E-cigarettes finding a North Jersey fan base in ex-tobacco users
MARCH 16, 2014, 12:00 AM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014, 5:41 PM
BY KARA YORIO
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
As New Jersey mulls an e-cigarette tax and the medical community continues to stress the unknown health implications of so-called electronic vaping devices like e-cigarettes, a passionate community is growing in North Jersey – it’s a group of advocates largely made up of former smokers who say they quit traditional tobacco cigarettes when they started vaping.
“This completely changed my life,” said 28-year-old Adam Jankowski of Garfield, who credits vaping for quitting his six-year cigarette habit in a week last spring.
Tim Condron of Woodland Park smoked for 40 years and tried different cessation products without success. Last summer he picked up an e-cigarette just to see what it was like. Soon, the pack-a-day guy was down to a few traditional cigarettes a day. Within six months, he was done completely.
Gary Remert, who smoked for 30 years, said e-cigarettes were “the only thing on the market” that worked for him and his wife in their many attempts to quit. He estimates they now save more than $600 a month not buying cigarettes.
Ridgewood Firefighters dig out Hydrant Photo by Boyd Loving
Snow-buried hydrants present unusual fire hazards across North Jersey
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2014, 11:54 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Fire hydrants. They’re not just doggy comfort stations, it turns out.
A Garfield firefighter hooking up a hydrant after clearing snow from it – costing valuable minutes — during a house fire Tuesday. The responsibility for keeping hydrants clear of snow varies from town to town.
But on snowy winter days, as Rodney Dangerfield might have said, fire hydrants get no respect. Not from contractors plowing snow from the streets, and not from homeowners shoveling out their driveways.
It seems nobody even misses those ever-faithful neighborhood sentries, standing at the ready to be pressed into service, even when they are covered in many feet of mounded-up snow. Nobody misses them, at least until a fire breaks out, as one did in Garfield on Tuesday, and firefighters have to spend precious minutes chopping ice and snow before they can hook up hoses.
Of course, that’s not supposed to be how it works. What’s supposed to happen is that someone — exactly who that someone is depends on the ordinances in the municipality — is required to make sure that hydrants are accessible when they are needed.
Deal puts focus on placing New Jersey’s disables kids in local classrooms
Thousands of special-needs students across New Jersey could get the support they need to attend mainstream classes or return from out-of-district programs to their local schools after a settlement was reached in a seven-year court fight over whether disabled children were unfairly segregated.
The federal suit, filed by an array of advocacy groups, contends that the state violated the rights of disabled children to attend school — to the greatest extent possible — with children who do not have disabilities and in their neighborhood schools. The suit said that because of the state’s failures, countless disabled children were unnecessarily separated from their peers.
About 15 percent of New Jersey’s 1.4 million public school students have special needs, and about 8 percent of the disabled go to out-of-district sites.
The settlement, approved by the state Board of Education on Wednesday, requires that for three years, the state must scrutinize the placement of special-needs children in more than 55 districts that put a disproportionate share of students in restrictive settings. That includes Westwood,Hackensack, Garfield, Passaic, Elmwood Park and Englewood.
If the state finds districts are not doing their utmost to include students in regular classes, school staff must undergo extra training in tailoring lessons to the children and giving them aides and other individualized services.
Ruth Lowenkron, an attorney at the Education Law Center, which was one of the plaintiffs, said the settlement could help many special-needs students in a state that has historically put more of them in separate programs than is typical nationwide. (Brody/The Record)
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17
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12
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19
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15
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N.J. students in low-income districts struggle on SATs
No seniors at Paterson’s Eastside High School campus last year did well enough on the SATs to meet the College Board’s threshold for being “college ready.”
In Bergen County, 13 percent of Garfield High School seniors who took the SAT hit that benchmark, along with 18 percent of their counterparts atLyndhurst High School, according to the new School Performance Reports released Tuesday.
At a time when helping students become “college ready” is a mantra for New Jersey education officials, a startling share in many poor and moderate-income districts failed to meet the score deemed by the College Board to predict probable success in college — 1,550 points out of a possible 2,400.
That benchmark has been in the spotlight since Camden Schools Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard used it last month to say it hit him like a “kick in the stomach” to learn that only three students in his city tested as college-ready. Governor Christie jumped on the figure in his recent State of the State speech to argue for his education agenda, including merit pay for teachers and a longer academic day.
The College Board, which administers the SAT, says that students who hit the benchmark have a 65 percent or greater chance of earning at least a B-minus average in their freshman year of college, and are likely to get a degree. Studies show SAT scores are highly correlated with parents’ income and education level.
The SAT is much harder than the state’s graduation exam. Indeed, in 46 of the 71 public high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, most of the seniors who took the SAT did not hit 1,550. The Bergen County Academies, a selective magnet, fared the best, with 98 percent of its students hitting that target or better.
Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said low SAT scores in many districts — among other indicators – showed the urgent need to raise the bar for learning. (Brody/The Record)
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15
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18
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15
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22
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CO poisoning possible factor in deaths of North Jersey couple found in Wayne garage
Tuesday January 21, 2014, 9:36 PM
BY MINJAE PARK
STAFF WRITER
The Record
How a North Jersey couple found Sunday in a car in a garage died will not be officially known for weeks, but the circumstances — spent gas and battery, enclosed space and no visible signs of trauma — may suggest the two died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The buildup of exhaust can often be lethal, experts say, sometimes knocking victims unconscious within minutes before they realize what’s happening.
“Once they lose consciousness, they can’t protect themselves unless someone finds them,” said Tae Keun Park, an emergency medicine physician at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck.
Missing North Jersey couple found dead in Wayne garage
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY JANUARY 19, 2014, 9:37 PM
BY STEFANIE DAZIO AND MINJAE PARK
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
A missing North Jersey couple was found dead Sunday morning in the garage of the woman’s Wayne home, authorities and family members said, after their disappearance nearly a month ago prompted local and state police search efforts.
Jorge E. Rodriguez, 24, of Garfield, and Melissa A. Pereira, 25, of Wayne, were reported missing Dec. 30. Their bodies were discovered around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Michael DeMarco said in an email.
A medical examiner will conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the manner and cause of death, DeMarco said, and Wayne police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the deaths.
Twitter profiles show the couple in love for more than two years. On Dec. 27, the day the couple was last seen, Pereira tweeted “weekend with my everything 🙂 #lovehim.” On Oct. 14, Rodriguez sent out a note saying “I love my princess” with Pereira’s handle and a smiley face. The last tweet on his timeline is a re-tweet of Pereira’s Dec. 4 message that said “adore you.”
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/garfield/Missing_North_Jersey_couple_found_dead_in_Wayne_garage.html#sthash.Xp40Jg5J.dpuf
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20
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22
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15
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On Friday 11/01/2013 at approximately 3:15pm, a student was walking home from school on North Monroe Street in the area of Sheridan Terrace (G.W. / Ridge School area) when she was approached by an unknown male. The male grabbed the female student who was able to break free and run for help. The male party was observed by other witnesses committing the crime. He is described as a white male in his 50’s or 60’s about 6’ 2” tall and heavyset. He has grey or light colored “wavy” hair medium in length. He was described as wearing jeans and a grey or greenish t-shirt with stains on it. He was also wearing dark sunglasses.
A separate suspicious incident occurred in the same area of the Village earlier in the week. On Friday 10/25/2013 at approximately 5:00pm, two students were walking west on Godwin Avenue near Garfield Place. A blue vehicle, described as an older model 4 door sedan, with rust on the exterior, black tape on the seats of the interior, pulled up behind the students. They reported that an older male party, approximately 60-70 years of age had his passenger window open and stop his vehicle next to them. The students reported that the male then stated, “Hey girls, do you want to…” at which point they became scared and took off running through a yard. The students described the male as having thick gold glasses with large frames, a short scruffy beard, and balding grey hair.
These incidents are actively being investigated by The Ridgewood Police Detective Bureau with assistance from The Bergen County Prosecutors Office and other surrounding agencies. At this time there is no evidence linking the two. Police patrols around schools will be increased, however teaching your child specific street-savvy skills is one of the best ways to protect them. Make sure you tell your child to be alert and report to their teacher, principal or trusted adult any suspicious cars or strangers loitering near the school. If your child walks to and from school and/or after-school activities, ensure they walk with a friend – especially after dark. Determine the safest path to and from school for your child. Teach them the names of the streets that they use. You should walk or bike with them several times until they feel comfortable with the route. If your child carries a cell phone, ensure they know when and how to dial 9-1-1. If approached by a stranger, your children should be instructed never to engage in any conversation and to run away to a safe location while yelling for help. We ask that students, parents and teachers be extra vigilant the next few weeks and report any suspicious incidents to the police through our 9-1-1 center or by calling 201-652-3900.
Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.
Ridgewood NJ, On Friday 11/01/2013 at approximately 3:15pm, a student was walking home from school on North Monroe Street in the area of Sheridan Terrace (G.W. / Ridge School area) when she was approached by an unknown male. The male grabbed the female student who was able to break free and run for help. The male party was observed by other witnesses committing the crime. He is described as a white male in his 50’s or 60’s about 6’ 2” tall and heavyset. He has grey or light colored “wavy” hair medium in length. He was described as wearing jeans and a grey or greenish t-shirt with stains on it. He was also wearing dark sunglasses.
A separate suspicious incident occurred in the same area of the Village earlier in the week. On Friday 10/25/2013 at approximately 5:00pm, two students were walking west on Godwin Avenue near Garfield Place. A blue vehicle, described as an older model 4 door sedan, with rust on the exterior, black tape on the seats of the interior, pulled up behind the students. They reported that an older male party, approximately 60-70 years of age had his passenger window open and stop his vehicle next to them. The students reported that the male then stated, “Hey girls, do you want to…” at which point they became scared and took off running through a yard. The students described the male as having thick gold glasses with large frames, a short scruffy beard, and balding grey hair.
These incidents are actively being investigated by The Ridgewood Police Detective Bureau with assistance from The Bergen County Prosecutors Office and other surrounding agencies. At this time there is no evidence linking the two. Police patrols around schools will be increased, however teaching your child specific street-savvy skills is one of the best ways to protect them. Make sure you tell your child to be alert and report to their teacher, principal or trusted adult any suspicious cars or strangers loitering near the school. If your child walks to and from school and/or after-school activities, ensure they walk with a friend – especially after dark. Determine the safest path to and from school for your child. Teach them the names of the streets that they use. You should walk or bike with them several times until they feel comfortable with the route. If your child carries a cell phone, ensure they know when and how to dial 9-1-1. If approached by a stranger, your children should be instructed never to engage in any conversation and to run away to a safe location while yelling for help. We ask that students, parents and teachers be extra vigilant the next few weeks and report any suspicious incidents to the police through our 9-1-1 center or by calling 201-652-3900.
Ridgewood Police Department
Detective Peter Youngberg
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Office – 201-251-4537
Fax – 201-612-1357 [email protected]
Angelo DeSimone named State Monitor for Garfield schools
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
BY KIM LUEDDEKE
STAFF WRITER
The Record
GARFIELD — The Ridgewood school district’s recently retired business administrator has been named the new state monitor for Garfield schools, according to state education official Glenn Forney.
Angelo DeSimone, who retired from Ridgewood in July, will replace Lester Richens, who has been the Garfield district’s monitor since 2011.
DeSimone officially takes over on Monday, said Forney, the assistant division director of finance for the state Department of Education’s Office of Budget Review and State Monitors.
Richens must leave Garfield because of pension restrictions that limit retired school administrators from serving more than two years in any one post, said Forney. Richens is a former Belmar and Burlington County executive superintendent of schools.
DeSimone will be paid an hourly wage of $93. He does not have a set schedule of hours he must work.
Bergen County Line Service Restored
June 22,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Transit crews worked through Friday evening to clean up tracks on the Bergen County Line after a collision between a westbound train and tractor-trailer stopped service for most of the day Friday.
Trains on the Bergen County Line between Secaucus and Ridgewood were suspended after the noon crash near the Garfield station.
Service was restored over night and currently there are no delays out of Ridgewood Station .
NJ Transit Bergen line suspended after train collides with vehicle
June 21,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Transit’s Bergen County line could be suspended in both directions through the evening rush hour today after a train hit a disabled truck earlier today.
Bergen Line train service was suspended in both directions shortly after the accident around 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
The accident happened near the Plauderville station in Garfield. Sources say a tanker truck hauling paint pellets got stuck on the tracks and was then hit by a NJ Transit train.
