VA healthcare scandal dominates Sunday political discussions
By Keith Laing – 05/25/14 01:22 PM EDT
The scandal involving a potential cover up of medical mistreatment of military veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs dominated discussion on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
Lawmakers from both parties appeared on every channel to discuss the still-emerging VA scandal, calling for responses ranging from a Department of Justice investigation to the firing of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Even Democrats said the scandal was unlikely to go away anytime soon.
“We’re talking now about…credible and specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing across the country in more than 30 places,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said during an appearance on CBS’s “Face The Nation.”
Blumenthal said the Obama administration should allow the Department of Justice to conduct a separate investigation of the complaints against the VA.
“I believe that the Department of Justice has to be involved,” Blumenthal said. “I urged [VA] Secretary [Eric] Shinseki privately and in fact publicly to request and involve the Department of Justice.
God Bless Those Who Have Fallen In Defense of Our Freedom
Dear Friend,
This week I voted in the House to give the Congressional Gold Medal to a number of military heroes. The bills I supported, among others, include H.R. 1726 to honor the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers; H.R. 1209 to honor the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders; and H.R. 685 to honor the American Fighter Aces. As you may know, the American Fighter Aces are an elite group of combat pilots that destroyed at least five hostile aircraft in air to air combat. Interestingly, New Jersey’s Fifth District serves as the home to three of these distinguished pilots, Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire of Ridgewood, Colonel Edward Stanley Popek of Hackensack and Captain Richard Dike Faxon of Haworth.
Though we can often get caught up in the parades and barbeques, this Memorial Day I urge you to truly reflect on what we hold so dear and who we have to thank for those blessings. We are a nation of free people because of those who never wavered in their commitment to liberty and democracy. As President Reagan said in his first inaugural address, “we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” To all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, thank you.
On this Memorial Day, may God bless the families who grieve for their loved ones, and may God bless all those who have fallen in defense of the United States of America.
Owen Smith of Ridgewood Boys lacrosse nets 100th career goal
By Chris Ryan/For The Star-Ledger on May 24, 2014 5:25 p.m.
Owen Smith scored four goals inRidgewood’s 10-4 victory against Morristown in the North Jersey, Group 3 final on Saturday, putting over the 100-goal mark for his career.
Smith second goal put him at the milestone. For his career, Smith now stands at 102 goals
Count Down to The 39th Annual Fred D’Elia Ridgewood Run 2014
Memorial Day – Monday – May 26th, 2014 Veterans Memorial Field Ridgewood, NJ
The premier road race in northern New Jersey. One of the longest running races in the tri-state area. There is something for everyone: 10K, 5K, Road Mile, Fun Run – the must-run event for all! This video is a recap of the 2012 race:
IMPORTANT SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR THE RIDGEWOOD RUN
The Ridgewood Police Department asks all participants to cooperate with the following:
Volunteers arriving at Veteran’s Field for the Ridgewood Run on Monday, May 26th are asked to park in the lot on the corner of Linwood Ave and Northern Parkway ACROSS from Graydon Pool. All participants are encouraged to leave any purses, bags, backpacks, etc. at home. If you must bring personal items, please check them at the Baggage Tent next to the baseball backstop. No bags will be permitted along the race course or near the finish line. Any vehicle on the course or on the field must display an “OFFICIAL RACE VEHICLE” placard. If you anticipate needing vehicular access to these areas, please contact Cheryl Moses, Race Director, for an ACCESS APPLICATION. [email protected] or 551-427-2505
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Driver hits utility pole in Ridgewood after falling asleep at wheel
May 25,2014
Boyd A. Loving
10:28 AM
Ridgewood NJ, Grove Street in Ridgewood between Stevens and South Van Dien Avenues was closed following a 6:44 AM, Sunday, 05/25 crash in which a Pennsylvania driver fell asleep at the wheel of his vehicle and hit a utility pole in front of 539 Grove Street. Ridgewood police officers at the scene of the incident reported that the driver was uninjured in the crash, but his vehicle was heavily damaged and had to be towed from the scene. Electricity was cut to two (2) homes in the area as a result of the crash. Crews from PSE&G estimated that Grove Street would remain closed until at least 6:00 PM on Sunday, 05/25 due to the extensive amount of work required to replace the pole and related services.
Graydon Pool Memberships – Available to All Are Now on Sale
The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are excited to announce memberships are now on sale for the upcoming summer season and all are invited to join the Graydon Pool facility as season members for the 2014 summer season. Come enjoy fun in the sun so close to home! Opening day is Saturday, May 31st.
Pool features include a shaded playground, water play fountains, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, picnic area, sheltered pavilion, charcoal grills, and The Water’s Edge Café. Additional amenities include a lending library of reading books, volleyball, basketball, ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, four-squares and hop-scotch. Special programs include “Storytime Under a Tree” for the little ones and swim instruction for children and adults, as well as an adaptive swim class. The Graydon Swim Team welcomes youth members, ages 8 to 14.
Resident fees are $120 per adult, $110 per child (ages 2 through 15) and $30 for seniors. Non-resident adults will be charged $200 and children, ages 2 through 15, will be charged $175 for the13 week season.
Badges are now on sale and can be purchased from the comfort of home on Community Pass at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass (Visa and MasterCard are accepted). In person registration assistance will be available Saturdays, May 10 and May 17, 10:00 am to 12 noon, at the Graydon Pool Badge Office (onsite at the pool), 259 North Maple Avenue. Badges may be purchased daily throughout the operating season, May 31st through Septemer 1st.
Details are available at www.ridgewoodnj.net/graydon or you may call the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 with any questions or if special accommodations are needed.
MAY 23, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014, 1:58 PM
Logic questioned on eliminating traffic lane David Slomin
To the editor:As a resident involved in the efforts to limit excessive apartment density increases pushed upon us by overzealous developers, I planned to write a letter of kudos to Ridgewood’s citizens for their great turnout and overwhelming vote of solidarity to Save Our Village in last week’s election. But then something came up.
I was made aware, only on the eve of construction, that Ridgewood was permanently closing lanes under the Franklin Avenue underpass, limiting traffic to one lane each way, while adding a dangerous bike lane.
While I thoroughly applaud efforts to improve safety, I question the logic and process by which this was approved. No clear notice or information was provided to residents and nobody reached out for input. Ridgewood’s website ignores it. Furthermore, while I’m told Engineering did careful reviews of this location, no village-wide traffic study was done to see how this might impact neighboring streets. And … this is right where they are proposing rezoning for more than 100 apartments!
MAY 23, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014, 1:52 PM
Losing lane will lead to disaster Ellen McNamara
To the Editor:
Has anyone noticed the recent construction on the approach to the train underpass, heading east toward Franklin Avenue, and wondered how Ridgewood might be improving this dangerous, always crowded curve that is an eyesore in the village? It was just brought to my attention that this road is going to be altered from a two-lane road on each side, to one lane in each direction. This is going to be a disaster.
Our new village manager responded to my friends’ and neighbors’ concerns via email, but this is clearly a done deal. She outlined the plans for the underpass approach, and while I agree a median with trees will improve the look of the road, and a larger corner at Broad and Franklin will improve pedestrian safety there, the traffic that will result from slowing the flow of vehicles into and out of the underpass will surely create a backup of cars in every direction.
Traffic is already awful. Pedestrians are not safe, as drivers circle, looking for parking, or attempt to beat the traffic through town to their daily activities. Traffic backing up on both sides of the underpass will surely lead to road rage.
Apparently, the point of this plan is to create bike lanes. If I were to ride my bike under the train trestle using one of these lanes, what would I do when I reached the other side? Take my life in my hands, that’s what.
Village of Ridgewood to hoist Honor and Remember flag
MAY 25, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2014, 1:21 AM THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A new flag will be hoisted into the air above Memorial Park at Van Neste Square on Monday morning.
It is a civilian symbol of remembrance, honoring American soldiers killed in combat.
The village’s Memorial Day ceremonies will commence at 11 a.m. at Van Neste Square, with the Honor and Remember flag being raised to join the Stars and Stripes.
Featuring a red and white background, gold star and flame design in the center, along with additional patriotic elements, the flag was developed by the father of a soldier who died while fighting in Afghanistan.
Only 19 states officially recognize the flag, and Ridgewood is one of a handful of towns in New Jersey to embrace the flag.
A movement is afoot to have the flag adopted as the nation’s official remembrance flag; opponents claim the U.S. flag suffices.
Village of Ridgewood Memorial Day Service – May 26
American Legion Post 53 will conduct a Memorial Day service at 11am, Monday, May 26 at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. All residents are invited to attend. Please bring a chair or blanket.
Memorial Day – May 26th Village Hall Closed
Memorial Day is Monday, May 26, 2014. In Ridgewood, this holiday will be observed by the closing of Village Hall and The Stable offices on that day. There will be no sanitation or recycling collection.
Memorial Day History
Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.
Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.
Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.
Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.
By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.
It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.
Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.
Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. … Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”
The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the same size as those that attend today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.
The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”
To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.
The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”
Senate Dems block amendment to restore veteran benefits by closing illegal immigrant welfare loophole
Amid the growing outrage over corruption and bureaucratic incompetence at the Veterans Administration, the House of Representatives passed legislation 390 to 33 making it easier to fire career bureaucrats at the VA. (The 33 “No” votes were all Democrats.) Senator Marco Rubio (F-FL) tried to bring the bill up for a vote in Senate yesterday, but Democrats objected. That’s not the first time Senate Democrats dissed our vets. In December they voted keep a welfare loophole for illegal aliens rather than stop cuts to veterans benefits. Remember In November!
Folks We Just Ran Out of “Other Peoples Money” Canceled rebate is a painful blow; some seniors, disabled vent frustration
Time for some serious budget cuts ?MAY 23, 2014, 8:27 AM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014, 11:19 AM
BY COLLEEN DISKIN
STAFF WRITER
NORTHJERSEY.COMIt may not seem a lot of money to others, but to senior citizens and the disabled, the loss of the few hundred dollars they used to receive from an annual state property tax rebate could make precarious financial situations even more worrisome, advocates say.
One recent widow, AnaMaria Tulk, a 71-year-old Waldwick resident, said she had been planning to use money that seniors and others with lower incomes are eligible to receive under New Jersey’s Homestead program to pay insurance premiums and other bills.
“I was counting on it,” said Tulk, whose husband died in August.
The Christie administration announced Wednesday that the more than 1 million people enrolled in New Jersey’s Homestead program will face another year without a property tax rebate. The latest delay – the third in Christie’s administration – means people won’t see this benefit until May 2015. Seniors and disabled residents have typically received an average credit of $516, for those earning under $150,000. Homeowners earning less than $75,000 have received a $402 benefit.
Seniors and the disabled often rely on a variety of assistance programs to help keep pace with inflation as they struggle to pay for food, utilities and housing costs on their fixed incomes, advocates say.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/canceled-rebate-is-a-painful-blow-some-seniors-disabled-vent-frustration-1.1022448#sthash.XWrizkc3.dpuf
June 5, 2014 Tunes in June – RHS Bands 8PM Vets Field – Bring a chair or blanket!
June 10, 2014 Ridgewood Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 8:30PM at Vets Field Bring a blanket or chair! Sponsored by Boiling Springs Savings Bank
June 12, 2014 Richard Beiter Swing Band 8:30PM – Vets Field Bring a blanket or chair. Sponsored by Van Dyke Health Care, Inc. and the Village of Ridgewood
June 17, 2014 Harmony Celebration Chorus – Sweet Adelines 8:30PM Vets Field Rain location at GW Middle School Bring a chair or blanket Sponsored by Coldwell Banker Residential and Hudson City Savings Bank
June 19, 2014 Greg Caldarone – Pop Standards 8:30PM on Vets Field Bring a chair or blanket – Sponsored by Ulrich, Inc. and Ridgewood AM Rotary Rain location – BF Middle School
June 24, 2014 Bobby Byrne Show – Ireland to Broadway 8:30PM at Vets Field Bring a blanket or chair Sponsored by: Boiling Springs Savings Bank and Kings Food Markets RAIN location – GW Middle School
June 26, 2014 Lou Gallo and the Very Hungrey Baand Children’s Evening 8PM on Vets Field Bring a blanket or chair Sponsored by: Clemente Orthodontics and Ridgewood Dentistry – Warren Boardman DMD Rain site – BF Middle School
Make sure the grill is the appropriate temperature Medium-low to medium heat is best. Too hot, and burgers burn on the outside before getting done on the inside. Keep the lid closed while cooking; it shortens cooking time and keeps burgers moist. Use beef that is no leaner than 85% A little fat keeps burgers moist and flavorful. For ground chicken and turkey, add a little olive oil or broth to the mixture. Always clean and oil the grill grate This prevents burgers from sticking, extends the life of your grate, and helps put those beautiful grill marks on your patties. Cook burgers properlyCook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (170 degrees F for poultry). For an accurate reading, insert the thermometer into the patty horizontally.
A Complete Menu for the Grill
Try this ready-to-go grilling menu or create your own menus.
Menu: Get Your Grill On
Related Advice Collection
More Grilling & BBQ Advice
Recipes and tips for building the best backyard burgers.
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Grilled Burger Basics
When a hamburger is done right, you know it–the smoky, char-grilled outside and the juicy inside, all barely contained within a chewy, toasty roll. That’s what a burger is all about!
Top 20 Grilled Burger Recipes
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Get the Best Flavor
Meat with a higher fat content will be juicier but will also shrink more when it cooks. If you shop at a grocery store or a butcher that grinds their own beef, choose coarsely ground beef for juicier burgers with a more pleasing texture.
Add just about anything you like to your burger mixture. Here are a few flavoring suggestions:
Fresh or dried herbs and spices Dehydrated or fresh minced onion and garlic Seasoning mixes for soups or salad dressings Your favorite cheese, such as Blue cheese, goat cheese, Gorgonzola, Feta, Stilton, Cheddar, or pepperjack Prepared sauces including Barbeque sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, Hoisin sauce, plum sauce, oyster sauce, salsa, or salad dressing Other tidbits like olives, capers, chopped tomatoes, diced chiles, crumbled bacon, or minced ham
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Save the Salt
Here’s one common ingredient to leave out. Wait on the salt! Don’t combine it into the mixture, especially if you’re not going to grill the patties right away. Salt will extract moisture from the meat, leaving you with bone-dry burgers. Instead, sprinkle each burger with salt right beforeyou put it on the grill.
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Don’t Mix Too Much
Use a light touch when combining seasonings with the ground beef. If you mix it too much, your burgers will be dense and heavy.
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Let the Flavors Mingle
Leave the meat mixture (or patties) in the refrigerator for several hours to allow all the flavors to mingle. To form patties, wet your hands a little to keep the meat from sticking to them. If you’ve patties ahead of time, stack them on a plate separated by waxed paper and cover with plastic wrap before you put it in the refrigerator.
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Form a Good Patty
Don’t form patties too thick or too thin. A 3/4-inch thick patty is ideal. To keep patties from swelling in the middle, make small indentations in the center.
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Turn Once
And it’s hard to resist, but try not to flatten your burgers with the spatula. It squeezes out flavorful juices.
A Memorial Day Message from Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
This Memorial Holiday weekend you and I will enjoy many privileges and freedoms.
We will travel freely throughout the state or perhaps to another state. We may go to a concert to hear the band of your choice. Many of us will go to church to worship God as we see fit. Some of us will go to parades in your community; and others will go shopping and have at our disposal variety of goods and services found almost nowhere else in the world. Many of us will freely assemble in a park or a stadium or just enjoy the quiet of our backyards. Some of us will log on to the internet, read a variety of news reports offering differing opinions and some of us will leave our opinions, critical or in favor of a government action or elected leader.
These things we routinely do as Americans, but we seldom think of how fortunate we are to have these privileges. This weekend offers us a poignant reminder that our personal and political freedom was paid for by men and women who gave their lives in defense of liberty and in the face of tyrants. It’s a time of solemn remembrance and a reminder that the price of liberty is often very high.
As the listing below illustrates, since World War Two well in excess of 500,000 American military men and women died in the service of our country.
Their willingness to pay the ultimate price has not only preserved freedom here and abroad, but has sent a signal throughout the world to dictators, terrorists and zealots that Americans will fight and die for a just cause no matter how far from our shores.
I hope you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend to its fullest, but I also hope that you take just a few minutes to remember those who paid the ultimate price and thank their families, so you and I can enjoy our personal freedom and political liberty. U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES SINCE WORLD WAR II World War II – 407,316
Korean War 1950-1953 – 36,516
Vietnam War 1955-1975 – 58,209
Afghanistan (ongoing) – 3,395
Iraq – 4,804
Persian Gulf War 1990-1991 – 258
These figures do not count the military men and women that have died in numerous other conflicts such as Bosnia, Somalia and Beirut – But they are remembered here.
