URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY 423 AM EST FRI DEC 13 2013
…A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE AREA SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY
NIGHT…
…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.
* LOCATIONS…INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…THE
LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AND SOUTHWEST CONNECTICUT.
* HAZARD TYPES…SNOW…MIXING WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN LATE
SATURDAY NIGHT.
* ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 10 INCHES…ALONG
WITH AROUND A TRACE OF ICE.
* WINDS…NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE LOWER 20S.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL BEGIN SATURDAY MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH
THE DAY. THE SNOW COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES SATURDAY NIGHT…
AND THEN MIX WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.
* IMPACTS…HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ON SNOW COVERED ROADS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
Displaying the award commemorating Valley’s third consecutive Magnet designation are Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System (fourth from right), and Ann Marie Leichman, Vice President, Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Officer (fifth from left). Also shown are (standing, left to right): Albert Pucciarelli, Deputy Mayor of Village of Ridgewood; Warren Cooke, Esq., Trustee, The Valley Hospital; Joseph Marion, Chairman, The Valley Hospital Board of Trustees; Linda Lewis, Director, Magnet Recognition Program, ANCC; New Jersey Senator Kevin O’Toole; Paul Aronsohn, Mayor, Village of Ridgewood; and Karen Drenkard, Executive Director of the ANCC.
New Jersey Senator Kevin O’Toole and Other Elected Officials Visit The Valley Hospital to Celebrate the Hospital’s Third Consecutive Magnet Designation for Nursing Care
December 3, 2013 — Local and state officials joined employees, trustees and doctors from The Valley Hospital at a special celebration on Monday, November 25, at the hospital, to celebrate Valley’s third consecutive Magnet designation.
The Magnet program recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in nursing care. Magnet designations are conferred by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Speaking at the celebration, New Jersey Senator Kevin O’Toole commented on his own personal experience with Valley when his father was treated at the hospital. “When you enter Valley, you know you’re in a different kind of hospital,” he said. “You feel welcome immediately, and the quality of care is palpable.” Senator O’Toole continued, “On behalf of the Governor and the State Legislature, I congratulate you on your third consecutive Magnet designation and I thank you for what you do every day.”
Magnet designation is considered the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice.
“Receiving Magnet designation for a third time is a remarkable accomplishment that recognizes the inspiring work our nurses do every day,” said Ann Marie Leichman, Vice President, Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Officer. “It is a reflection of the commitment our entire staff has made in providing the very best care to those who entrust their well-being to us. Magnet designation not only symbolizes excellence in nursing practice but it acknowledges the importance of a strong interdisciplinary team in creating a safe, patient-centered, healing environment.”
Hospitals that apply for Magnet designation must meet rigorous standards to prove that they have demonstrated various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving Ridgewood crash creates lunchtime gridlock in shopping district
December 12,2013
Boyd A. Loving
1:43 PM
Ridgewood NJ, A noontime crash at the intersection of South Walnut Street and East Ridgewood Avenue created temporary gridlock conditions for holiday shoppers throughout Ridgewood’s Central Business District early Thursday afternoon. No injuries were reported, but Ridgewood firefighters were summoned to control a minor fluid spill in the intersection.
While there, firefighters also assisted in safely moving one of the crash vehicles (a commercial van) out of the intersection in order that a flatbed tow truck could attend to the other (a Mazda). Ridgewood PD personnel on the scene reported that one summons was issued in connection with the incident. A second tow truck was required to remove the commercial van from the scene.
Department of Education denies Grant for Ridgewood Commons
RHS LEARNING COMMONS UPDATE
The district has received word from the Department of Education that the grant application for the RHS Learning Commons project was not approved. The School Development Authority did not rank the project as a health and safety need. Two other projects at RHS were approved, however.
Click here to read a letter to the RPS community from Superintendent Dr. Daniel Fishbein.
Ridgewood Police Remind Everyone to drive Carefully today
RESIDUAL MOISTURE LEFT ON ROADS AND WALKWAYS FROM YESTERDAYS LIGHT SNOWFALL EVENT HAS FROZEN OVER WITH TEMPERATURES NOW BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE AREA. A THIN SHEET OF ICE IS LIKELY ON ANY UNTREATED SURFACES RESULTING IN SLICK CONDITIONS. BE ALERT AND — USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Global Warming theory has failed all tests, so alarmists return to the ‘97% consensus’ hoax
Posted on June 5, 2013 by Anthony Watts
Guest essay by Joseph D’Aleo, CCM, Weatherbell Analytics
National Academies of Science defines a scientific theory as
“a well-substantiated explanation of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.”
Dr Richard Feynman, Cornell Physicist in a lecture explained how theorys that failed the test of data or experiment are falsified (“wrong”) and must be discarded.
Global Warming Theory Has Failed
(1) Warming not ‘global’. It is shown in satellite data to be northern hemisphere only
(2) It is now not warming. Warming (global mean and northern hemisphere) stopped in the 1990s
(3) Models suggest atmosphere should warm 20% faster than surface but surface warming was 33% faster during the time satellites and surface observations used. This suggests GHG theory wrong, and surface temperature contaminated.
(4) Temperatures longer term have been modified to enhance warming trend and minimize cyclical appearance. Station dropout, missing data, change of local siting, urbanization, instrumentation contaminate the record, producing exaggerating warming. The GAO scolded NOAA for poor compliance with siting standards.
(5) Those who create the temperature records have been shown in analysis and emails to take steps to eliminate inconvenient temperature trends like the Medieval Warm Period, the 1940s warm blip and cooling since 1998. Steps have included removal of the urban heat island adjustment and as Wigley suggested in a climategate email, introduce 0.15C of artificial cooling of global ocean temperatures near 1940.
(6) Forecast models have failed with temperature trends below even the assumed zero emission control scenarios
(7) Climate models all have a strong hot spot in the mid to high troposphere in the tropical regions. Weather balloons and satellite show no warming in this region the last 30 years.
(8) Ocean heat content was forecast to increase and was said to be the canary in the coal mine. It too has stalled according to NOAA PMEL. The warming was to be strongest in the tropics where the models were warming the atmosphere the most. No warming has been shown in the top 300 meters in the tropical Pacific back to the 1950s.
(9) Alarmists had predicted permanent El Nino but the last decade has featured 7 La Nina and just 3 El Nino years. This is related to the PDO and was predicted by those who look at natural factors.
(10) Alarmists had predicted much lower frequency of the negative modes of the AO and NAO due to warming. The trend has been the opposite with a record negative AO/NAO in 2009/10
(11) Alarmists predicted an increase in hurricane frequency and strength globally but the global activity had diminished after 2005 to a 30+ year low. The U.S. has gone seven consecutive years without a landfalling major hurricane, the longest stretch since the 1860s
(12) Alarmists have predicted a significant increase in heat records but despite heat last two summers, the 1930s to 1950s still greatly dominated the heat records. Even in Texas at the center of the 2011 heat wave, the long term (since 1895) trends in both temperature and precipitation are flat. And when stations with over 80 years of temperature data were considered, the number of heat records last July were not extraordinary relative to past hot summers.
(13) Extremes of rainfall and drought were predicted to increase but except during periods of strong El Nino and La Nina, no trends are seen
(14) Alarmists indicated winter would become warmer and short. The last 15 years has seen a decline in winter temperatures in all regions. In places winter have been the coldest and longest in decades and even centuries.
(15) Alarmists had indicated snow would become increasingly rare in middle latitudes especially in the big cities where warming would be greatest. All time snow records were set in virtually all the major cities and northern hemisphere snow coverage in winter has increased with 4 of the top 5 years since 2007/08. Also among the east coast high impact snowstorms tracked by NOAA (NESIS), 11 of the 46 have occurred since 2009.
(16) Alarmists had indicated a decline of Antarctic ice due to warming. The upward trends since 1979 continues.
(17) Alarmists had indicated Greenland and arctic ice melt would accelerate. The arctic ice tracks with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the IARC shows the ice cover was similarly reduced in the 1950s when the Atlantic was last in a similar warm mode. In Greenland, the warmth of the 1930s and 1940s still dominates the records and longer term temperatures have declined.
(18) Sea level rise was to accelerate upward due to melting ice and warming. Sea levels actually slowed in the late 20th century and have declined or flattened the last few years. Manipulation of data (adjustment for land rises following the last glaciation) has been applied to hide this from the public.
(19) Alarmists claimed that drought western snowpack would diminish and forest fires would increase in summer. Snowpack and water equivalent were at or near record levels in recent winters from Alaska to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. Glaciers are advancing. Fires have declined.
(20) Alaska was said to be warming with retreating glaciers. But that warming is tied intimately to the PDO and thr North Pacific pattern NP and happens instantly with the flips from cold to warm and warm to cold. Two of the coldest and snowiest winters on records occurred since the PDO/NP flipped cold again (2007/08 and 2011/12). January 2012 was the coldest on record in many towns and cities and snowfall was running 160 inches above normal in parts of the south. Anchorage Alaska set an all time record for seasonal snow in 2011/12. In 2007/08, glaciers all advanced for the first time since the Little Ice Age. In 2011/12, the Bering Sea ice set a new high in the satellite era. Latest ever ice out date records were set in May 2013.
(21) Mt. Kilimanjaro glacier was to disappear due to global warming. Temperatures show no warming in recent decades. The reduction in glacial ice was due to deforestation near the base and the state of the AMO. The glaciers have advanced again in recent years
(22) Polar bears were claimed to be threatened. Polar bear populations instead have increased to record levels and threaten the populace.
(23) Australian drought was forecast to become permanent. Steps to protect against floods were defunded. Major flooding did major damage and rainfall has been abundant in recent years tied to the PDO and La Nina as predicted by honest scientists in Australia. All years with La Nina and cold PDO composited show this rainfall. Drought was associated with El Ninos and warm PDO fro 1977 to 1998
(24) The office of the Inspector General report found that the EPA cut corners and short-circuited the required peer review process for its December 2009 endangerment finding, which is the foundation for EPA’s plan to regulate greenhouse gases. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report confirmed that EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program-which EPA acknowledges is the “scientific foundation for decisions” – is flawed, echoing previous concerns from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that the agency is basing its decisions on shoddy scientific work.
(25) Of 18,531 citations in the 2007 IPCC Assessment Report, 5,587 or 30% were non-peer-reviewed material, including activist tracts, press releases, and in one amazing case, “Version One” of a Draft. In important instances, IPCC lead authors chose non-peer-reviewed material, or papers of low credibility, favoring their argument, in the face of prolific peer-reviewed material to the contrary. Instances include alleged climate relevance to malaria, hurricanes, species extinction, and sea levels.
Given the failures of global warming science, just a few mentioned here, the most disreputable alarmists like Oreskes, Cook and Trenberth and the demagogue party have tried to convince the uniformed by using the consensus argument. See the latest failed attempt here. It was also described on Forbes here.
“Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had. Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. Consensus is the business of politics.” Michael Crichton 17 January 2003 speech at the California Institute of Technology
Ex-Official Says FBI Can Secretly Activate an Individual’s Webcam Without the Indicator Light Turning On
Dec. 7, 2013 9:57am Oliver Darcy
Domestic Surveillance
The FBI can secretly activate a computer’s webcam to spy on an individual without turning on the indicator light, a former official revealed to the Washington Post in an article published Friday.
According to the Washington Post’s account of what Marcus Thomas — former assistant director of the FBI’s Operational Technology Division in Quantico — said, “The FBI has been able to covertly activate a computer’s camera — without triggering the light that lets users know it is recording — for several years,
Reader says the proposed plan for the Zabriskie Schedler property does a nice job of balancing open space and recreational space and should be acted upon.
Are we sure the property is actually “assessed” at $2.7 million, or are we just assuming so because that was the purchase price?
If the sole goal was to maximize the property as a rateable for tax/income purposes then we should return the grant money, re-zone the property “commercial” and develop the heck out of the exposure to Rt. 17.
However the property was not purchased with that intent. It was purchased because it was targeted as one of the last large parcels of open space in Ridgewood. And it was purchased to help address the significant lack of open area and field space we have.
The proposed plan does a nice job of balancing open space and recreational space and should be acted upon.
While you can’t change the weather, you can minimize some of winter’s biggest threats to your home.
Heavy snow accumulation can pose a threat to your home or business — both as it builds up and as it melts. The three most important precautions to take:
• Watch for snow accumulation on the leeward (downwind) side of a higher-level roof, where blowing snow will collect. For safe removal that won’t endanger you or damage your roof, consult a roofing contractor for a referral.
• Remove snow from basement stairwells, window wells and all walls. Melting snow can lead to water damage and moisture intrusion.
• Keep your attic well-ventilated to maintain a temperature close to that of the outdoors to minimize the risk of ice dams forming. A warm attic melts snow on the roof, causing water to run down and refreeze at the roof’s edge, where it’s much cooler. If ice builds up and blocks water from draining, water is forced under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your house.
Water intrusion and flood damage from melting snow and ice can threaten homes and businesses, but you can take these steps to help minimize the potential damage.
Immediately after the threat of physical danger has passed:
• Make sure the building is structurally safe to enter or reoccupy.
• Turn off electrical power. Do not use electricity until it is safe to do so.
• Ensure that natural gas sources are safely secured.
• Secure the exterior to prevent further water intrusion. This can include boarding up broken windows, making temporary roof repairs, sealing cracks or tacking down plastic sheeting against open gaps in walls or roofs.
When it’s safe to begin cleanup:
• Disconnect all electronics and electrical equipment and move them to a safe, dry location.
• Remove as much standing water as possible from inside the building.
• Begin to remove water-damaged materials immediately.
• Ventilate the home as best you can with fans and/or dehumidifiers.
• Contact a water extraction company, if necessary, for assistance.
By taking immediate action, you will reduce the amount of damage and increase the chance of salvaging usable materials. You’ll also reduce the amount of rust, rot, mold and mildew that may develop, and lower the likelihood that the water will lead to structural problems.
Ice dams are an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof. When interior heat melts the snow, water can run down and refreeze at the roof’s edge, where it’s much cooler. If the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off the roof, water is forced under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your house.
To help reduce the risk of ice dams:
• Make sure your gutters are clear of leaves and debris.
• Keep the attic well-ventilated so snow doesn’t melt and refreeze on the roof’s edge.
• Make sure the attic floor is well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.
Bursting pipes occur when frozen water causes a pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the closed faucet. Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to extreme cold. To keep water in your pipes from freezing:
• Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow heat transfer.
• Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
• Keep cabinet doors open to allow warm air to circulate around pipes.
• Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space
Reader says the town engineer should be concerned the property which will require clearing and substantial fill at an enormous cost to taxpayers
The town engineer has made comments that are pro ball field. His renditions for the use of the property is predisposed for the inclusion of a 90 foot ball field.
Town engineer should be concerned with the elevation of the property which will require clearing and substantial fill at an enormous cost to taxpayers and to the detriment of the homeowners who will be subjected to the flooding changing the topography will cause.
He should also take into consideration and advise elected officials and taxpayers the long term cost of maintainng this ball field. Especially at a time when we are laying off borough employees.
The double whammy to this cost is the devaluation of properties causing lower tax rates.
Keep it the way it is. Give the kids in the neighborhood a small playground and some walking trails. No reason to chage the topography for this.
Reader says People have been complaining about sudden huge water bills for years at council meetings.
People have been complaining about sudden huge water bills for years at council meetings. The answer was always that the water dept. was catching up for years of estimates. Well, why are the estimates so far off? Most people haven’t suddenly quadrupled the number of people living in the house. If the “estimate” consisted of charging the same amount as in 2006, whose fault is that?
Anyone hit with a bill like that ought to be allowed to work out a payment system. Many years ago I received a whopping bill from PSE&G after a very cold winter month. I called and learned about their averaging plan, which I have used ever since, paying the same amount every month, then paying a little extra or getting a credit every July, when they recalculate my monthly amount for the following year. Works fine. Meanwhile they readily agreed to a payment plan whereby I paid an agreed-upon amount extra every month until I caught up. For monster catch-up water bills based on 7 years of underpayments (their own fault), the water dept. ought to permit the same.
My recent quarterly water bill (still through my Verizon land line) was for $211.38–which seemed high, but it included the summer watering. Not high compared to yours! My bill says “Actual Read”–just checked. If they try to tell me later that they’re catching up since 2006, I’m not buying it.
Months ago I called the water dept. to try to find out when their contract with Verizon was going to expire. It was impossible to get through. I kept calling different people in the same department. I can’t remember if I left a message–it was too frustrating and I gave up. I would still like to know.
Has anyone figured out whether the new meters are “smart meters,” banned in some states and counties because they emit radiation and even subject to possible hacking for information about the household (not sure what; that no one is home?). I’d rather keep my old meter but I understand that eventually it won’t be readable.
No security ever built into Obamacare site: Hacker
Published: Monday, 25 Nov 2013 | 9:54 AM ET
By: Matthew J. Belvedere | Producer, CNBC’s “Squawk Box”
It could take a year to secure the risk of “high exposures” of personal information on the federal Obamacare online exchange, a cybersecurity expert told CNBC on Monday.
“When you develop a website, you develop it with security in mind. And it doesn’t appear to have happened this time,” said David Kennedy, a so-called “white hat” hacker who tests online security by breaching websites. He testified on Capitol Hill about the flaws of HealthCare.gov last week.
“It’s really hard to go back and fix the security around it because security wasn’t built into it,” said Kennedy, chief executive of TrustedSec. “We’re talking multiple months to over a year to at least address some of the critical-to-high exposures on the website itself.”
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversaw the implementation of the website, the components used to build the site are compliant with standards set by Federal security authorities.
Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital : Having guests at your house for the Holidays?
For some pets, houseguests can be scary. Pets shy or excitable around new people may have a hard time around the holidays when new people may be visiting. If a dog or cat can be overwhelmed when people come over, they should stay in another room or in a crate with a favorite toy so they’re out of the frenzy and feel safe. Boarding may also be a smart option to remove them completely from this upsetting situation. Pets particularly upset by houseguests, should see a veterinarian about possible solutions to this common problem.
For pets who are comfortable around guests, they should be watched closely when houseguests are entering or leaving. While welcoming hungry guests and collecting coats, a four-legged family member may make a break for it out the door and become lost. It’s also a good idea to make sure pets have proper identification, particularly microchip identification with up-to-date registered information.
SHOP SMALL: SUPPORT THE BUSINESS THAT MAKE A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Jeanne Hulit is the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
Most Americans know Black Friday and Cyber Monday are big days for holiday shopping. But between the two is another important part of the holiday shopping season –Small Business Saturday, a day that is dedicated to supporting the small businesses that anchor our local communities and strengthen our economy.
From the Main Street shops to the high-tech startups, small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstones of a diverse and thriving marketplace. These businesses create two out of every three net new private sector jobs, and half of working Americans either own or work for a small business. By shopping small and supporting local business, we all have a role to play in giving millions of families the opportunity to achieve the American dream.
Small Business Saturday is a nation-wide initiative that bring Americans together to support these businesses, with the money you spend going right back into your local economy, and that’s important because we know that half of working Americans either own or work for a small business.
Started in 2010, Small Business Saturday has boosted holiday sales in Main Street businesses around the country. Last year, nearly 70 million people shopped small in their communities for an estimated $5.5 billion in sales to independently-owned small businesses. This year, we can do even more!
Small Business Saturday falls on November 30th and there are a number of ways you can get involved:
If you own a small business, register your business at www.smallbusinesssaturday.com. You can sign up to rally your neighborhood, list your business so customers know where to find you, and receive free Small Business Saturday promotional materials. You can also check out SBA’s tips on how to prepare for the holiday season at www.sba.gov/saturday.
If you are a customer, find events in your community and participating local businesses at www.smallbusinesssaturday.com. Small businesses are listed in communities large and small across the country, and together we can support them with our business.
Ken-Ton Chamber of Commerce wants to make this the BIGGEST SHOPPING DAY of the YEAR for Kenmore Village Businesses!
By starting your holiday season at the coffee shop on the corner or the bakery downtown, you can support all the things that make our communities great.
On November 30th, I know I’ll be shopping small. I hope you will too.
Village of Ridgewood Seeks Volunteers for Ridgewood boards, committees
November 26, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood is seeking volunteers interested in serving on its various boards and committees, whose members are appointed by the Ridgewood Council.
The following boards and committees currently have vacant seats: Community Relations Advisory Board; Library Board of Trustees; Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; Project Pride Committee; Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee; Citizens Safety Advisory Committee; Historic Preservation Commission; Financial Advisory Committee; and the Shade Tree Commission.
Deadline for Submissions is Monday, Dec. 2.
All Ridgewood residents interested in volunteering should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership (CVL) form and send it along with a cover letter indicating board of interest, and a biography or resume to: Mayor Paul Aronsohn; Village of Ridgewood; 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07451.
The CVL form is located on the Village of Ridgewood website : https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/forms/VOLAPPBDSSHL110.pdf 12/03/13 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting – Ben Franklin Middle School N/A N/A 12/04/13 7:30PM Village Council Public Work Session 12/10/13 7:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Meeting 12/11/13 8:00PM Village Council Public Meeting 12/17/13 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting 01/07/14 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting 01/08/14 7:30PM Village Council Public Work Session
