Believe it or not, every house in town does not have central air conditioning, not to mention a private pool. Graydon has always been a delightful, convenient hot-weather respite at reasonable fees for those in town who do not own second or third homes and can’t spend half the summer at resorts–as well as those who do have vacation homes but would like a cool dip when they can’t go there. It looks great, too–a refreshing oasis in the center of town.
Many Village residents enjoy and demand amenities, such as increasingly expensive sports fields and turf remediation, that are of no interest to others, but who nevertheless pay for them through property taxes. Fairness is an issue. Nevertheless, if the Village marketed Graydon in any way beyond Parks & Rec fliers, more people would join. There isn’t even an obvious place on the Village website to learn details about the place and join.
Will the Zabriskie Schedler House, in Ridgewood become the next turf field
Reader says to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields
If you want to save money, quit buying land and taking it off the tax rolls to make soccer fields. The horse farm, if its worth the $10 million we got hosed for at the time of purchase, equates to about $250,000 per year of taxes no longer coming in.
Citizens park was paid for with donations from long time residents, whose names appear on the placque. It was for a PARK, not a soccer field, with obnoxious loud people blocking up the traffic there, along with the nite lights. Its disgusting how a nice green park became a brown mudfield to accommodate the newbies here.
The Ridgewood Police Department is urging the public to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day ,responsibly and never drive drunk.
Here are some safety tips from the NHTSA:
■Designate your sober driver or have an alternate transportation plan before the party begins.
■If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come ……and get you; or just stay where you are and don’t drive until you are sober.
■Never let a friend drive drunk. Arrange a safe way for them to get home.
■Don’t ride in a vehicle with a driver who is intoxicated.
■Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against drunk drivers.
If you are hosting a party:
■Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange alternate transportation.
■Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
■Stop serving alcohol a few hours before the end of the party and begin serving coffee and dessert.
■Keep the phone number of local cab companies on hand, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving drunk and get them a cab ride home.
■Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving crash.
■If an underage person drinks and drives, parents may be held liable for any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.
■Likewise, parents or other adults who provide alcohol to, or host a party where alcohol is available to, those under age 21 could face jail time.
Dr. David Coward awarded the RHS Distinguished Alumni Award
Ridgewood NJ, David Coward, eminent physicist and a member of RHS Class of 1952, was awarded the RHS Distinguished Alumni Award during the 60th reunion of the class in October.
Dr. Coward collaborated on the discovery of quarks, for which his colleagues received the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Following the reunion festivities, Dr. Coward spoke to more than 400 RHS students about his research in finding quarks and the work of scientists in today’s world.
NJ’s top three supers open up about life inside the system
All told, the three men represent more than 50 years of school leadership — in different New Jersey communities with different challenges.
Whatever their differences, however, the three share a common bond: They were named yesterday as the top school superintendents in their regions. They also share a common sentiment: the expectations and pressures now facing New Jersey’s schools are unprecedented, especially in the face of constrained resources and strict caps.
They weren’t complaining about their jobs, something they made clear in a joint interview with NJ Spotlight. Recent changes in the state’s tenure laws and coming changes in curriculum offered some equally unprecedented opportunities, they said. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
The RHS Upper Level Latin Academic Team took first place at its first competition of the season at Montclair State University on October 19. The team competed with 17 regional schools in Latin grammar, Roman life and Greco-Roman mythology.
Pictured left to right with their gold medals and gift book are: Francesca Felder, Vidushi Sharma, Akari Armatas, Megan Felder, Britta Potter and Zoe Blecher-Cohen. Latin teachers are Catherine Venturini (Academic Team Coach) and Stefanie Gigante.
Luring cases are part of new reality across North Jersey
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2012, 2:13 PM
BY REBECCA D. O’BRIEN AND DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
At New Milford police headquarters on Friday, after the town became the latest in Bergen County to have an attempted child luring reported, cops got to talking about the way things used to be.
Police in four towns have released sketches based on incidents reported in their jurisdictions. The sketch shown was released by the Westwood Police Department on Thursday.
“We used to ride our bikes to school,” Chief Frank Papapietro said. “We would be in the woods all day long. It was just a different time.”
These days, the streets around schools in New Milford and many other towns in North Jersey — where kids once nonchalantly walked or biked without chaperones — are clogged with cars dropping students at the schools’ doorsteps. Kids are tethered to parents by cellphones and carefully managed schedules. At home and in school, children learn about “stranger danger.”
The concern over the steady stream of luring incidents in recent weeks — New Milford reported a second one on Friday afternoon — highlights the current anxiety over raising kids in Bergen County, known for its safe streets and good schools. With nearly a dozen incidents and four police sketches since mid-September, school districts have posted public alerts. National and international media have picked up the story of a “child abductor” and “North Jersey pervert” on the loose.
No child has been abducted during this string of attempted lurings.
The All-Time Biggest Student Debt Burdens On Record
October 10th 2012
by Lindsey Gay
https://www.onlinecolleges.org/the-all-time-biggest-student-debt-burdens-on-record/
With student loan debt now topping $1 trillion, it’s clear that student debt is huge, and getting even bigger every year. With some individual student debts topping $200,000, it’s easy to understand how we got to this point. Here, we’ll examine some of the schools with the highest student debt burdens on record, broken into categories to highlight the most expensive college in each particular type of education: medical, law, business, graduate, and undergraduate. Read on to explore some of the craziest student debt burdens in the U.S. and find out what makes them just so expensive.
Medical Schools
Becoming a doctor is hardly cheap, a fact that students at these super-indebted medical schools know firsthand.
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine: Students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine are in more debt than any other medical school in the country with an average indebtedness of $229,132. Plus, it’s the only public school in the top 10 schools that graduate physicians with the most debt. But West Virginia offers something unique: it’s one of few schools to offer the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.
University of New England: The University of New England medical school is right on the heels of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with an average indebtedness of $213,088. The University of New England is home to Maine’s only medical school, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Drexel University College of Medicine: Another medical school with incredibly high average indebtedness is Drexel University, at $205,863 per student. Drexel boasts the nation’s largest enrollment for a private medical school, and was the nation’s first medical school for women. The college of medicine also holds the distinction of being the first U.S. college of homeopathy.
Law Schools
Medical school is easily the most expensive kind of student debt you can get into, but law school isn’t far behind, with average indebtedness reaching more than $153,000 at some top schools.
California Western School of Law: Annual tuition and fees at the California Western School of Law adds up to $42,600, and students at this law school graduate with average indebtedness of $153,145. Commonly known as the private Cal Western, this is the oldest law school in San Diego. The high price of Cal Western might just be worth it: overall bar exam pass rates in California tend to be between 35% and 55%, but at Cal Western, 78% of first time takers pass. Plus, 82% of grads were employed nine months after graduation.
Thomas Jefferson School of Law: Following behind California Western School of Law by just over $100, Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s debt load is practically just as high at $153,006. But Thomas Jefferson students enjoy a similarly high bar pass rate as well, with 60% passing the test for the first time. And Thomas Jefferson Grads edge out Cal Western when it comes to employment: 86.4% of grads were employed within nine months.
American University (Washington): This private law school is an expensive degree, with the average graduate leaving with about $151,318 in debt. But as is the case with Cal Western and Thomas Jefferson, American University’s expensive price also delivers excellent results. An impressive 84% of first timers pass the bar after attending Washington College of Law.
Business School
A great business school degree can open up many doors, but first, these business schools have students opening their wallets with almost $100,000 in average indebtedness.
Duke University: Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business graduates leave school with an average of $96,805 in debt. But for many students, that debt is well worth it, with a history of top 10 rankings for its MBA programs. Fuqua is recognized for its intellectual capital, classroom experience, and exclusivity, and has graduated the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Melinda Gates.
Dartmouth College: A degree from Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business is ever so slightly more affordable than Fuqua, with an average indebtedness of $96,346. With this huge debt load comes a rich history, as Tuck is the oldest graduate school of business in the world, and the first institution to offer the MBA. And with the highest percentage of alumni donors of any business school in the world, it’s clear that Tuck graduates have been able to keep up with their heavy debt loads after graduation.
Yale University: Graduates of the Yale School of Management will typically graduate with an incredible sum of debt: $93,723. It’s a high figure to leave school with, but Yale graduates have the potential to wipe out their entire debt with their first post-grad annual salary: in Yale’s class of 2001, the mean base salary was $106,157, and the mean signing bonus was $29,276.
Grad Schools
Once you get past the super-expensive medical, law, and business schools, average total indebtedness gets a little less scary, with the most expensive grad school debt loads hovering around $50,000. But we’re certainly not saying it’s cheap!
Eastern Nazarene College: Most of the grad students at Eastern Nazarene College borrow to pay for school, 87% of them to be exact. And they’re borrowing quite a bit, with an average of $51,336 per student. With this debt load, Eastern Nazarene College graduates typically go on to do great things, with alumni including American Red Cross CEO Richard Schubert and YMCA CEO Neil Nicoll.
Ohio Northern University: Ohio Northern University has a similarly high rate of student borrowing, at 85% of students, who take on an average $48,886 in student debt. We’re willing to bet graduates think it’s worth it, though, with a number two ranking among Midwest colleges in U.S. News and World Report.
Holy Names University: At Holy Names University, borrowing is slightly lower at 79%, but not by much, and students still take on nearly $50,000 in debt with an average total indebtedness of $48,833. This private school delivers a good value for the money, though, with small class sizes and a student to faculty ratio of 17:1, with more than 90% of faculty holding the highest degree in their fields. Despite the high cost, Holy Names University has regularly been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “best value” university.
Undergraduate
Expensive grad schools are one thing, but these undergrad schools regularly graduate students with debt loads of about $50,000.
La Sierra University: La Sierra University in California undergraduates often leave school with a debt load that rivals that of graduate level education at an average of $54,885. Students at this private college enjoy a strong social responsible education, with the school boasting multiple national and world titles in the Students in Free Enterprise competition.
Catawaba College: The bad news is that students at Catawba College often graduate with about $50,193 in debt, but the good news is that with a borrowing rate of just 59%, not as many students have to pay back so much after graduation. Another expensive private school, Catawba College is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and is often recognized in best colleges reviews, including a number 17 ranking in U.S. News and World Report‘s best baccalaureate colleges of the South and consistent recognition as one of the top 10 school theater programs in the nation.
Clark Atlanta University: Clark Atlanta University is one of the best historically black colleges and universities, with a debt load to match: students who graduate from this school typically owe $47,066 in student loans. And nearly all students suffer this fate, with a 94% borrowing rate at the school. But even with a high debt load, there’s no denying Clark Atlanta’s value, especially for students who plan to make research a major part of their career: Clark Atlanta is one of only four historically black colleges and universities to earn a Carnegie classification of “Research University – High Research Activity,” and the university receives annual research grants of more than $17 million.
Principal evaluation mandate will put administrators under microscope
As New Jersey schools begin to rethink how they evaluate their teachers, districts are also getting a getting a crash course in assessing an equally important group of employees: school principals.
Fourteen districts have been chosen to participate in a trial run of a principal evaluation system that the state hopes to put in place next fall.
At the same time, New Jersey’s remaining 500-plus districts are being asked to choose the system they will use next year to evaluate their principals.
The effort involved in this task has led to some concern among school leaders, who are already revamping their teacher evaluation systems under the state’s new tenure law. And those jobs don’t include preparing for new testing and curriculum in the coming years as well. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
DOE follows $1.6 billion in stimulus money…but only so far
When the first round of federal stimulus money was handed out several years ago, New Jersey public schools were scolded by state monitors for not having adequate safeguards in place to ensure that the $1.6 billion was properly spent.
With the money gone and the state’s monitoring completed, the Department of Education this month released the summary findings for the nearly 100 districts getting the bulk of the aid.
Guess what: According to the state at least, safeguards are still not in place in too many places.
New movie based on the 1957 novel; new book by Ayn Rand Institute authors hits best-seller lists; Playboy to reprint Rand interview as e-book
IRVINE, Calif.—October 10 marks the 55th anniversary of the publication of Atlas Shrugged, the Ayn Rand masterpiece that sold more than 445,000 copies last year alone. Rand continues to be a pervasive figure in American culture, as politicos and business leaders regularly cite her works and opening weekend approaches for the second installment of the motion picture series based on the novel.
The book by Ayn Rand Institute executive director Yaron Brook and ARI fellow Don Watkins, Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government, applies Rand’s philosophy to current economic events. The book hit four best-seller lists, including the Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today, and also earned a spot on the Tea Party Patriots’ recommended reading list.
Playboy will republish its 1964 interview with Rand as an Amazon e-book on Oct. 10.
“Millions of individuals have read Rand’s novels, and she has inspired and shaped many people’s thinking,” said Brook. “What’s unique about what’s happening today is that her ideas, and especially herself explicitly, are entering the mainstream debates.”
Ayn Rand’s ideas of limited government and free markets, and her philosophy—particularly her moral philosophy—are what more and more Americans across the political spectrum are looking at more closely,” Brook said.
In addition to Atlas Shrugged, Rand also wrote The Fountainhead, Anthem, and We the Living. ARI’s high school essay contests, which are based on the novels, received more entries this year than ever before, and ARI has distributed more than 2.5 million copies of Rand’s novels to high schools around the country through its Books to Teachers program.
“It is encouraging to see more people talking about Ayn Rand and her ideas,” Brook said. “Even Paul Ryan, who doesn’t agree with all of her ideas, is certainly correct when he says that ‘Ayn Rand, more than anyone else, did a fantastic job of explaining the morality of capitalism, the morality of individualism.’”
Backers of $750 million bond for NJ colleges and universities rally
Supporters of a $750 million bond to fund building and renovation projects at New Jersey’s colleges and universities say the initiative could create as many as 10,000 jobs in the construction trades.
They rallied at Rutgers University in New Brunswick on Monday to support the referendum, which will be at the bottom of a crowded presidential ballot next month.
New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney said he realizes that people are reluctant to approve spending in an off economy but he said the bond, which had overwhelming bipartisan support in the Legislature, is about jobs as well as much-needed facilities for the schools.
“It’s always easy to vote down spending but this is something we can’t afford not to do,” said Sweeney, D-Gloucester. (Alex, The Record)
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes calls for adding social media to school curriculum
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes (D-5) of Camden, wants schools to teach students how to properly use social media.
On Tuesday, he introduced legislation to include social media as part of the school’s core technology curriculum for students in grades 6 through 8, starting in the 2013-14 school year. (Hassan, State Street Wire)
Twenty of 107 school choice districts are in one New Jersey county
Published: Monday, September 24, 2012, 11:06 PM
By Renée Kiriluk-Hill/Hunterdon Democrat
Nearly 20% of the 107 New Jersey districts accepting applications from out-of-district students under the school choice program are in Hunterdon County. They range from the state’s smallest elementary school, Stockton, to the county’s largest school, Hunterdon Central High.
Under the program, first piloted in 2000 and opened up when Gov. Chris Christie two years ago signed into law the Interdistrict School Choice Program, the state pays each choice student’s tuition and that child’s home district pays or provides transportation valued up to $884, within 20 miles of a student’s home. Beyond that a parent is responsible for transportation.
In 2010 there were 15 schools statewide in the program. The following year there were 2,131 students enrolled in 71 choice districts. This year the number of districts only increased by two but enrollment jumped to 3,356 and Christie sought an additional $14.2 million to support program.
Five-year-olds put to the test as kindergarten exams gain steam
By Stephanie Simon
Tue Sep 25, 2012 7:11am EDT
(Reuters) – With school in full swing across the United States, the littlest students are getting used to the blocks table and the dress-up corner – and that staple of American public education, the standardized test.
A national push to make public schools more rigorous and hold teachers more accountable has led to a vast expansion of testing in kindergarten. And more exams are on the way, including a test meant to determine whether 5-year-olds are on track to succeed in college and career.
Paul Weeks, a vice president at test developer ACT Inc., says he knows that particular assessment sounds a bit nutty, especially since many kindergarteners aspire to careers as superheroes. “What skills do you need for that, right? Flying is good. X-ray vision?” he said, laughing.
But ACT will soon roll out college- and career-readiness exams for kids age 8 through 18 and Weeks said developing similar tests for younger ages is “high on our agenda.” Asking kids to predict the ending of a story or to suggest a different ending, for instance, can identify the critical thinking skills that employers prize, he said.
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