Category: Edison NJ

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR TRACK WORK BEGINS JUNE 2

Customers encouraged to review new timetables
May 16, 2013

NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT today announced that new rail timetables will take effect Sunday, June 2, reflecting adjustments made to accommodate Amtrak’s long-term tie replacement project on the Northeast Corridor.  The project will require Amtrak to take one of four tracks out of service on a portion of the line, affecting both weekday and weekend train schedules.

Next month, Amtrak, which owns and maintains the Northeast Corridor, will continue a railroad tie replacement project that began earlier this year, advancing the work to areas where station stops are located.  Their crews will begin working on Track 4, the local outbound (to Trenton) track, which will be taken out of service for several months between New Brunswick and Metuchen.

“While we have worked very closely with Amtrak to minimize the impact to Northeast Corridor customers, the reduced track capacity is similar to taking a lane out of service on a busy superhighway,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.  “Some customers will experience changes in their departure times and longer trip times—however, the work Amtrak is performing now will benefit customers in the long term.”

In order to minimize congestion and reduce delays from the tie replacement project, NJ TRANSIT designed the new Northeast Corridor schedule to make the most of the remaining three tracks, keeping one track in each direction open for local service while using the remaining track for express service in the peak direction.

The new schedule will show slightly longer trip times for trains to/from Trenton, adjustments to departure times, and a reduction in the total number of train stops through the work zone during non-peak hours in an effort to mitigate congestion and minimize delays.

Among the impacts:

Customers traveling to or from the “middle zone” (New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen stations) will be most affected by the project because only three tracks will be available. NJ TRANSIT has worked with Amtrak to minimize disruption for customers traveling in the peak direction (to Newark/New York in the morning and to Trenton in the afternoon). Peak‐direction customers will not see a significant reduction in the number of trains, but trip times will be extended. Customers traveling in the “reverse peak” direction (toward Trenton in the morning or toward Newark/New York in the afternoon) will have fewer trains due to limited track capacity.

With Track 4 out of service, trains will not be able to reach the platform at New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen stations. At these stations only, Amtrak will install special platform bridges, enabling customers to board/alight trains on the adjacent “express” track at the same height as the regular platform. Customers boarding at these stations must not stand or wait on the platform bridges until directed by a uniformed crew member. The platform bridges will line up with the end doors of most cars, but center doors (and “quarter‐point” doors near the stairs on multilevel cars) will not be used. Customers detraining at New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen are advised to use end doors only and to listen for announcements from train crews.
Customers traveling to/from stations in the outer and inner zones—that is, stations from Jersey Avenue west and Metropark east—will not see a significant reduction in service. Some departure times will be adjusted, so customers are advised to review timetables carefully.

Amtrak estimates that Track 4 will be out of service for several months, but a more exact projection will not be known until the work begins. When the work on Track 4 is complete, Amtrak will move to Track 1, the inbound local track, to replace ties in the same area between New Brunswick and Metuchen. A new timetable will be issued when Track 4 is returned to service and Track 1 is taken out of service. Overall, the tie replacement project will continue into the fall.

In addition, the reduced track capacity will limit NJ TRANSIT’s ability to work around operational problems (e.g. a disabled train or switch problem), and delays from these types of issues could be longer as a result.

New timetables will be available on www.njtransit.com starting on Friday, May 24, with printed copies available on trains and in stations shortly thereafter. NJ TRANSIT encourages customers to carefully review the new schedule to determine how these changes will affect their commute.

Detailed updates about the tie replacement project will be posted on njtransit.com, as well as on NJ TRANSIT’s Facebook and Twitter feeds.  Customers are encouraged to sign up for My Transit alerts to receive up-to-the-minute service information about their specific trip to their PDA, cell phone or email.  Current My Transit subscribers are reminded to update their alert preferences to reflect the new train numbers effective with the June 2 timetable change.

Kristine Paige Photography

Kristine was born in Edison, New Jersey  and was the offspring of  a creative multicultural background.  She was artistically inclined from a very early age with some of her earliest memories are of sitting in her mother’s darkroom  and helping develop photographs

The transition of photography from film to digital is both an exciting and painful at the same time. Digital images ofter the end user and enormous opportunity in editorial and image manipulation and modern photography equipment allow and endless variety of ways to capture images . The down side is volume of poor quality images circulating and a reliance on technology when the user understands little about light and composition.

Kristine Page learned from the old school masters of photography first in film and then transferring and revolutionizing her craft in digital. The reality that Kristine grasped was that digital and film are in fact an entirely different mediums. Where film offered a
subtileness and texture akin to and analog recording , digital offers instant gratification and the opportunity to shot high quality images on the fly ,bringing to the corporate client high quality lifestyle photos . Kristine has managed to merge the perfect balance of the
artistic eye with a potent use of technology.

The field of Commercial Photography involves problem solving and great technical skill ,understanding manipulation of light and composition and capturing images that help your business come to life. Images sell and it is critical to have powerful images to reel in interest , make a statement  and assure credibility .

Kristine has worked with a litany of corporate clients  as well celebrities .Corporate clients include the International Nano 2012 Conference in  Rhodes Greece , the Raritian Bay Medical Center , .Middlesex Water Company , Vixen Village , DJ Times  and Philadelphia Weekly ,while Kristine has also worked with a whole host of celebrates from Lady Gaga , Grand Master Flash, LAMFO , Cindy Lauper , the Suger Hill Gang and many many more.

For more information, feel free to give Kristine a call at her studio, she would  be happy to answer any questions you might have or discuss a potential project with you.

Kristine Di Grigoli Paige
Photographer/ Owner
ArtChick LLC
(267)268-5319
(215)650-7052
artchickfoto@gmail.com
https://kristinepaigephotography.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArtChickPhotography?ref=ts&fref=ts

NJT needs a board overhaul : I’ve seen nothing but deterioration in the 4 years I’ve been in town

Even now, the Bergen line is overcrowded. I rarely get a seat coming home, and the express trains upon which I’ve come to rely are still off the schedule. I have a sneaking suspicion that NJT will use this as an excuse to impermanently reduce services even further.

NJT needs a board overhaul. This kind of mismanagement of our tax funded infrastructure is inexcusable. I sent an email to their board of directors to this effect about two months ago, and never got a response (though the one lawyer on the Board stalked my linkedin profile…wonder if he realized I would see it…anyway, now I can see his and I know more about him too).

I am desperately looking for a job in New Jersey. I can’t handle the commute anymore, it’s just not worth it.

NJT is spewing rainbows and ponies in the press: https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/14/nj-transit-service-back-to-pre-sandy-levels-into-nyc/. I guess the Main / Bergen lines are not a priority. One of Ridgewood’s selling points for me was the train. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve seen them destroy the train station and endured 2 years of construction. After Irene we had overcrowded trains for months because NJT accommodated the Metro North passengers who were bused to Rt. 17. Glad to see Metro North help us out now…oh wait they’re not. One express train at 6:11 AM! Woo hoo! THANKS A BUNCH!

I’ve seen nothing but deterioration in the 4 years I’ve been in town. $40m on a station, then cut the service. There really should be a criminal investigation.

In hindsight, Montclair or Summit might have been a smarter move. Hell, even Edison is a shorter ride into Penn

Sun Power, Pole by Pole
By JIM CALLAGHAN

It has taken some 80 years, but a dream of Thomas Edison’s—to harness the power of the sun—is coming to greater fruition in New Jersey.

Public Service Electric & Gas Co., the state’s largest power supplier, is nearing completion of a program to mount 175,000 solar panels on utility poles along highways and residential streets. Those involved with the $200 million project say it’s the largest installation of its type in the world.

The last of the 3-by-5-foot solar panels—which weigh about 25 pounds and are mounted on angles part-way up the poles to maximize exposure to the sun—is scheduled to be installed in early April. The panels were going up at a rate of 300 a day until Sandy interrupted the process. Some 120 solar poles were damaged by the storm, according to utility spokesman Michael Jennings.

The combined energy generated by the panels, 40 megawatts, would be able to power more than 6,000 homes, according to the utility.

“The beauty of the panels is that there are no capital costs—we already own the poles,” said Ralph LaRossa, president and chief operating officer of PSE&G, a unit of Public Service Enterprise Group.

The company also is building solar farms on the sites of abandoned factories, brown fields and closed landfills.

https://webreprints.djreprints.com/3063661311237.html

Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D Superintendent of Schools Post Sandy Wrap – up

To think: It all started with the invention of one light bulb in Thomas Edison’s workshop.

I truly believe communities are judged on how their residents treat each other during times of duress and crisis. We in Ridgewood did better than alright on that front during Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Over the past two weeks we have all seen great acts of kindness, people working hard to get our community back to normal operation and beyond. Our leaders, our citizens, all tirelessly working together, committed to the big picture of restoring electric power, while being equally mindful of safety. And not forgetting that important events, like securing our right to vote in the Presidential election despite a loss of services, are a priority, too.

That’s power.

Even as trees and electrical lines were falling around them in the midst of the storm, our Village Police, Fire and other Emergency Services personnel risked their own well-being to make sure our community was as safe as possible. And following the storm, in a true interfaith spirit, our houses of worship became warming centers, opening their doors to anyone suffering from loss of services. Hundreds of people, too, came to the Somerville School to “juice” up their electronics, and also recharge their spirits.

That’s power.

Countless acts of community kindness occurred during this time, neighbors helping neighbors and strangers making new friends while coming to another’s aid. The stories go on and on. I personally got a kick out of one community member who brought her electric tooth brush for charging at Somerville. The next day she brought cookies to the district administrators who were helping out at the charging center there.

That’s power.

We now all know why it is important to prepare for a storm, that it’s too late once the storm has arrived.

On the practical level, I am sure everyone can add to a list of lessons learned for next time. Number one is that we pretty much now realize that there will be a next time. We’ll make more of an effort to get flashlights in the house and top off our car gas tanks and gas containers before the next storm. We’ll also make sure that we’ve signed up for the Village of Ridgewood e-notices through the Village website at www.ridgewoodnj.net, so that we can receive important communications from the Village via our phones and e-mail.

And on the personal level, I think we’ve also learned that as prepared as we can be in advance, sometimes it’s just not enough and we have to rely on others. And that’s more than ok. We have learned that it is important, and fulfilling, to reach out to those in need. We have learned that it is warm hearts that comfort cold hands.

That’s power.

Over the next few weeks as we rebuild our homes and heal our emotions and put our lives back together, we will have opportunities to reflect on lessons learned from Sandy. One thing I know for sure is that it is only through the positive energy of our community that we got through Sandy’s wrath and aftermath, that our infrastructure is knit together with the glue of kindness, compassion and wisdom.

That’s power.

Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

John Schnatter Papa John’s CEO

John Schnatter Papa John’s CEO: Obamacare likely to raise costs, employee’s hours being cut

A day after Barack Obama earned a second term in the White House, Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter said the president’s signature health-care reform law would increase his business costs and possibly result

Posted: 11/08/2012
By: JESSICA LIPSCOMB, naplesnews.com
A day after Barack Obama earned a second term in the White House, Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter said the president’s signature health-care reform law would increase his business costs and possibly result in employees’ hours being cut.
Schnatter, a part-time Naples resident, made the comments Wednesday night inside a small auditorium at Edison State College’s Collier County campus. In August, he made national headlines after telling shareholders the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — would result in a 10- to 14-cent increase for customers buying a pizza.
“I got in a bunch of trouble for this,” he told the students. “That’s what you do, is you pass on costs. Unfortunately, I don’t think people know what they’re going to pay for this.”

Read more: https://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/state/john-schnatter-papa-johns-ceo-obamacare-likely-to-raise-costs-employees-hours-being-cut#ixzz2BsW5bXHY

Applebee’s targeted after franchisee mulls hiring freeze in response to Obamacare
Posted at 9:32 pm on November 9, 2012 by Twitchy Staff
Craig W@Stoneious
So far I’ve seen Papa John’s and Applebees threatening to fire people since their choice didn’t win the election. Disgusting on either side.

Among the commandments of life under the Obama administration: thou shalt not speak ill of Obamacare. Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter was hammered with Twitter abuse after informing shareholders and franchisees in August that implementing Obamacare would necessarily increase costs of running the business. Applebee’s is under the gun today after Zane Tankel, a franchisee whose company runs 40 New York-area restaurants, told Fox Business Network that a hiring freeze might be in the works.

https://twitchy.com/2012/11/09/applebees-targeted-after-franchisee-mulls-hiring-freeze-in-response-to-obamacare/

RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS: NEW K-8 SCIENCE PROGRAM INFO SESSION IS WEDNESDAY

Parents and guardians of students in Grades K-8 are invited to an information session on the district’s new science program that is being implemented this school year. On Wednesday, September 19, come out and hear from district Supervisor of Science Greg McDonald and Carolina Biological representative Dan Ruttle, who will speak about this engaging new curriculum. They will present an overview of the program and preview the technology resources that are available for use at home. The information session will be held at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, from 7:30 – 9 p.m.

Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq

Women for Kyrillos Launches Statewide at Rally in Middlesex

Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. Announced As Statewide Chair

Edison, August 6… Today, as a growing number of women across New Jersey put their support behind Joe Kyrillos for U.S. Senate, the official Women for Kyrillos coalition launched statewide at an event in Edison. Women from around the state attended the rally led by Kathleen Donovan, Bergen County Executive. Donovan introduced members of the coalition leadership, including the statewide Chair, Christine Giordano Hanlon, a mother of four and prominent New Jersey attorney, and Senator Kyrillos’ wife, Susan Doctorian Kyrillos.

“It is my pleasure to be here today celebrating the commencement of this important coalition within the Kyrillos for Senate campaign,” said Donovan. “Women have a strong voice in this and all elections, and Senator Kyrillos understands all the important roles women play in making decisions, including for whom to vote. Joe has the tools necessary to put our country back on track and this coalition will make sure that is known to every woman voter come November.”

“Our nation is in economic crisis. From businesswomen to stay-at-home moms, women across our state are suffering from the failed policies of Senator Bob Menendez,” said Hanlon. “With record high unemployment, long-term underemployment, the high cost of gas, goods and services, our families are struggling.

“We must send a leader to Washington who has a clear vision for our future; who understands that more taxes, more regulation and more spending will destroy the economic prosperity that our nation was built on. Joe Kyrillos is that leader.”

Susan Doctorian Kyrillos, wife of Senator Kyrillos, will also take a leadership role in the Women for Kyrillos coalition. “This election is about ensuring a bright future for our children and grandchildren. Joe understands the daily pressures women of all ages face and will be strong voice for all New Jersey women in the U.S. Senate. Throughout his career, Joe has worked tirelessly on behalf of women and our families. He has been an advocate on domestic violence issues, needed education reforms, and keeping our environment clean. Joe has a plan that will get our country back on track, ensuring that every woman, young or old, has the opportunity to be successful.”

“I am so humbled by the growing support I see across the state,” said Senator Joe Kyrillos. “Our message is gaining momentum, and I know that will only strengthen under the leadership of Christine. The presence of strong female leaders like she and Susan will empower more women across the state to get involved, and join our cause to restore the American spirit.”
The Women for Kyrillos launch was held outside the offices of M3 Realty, a residential real estate firm owned by female businesswoman Meiling Kravarik. Kravarik founded M3 Realty in 1989. The company now employs several full and part-time associates and has added a second office in Plainsboro.

Throughout his time as a state Senator, Joe Kyrillos has spearheaded initiatives that aim to strengthen and empower women. There are several components in his newly released jobs plan that aim to do just that. One component provides women with the opportunity to strike a healthy work-life balance by encouraging employers to provide flexible work hours with high advancement opportunities to their female employees. Another component involves funding for women-focused job training programs in fields that are rapidly growing and yet underrepresented by women, like science, technology, and engineering.

Christine Hanlon, the Coalition Chair, lives in Ocean Township with her husband Robert and children ages 5, 7, 10, and 11. She is partner at the law firm of Nelson Supko and Hanlon, and is Republican State Committeewoman for Monmouth County. She has served as the County Coordinator for national, statewide, and local campaigns, including serving as the Monmouth County Christie-Guadagno Campaign Coordinator.

New Jersey seeks to regain edge in high technology

New Jersey’s formerly booming high-tech sector has a lower profile, battered by a series of corporate contractions over the last 16 years. But there are new efforts by state officials and business leaders to help the state recapture its once-dominant share of jobs in science, engineering and technology.

If it works, a thriving brain belt can power New Jersey’s economy back to prosperity, said Esther Surden, who has covered the technology industry for trade publications for over 30 years.  (Jordan, Asbury Park Press)

https://www.app.com/article/20120716/NJNEWS/307160009/N-J-aiming-regain-edge-high-technology?nclick_check=1

Poverty numbers are grim in N.J.

More New Jersey residents lived in poverty in 2010 than ever before, according to a report released Sunday.

A record 885,0000 people in the state, nearly 300,000 of them children, lived below the poverty line, say authors of an analysis by the Legal Services of New Jersey Poverty Research Institute in Edison, which is based on the most recent numbers available.

Overall, the poverty rate increased from 8.7 percent in 2008 to 9.4 percent in 2009, and finally to 10.3 percent in 2010.  (Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120520_Poverty_numbers_are_grim_in_N_J_.html