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Ridgewood teachers union supports Common Core opponents

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Ridgewood teachers union supports Common Core opponents

SEPTEMBER 15, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014, 9:18 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

The Ridgewood teachers union gave a boost to parents opposing the Common Core and assessments it is linked to at the kickoff to the new school year last week.

Parents and teachers alike say their questions and concerns about Common Core have largely gone unanswered, with parents worried about the future of their children’s education and teachers worried about the future of their careers.

Superintendent Daniel Fishbein addressed some of the queries at a Board of Education (BOE) meeting on Sept. 8, standing firm on two points: The district does not have the right to ignore the Common Core standards or opt out of the assessment, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/teachers-union-teams-with-parents-opposition-group-1.1088257#sthash.h3fH8Sl1.dpuf

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Could The NFL Turn To Condoleezza Rice To Repair Its Image and Give Her the ‘Dream Job’?

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Could The NFL Turn To Condoleezza Rice To Repair Its Image and Give Her the ‘Dream Job’?

With NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell under fire for his handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence arrest, calls for his resignation as commissioner continue to grow. One of the people being floated as a possible replacement to Goodell is former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

See, Condi is a huge football fan and sports fan in general, and she has said that being NFL Commissioner would be her dream job.

The Telegraph reports:

American football, the country’s most popular sport and a bastion of macho male culture, has suffered one of the worst weeks in its history with three high-profile stars facing accusations of domestic violence.

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The crisis has led to calls for Ms Rice, a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, to step in replace the beleaguered Roger Goodell as Commissioner. As far back as 2002 Ms Rice described becoming NFL Commissioner as her dream job.

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Now she is getting serious backing, including from former members of the Bush administration, for taking on the task of rescuing a sport whose image has taken a severe battering over the last seven days.

The backing for Rice to take over as NFL Commissioner is definitely growing. And it’s not just former members of the Bush administration who are supporting the call for Rice to become commissioner.

In today’s U.S. News and World Report, Susan Milligan, who was a biographer for the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), endorsed the calls for Rice to replace Goodell.

Having a female commissioner would go a long way in acknowledging that this is not a man’s pastime. It’s an American sport, and it attracts both male and female fans. Condoleezza Rice could help draw more female fans, and for all the right reasons.

Not everyone is predicting that Rice will take over the NFL, however. As Al.com noted, Commissioner Goodell has stated that he doesn’t believe his job is at risk.

https://www.ijreview.com/2014/09/178083-nfl-turn-condoleezza-rice-repair-image/

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On the Campaign Trail with Jeff Bell

Jeff Bell

On the Campaign Trail with Jeff Bell

Republican upstart hopes to ride economic plan and anti-incumbent sentiment into the Senate

BY: Mary Lou Byrd
September 15, 2014 5:00 am

Voter discontent and anti-incumbency sentiment will be factors in the race between Republican Jeff Bell and Cory Booker (D., N.J.) in November, which is surprisingly tight despite the incumbent Democrat’s national popularity.

Bell has stepped up his campaigning and continued to push his economic agenda, which he believes will restore prosperity to the middle class, revive the economy, help small businesses, and create jobs. He has also addressed the threat of Islamic terrorism on the campaign trail.

Speaking at a GOP meeting in Lakewood days before President Barack Obama’s Oval Office speech on the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS), Bell spoke of President Ronald Reagan and cited the stark difference between Reagan and Obama.

Reagan “believed in our values,” Bell said. “He was loyal to our allies and other countries knew that.”

“The only thing we should be thinking about is how do we kill the killers before they come here,” Bell said. “Christians, Jews and minorities are being eradicated,” he said, and Obama’s administration is “anti-Israel” and has showed “passivity in the Middle East.”

Bell then turned to his economic plan, which calls for a return to a gold-backed dollar. It would be the first time in 43 years the greenback was backed by gold.

https://freebeacon.com/politics/on-the-campaign-trail-with-jeff-bell/

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Bicyclist injured after colliding with vehicle in Ridgewood

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Bicyclist injured after colliding with vehicle in Ridgewood
September 15th 2014
Boyd A. Loving
5:56 PM 

Ridgewood NJ, A male youth riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of North Maple and Franklin Avenues in Ridgewood just before 5:30 PM on Monday, 09/15.  Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS units rushed to the scene following receipt of a 911 telephone call reporting the incident.  The youth’s injuries appeared to be minor in nature; he walked on his own power to a waiting ambulance, which transported him to The Valley Hospital for treatment.  Ridgewood FD personnel transported the victim’s bicycle to his house with the help of a friend who had been riding with him at the time of the crash.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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Soylent Cuisine

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Soylent Cuisine

The trendy new food substitute is made by people and for people—not of people.

Greg Beato from the October 2014 issue

Remember when the planet’s young people-or at least its youth-oriented jingle writers-almost convinced us that a bottle of Coca-Cola could play a pivotal role in achieving global harmony? While the “real thing” may have been a balm against the stings of Vietnam and other afflictions of the era, today’s youthful idealists understand it will take a lot more than proprietary sugar-water and some attractive teenagers singing on a hilltop to combat melting polar ice caps, rising income inequality, and everything else that ails us. We need a genuine miracle elixir, not just a pause that refreshes.

Enter Soylent, the gulp that sustains. Its primary components are a powder made from maltodextrin, rice protein, oat flour, and more vitamins and minerals than mid-century food scientists ever managed to pack into a loaf of Wonder Bread, plus a liquid blend of canola oil and fish oil. Mix the powder with the oil, add water, and that’s it. Soylent is almost as easy to prepare as a glass of Coca-Cola, and yet it is designed to function as a “staple meal” that offers “maximum nutrition with minimal effort.”

Soylent, in other words, is simultaneously an antidote to both Monster Thickburgers and locavorist gospel. Similar products, such as Ensure and Slim-Fast, have been on the market for years, but they’re filled with objectionable Big Food ingredients like sugar and sucralose and targeted at geriatrics, dieters, and other specialty audiences. Soylent pairs optimized molybdenum uptake with a message of low-impact environmental sustainability. (“I almost forgot to mention, when everything going in to your body is diffused into the bloodstream, you don’t poop,” advises Soylent creator Rob Rhinehart in a blog post. “I only have to remove a few grams of fiber from my system per week.”) And yet while processed food prohibitionists like Michael “Mostly Plants” Pollan demonize convenience, affordability, and technology, Soylent supersizes these attributes in ways that might even scare Ronald McDonald fiberless.

https://reason.com/archives/2014/08/26/soylent-cuisine

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Ridgewood Fall Arts and Crafts Street Fair

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Ridgewood Fall Arts and Crafts Street Fair

Benefits Ridgewood Parks & Recreation Department
ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL Sunday, September 21st (rain or shine) Join the Village Department of Parks and Recreation for the Annual Ridgewood Fall Festival Street Fair on Sunday, September 21st, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.(rain or shine). Admission is free. East Ridgewood Avenue, between Maple Avenue and Oak Street, will be transformed into an outdoor market with tables of arts and crafts, jewelry, holiday ornaments, and more. Live entertainment is provided along with a food court offering snacks of all kinds, while special events are planned for the children. There will be something for everyone! Come and enjoy! Please call the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 with any questions.
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Vast Majority Do Not Believe US Will Defeat ISIS

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Vast Majority Do Not Believe US Will Defeat ISIS

Posted by: : Paul EbelingPosted on: September 14, 2014

Vast Majority Do Not Believe US Will Defeat ISISNearly 70% of Americans surveyed do not believe the United States will succeed in wiping out Islamic State (ISIS) militants, according to a new NBC News/WS-J/Annenberg poll.

According to the poll, 68% have “very little” or “just some” confidence in US President Barack Hussein Obama’s goal of eliminating the threat of ISIS. Just 28% had “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in Mr. Obama’s goals.

62% say they support the used of air power against ISIS in Syria as laid out by the president in last Wednesday’s prime time address to the nation, 22% oppose the plan.

“The bottom line: The president has made his case to the American public, and like other presidents who faced war and peace issues, support usually follows,” Democratic pollster Peter Hart said of the survey he helped conduct. “The difference in this military encounter is that, right out of the box, Americans are skeptical if this will work.”

The poll showed that just 38% of Americans think Mr. Obama is doing an effective job on foreign policy.

A poll from last week showed that 65% think action against ISIS is in America’s interest. That number rose to 68% after some of those polled were re-contacted after Mr. Obama’s speech.

https://www.livetradingnews.com/vast-majority-believe-us-will-defeat-isis-71220.htm#.VBappC5dVpc

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Technology solutions to parking problems in Fort Lee

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Fort Lee overhauling parking permits

Technology solutions to parking problems in Fort Lee

September 15, 2014    Last updated: Monday, September 15, 2014, 7:23 AM
By SVETLANA SHKOLNIKOVA
STAFF WRITER
The Record
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FORT LEE — To prepare for increased traffic in the downtown area, the Fort Lee Parking Authority will roll out a license plate recognition system this fall that will revamp the process for parking meter collection and parking permit registration.

The system uses technology to read license plate numbers with cameras mounted atop borough vehicles, eliminating the need for physical permits and significantly cutting down on time spent on enforcement.

Fort Lee will start with one camera-equipped vehicle and probably add a second next spring, when the program expands from parking lots to residential parking areas, said Gloria Gallo, the authority administrator.

“Because of the new development, this district is going to become very busy,” she said, referring to Redevelopment Area 5 and downtown. “We want to stay up-to-date with the latest technology, and this will just be more efficient.”

Gallo hopes to open parking permit registration on Nov. 1, though delays are possible.

The technology will move the entire registration process online, allowing drivers to pay for their permits and register their license plate numbers all at once. They will no longer need to print out permits.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/fort-lee-overhauling-parking-permits-1.1088106#sthash.5xLquS23.dpuf

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The Dee Kersting Show-A Lifetime of Painting

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The Dee Kersting Show-A Lifetime of Painting

Exhibit September 14th-20th, 2014

 
A LIFE TIME OF PAINTING
DEE KERSTING
 

Until her death earlier this year Dee Kersting was a member of the Ridgewood Art Institute (The Barn).  She painted there for over fifty years.  Dee studied under such renown artists as Arthur Maynard, Paul Burns and John Osborne.  All had great influence and helped refine Dee’s painting talent.

Mrs. Kersting attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  She also studied at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and The Chicago Academy of Fine Art.  She apprenticed at Hoskinson Rohloff in Chicago.  She  was a fashion artist for Sterling Lindner Davis in Chicago.
Over many years of painting she created a variety of Still Lifes, Landscapes and Portraits.  She received numerous awards at Art Shows around the Bergen County area.  Her art has been displayed at the Union League Club in New York, the Bergen Mall in New Jersey and many other locations in the Hudson River Valley. 

Some of her creations will be displayed at the Ridgewood Art Institute.   All Paintings are on Sale for $250 or best offer by the Kersting family and all proceeds will be donated to the Ridgewood Art Institute Childrens Scholarship or Awards fund.

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Change of Location : Special Public Meeting for Planning Board – September 16

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Change of Location : Special Public Meeting for Planning Board – September 16

PLANNING BOARD

AMENDMENT TO MEETING SCHEDULE

Special Public Meeting: Tuesday, September 16, 2014 

Change of Location

In accordance with the provisions of the “Open Public Meetings Act,” please be advised that the Planning Board has scheduled a special public meeting and work session for TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014, in the RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CENTER, 627 E. RIDGEWOOD AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ beginning AT 7:30 p.m.

The Board may take official action during this Special Public Meeting at which time the Board will continue the public hearing concerning a proposed amendment to the Land Use Plan Element of the Master Plan which would recommend changes in zone district classifications and boundaries within the Central Business District and surrounding area including AH-2, B-3-R, C-R and C Zone Districts.

The proposed master plan amendment and related exhibits are at the office of the Secretary of the Ridgewood Planning Board on the third floor of Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey and are available for public inspection Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The amendment and exhibits are also posted as a courtesy on the Village’s website at www.ridgewoodnj.net.

All meetings of the Ridgewood Planning Board (i.e., official public meetings, work session meetings, pre-meeting assemblies and special meetings) are public meetings which are always open to members of the general public.

Jane Wondergem

Secretary to the Board

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Reader says It is time to just say no to Urbanization

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Reader says It is time to just say no to Urbanization 

Mr. Wrubel is right — the new housing will be a great accommodation for those looking to live in a more urban environment.

But he’s wrong in suggesting Ridgewood should be the site of that migration. The thing is, those of us not looking to living a denser environment are being asked to foot the bill for developers hoping to increase their profit. Those of us who have worked and paid taxes to maintain the standards of our Village are being told we need to open up the downtown for others to come in and enjoy the benefits of what has been built.

Mr. Wrubel’s basic premise is entirely backwards looking. Its been said many times on this blog before and it is worth repeating: A downtown exists to serve the town and not the other way around. If the functionality of Ridgewood’s downtown has reached a historic end, because its been replaced say, by Route 17 shopping, then the downtown parcel should revert to open space or single family homes in keeping with Ridgewood’s community purpose. The death of the downtown should not be allowed to kill off Ridgewood altogether, and that is what a lot of well meaning people seem to overlook.

Let’s look to the future and beyond the self interest of the developers and the yarns they have spun: Young families continue to want to live in a safe, suburban environment in the long desirable Village of Ridgewood — why are folks in such a rush to take away that opportunity? Why is our Planning Board and Council even considering allowing that to happen?

It is time to just say no.

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Police investigating string of car break-ins in Ridgewood and Glen Rock

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Police investigating string of car break-ins in Ridgewood and Glen Rock

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014, 12:49 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014, 10:52 PM
BY ANDREW WYRICH
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD – Police departments in Glen Rock and Ridgewood are investigating whether a string of nearly 20 separate vehicle break-ins over the past week within the two towns are connected.

Ridgewood police said four vehicles were broken into over the weekend near the Glen Rock border on Ackerman Avenue and Doremus Avenue. Glen Rock police said at least 15 vehicles were entered overnight on Sept. 10 near Richard E. Byrd School on Doremus Avenue.

Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward said the two departments are sharing information and working together to see if the string of burglaries was carried out by the same person.

“In any situation like this we coordinate with one another,” Ward said. “Anytime you have a number of burglaries or entries we obviously look at all possible angles – you don’t automatically say they aren’t connected.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/police-investigating-string-of-car-break-ins-in-ridgewood-and-glen-rock-1.1087768#sthash.cNvTsMhn.dpuf

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Why are we moving to Common Core?

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Why are we moving to Common Core?

September 12, 2014    Last updated: Friday, September 12, 2014, 9:28 AM
Print

Why are we moving to Common Core?

Marlene Burton
Marlene Burton

Marlene Burton

To the Editor:

I have spent some time looking at the Common Core ELA standards, as well as the math. A couple in particular caught my eye:

The first, and I quote: “With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.”

For what age child is this intended? You might think a 6th grader, but perhaps too ambitious and too grandiose for an 11-year-old – certainly a diversion from more fundamental activities.

But no, it is a kindergarten standard. The proponents of the Common Core want 5-year-olds on computers exploring digital tools to publish their own writings and the writing they have done in collaboration with their peers.

Here is another one: “Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).” Also a kindergarten standard.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-why-are-we-moving-to-common-core-1.1086863#sthash.xIGhCobY.dpuf

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North Jersey schools brace for immigrant influx

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North Jersey schools brace for immigrant influx

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014, 11:54 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014, 11:54 PM
BY MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Fourteen-year-old Elizita and her father arrived at the West New York registration offices around 7:15 a.m. Thursday, hoping to enroll her in school.

But it would be a dream deferred. The family, who waited outside in the crisp air, was told to come back. They were sent to get a physical, which included a tuberculosis test, that would clear Elizita to start school.

“If it won’t be tomorrow, then I’ll start Monday,” she said in Spanish after making a doctor’s appointment.

It had been a long journey for Elizita to this point — the dream of an American education — after a grueling two-week trek earlier this summer out of Guatemala and into this county illegally with her 16-year-old cousin to join her father in North Jersey.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/north-jersey-schools-brace-for-immigrant-influx-1.1087949#sthash.tAZZkc9g.dpuf

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Obama Plans Major Ebola Offensive

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Obama Plans Major Ebola Offensive

More Doctors, Supplies and Portable Hospitals Planned for Africa

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama plans to dramatically boost the U.S. effort to mitigate the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, including greater involvement of the U.S. military, people familiar with the proposal said.

Mr. Obama is expected to detail the plan during a visit Tuesday to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, these people said. Among the possible moves: sending additional portable hospitals, doctors and health-care experts, providing medical supplies and conducting training for health workers in Liberia and other countries.

Mr. Obama also is expected to urge Congress to approve the request he made last week for an additional $88 million to fund his proposal.

“There’s a lot that we’ve been putting toward this, but it is not sufficient,” Lisa Monaco, Mr. Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, said in an interview Sunday. “So the president has directed a more scaled-up response and that’s what you’re going to hear more about on Tuesday.”

https://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-plans-major-ebola-offensive-1410738096