CDC director: Travel ban could make Ebola outbreak worse
By Cameron Joseph – 10/04/14 01:17 PM EDT
A travel ban to the countries facing an Ebola outbreak could paradoxically make the problem worse, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden said during a Saturday press conference.
Frieden said the CDC would consider any and all precautions, but warned that a travel ban could make it harder to get medical care and aid workers to regions dealing with the outbreak.
He said that had already occurred when African Union aid workers tried to get to Liberia but were stuck in a neighboring country for days because of a travel ban.
“Their ability to get there was delayed by about a week because their flight was canceled and they were stuck in a neighboring country,” he said.
Frieden also said the CDC has experienced a spike in reported potential cases of Ebola following the first diagnosis of a patient in the U.S. in Dallas earlier this week, saying the rise in concern was a good thing but that he remained the only patient who has been identified as suffering from the disease. Two patients who were initially identified as having potential Ebola symptoms in the Washington, D.C. area were ruled to not have the disease on Saturday.
N.J. hospitals are well prepared to fight Ebola, state medical officials say
OCTOBER 4, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014, 1:21 AM BY JAMES M. O’NEILL STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
New Jersey’s 71 hospitals have the space and equipment, and their medical staffs are trained, to react to any patient with a suspected case of Ebola, including moving them to an isolation room immediately, state health officials say.
Since early August, the Health Department has held conference calls and issued alerts to share and review protocol for handling patients who may be carrying the virus.
And in the past few weeks, North Jersey hospitals have run drills simulating cases of patients checking into their emergency rooms saying they had recently been in West Africa — where the recent Ebola outbreak is centered — to ensure that they isolate such patients for treatment, officials say.
Local ERs have installed signs at their check-in areas asking patients to let staff know immediately if they have traveled recently to the region and have fever and other Ebola-related symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and severe headache.
Officials say the case of Ebola in Dallas this week — where information that the patient had been in West Africa was apparently not transferred to medical staff — only reinforced the need for hospitals to take down the travel history of anyone showing signs of the illness.
“There’s definitely a heightened sense of awareness about this, and hospitals will certainly learn the lesson from the Dallas case about the importance of communicating critical information,” said Shannon Davila, an infection-control nurse with the New Jersey Hospital Association.
Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame: Goal-getter Rachel Grygiel set for enshrinement
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 12:31 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS Print
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of stories profiling the 2014 inductees into the Ridgewood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 1992, Ridgewood High School girls soccer head coach Jeff Yearing stated for a newspaper article that “Rachel Grygiel is every coach’s dream and every opponent’s nightmare.” Truer words never have been spoken about an athlete that has been inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
The 1993 graduate will receive that honor formally later this month. Beyond her productivity on the pitch, Grygiel reflected the complete embodiment of the term “student-athlete.” Her desire to achieve academically and to serve her community reflected the same passion and desire she brought to the field each day.
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 1:21 AM BY JIM MCCONVILLE SPECIAL TO THE RECORD THE RECORD Print
RIDGEWOOD – You can just see Mitch Campbell’s eyes light up when he knows that a pass play has been called. The senior running back has been a revelation in Ridgewood’s passing game, and on Thursday night he had the big plays.
Campbell hauled in five passes for 141 yards and a touchdown, and it was his work in the first quarter that helped set the tone for Ridgewood, which remained undefeated.
Ridgewood recorded a second straight shutout, 35-0 over Kennedy, and continued its early season offensive show. It marked the 63rd time in coach Chuck Johnson’s 31 seasons that his team has recorded a shutout.
While the defense was not spectacular, Ridgewood (4-0) did produce three turnovers on fumbles, and for the second time this season stopped a team on a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Sophomore inside linebacker James Mondi, in his second varsity start, had 12 tackles and a forced fumble.
The offense did its job early, taking the opening kickoff and scoring on six plays covering 57 yards. Campbell had catches of 18 and 17 yards to set up sophomore Drew Granski’s 2-yard touchdown.
“It all starts with the offensive line,” Campbell said. “They’ve done a great job of pass blocking all year and [senior quarterback Matt] Donovan is putting it right there. All I have to do is run under it.”
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 9:16 AM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
More action, not meetings, is needed Angela Cautillo
To the Editor:In the Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, issue of The Ridgewood News, I was reading the article titled “Panel says parking is source of problems.” It was good to hear the comments from business owners and landlords alike, but is this really news to anyone? Ridgewood is not moving forward was the message.
The article also stated that the meeting attracted the smallest turnout in the series so far, only being attended by 30 people. That’s not surprising.
Yes, a low turnout is disappointing, but I would probably have to say it’s because so many Ridgewood business owners are thinking “been there, done that.” You can find in the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce archives that it was determined by Ridgewood business leaders that there was a parking problem back in 1924.
As a former board member of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce and later as its director, I tried to get the ball rolling for a parking garage in the business district. I urged the then council that it was for the future of Ridgewood’s business success, but all that happened was more money wasted on yet another parking study that said we needed more parking.
I was told by a former village manager that I would never see a parking garage in Ridgewood. It was very disheartening to hear and very sad to see the lack of vision of the Village Council at the time. Yet the buck keeps getting passed, since it’s been more than two decades after my push, 90 years after the first record of a parking problem in Ridgewood and there’s still non-solution.
Dallas Ebola case spurs concern about hospital readiness
A D.C.-area hospital admitted a patient with symptoms and a travel history associated with Ebola.
By Lena H. Sun, Brady Dennis and Elahe Izadi October 3 at 10:52 PM
A Washington-area hospital announced Friday that it had admitted a patient with symptoms and a travel history associated with Ebola. The case has not been confirmed, but the number of similar incidents around the country and a confirmed Ebola patient in Dallas have spurred concerns about whether U.S. hospitals are as prepared to deal with the virus as federal officials insist they are.
Since July, hospitals around the country have reported more than 100 cases involving Ebola-like symptoms to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials there said. Only one patient so far — Thomas Duncan in Dallas — has been diagnosed with Ebola.
But in addition to lapses at the Dallas hospital where Duncan is being treated, officials say they are fielding inquiries from hospitals and health workers that make it clear that serious questions remain about how to properly and safely care for potential Ebola patients.
Hackers’ Attack Cracked 10 Financial Firms in Major Assault
By MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN, NICOLE PERLROTH and DAVID E. SANGER OCTOBER 3, 2014 9:39 PMOctober 3, 2014 9:39 pm 2 Comments
The huge cyberattack on JPMorgan Chase that touched more than 83 million households and businesses was one of the most serious computer intrusions into an American corporation. But it could have been much worse.
Questions over who the hackers are and the approach of their attack concern government and industry officials. Also troubling is that about nine other financial institutions — a number that has not been previously reported — were also infiltrated by the same group of overseas hackers, according to people briefed on the matter. The hackers are thought to be operating from Russia and appear to have at least loose connections with officials of the Russian government, the people briefed on the matter said.
It is unclear whether the other intrusions, at banks and brokerage firms, were as deep as the one that JPMorgan disclosed on Thursday. The identities of the other institutions could not be immediately learned.
We Gambled with Ebola and Lost
Let us finally end the crazy “diversity” visa lottery.
By Michelle Malkin
Ebola has reached our shores from Africa. Dozens of children are reportedly suffering paralysis from a deadly virus with unknown origins. Medical providers across the country have warned of a looming public-health crisis as communicable diseases spread unmonitored and uncontrolled. Other countries are cracking down. But America is stuck on open-borders stupid.
The Diversity Visa (DV) program, to take just one glaring example of government insanity, is still going.
On October 1, the State Department opened the annual DV random lottery to applicants from around the world. Yes, it’s completely random, like a Powerball drawing. Up to 55,000 lucky winners will snag permanent residency visas (green cards), which put them on the path to American citizenship ahead of millions of other foreigners patiently waiting to come to this country.
The green-card-lotto winners’ spouses and unmarried children under 21 all get golden tickets into the country too, no matter where they were born.
Illegal aliens are eligible if a legal family member wins the jackpot. Applicants don’t even need a high-school education. No outstanding abilities, training, or job skills are necessary. A handful of countries are excluded if they no longer qualify as “underrepresented.” But if you come from a terror-sponsoring or terror-friendly nation — such as Iran, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, or more than a dozen officially designated terror enablers on the State Department’s list — no worries. Thousands from these breeding grounds for jihad will walk through our front doors.
Calif. Employee Pensions Are Not Sacred Cows, Judge Rules. But Don’t Call the Slaughterhouse Just Yet.
Scott Shackford|Oct. 2, 2014 10:50 am
Public sector unions in California have used their enormous clout to protect their plum pensions, making it nearly impossible for municipal governments to scale back benefits in any way shape or form (even for employees they hadn’t even hired yet). Even as California cities file for bankruptcy, unable to pay off various creditors, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has argued that debts owed to them are special and off the table. They cannot be reduced or severed, even in the case of bankruptcy.
And then yesterday U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein’s told CalPERS it was wrong. In the case of a bankrupt city, pensions can be cut just like any other debt. That’s what the bankruptcy process is for. As The Sacramento Bee explains, the ruling came because a creditor in the bankruptcy of the city of Stockton, Franklin Templeton Investments, is upset that it’s only going to get a ninth of what it’s due and wants a better deal, and that might come from money going to pensions.
October 3, 2014 Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Eileen La Forgia
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
“I paint in beautiful contemplative places, which lend peace to me and hopefully to those viewing my work,” said well-known watercolor artist Joel Popadics. The subjects include vistas depicting land and sea, some in bright sunlight or moody fog.
“When I look at each painting I can recall very vivid details about the day, the time and temperature and who I was with. The paintings almost become a journal or diary of my life that is not written, but painted or drawn out,” reflected Popadics.
Joel Popadics paints at the Jersey Shore.”Lobster Cove””Port Clyde”
He loves the coast of Maine with its harbors and coves. He has rented a house on seven acres of land in Cutler, an area known for hiking trails. The exhibit includes: “Lobster Cove” Boothbay Harbor, painted in autumn. “Waves at Western Point,” a scene at Acadia National Park and “Holmes Bay Low Tide,” painted during a drizzle.
Ridgewood Football breaks quickly from the starting gate
October 3, 2014 Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Jim McConville
CORRESPONDENT
The Ridgewood News
RIDGEWOOD — Heading into Thursday night’s home game versus Kennedy, the Ridgewood High School football team was looking not only to continue its winning ways but also to continue to develop the chemistry, experience and execution it will need as the schedule toughens later this month.
There were plenty of positives through the Maroons’ first three games, and much of that had to do with the way the sophomores injected themselves into the lineup and made key contributions.
Members of the 2004 Ridgewood High School North 1, Group 4 championship football team gather on the field of RHS Stadium at halftime of last Friday’s game to be honored on the 10th anniversary of their state-sectional title.
The youth movement can be a double-edged sword, however. RHS benefitted from an early schedule in which its first three opponents were a combined 2-7, and the team won all three games by an average of 46-4 (Kennedy was 0-3 entering Thursday). That necessitates tempering any enthusiasm a bit in assessing the results.
Still, every win is important, and the schedule is what it is. Ridgewood need not make excuses for winning the games it is supposed to win while giving some of its rookies a dose of confidence at the varsity level.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/football/ridgewood-breaks-quickly-from-the-starting-gate-1.1101679#sthash.qMj2EYGh.dpuf
Davidoff Opens New Cigar Lounge in Ridgewood Barry October 02, 2014
Davidoff Announces Opening of Cigar Lounge in Ridgewood, NJ Premier Swiss cigar brand opens its newest lounge in the United States
Basel, September 29, 2014 – Davidoff, a Swiss company known for its excellence in luxury goods, announces the opening of its Davidoff Lounge at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. Being the 4th addition to the Davidoff lounge portfolio in the US, Ridgewood marks the roll-out of additional locations under the global lounge concept.
The Davidoff Lounge at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood offers an oasis of sophistication and comfort. The 2,400 square foot space takes the concept of traditional lounges to the next level featuring a modern design with industrial inspired touches and natural materials.
Situated in a 1931 historical building, the lounge features exposed brick walls, striking antique skylights and 21 industrial windows welcoming natural light. A statement-making peninsula fireplace sits in the center of the lounge, custom designed to add warmth and interest to the open floor plan. With custom furniture and décor, the overall design creates a balance between the modern but traditional allure of Ridgewood. Amenities include an elegant boardroom offering members a private space to conduct meetings and hold private dinner events. 100 custom-built humidified lockers welcome private members to store their personal cigars.
Davidoff commissioned NYC urban artists UR New York to create a 3-dimensional metal wall sculpture depicting the fusion of Davidoff luxury and Ridgewood’s downtown urban flavor. URNY artists Fernando “Ski” Romero and Mike “2ESAE” Baca drew inspiration from the historical and present elements of Ridgewood, constructing a 3D assemblage of recycled and found materials from their time in Ridgewood.
The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood has just completed its fourth and largest expansion in its 35-year history. The shop is nestled in the historic area of the Village of Ridgewood, a Victorian town established in 1894. A family business, developed in 1979, has brought much camaraderie between many of the men and women that have patronized the shop over the years. This expansion into the Davidoff Lounge will expand the networking of many of the members in a 2,400 square foot upscale setting.
A Century of Davidoff Henri Davidoff, who emigrated from Kiev to Switzerland at a time of political unrest, opened his first store in Geneva in 1911, laying the foundations for today’s worldwide network of 65 Davidoff Flagship Stores. Henri’s son, Zino Davidoff, learned the trade from the ground up. He resided for several years in Central and South America to deepen his knowledge. In 1930, he returned to Switzerland and thereafter successfully managed the business over four decades. Zino Davidoff transferred the family business to the Oettinger Group in 1970. Davidoff appeals to connoisseurs all over the world who seek to embrace the art of living and pleasure. The premium brand Davidoff stands for a culture of conscious enjoyment and reflection in today’s hectic world. Davidoff learned over the years that time is the ultimate luxury. Zino’s pleasure in this was the starting point for the global brand of Davidoff, a brand that connects people all around the world. A brand that fills the unforgettable moments in life with the joy and pleasure of elegance and beauty – “Time Beautifully Filled.”
Oettinger Davidoff Group – a Swiss family business steeped in tradition With almost 4,000 employees around the world, the CHF 1.3 billion Oettinger Davidoff Group traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family owned to this day. The Group operates two distinctly different businesses: one focused on consumer goods distribution in the Swiss market, and one dedicated to its core business, the producing, marketing, and retailing of premium branded cigars, tobacco products, and accessories. The premium-branded cigar business includes Davidoff, Camacho, Zino Platinum, AVO, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino, and Winston Churchill Cigars. Oettinger Davidoff Group is anchored in a strong “crop-to-shop” philosophy, having pursued a vertical integration from its tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to its worldwide network of 65 Davidoff Flagship Stores.
Ridgewood stenographer keeps transcripts in good hands
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 12:31 AM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Sometimes, when Ridgewood’s court reporter Laura Carucci is “in the zone” at a hearing, typing up a transcript at between 180 and 270-plus words a minute, her mind will drift off for a few seconds. She’ll think of grocery lists, or of what she’s doing after work.
But, in a testament to her training, her fingers keep doing their magic, flawlessly. The transcript will still be fine, devoid of any mention of needed snacks or household supplies.
“I’ve never actually written about what I’m thinking,” she said.
Still, sometimes as a joke for her mother, herself a long-time stenographer who occasionally copy edits Carucci’s transcripts, Carucci will write something into her notes, like “I’m so tired,” or “This person is speaking too fast.”
“She can read it. She thinks it’s funny,” Carucci said, chuckling.
For nearly 15 years, Carucci has been the stenographer for the village zoning board, also handling big Planning Board meetings, including The Valley Hospital and multi-family housing hearings. She also works for Englewood, Hackensack, Clifton, Fair Lawn and Rockleigh.
She has worked in other venues, including her most high-profile job taking depositions during the original O.J. Simpson murder case.
