JANUARY 23, 2016, 9:55 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016, 9:58 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Gurbir Grewal had an impressive position in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark when he agreed to take on what could very well be a temporary job as Bergen County’s prosecutor, the high-profile, high-stakes seat at the top of the county’s law-enforcement pyramid.
He says he was motivated in large part by the opportunity to make a difference in the community where he resides. “You actually see what you’re working on sort of manifest itself in the community,” said the 42-year-old Glen Rock resident, during an interview three weeks after his appointment as acting prosecutor. “You’re able to make a difference more immediately.”
But the married father of three — who put battling the heroin epidemic and quality-of-life crimes as top priorities — said there was also another, more personal motive: He hopes to make a difference in the lives of people, like himself, who are members of the Sikh religion.
“The other part of why I wanted to do this — and one of the reasons why I wanted to do public service in the first place — is that I come from a background where people are always taught to be good doctors and good engineers and good professionals and not ever steered toward public service,” he said last week. “And I think because of that there are misunderstandings of who Sikhs are and people who look like me, where they come from, and what they might believe because they’re never sort of seen in those front-line public service jobs.”
Grewal, who speaks Punjabi and Hindi, is the first South Asian and the first Sikh to occupy the office. But that’s just one piece of the picture emerging of the county’s first new prosecutor in 14 years, replacing John Molinelli.
Alert: State of Emergency in Effect due to Severe Winter Weather
The Gov. has declared a State of Emergency statewide due to the severe winter storm. Residents are urged to stay off the roads and stay indoors!
On-street parking in the Village of Ridgewood is prohibited until the streets are cleared or until further notice. Please help the snow plows and village staff do their jobs by keeping the roads clear of cars, and fire hydrants and intersections free of snow and debris.
The National Weather Service has continued the Winter Storm Warning and increased total snow accumulation in our area to 10″-15″ including heavy bands of snow. A weather warning indicates a confirmed, current and present danger to this area.
Winter Storm Warning
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
400 AM EST SAT JAN 23 2016
…NOR`EASTER TO IMPACT THE AREA TODAY INTO TONIGHT…
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST SUNDAY…
* LOCATIONS…PASSAIC AND BERGEN COUNTIES IN NEW JERSEY.
ROCKLAND AND NORTHERN WESTCHESTER COUNTIES IN NEW YORK.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 10 TO 15 INCHES. LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
* WINDS…NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE MID 20S.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* TIMING…THROUGH TONIGHT.
* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW
IS EXPECTED DUE TO STRONG WINDS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…
AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
A “STATE OF EMERGENCY” – WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU
New Jersey State law allows the Governor and County and Local Emergency Management Coordinators to declare a State of Emergency during significant weather events and natural disasters. The emergency declaration is a tool used by the government officials who are managing the emergency. It allows State agencies to quickly respond to needs of citizens, reassign personnel, and deploy vehicles, trucks, and equipment to respond to the incident. A State of Emergency allows the government to act more quickly than it can during non-emergency times.
What does this mean to you? When a State of Emergency is issued, State and/or local Emergency Management officials will communicate with New Jersey’s citizens through traditional media outlets such as television, radio and newspapers, and through other information channels, such as the Internet , social media or the Emergency Alert System. Citizens should pay close attention to news reports when a State of Emergency is announced.
At times, travel restrictions are part of a State of Emergency. This is typically done to allow snowplows to clear the roads. At other times government offices may be closed, or evacuations may be recommended. A State of Emergency permits government officials to recommend specific actions that citizens should take to insure the safety of their families and homes during the emergency. Each emergency is different, and different factors will impact the decisions made by State officials in response to the incident.
Large and small private businesses should make informed decisions about early closures, delayed openings, cancellations and closures based on current and impending weather conditions, emergency plans and policies of your organization, designation of essential employees, and restrictions on travel. If travel restrictions are put into place, it will limit whether or not employees can travel to your worksite.
Always know the latest weather information for your area.
REMINDER: NJ is covered by two different weather stations: Mount Holly, NJ for most of the State and Upton, NY for the NE part of the State. For Northeast NJ residents and commuters to/from NYC, please visit:https://www.weather.gov/okx/. For the rest of New Jersey please visit:https://www.weather.gov/
Rail, Bus, Light Rail and Access Link to Temporarily Suspend Service Saturday 2 a.m.
Customers Encouraged to Check njtransit.com for Service Updates
Ridgewood NJ, Due to the severe winter weather impacting the region, NJ TRANSIT has announced the temporary full shutdown of the system beginning at 2 a.m. Saturday morning as follows:
Bus, Rail and Light Rail: Bus and rail service will implement a full, temporary shutdown of all service at 2 a.m. Saturday with service resuming as weather conditions permit.
Access Link: Service suspended all day Saturday, resuming Sunday at 12 p.m.
NJ TRANSIT will work hard to restore service as quickly as possible. Bus, light rail and Access Link service will resume when weather conditions permit. Rail service will also resume when conditions permit and when mandatory federal inspections can be completed.
“The safety of our customers, employees and citizens remains our top priority at NJ TRANSIT”, said NJ TRANSIT interim Executive Director Dennis J. Martin. “By suspending service, this will allow us to take the necessary actions to protect the system then quickly and safely resume services when conditions warrant.”
Patrol trains will operate during the service suspension on the rail and light rail systems to keep tracks, switches and overhead catenary wires clear of building snow and ice conditions.
NJ TRANSIT cross-honoring of tickets and passes on bus, rail, light rail and private bus carrier services remains in effect through Sunday, January 24. Based on the duration and severity of the storm, this timeframe could be extended if necessary.
Updates will be provided to customers and the public as new information becomes available. Customers utilizing NJ TRANSIT services are reminded to check njtransit.com, or call 973-275-5555 for service updates.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
654 AM EST FRI JAN 22 2016
…NOR`EASTER TO IMPACT THE AREA WITH SNOW AND WIND LATE TONIGHT
INTO SUNDAY MORNING…
…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO
1 PM EST SUNDAY…
* LOCATIONS…INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND THE
LOWER HUDSON VALLEY.
* HAZARD TYPES…HEAVY SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 5 TO 9 INCHES.
* WINDS…NORTH 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S.
* VISIBILITIES…ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* TIMING…SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND
SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW
WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DUE TO STRONG WINDS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW
ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN
EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT…FOOD…
AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
JANUARY 20, 2016 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016, 1:21 AM
BY TODD SOUTH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Iraq war veteran carefully looped a thread around a steel hook secured in a vice to make a fly-fishing lure as his 15-year-old guide, Will Percy, quietly offered words of advice.
It was an exercise in patience that in some way embodies the challenging task that Will, a Wyckoff resident, has embarked upon: bringing fly-fishing into the lives of disabled veterans.
Nearly a year ago, Will saw a promotion for a non-profit fishing group, Project Healing Waters, that teaches fly-fishing skills to disabled veterans. He contacted the New York chapter and asked if he could get involved. A short time later, the call came back, asking if he would guide a disabled veteran on an outing on the Musconetcong River in northwest New Jersey.
That’s when he realized that the peace he always got from fly-fishing might help someone else. It inspired him to found a North Jersey chapter of the group, whose mission began in therapy classes at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2005. Since then, the program has expanded to 209 locations across the 50 states and in Germany.
The organization assisted 6,572 disabled veterans last year, said Daniel Morgan, the spokesman for Project Healing Waters. The non-profit aims to keep disabled veterans involved in fly-fishing for the long term and will outfit a participant with $500 worth of gear
JANUARY 20, 2016, 9:12 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2016, 10:05 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Arthur Lomando, the man accused of ambushing a Midland Park woman and stabbing her to death in her driveway last October, is suing the New York City Transit Authority for $50 million for injuries he suffered when he allegedly jumped in front of a subway train after the slaying, his lawyer said Wednesday.
BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Arthur Lomando
The lawyer, Andrew F. Plasse, said Lomando did not jump in front of the train as authorities have said he did, but instead fell from the platform of the 168th Street station of the downtown A train as a result of being “jostled” by people in an “overcrowded” station.
Three towns in Sen. Paul Sarlo’s district are arguing before the state Supreme Court that they should not have to release records from a 2014 road chase in which police fatally shot a 23-year-old black man. Salvador Rizzo and John C. Ensslin, The Record Read more
Water Main Break Creates Late Morning Delays Route 17 northbound
January 21,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, A water main break on Route 17 northbound at Linwood Avenue in Paramus that occurred during the late morning hours of Wednesday, 01/20 has the potential of seriously impacting highway traffic if temperatures drop later in the day. The ramp from Route 17 northbound to Linwood Avenue eastbound will remain closed while crews from Suez Enviro work to repair the damage. New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) crews are applying a liquid deicing agent to the traveled roadway in the affected area. Paramus PD is on the scene.
Assemblyman Joe Lagana (D-38) is making reform to New Jersey’s inheritance and estate taxes a priority for his second term in office. The Democrat has introduced a bill, A611, that would boost the current threshold for the estate tax from where it currently sits at $675,000 to $1.5 million. His plan also includes limiting the inheritance tax from impacting next-of-kin family members of a deceased person and shifting class c and class d beneficiary classifications. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNjRead more
JANUARY 21, 2016 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016, 12:32 AM
BY LYNN BRUGGEMANN
CORRESPONDENT |
MIDLAND PARK SUBURBAN NEWS
MIDLAND PARK — The Board of Health is encouraging residents to attend a presentation on “Understanding Lead Poisoning” being sponsored by the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee in Ridgewood on Jan. 25.
A representative of Ridgewood Water will reportedly be present.
Ridgewood Water issued a notice to customers on Jan. 5 saying its water does not have lead in it, but that some homes in its service territory have pipes from which lead leaches into water in excess of the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
Ridgewood Water serves residents in the borough, Wyckoff and Glen Rock as well as the village.
“At each of our last three meetings, the topic of Ridgewood Water has been discussed,” said Laurie DiCorcia, president of the Board of Health. “This forum offers residents an opportunity to become informed and ask questions.”
Council President Nancy Cronk Peet said she was “concerned” about the safety of the water supply and plans to attend the Jan. 25 program.
“The water coming to the borough homes and businesses must be properly monitored by the water company to assure the residents that the leaching of the lead in the older residents’ plumbing is not contaminating the drinking water,” said Peet, a member of the health board “I hope that the community will come out and ask questions about the water quality and services.”
Ridgewood Water business manager Dave Scheibner assured the Ridgewood Village Council on Wednesday, Jan. 13, that its water is safe.
Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G), New Jersey’s largest utility, cautions that while carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a year-round threat, it is more common in cold weather when more fuel heating appliances are in use. PSE&G urges customers to take extra preventative measures this winter to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, and maintain a heightened awareness of the symptoms.
CO is odorless, tasteless and can be deadly. Small amounts of CO are in the air whenever fuel such as oil, natural gas, coal or wood is burned. These amounts are usually not harmful. However, if a heating system or chimney is not working properly, too much CO can build up in the air and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Symptoms of poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Symptoms can occur immediately or gradually after long-term exposure. People who are sleeping can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing any of these warning signs. It affects people of all ages, but infants and children are even more susceptible than adults.
For safety’s sake:
The first line of defense against CO poisoning is to make sure all fuel-burning appliances operate and are maintained properly. These appliances include furnaces, water heaters, ranges, space heaters, and clothes dryers. Improperly vented fireplaces and charcoal grills can also give off CO. Never use ovens or clothes dryers to heat the house.
Install carbon monoxide detectors as back-up protection, not as a substitute for proper use and maintenance of the fuel-burning appliances. CO alarms can provide an early warning to consumers before CO builds up to a dangerous level. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends placing a carbon monoxide alarm in every area of your house or business. If just one alarm is installed, it should be placed near the sleeping rooms of the house. Check the batteries regularly.
Do not allow vehicles, lawnmowers, snow blowers or any gasoline powered engine to idle in a garage, basement or any enclosed space.CO can drift into the living space and create a hazardous situation.
Be prepared: In your mobile phone, program the emergency service line of your natural gas provider. PSE&G’s emergency service line is 1-800-880-PSEG (7734).
If you think high levels of CO are in your home or business: Go outside! If there’s a medical emergency, such as someone falling unconscious, get the person outside to fresh air and call 911. Then call PSE&G’s emergency service line. Wait outside, or go to a neighbor’s home, until help arrives.
JANUARY 19, 2016, 6:02 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016, 7:35 PM
BY PATRICIA ALEX
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The pipeline from community college to a bachelor’s degree needs some work, according to a national report released Tuesday.
New Jersey is three percentage points above the national average, but only 17 percent of students who start at a community college in the state wind up getting a bachelor’s degree within six years, according to a report from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University.
Among students who started at community college and successfully transferred to a four-year college, only 42 percent completed a bachelor’s degree, compared with the 60 percent degree attainment rate of students who started at public four-year colleges, according to the report.
All but one of the state’s 19 community colleges were surveyed in the report that included data from 43 states, according to the center. The statistics were not broken down by college and only a statewide figure was provided.
Community colleges have been promoted as providers of an affordable first step toward a bachelor’s degree, but graduation rates remain low, particularly among low-income and minority students.
Ridgewood NJ , Scott Garrett (R-5th Dist.) now faces scrutiny over his “reported comments” that he was not contributing to the House Republicans’ fundraising arm because it backed gay candidates and “Democrats think he is more vulnerable and he might be more vulnerable, but we don’t have empirical evidence that he is more vulnerable.” https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/08/will_voters_remember_nj_rep_scott_garretts_comments_next_fall.html
Since this is revelation of “reported comments” , some say leaked by DC establishment republicans during the Speaker John Boehner feud who were uncomfortable with a real Republican chairing a powerful financial services subcommittee watched closely by the industry and filled with lucrative donors .
The New Jersey media who works hand in hand with the states Democratic party has been filled with Garrett donor defection stories .
So now the hated “Wall Street” has suddenly been elevated to the moral arbitrator of all things , despite heavy donations to the Clinton Campaign with its dubious ties to serial women abuser and accused rapist ex- President Bill Clinton as well as its ties to Twitter would be porn star ex Congressmen Anthony Weiner .
At a September possible Democratic candidate Gottheimer fundraiser that came less than a week after James Cicconi, the RINO Republican head of external affairs at AT&T Inc., and JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Peter Scher hosted another one for the Democrat.Attendees included executives from Blackstone, Comcast, Verizon, McGraw Hill, U.S. Telecom Association, Tribune Media, United Health, Ogilvy & Mather, Raben Group and Akin Group. The invitation for the event had said it was “an excellent opportunity to oust one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives.”
Bloomberg News, which was the first to report plans for the Cicconi fundraiser, said some business executives had already been growing tired of Garrett. They were apparently bothered by his vote against big spending former Speaker John Boehner,and were troubled that he has opposed the crony driven , taxpayer funded corporate welfare, Export-Import Bank.
Garrett has said about the Ex-Im bank, “It’s hard to imagine anything more unfair and un-American than having the government financially support mega-corporations at the expense of small businesses and American workers. But that is exactly what has been happening, and it will continue to happen if we don’t let the Export-Import Bank expire next month. It rewards those with close relationships with Washington bureaucrats and makes victims of startups that dare to compete against them—literally picking winners and losers in our economy.
“Ex-Im has transformed the role of government from a disinterested referee that guarantees a free and open marketplace into a biased actor that tilts the scales in favor of its friends in businesses. We have the opportunity to save capitalism from cronyism and to fulfill a promise to the American people to work for them instead of a select few with special connections in Washington. For the sake of the American taxpayer and the preservation of the free enterprise system, Congress should put the Export-Import Bank out of business.”
Garrett has also made enemies by his unrelenting disapproval of Dodd-Frank which has codified the disastrous “too big to fail” policy and mega Wall Street bail outs . “Garrett says , “the Dodd-Frank Act has stifled economic growth, made it more difficult for Main Street businesses to obtain credit, and increased the likelihood that taxpayers will be on the hook for additional Wall Street bailouts. Most importantly, this law has and has made it harder for Americans to find a job, buy a home, and save money for their family’s future. ” Garrett went on , “Despite creating new bureaucracies that have imposed thousands of pages of rigid, invasive, and unworkable regulations, Dodd-Frank did nothing to reform the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose actions caused the 2008 financial crisis.”
The Democrats great hope is Joshua S. Gottheimer ,so who really is Joshua S. Gottheimer . Gottheimer was (born c. 1975) is an American lawyer, speechwriter, and public policy adviser. He has been active within the Democratic Party as a speechwriter for Bill Clinton and an advisor for the presidential campaigns of Wesley Clark, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton. He has also worked for Burson-Marsteller, the Federal Communications Commission, Ford Motor Company, and Microsoft. He is currently running for the United States House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 5th congressional district. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gottheimer )
So Mr Gottheimer is another PR person like Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn not sure many residents will share any enthusiasm given the bad taste the Jim Mac Greevey mouth piece has left in Ridgewood .Gottheimer it seems is funded by Big Government ,pro Wall Street bailouts, pro-corporate welfare , pro-crony types looking to remove the last impediment to getting their hands on more tax payer money.
JANUARY 19, 2016 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016, 1:21 AM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
n the wake of his switch to the Democratic Party, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino has been accused of fraud by county Republican Chairman Bob Yudin, who labeled him a traitor and said he should return thousands of dollars raised recently under the guise that he was a member of the GOP.
“Mr. Saudino perpetrated what basically amounts to fraud among Republican donors here in Bergen County,” said Yudin. “Recently, Mr. Saudino raised tens of thousands of dollars from Republican residents under the ruse he was one of them. I call on Mr. Saudino to return this ill-gotten money immediately.”
Yudin noted that Saudino held a comedy night in November that drew nearly 1,000 people; a flier for that event said tickets were $125. But the county chairman said he’s referring to any money raised recently by the onetime Republican.
“He should return those monies, because they were secured under false pretenses,” Yudin said. “If these people had known he was going to be a Democrat, that he was going to be running on the ticket of Clinton or Bernie Sanders, that he was going to be in the same party as Barack Obama, most of them wouldn’t have given him a penny.”
