>New Home Sales Dive to Record Low By Clifford Marks Wednesday, March 23, 2011 | 10:36 a.m
The pace of new home sales plummeted to a record low last month, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in a further sign that the battered housing market is only slumping further.
Sales fell 16.9 percent from January, delivering a shock to analysts who had expected a gain for last month. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 250,000 homes sold marks the slowest pace recorded since the data series began in the 1960s.
Median sale prices fell 13.9 percent, which represents the sharpest one-month drop on record. Wednesday’s numbers for February were coupled with an upward revision in January’s pace from 284,000 to 301,000 homes sold.
>Ridgewood School District’s architect of record charged with taking kickbacks the staff of the Ridgewood blog
According to sources the head of Disko Associates charged with taking kickbacks in three other school districts
Disko Associates is the Ridgewood School District’s architect of record, and the lead architect for the recent $48 Milliondollar bond referendum . Disko Associates, has been charged with taking more than $80,000 in kickbacks from three other school districts for construction projects.
In case you for got Ridgewood’s $48 million bond referendum controversial from the start was approved by a very small margin ,according to the Ridgewood News “Residents have approved the issuance of $38,420,602 in bonds to fund school construction and improvement projects.Unofficial results were 2,129 votes in favor of the referendum, and 2,047 votes against it.”
The Ridgewood news went on to say , “The total cost of the project, which includes improvements at nine district schools and several athletic fields, is $48,265,314, and will be funded in part by state grants totaling $9,844,712, and debt service of $2,135,471. The tax impact on the average Ridgewood home will be $300.55 per year over the course of the next 25 years, based on the formula of $37.47 per $100,000 of assessed value.”
>Disko Associates kickback story pulled form the Ridgewood News Ridgewood News Tuesday, March 22, 2011 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2011, 1:20 PM BY KELLY EBBELS THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Staff Writer
There was another story that you can still find that talks about the bid rigging but doesn’t link it to Ridgewood schools and doesn’t have the comments from the Ridgewood BOE superintendant (I think that’s who it was) that recommended they remain on the project (apparently he made those comments Monday evening at a meeting).
We also noticed this story :
Head of Disko Associates charged with taking kickbacks in three other school districts
Full story: Leonia Life
The head of the Ridgewood School District’s architect of record, Disko Associates, has been charged with taking more than $80,000 in kickbacks from three other school districts for construction projects.
>RHS phone-a-thon gets a challenge grant Wednesday, March 23, 2011 THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Ridgewood Education Foundation (REF) has offered a $6,000 challenge grant to Ridgewood High School (RHS) parents and alumni who will hold a phone-a-thon next week, seeking donations to help RHS administrators purchase much-needed items.
The REF will match the first $6,000 raised in the phone-a-thon. Foundation board members “felt it was important to support this effort to address important and immediate academic needs at RHS,” said foundation President Elizabeth Gordon.
>Clinic to be named for Ridgewood Philanthropist David F. Bolger
Clinic to be named for donor Staff Report
Published: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 4:04 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 4:04 p.m.
SARASOTA COUNTY – When Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new walk-in clinic opens in Gulf Gate this summer, replacing an existing facility just down the Tamiami Trail, it will be named after Longboat Key philanthropist David F. Bolger, who is paying the full $2.6 million cost.
The Gulf Gate clinic is one of three operated by the hospital system, and will be the first one named after a donor. Alexandra Quarles, CEO of Sarasota Memorial’s fundraising Healthcare Foundation, said Bolger, a retired New Jersey real estate executive, was motivated by a desire to support medical care for children.
Dear Peter (Coti), While I’ll defend your right to free speech, I take umbrage at your dismissal of parents’ concerns, portraying them as unenlightened as to the mores of the day. This of course, is exactly what concerns them. You see for some of us, we believe that certain topics are best left to the family. Just because some families choose not to discuss sexuality and its consequences with their children, does not give moral license for the state to do so. Reproductive education based on biology is one thing. Discussing and illustrating ways to have “safe sex” to young teens offends many in our community no matter how well intentioned. One can not simply dismiss out of hand this concern.
More helpful might be an emphasis on abstinence and the social stigma attached to early sexual behavior along with the economic consequences of out of wed-lock births for both the mother and her child. As for the promiscuity heaped upon our culture by the media in the name of free speech, well let me say this, nothing is free and the havoc this coarsening of our culture has caused is very costly to our society both spiritually and monetarily.
No one is advocating that older teens shouldn’t be aware of birth control. However, there is no denying that since the “sexual revolution” of the 1960’s, when the “pill” came on the market, thus “liberating” women to have sex with men, confident that they would not get pregnant, out of wed-lock births have sky-rocketed in our society. Until that time, if a girl got pregnant, it was expected by our society that the boy marry her and care for she and the child. With the advent of women’s liberation, the only persons liberated where men from having to take responsibility for impregnating a woman. Like I said before, nothing is for free. This is the price women, children and society have paid and will continue to pay for the sexual liberation we so cherish. So, if parents are pushing back here in Ridgewood, maybe they have a point. Is it really necessary to have teen boys go the drug store to become familiar with condoms? The only purpose is to make them feel comfortable in doing so, thus promoting the use of condoms ie: sex. And if the state (school) is promoting condoms use, then what pray tell could be wrong with teens having sex? You do understand the logic of this? Regardless of the mantra from the, “they will have sex anyways” chorus, this is not a proven fact but rather an opinion. And opinions have consequences when they become accepted reality.
>SNORE: Judge is critical of cuts in aid for New Jersey schools
New Jersey’s cuts in school financing violate the State Constitution’s mandate to provide “a thorough and efficient” education system and hit poor districts especially hard, a judge reported to the State Supreme Court on Tuesday. (Pérez-Peña, The New York Times)
>CWA to Christie: Let’s negotiate on health benefits
Representatives of the Communications Workers of America accused Gov. Chris Christie of “talking out of both sides of his mouth” when it comes to his support for public workers’ right to collectively bargain. (Racz, Gannett)
>Parsippany school budget rejected by state over superintendent contract
Executive County Superintendent Kathleen Serafino has rejected the school board’s proposed budget, citing its ongoing refusal to rescind Superintendent Lee Seitz’s disputed contract extension. (Jennings, Daily Record)
>Family of Tyler Clementi, Rutgers student who committed suicide, plans to establish foundation
The parents of Tyler Clementi plan to establish a foundation in their son’s nameto raise public awareness of bullying, the family said in a statement.
The Tyler Clementi Foundation will be launched in the next month or two, said Jane and Joseph Clementi.Tyler Clementi in September jumped off the George Washington Bridge after an alleged webcam broadcast of his intimate encounter with another man.
Monday, 31 Jan 2011 By: Diana Olick CNBC Real Estate Reporter
I usually find the quarterly homeowner vacancy and homeownership report from Census pretty lackluster, but the latest one released this morning was anything but.
America’s home ownership rate, after holding steady for a while, took a pretty big plunge in Q4, from 66.9 percent to 66.5 percent. That’s down from the 2004 peak of 69.2 percent and the lowest level since 1998.
Homeownership is falling at an alarming pace, despite the fact that home prices have fallen, affordability is much improved and inventories of new and existing homes are still running quite high.
Bargains abound, but few are interested or eligible to take advantage.
>Ridgewood Knights of Columbus to Host Annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance
Ridgewood-NJ-February 1, 2011: The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Council #1736 is once again proud to be sponsoring its annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 19th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Mount Carmel gymnasium at 52 Passaic Street in Ridgewood.
The Village Caterer will be providing traditional Irish fare of corned beef and cabbage. Renowned New York City musicians Bob and Norm will be playing Irish classics and great dance music. There will also be a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers.
Tickets are $45 each. Payment can be mailed to: Doug Findlay 211 Circle Ave Ridgewood 07450
Come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with the Ridgewood K of C!
>BOE Announces no Raises for Teachers while Administrators get 3.8% Wage Increase the staff of the Ridgewood blog
RIDGEWOOD NJ—The Board of Education announced there will be no raises for teachers and secretaries represented by the Ridgewood Education Association.
Estimates show that even without salary increases, the district is looking at cutting up to 11 entry-level positions while still facing a $65,000 budget gap.
A contract signed in early 2010,still gives a significant 3.8 percent wage increase for administrators, principals and supervisors represented by the Ridgewood Administrators Association.
The terminally ill’s lack of access to medical marijuana is one of the worries of a state senator who is trying to force Gov. Chris Christie’s administration to change proposed regulations of the drug. (Jordan, Daily Record)
China’s President Hu Jintao said Sunday the international currency system was “a product of the past,” but it would be a long time before the yuan is accepted as an international currency. Hu’s comments, which came ahead of a state visit to Washington on Wednesday, reflected the continuing tensions over the dollar’s role as the major reserve currency in the aftermath of the US financial crisis in 2008.
“The current international currency system is the product of the past,” Hu said in written answers to questions posed by The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_riaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 165
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_inhaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 166
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_mastodonIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 177
