Patch.com Lays Off Hundreds of Journalists, Without Warning
Patch.com laid off hundreds of employees Wednesday morning, without apparent warning, meaning that most of the network’s local websites will cease to produce news, local or otherwise. The decision was made by Hale Global, the “turnaround” company that bought Patch.com from AOL earlier this month.
Vote on smoking ban set in Ridgewood
Wednesday January 29, 2014, 9:39 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Ridgewood Council will vote next month to officially ban smoking on sidewalks adjacent to Board of Education properties, a move that officials believe strengthens the village’s commitment to promoting a healthy community. The council last year passed an ordinance that prohibits smoking in all public parks.
A public hearing on the sidewalk smoking ordinance is scheduled for Feb. 19.
“I’m excited to see the municipality consider the smoke-free areas because it’s protecting children from second-hand smoke and encouraging them to never start smoking. It’s one of the best things you can do for kids,” said Alan Kantz, program manager at the Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP).
According to Kantz, 90 percent of adult smokers polled by GASP said they began smoking before the age of 18.
Photo credit: Village of Ridgewood Tax Assessor’s Office Alleged improprieties at Village Garage – Still under investigation?
January
Boyd A. Loving
11:38 PM
There’s been a lot of talk about the Village Garage as of late, but no talk about allegations made public during a meeting of the Village Council held back in October.
Check this out:
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A REGULAR WORK SESSION OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGEOF RIDGEWOOD HELD IN THE SYDNEY V. STOLDT, JR., COURTROOM OF THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE HALL, 131 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2013 AT 7:30 P.M.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mayor Aronsohn asked if anyone from the public wished to speak regarding any of the agenda items.
Frank Thissen, 205 Chestnut Street, said he is the owner of Village Auto Body. Mr. Thissen stated that he was the successful bidder for the body work three years ago, and the towing bid was awarded to Bergen-Brookside. Mr. Thissen said it has come to his attention that Bergen-Brookside has been allowed to overcharge on its bids, for which he has documentation which he has submitted to the Police Department. The allegation is currently being investigated. None of the vehicles in question came to Mr. Thissen’s facility to be repaired, but were sent to a repair facility in Hackensack, instead of sending them to the business that won the contract. This has cost the Village a lot of money, according to Mr. Thissen. He pointed out that his stated labor rate in his bid was $33 per hour, and the Village has been paying anywhere from $42-$50, with repair estimates as high as $7,000-$8,000. As far as the towing is concerned, Mr. Thissen said that Bergen-Brookside bid $95 to tow a garbage truck, with a zero in the “Comment” area for mileage charges. However, there are bills for towing that include such figures as $300 for mileage, because the provider has been allowed to charge for mileage. It seems to Mr. Thissen that Mr. Loprieno of the Village Garage is subjecting Mr. Thissen’s invoices to much greater scrutiny than those of either the Hackensack facility or Bergen-Brookside. This year, Mr. Thissen noted that he was awarded all of the bids, but he has not been called to tow vehicles that should have been towed, such as when he saw a dump truck being pushed by a front end loader through the Village to the Village Garage. Mr. Thissen said that is a safety hazard, and it destroys equipment, as well.
Mr. Thissen mentioned that he is working with Lieutenant Amoruso on this investigation, and it has come to Mr. Thissen’s attention that many invoices include charges for parts that were not put on any vehicles. Furthermore, in many cases, charges for genuine parts were included, although aftermarket parts were actually installed. Mr. Thissen said he is trying to look at all the vehicles in question to see what kind of parts they have. Although the Police Department, including Chief Ward and Lieutenant Amoruso, are aware of the situation, Mr. Thissen said he wanted to bring it to the attention of the Councilmembers in the hope that something can be done to prevent such misbehavior in the future.
Mayor Aronsohn asked Ms. Mailander if she was aware of any of this, and she said that she was not, but she will look into it, and she will speak to Chief Ward and Lieutenant Amoruso. Councilman Pucciarelli asked Mr. Thissen to make all of his documentation available to the Councilmembers, which Mr. Thissen said he would do.
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The staff of the Ridgewood Blog wonders if the investigation into this matter has concluded, and if so, whether there is any truth to Mr. Thissen’s allegations.
Reader says that fact that N.J. students in low-income districts struggle on SATs is proof “Abbot ruling” a failure
It does prove, that the “Burke vs Abbot’ ruling, by our left leaning Supreme Court, does NOT work.
For those of you unfamiliar, it created “Abbot’ districts which basically guarantee ‘per pupil funding’ in the dumps of Paterson, Newark,Camden, Jersey City etc of an equivalent financial amount as the ‘good’ districts, such as Ridgewood.
Despite pissing away hundreds of millions of dollars since this 1997 ruling, the results speak for themselves.
Ever wonder why roads don’t get fixed? Bridges and other infrastructure fall apart? Its because the “Abbot ruling’ basically drains the state treasury in order to comply.
Very sad because its a failed social experiment and we all pay for it.
Ask a Paterson teacher what is required to satisfactorily complete a year and progress to the next?
Grades? Nope. Just simply ‘attendance’. Your tax dollars at work in the great state of NJ. Or should I say ‘Peoples Republic of NJ, run by liberal Democrats’.
YOU MUST HAVE A PARKING PASS IF YOU DRIVE TO THE MASS TRANSIT SUPER BOWL
Even if you are just getting dropped off you still need a parking pass .
There are no drop off points
Ridgewood NJ, Remember drivers must have a parking permit . It is suggested you leave 3 full hours of travel time to the stadium (and security). The game starts at 6pm , the staff of the Ridgewood blog suggests the latest arrival time 4:30pm.
Right now the only passes available are for car/van/SUV/town car’s under 15 feet long.
·OFF-SITE PARKING PASSES can be purchased here and include wrist bands that will get the guest onto a shuttle bus from the off-site parking to the stadium grounds.
Computer Simulation Predicts Seahawks Over Broncos, 24-21
January 27, 2014 2:45 PM
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Seahawks and the Broncos will only play once for the title of Super Bowl champion. The game won’t be played on a computer, but on the field. But that doesn’t stop people from trying to guess what will happen on the field, with what happens in a computer simulation.
Prediction Machine’s Predictalator ran a simulation of Sunday’s Super Bowl 50,000 times, and found that the most likely score has the Seahawks beating the Broncos, 24-21.
Of the 50,000 simulations, the Seahawks won 54.8% of the time, and the Broncos 45.2% of the time.
The Broncos are currently a 2.5 point favorite at most sports books.
How Much Will The Super Bowl Cost Taxpayers? Impact On New York/New Jersey Residents In 2014
By Christopher Zara
on January 28 2014 7:19 AM
On Sunday, Super Bowl XLVIII will descend upon MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., with the force of a thousand polar vortexes. And while more than 100 million eyeballs are expected to be glued to their TVs that evening, it’s worth pointing out that not everyone will be watching the big game. (A rerun of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” is on ABC if anyone’s interested.)
But whether you care about the Super Bowl or not — if you live in New York or New Jersey, you’re paying for it, and not just with traffic disruptions and rowdy bar-goers. Taxpayers in both states will have to shoulder some of the burden: Security, mass transit, local promotions — it all costs money, and the region is apparently sparing no expense.
YWCA Bergen County invites parents to ” Raising Children Who Want To Thrive” workshops.
YWCA BERGEN COUNTY INVITES PARENTS TO “RAISING CHILDREN WHO WANT TO THRIVE” WORKSHOPS
A three-part series designed to help parents meet the challenges of raising strong and healthy children in today’s world
Ridgewood, NJ–Jan. 22, 2014–YWCA Bergen County will host “Raising Children Who a want to Thrive”, a three-part workshop series designed to help parents support their children in meeting the challenges of growing up strong and healthy in today’s world. Workshops will be held on February 3, 10 and 24, 2014, from 6 to 8 pm at the YWCA Early Learning Center, 98 Pleasant Ave., Upper Saddle River, NJ.
“Many parents are struggling to communicate effectively with their children, and to know how to best to guide them in dealing with difficult issues on a daily basis,” said Helen Archontou, the YWCA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We feel that it’s important to offer programs like this that not only support parents, but empower them to make a tangible difference in their children’s lives.”
Licensed mental health professional, Rose Celia Rosato, MA, LPC, will combine presentations and interactive discussions as she leads parents through each workshop. “Our goal is to provide families with enhanced insight as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to encourage their children to want to thrive,” said Rosato.
Workshop 1 will focus on helping parents understand key factors that influence their child’s development and how parental guidance can encourage children to be strong and healthy. Workshop 2 will begin with a presentation on developmental milestones with a special emphasis on child development and self-esteem; parents also will privately fill out a questionnaire identifying specific issues pertaining to their child. The final workshop will include information on how parents can effectively communicate with their children and the opportunity to create a personalized plan for guiding their children based on individual needs.
The cost is $25 per workshop or $70 for the series (parents must take Workshop 1 in order to take 2 and 3). Onsite babysitting is available. For more information or to register, visit ywcaparentingworkshops.eventbrite.com or call 201-444-5600 ext. 400.
Federal agency charged with helping consumers make better financial decisions is facing questions about how it has managed its own money
Is the CFPB’s Building a Money Pit?
The federal agency charged with helping consumers make better financial decisions is facing questions about how it has managed its own money.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s director, Richard Cordray, came under fire Tuesday on Capitol Hill for what Republicans characterized as a lavish plan to renovate property located on G Street near the White House.
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. Jeb. Hensarling (R., Texas) questioned why renovating the building had soared to $145.1 million from a prior estimate of $95 million, according to a December financial report from the regulator. The regulator’s employees are expected to move to temporary space while the renovation work is being completed.
Mr. Hensarling compared the agency’s renovation of the late-1970s-era building, on a cost-per-square foot basis, to the Trump World Tower in New York, Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai—the tallest building in the world.
“Explain to me, Mr. Director, why I should be–why I shouldn’t be outraged, and why the American people shouldn’t be outraged,” he said.
American Kennel Club to Recognize Ridgewood with a Dog-Friendly Community Award
Bergen County Town to be First Recipient of AKC Dog-Friendly Community Award
New York — The American Kennel Club announced its decision to recognize the Village of Ridgewood, NJ with its first-ever “AKC Dog-Friendly Community Award.”
The award presentation will take place on Saturday, February 8 at 1pm in the Saddle River County Park in Ridgewood. The Park’s “dog run” will serve as the location for the event. *
New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs (NJFDC) President Jeffrey Ball will lead the event along with representatives from the American Kennel Club. They will be joined by Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck and other members of the Ridgewood Village Council and Government. Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan also plans to attend.
The event will be open to the public and will be followed by a reception 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Ridgewood Village Hall Community Center, which is at 131 North Maple Street.
People are encouraged to bring their dogs to the event at the park.
Background
The American Kennel Club (AKC) recently established a new national award, the “AKC Dog-Friendly Community Award,” to honor dog-friendly communities for actions taken to promote responsible dog ownership in that community. These actions could include establishing a responsible dog ownership committee, hosting events promoting responsible dog ownership, holding community educational programs or any other actions that advance the well-being of dogs and the residents of the town.
In December, the AKC announced its decision to make Ridgewood the first recipient of the award.
* In the case of inclement weather, the event may be moved to the Ridgewood Village Hall.
Valley has their existing building in Ridgewood where they are planning their “Renewel.” They own the 128,000 sq ft building in Paramus mentioned in the article. They just payed $28ish Million for the “Duck Pond” building on E. Ridgewood Ave, they own the entire strip on Maple Ave which consists of the old Ford dealership down to the Corset Shop. They have also allegedly purchased the Ken Smith site in downtown Ridgewood which is why the developer pulled the development plans.
Ever wonder why your health care costs continue to rise? Nice to be a non-profit with no competition huh? Can just raise prices and raise prices and raise prices. Tough to negotiate prices when your life is on the line. Not much leverage when you are gasping for air.
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) is committed to engaging the citizenry of New Jersey as part of the State’s homeland security and counter-terrorism efforts.
The SAFE-NJ App is free and is available in iTunes and Google Play. The SAFE-NJ App enables citizens and visitors to:
Automatically dial the 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ terrorism tip line
Enter details about an incident; who, what, when, where, and why
Capture a photo from the App or use one that already exists on the device
Automatically find and use the device’s location or enter an address
Report detailed subject and vehicle descriptions
Include contact information or remain anonymous if preferred
Go to iTunes or Google Play and search for “SAFE-NJ”. You can download and install the app for free. Please remember that the SAFE-NJ App is live and any report submitted will be considered live.
