Grewal states that the charges against the defendants identified on the attached spreadsheet are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and would also like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, the Bergen County Executive and Bergen Regional Medical Center, as well as all the municipal departments that participated for their assistance with this initiative.
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after the Institute for Science and International Security released a report today that the Obama Administration gave the Iranian regime secret loopholes to keep Iran compliant with last year’s nuclear deal. The report states that Iran did not limit their nuclear stocks and facilities by Implementation Day in direct violation of the parameters set by the P5+1 nuclear deal.
“To recap the perks given to Iran by the Obama Administration since signing the nuclear deal, Iran has been given sanctions relief, a financial windfall, ransom money, less oversight, and freedom to test ballistic missiles. Now, according to today’s report, we can add secret loopholes to that list. It’s as if the president is going out of his way to keep the American people in the dark about the details of this dangerous deal.”
“It’s obvious from this report that the Obama Administration thought it was more important to keep a politically expedient deadline than to ensure terrorists never develop nuclear weapons. The world will undoubtedly be a more dangerous place if the Iranian regime builds a nuclear arsenal, and I will continue to fight against this terrible deal to ensure the safety and security of the United States and its allies.”
By S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on August 31, 2016 at 5:33 PM, updated September 01, 2016 at 8:15 AM
TRENTON — A state appeals court ruled on Wednesday that government officials don’t necessarily have to acknowledge the existence of a record when refusing to release it.
The three-judge panel sided with prosecutors in Bergen County, who responded to a request from a news organization by saying they could “neither confirm nor deny” they had documents related to a possible criminal case.
The court agreed that in some cases, even acknowledging a record exists can divulge sensitive information. The so-called Glomar response, originally invoked by the federal government in a matter of national security, has been finding its way into state courts in recent years, a trend free press advocates have called troubling.
At issue in Wednesday’s decision was a request made by the Community News, a weekly newspaper in northern New Jersey, for records held by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office regarding an individual who had been accused of sexual abuse but never criminally charged.
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Ridgewood NJ, According to Rep Scott Garrett (NJ CD5) ,”Washington just can’t stop spending your money”. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report this week that confirms our national debt is spiraling out of control even faster than previously thought. This new projection paints a bleak picture of the United States’ finances as the CBO estimates that deficits will grow for the next ten years, starting with an additional $56 billion in 2016 alone.
Rep. Scott Garrett lays the blame for slow economic growth and slipping standards of living that are hurting the middle class on deficits, “Lack of economic growth and ever-growing deficits are yet more indications that Washington-first policies are not working. Every year the government spends more money than it takes in, adding more money to our national debt and increasing the threat of a fiscal crisis. We already feel the effects of a sputtering economy in towns across New Jersey’s Fifth District as families struggle to get ahead and create a better life.”
Democrats argue that we need tax increases to balance the budget. In reality, hardworking Americans shouldn’t shell out another penny while Washington continues to spend with no regard for the future of our country. Garrett reminds us ,”The problem isn’t that Americans don’t send enough money to Washington; the problem is Washington spends too much. ”
Garret goes on , “I support balancing the budget like every family has to. To start paying down the debt, we need to cut wasteful spending and hold the government accountable. As a senior member of the House Budget Committee, one of my biggest priorities in Congress is making sure the government lives within its means. My amendment to the Republican Budget calling for sensible spending reforms was the only amendment to gain the support of the full Budget Committee.”
Rep. Garrett summarized , “Spending more money than we have is dangerously short-sighted and continues to stifle the economic future of our country. I will continue fighting to rein-in Washington’s out-of-control spending so our children and grandchildren can have an opportunity to achieve their own American Dream.”
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on August 25, 2016 at 9:20 AM, updated August 25, 2016 at 11:03 AM
TRENTON — New Jersey’s groundwater is among the “most corrosive” in the nation, putting the state’s nearly 1 million people who rely on private well at risk for lead exposure, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The study by the U.S. Geological Survey said the risk is highest for people who live in homes with lead pipes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires public water systems to test and treat their water supplies for lead and other contaminants, but it doesn’t regulate private drinking wells.
on August 25, 2016 at 7:47 AM, updated August 25, 2016 at 11:12 AM
TRENTON — Two New Jersey residents and a Florida man are accused of running an auto-theft ring that recruited 14 others to scam people trying to sell cars on Craigslist, authorities said.
The trio — Luther Lewis, 38, of Piscataway, Tyisha Brantley, 36, of Scotch Plains, and Justinas Vaitoska, 39, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. — were indicted Wednesday by a grand jury in Mercer County, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said in a release.
Authorities said the operation used fake bank checks to buy cars from online sellers and flip them at car dealerships in New Jersey. The scam netted $107,250 from 10 vehicles, which had a total value of $248,650, according to authorities.
Lewis, Brantley, Vaitoska are accused of running the scheme from May to November of 2015. They sent others to pose as buyers for a payout of $300 to $1,000 per car, authorities said.
photo Scott Garrett rail car safety in Bergen County
August 25,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, Garrett for Congress released the following statement regarding candidate debates for the 2016 congressional election:
“Rep. Scott Garrett is pleased to accept invitations from WRNJ Radio and Rabbi Steven Pruzansky to debate Democratic challenger Josh Gottheimer. This will be a great opportunity for voters in the Fifth District to hear directly from the candidates about each of their ideas, that is if Josh Gottheimer has any ideas of his own. So far, Josh Gottheimer has only demonstrated his abilities as a liar about ScottGarrett and an apologist for Hillary Clinton.”
