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Man who stole $460,000 in quarters from Ridgewood to be sentenced

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Man who stole $460,000 in quarters from Ridgewood to be sentenced

JULY 9, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The former Ridgewood official who confessed in March to stealing $460,000 in loose parking meter quarters from a storage room inside Village Hall is to be sentenced this afternoon.

Hawthorne resident Thomas Rica, who is Ridgewood’s former public works inspector, is to appear before state Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Roma in Hackensack.

It is expected that Rica will receive no jail time.

Under the terms of a plea deal struck by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and his lawyer, Robert Galantucci, Rica will be sentenced to five years’ probation.

Additionally, Rica will be ordered to make full restitution to the village, authorities have said.

“Thanks to the Prosecutor’s Office, Ridgewood residents will get back most, if not all, of the money shamelessly stolen from them,” Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn said on Tuesday.

“That’s important,” he added. “That’s key.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/crime-and-courts/sentencing-today-for-man-who-stole-460-00-in-coins-1.1048167#sthash.7eIaqApx.dpuf

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Cupcake shop Crumbs shuttering all its stores including its Ridgewood Location

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Cupcake shop Crumbs shuttering all its stores including its Ridgewood Location

JULY 8, 2014, 6:39 AM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014, 12:40 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Print

NEW YORK (AP) — Crumbs says it is shuttering all its stores, a week after the struggling cupcake shop operator was delisted from the Nasdaq.

CARMINE GALASSO/RECORD FILE PHOTO
Crumbs Bake Shop in Ridgewood. The chain is closing all its stores, it announced Monday.

The New York City-based company, which had stores in Ridgewood and at the Garden State Plaza, said all employees were notified of the closures Monday. A representative for Crumbs could not immediately say how many workers were affected or how many stores it had remaining on its last day.

“Regrettably Crumbs has been forced to cease operations and is immediately attending to the dislocation of its employees while it evaluates its limited remaining options,” the company said in an emailed statement. That will include filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation.

A press release from its website in March listed 65 locations in 12 states and Washington, D.C. The website had not been updated with notification of the closures late Monday.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/cupcake-shop-crumbs-shuttering-all-its-stores-1.1047763#sthash.q6r8maDy.dpuf

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“Cory Booker’s scary big lead”

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Cory Booker

New York Post Editorial Page

Below is an editorial in today’s New York Post, accessible here. 
 

“Cory Booker’s scary big lead”


Normally, Cory Booker would be feeling pretty confident, given his 20-point lead over GOP challenger Jeffrey Bell.

But a closer look at the latest poll numbers suggests Booker may have a rougher ride to re-election than anyone anticipated.

That’s because the New Jersey senator’s support clocks in at just 43 percent. The same poll, by the Monmouth University-Asbury Park Press, has more than a third of voters saying it’s time for a change, though Booker’s been in office only eight months.

Fully 15 percent — including one in eight Democrats — say they would vote for a third-party candidate. This, even though the same voters generally approve of Booker’s job performance. In other words, his support remains strikingly soft.

Some of this, no doubt, reflects the general defensiveness of Democratic senators up for re-election this year. But some also suggests voters have concluded Booker’s been more hype than substance. Newark, for example, just elected one of his harshest critics to succeed him as mayor.

Granted, challenger Jeff Bell, a Reagan speechwriter-turned-tax-reform-activist, last ran for office in 1982. On top of this, statewide Republican candidates — particularly conservatives — historically have faced an uphill climb in Jersey.

But another conservative, Steve Lonegan, lost to Booker last fall by just 11 percentage points, a much closer margin than people expected. And that was without any help from the Republican National Committee.

If Bell can make his case for the middle class — and get the financial support he needs from the national party — he may make this race competitive yet.

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STAND YOUR GROUND: PROTESTERS DIVERT 3RD ROUND OF B– USES FROM MURRIETA

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STAND YOUR GROUND: PROTESTERS DIVERT 3RD ROUND OF B– USES FROM MURRIETA
by MICHELLE MOONS 7 Jul 2014

MURRIETA — Demonstrators opposed to illegal immigration stood their ground again at the Murrieta Border Patrol station on Monday, where U.S. Border Patrol had been scheduled to transfer a third round of buses, with approximately 140 illegal aliens aboard in total, transferred from overcrowded Texas detention facilities.

For a third time, the buses were rerouted to the San Ysidro, California Border Patrol station, near the U.S.-Mexico border, for processing. The demonstrators gathered in areas to the north and south of the Murrieta station after law enforcement blocked off the road near the station itself. Many told Breitbart News they considered their stand a success, since buses scheduled for Murrieta are avoiding it as long as demonstrators remain.

The anti-illegal immigration protests Monday brought out new, first-time demonstrators and onlookers from many different backgrounds–from young enlisted Marines to legal immigrants from Germany, Mexico, and Central America. Karen Siegemund of Rage Against the Media, comedian and author Evan Sayet, and radio host Kender Macgowan made it out as well.

Despite the news of buses being re-routed for the second time since a standoff with three buses in Murrieta July 1, anti-illegal immigration demonstrators plan to continue to monitor and be at the ready should any transfers of illegal aliens to the Murrieta station resume.

https://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/07/07/Protestors-Keep-Third-Round-of-Illegal-Alien-Buses-from-Murrieta-Border-Patrol-Station

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COSTCO REMOVING D’SOUZA’S ‘AMERICA’ FROM SHELVES

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COSTCO REMOVING D’SOUZA’S ‘AMERICA’ FROM SHELVES

Bestseller disappearing as companion movie hits theaters

Published: 21 hours ago
JEROME R. CORSI 

NEW YORK – The retail giant Costco Wholesale has issued an order to remove all copies of Dinesh D’Souza’s bestselling book, “America: Imagine the World Without Her,” from the shelves of its stores nationwide, WND has confirmed.

The book, in this midterm election year, is a strong rebuttal of the progressive ideology behind President Obama’s policies, which have been supported by Costco co-founder and director Jim Sinegal, a major Democrat donor and a speaker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention that nominated the president. A Washington Post political reporter has noted Obama’s “romance” with the nation’s second-largest retailer.

At Amazon.com, D’Souza’s book, released June 2, is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 in Political Commentary and Opinion.

UPDATE: Costco fires back after yanking ‘America’ off shelves

Copies of “America” at a Costco store Monday (WND photo)

Costco has sold more than 3,600 copies of “America” nationwide, with about 700 copies sold last week as D’Souza’s film by the same name opened at more than 1,000 movie theaters nationwide.

But Costco’s book department issued the “pull-order,” requiring all Costco stores nationwide to remove the book, confirmed Scott Losse, an inventory control specialist in the book department at the Costco Wholesale corporate office in Issaquah, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.

The July 1 order required all copies to be removed by July 15.

Contacted for a reaction, D’Souza was surprised to learn of the Costco decision.

“If true, this would be very odd,” D’Souza said.

“We’re in the process of finding out what’s happening. I look forward to getting to the bottom of this and continuing the strong relationship my publisher and I have always had with Costco and their millions of shoppers.”

Most Costco stores WND contacted Monday had already pulled “America” from the shelves, with others scheduled to remove it with their regularly scheduled inventory changes Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

A few Costco stores told inquirers Monday they were “in luck,” because a handful of books were still available and a few copies remained in the warehouse waiting to be returned. Staffers offered to put aside a book so it could be purchased before all copies were shipped back to the vendor.

Read more at https://www.wnd.com/2014/07/costco-removing-dsouzas-america-from-shelves/#zFdVyuPDs7D0k7gd.99

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Why Teenagers Today May Grow Up Conservative

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Why Teenagers Today May Grow Up Conservative

JULY 8, 2014

There was a time not so long ago when the young seemed destined to be liberal forever. Americans in their teens and 20s were to the left of their elders on social issues. They worried more about poverty. They voted strongly Democratic.

In retrospect, we refer to this period as the 1960s, and it didn’t last long, let alone forever. Less than a generation after young people were marching for civil rights and against the Vietnam War, they voted overwhelmingly for Ronald Reagan.

Today, of course, the young are liberal again, and it seems as if they will be forever. They favor same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization, stricter gun laws, citizenship for illegal immigrants and an activist government that fights climate change and inequality. The Republican Party, as you have probably noticed, does not.

But the temporary nature of the 1960s should serve as a reminder that politics change. What seems permanent can become fleeting. And the Democratic Party, for all its strengths among Americans under 40, has some serious vulnerabilities, too.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/08/upshot/why-teenagers-may-be-getting-more-conservative.html?_r=0

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Ridgewood High School Latin team to compete at nationals

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Ridgewood High School Latin team to compete at nationals

JULY 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014, 3:07 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER

Latin teacher Catherine Venturini has a big smile and a bigger passion for Latin. And the result of that passion is clear when watching students in her rising-star Latin Academic Team practice for competition.

Talking to 10 students who came to one of the year’s last lunch meetings, the 14-year Ridgewood High School (RHS) teacher read aloud Latin phrase after Latin phrase. Students from the club, which this year won the state title in the Latin Quiz Bowl and will compete in nationals in late July, were quick to translate.

One (not necessarily authentic) Latin phrase stumped them.

“Man, don’t prepare the cow?” one student asked.

“They’re looking for something a little more colloquial,” Venturini answered.

“Don’t have a cow, man?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

It’s the kind of positive and lively atmosphere that many Latin outsiders might not associate with the so-called “dead” language. But the students say that that perception is wrong: Latin has a lot to teach them about the way modern society works, and because it happened years ago, it offers an opportunity for a more objective critique.

“It allows us to understand more of what the modern world is,” said Latin Academic Team Captain Britta Potter, who was the team’s lone senior this past year. “So much of it is rooted in the classical world … [and] looking at it in Rome, you don’t have as much of a personal connection to it. It’s a lot easier to be objective.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-headed-to-nationals-in-georgia-1.1047611#sthash.PdXa7YwA.dpuf

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Democrats counting on Bergen voters to unseat Garrett

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file photo Boyd Loving

Democrats counting on Bergen voters to unseat Garrett
By Myles Ma/NJ.com 

RIDGEWOOD — Scott Garrett has handily won every race he’s run for New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District since 2002.

Garrett has vastly outspent his opponent in every election year, with the exception of 2008, when he outspent Dennis G. Shulman, but not vastly.

But Roy Cho, his Democratic opponent, believes Garrett can be beaten. So too, does rapper Ghostface Killah.

It was Killah’s (Ghostface’s?) endorsement over Twitter last year that first put Cho and his campaign on the map. But it is the new math in the 5th that Cho believes will put his campaign over the top.

Redistricting in 2010 added Democratic-leaning Fair Lawn, Lodi, Hackensack and Bogota, and parts of Teaneck to the 5th. By population, Bergen County makes up almost three-quarters of the district.

Rob Esposito, Cho’s campaign manager, said these towns have turned the 5th from a safe Republican stronghold dominated by Sussex and Warren voters into a competitive district.

“We know we have a real shot,” he said.

https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2014/07/democrats_counting_on_bergen_voters_in_5th_district_race.html

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Assemblyman Paul Moriarty awaiting fate of police car camera bill based on his DWI dismissal

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Assemblyman Paul Moriarty awaiting fate of police car camera bill based on his DWI dismissal

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D-4 of Washington Township) is awaiting news of the fate of his bill requiring local police patrol units be equipped with cameras, after it received final legislative approval last week and now sits on Gov. Chris Christie’s desk. (Caffrey/The South Jersey Times)

https://www.nj.com/washington-township-times/index.ssf/2014/07/assemblyman_paul_moriarty_awai.html

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On judge’s order, Paramus board selects site for cell tower

Cell-Tower

On judge’s order, Paramus board selects site for cell tower

JULY 7, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014, 3:51 PM
BY KAREN KLEIMANN
MANAGING EDITOR
TOWN NEWS

After a decade of fighting the installation, the Paramus Zoning Board of Adjustment reluctantly chose a location for a cell phone tower.

A judge recently ruled against the board in a lawsuit filed by Sprint and T-Mobile after their application was denied by the zoning board.

At a June 26 meeting, the zoning board heard additional testimony from the applicant and then opened the meeting to the public on comments and questions.

All zoning board members except for Walter Vavosa voted in favor of the Church of Nazarene site.

“We have an obligation to choose a site,” Zoning Board Chairman James Huffman said. “We denied this application because we didn’t like it, but we were told by the judge that we have to choose a site.”

About a decade ago, Sprint and T-Mobile filed a joint application before the zoning board to bring a cell tower into the borough in one of two sites on East Midland Avenue, the Church of Nazarene or the Ambulance Corps building.

The applicants proposed building a monopole, a tower that had antenna branches stretching out from the pole and resembles a tree. Ultimately the board denied the application, stating among several reasons that the benefits did not outweigh the detriments to the community.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/on-judge-s-order-paramus-board-selects-site-for-cell-tower-1.1047639#sthash.K8CUU3EB.dpuf

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Hillary Clinton begins to move away from Obama ahead of 2016

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“what difference does it make”

Hillary Clinton begins to move away from Obama ahead of 2016

Hillary Clinton has begun distancing herself from President Barack Obama, suggesting that she would do more to woo Republicans and take a more assertive stance toward global crises, while sounding more downbeat than her former boss about the U.S. economic recovery. (Nicholas/The Wall Street Journal)

https://online.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-begins-to-move-away-from-obama-ahead-of-2016-1404691988

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Garrett Congratulates Haworth Resident Giancarlo for Taking Top-Spot at the CFTC

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Rep. Garrett (right) congratulates Haworth resident Chris Giancarlo for being sworn-in as the Commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Garrett Congratulates Haworth Resident Giancarlo for Taking Top-Spot at the CFTC
Jun 25, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) congratulated Haworth resident Chris Giancarlo for being sworn-in as the Commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. yesterday morning.

“Chris has a long history of promoting sound regulatory policy, free markets and economic liberty,” said Garrett at the ceremony. “I know he will bring a steady hand, common sense, and strong leadership to the Commission. His deep understanding of our derivatives markets make him an ideal choice for serving at the Commission as it continues to implement difficult and complex rules that will have a significant impact on farmers, ranchers, and producers.  Very few people know these markets as well as Chris, and his expertise will come in handy as the Commission faces markets that continue to shift and evolve.”

Giancarlo was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner on June 16, 2014 for a term expiring on April 13, 2019.  Giancarlo was nominated by President Obama on August 1, 2013.  On March 6, 2014, Giancarlo testified regarding his nomination before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, which approved the nomination on April 8, 2014.  The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by unanimous consent on June 3, 2014.

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This means Warren: Obama backs challenger to Hillary

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“what difference does it make ”

This means Warren: Obama backs challenger to Hillary

President Obama has quietly promised Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren complete support if she runs for president — a stinging rebuke to his nemesis Hillary Clinton, sources tell me. (Klein/The New York Post)

https://nypost.com/2014/07/06/this-means-warren-obama-backs-challenger-to-hillary/

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North Jersey blood banks issue urgent call for donors

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North Jersey blood banks issue urgent call for donors

July 7, 2014    Last updated: Monday, July 7, 2014, 1:21 AM
By EMILY MASTERS
STAFF WRITER
The Record

Blood banks in New Jersey are in critical need of donors this summer, especially now, right after the July Fourth weekend.

“The unfortunate reality is hospital patients don’t get to take a holiday. They still need transfusions,” said Anthony Tornetta, the external-communications manager for the American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Services Region. “It is important that the community rallies around that and donates blood.”

Blood supplies traditionally dip to their lowest levels during the summer months and the winter holidays, when schools are closed and many people are on vacation.

But after harsh winter weather kept many potential donors away, this year’s summer shortage has been more sorely felt.

Community Blood Services, which serves 19 hospitals in New Jersey, has been running 4 percent behind in collections since January, said its community affairs director, Karen Ferriday. “We are definitely falling short of our goal” of 250 donations a day, she said.

Ferriday said blood banks see far fewer corporations and community organizations hosting drives over the summer and also face a decline in the number of donors visiting centers, as people take vacations or visit family.

“This is a nationwide shortage,” she said.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/clubs-and-service-organizations/blood-banks-faced-with-shortage-call-for-donors-1.1047166#sthash.pfz1Vj71.dpuf

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Summer on hold for North Jerseyans struggling to rebuild their Shore homes

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surf club

Summer on hold for North Jerseyans struggling to rebuild their Shore homes

JULY 5, 2014, 11:52 PM    LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014, 11:57 PM
BY KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Almost two years after 2½ feet of stormwater surged into Michael Prezioso’s Ortley Beach vacation home, the place is still gutted and unusable. His flood insurance policy, Prezioso estimates, would cover only about 60 percent of the cost of repairing the house and replacing its contents.

In any case, he doesn’t want to spend anything on repairs until he can elevate the house — an expense, he says, he can’t afford.

DON SMITH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Clifton resident Michael Prezioso’s second home is at Ortley Beach. “It would cost me $200,000 to bring it back,” he said.

“I really don’t know what I’m doing,” said Prezioso, who lives in Clifton. “It would cost me $200,000 to bring it back. I’m in limbo right now.”

Like Prezioso, many North Jerseyans who own beach homes have had a difficult time since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the shoreline in the fall of 2012. Some have spent tens of thousands to repair their homes; others have been unable to afford repairs, and their homes are still out of use.

Owners of second homes understand that their losses don’t compare to the destruction or devastation of a primary home, which so many suffered in New Jersey. But many vacation-home owners have deep family ties to the Shore. They tell stories of childhoods spent crammed into their grandparents’ or parents’ bungalows and remember afternoons at the beach and evenings of miniature golf with their own children. They mourn the loss of those beach experiences and wonder when they’ll be able to return to their homes.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/summer-on-hold-for-north-jerseyans-struggling-to-rebuild-their-shore-homes-1.1046803#sthash.iPTfz54f.dpuf