Category: Uncategorized

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H-Zone: Aren’t both the VC and the Planning Board supposed to represent all of us? 

Also, given that the whole Planning Board process seemed to not fully consider many of the effects of allowing something like these amendments would permit (water, traffic, foundation damage nearby, and all the rest) — why not reverse those amendments? 

The VC asked questions of the same experts the Planning Board utilized and a lot of new info and answers came to light as a result of that. 

So the Planning Board part of the process seems to have been flawed.

That also argues strongly that the amendments should be reversed in light of the consequences and likely side effects that came to light during the VC hearings. 

Anyone looking to build something there like the amendments the Planning Board approved would permit would clearly risk the same side effects to the community, would they not? 

Whichever body is empowered to revert them doesn’t really matter as much as the need to change the Master Plan back to how it was. 

But it seems logical for the same Board which approved those changes to simply rescind that approval based on new information that came out from the same experts they consulted during their process subsequent to their having approved them in the first place.

>Readers Comment on alleged Drug use at Schools :Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.

The institution claims to have a zero-tolerance policy because people like to hear that. It’s good politics. I doubt they actually care, because, let’s face it – this “drug problem” is not that much of a problem. Drug testing costs money, and this money could be put to better use.

First of all, I wonder why you even care so much about what other people do in their free time.

As for the money, teenagers can get jobs after 16 and unreported jobs even younger. Drug testing kids randomly on a regular basis? That’s absurd. You have to weigh your kids safety against a certain level of trust and freedom. If you don’t trust your kid, whose going to take care of them when they get into the real world?

Next, your scenario is ridiculous, and it sounds like you’ve been a victim of DARE brainwashing. There are plenty of kids using pot that get into great schools. I guess you’ll see when you grow up more.

As far as I’m aware, cocaine use is not rampant in Ridgewood, so unless you buy into that BS Gateway Drug theory, that’s not really relevant.

Moderate alcohol usage is not going to kill anyone. Pot alone has never killed anyone.

>Readers comment  on alleged drug use in Schools : Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged

I think that it’s great that he posted what is impt to him and said what he felt from his heart and based on his observations.

Whether you agree with him or not, putting forth his perspective is something that should be encouraged and besides isn’t that what blogs like this are supposed to be for?

I think people need to see and listen to stuff like this… from the perspective of someone who is there and seeing what goes on with his/her peers.

Too often, many things here get ignored and/or are spun or swept under the rug by others who have a vested interest in doing so. I don’t think this kid is one of those people.

And participation in the process of trying to make changes for the better is something we should encourage and not diss someone for expressing their views.

I very much agree with his points about parental responsibility by the way. I’d say keep posting and thx for this one, too!

>Readers Comment on alleged Drug use at Schools : I do agree that parental involvement is key to good life choices
Patrick Allin

Woah Peter – first, Bergen Community College is not a last resort school – it is one of the top community colleges in the country and offers many programs that are not offered at universities, such as trade training, like auto mechanics. The economy could not function without these professions. In addition, BCC is a more affordable school for students who do not have the financial resources to attend a private college.

Second, go to the New York Time’s website and read through their archives for articles about “Ridgewood” and “drugs.” The hard drug problem at the high school used to be much more prevalent. This is not a new problem.

I do agree that parental involvement is key to good life choices. However, parents will not build trust with their children by drug testing. If someone wants to try/find drugs, they will. The solution is not to test and punish, but for parents to build strong “tell me anything” relationships with their children. Then, parents can guide their children through becoming an adult, and children will trust their parents advice to not experiment with drugs

You need to recognize that many Ridgewood families are fractured and broken, just like any other community. People will turn to drugs and alcohol to ease this pain. The school has tried to support these students by hiring crisis intervention counselors, but can still do more so students know that they are not alone.

>Microsoft trumps Amazon, others for AOL patents
By Nadia Damouni and Jennifer Saba
Mon Apr 9, 2012 4:43pm EDT

(Reuters) – Microsoft trumped Amazon, eBay and other tech giants with its more than $1 billion purchase of the majority of AOL Inc’s patent trove.

AOL said it was selling more than 800 patents related to advertising, search, e-commerce and mobile to Redmond, Wash-based company, surprising investors with the size of the deal and sending AOL shares up more than 40 percent.

The sale includes technology rights from AOL’s current and former businesses, ranging from Netscape, ICQ and MapQuest to CompuServe, Advertising.com and others, according to a source close to the matter.

The sale process, which AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong described as a “full-blown dynamic auction,” started last fall after board approval.

https://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/09/us-aol-microsoft-idUSBRE83809X20120409

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Village Council elections:  Voters see Aronsohn flip-flop on Valley 

While rumors continue to circulate the Councilmen Paul Aronsohn is quietly tell people to vote for Gwenn H. Hauck ,Albert  Pucciarelli and himself.

Paul is know as an opportunist. He will grandstand when it convenient. And not say anything when also convenient for votes.If Councilman Aronsohn thought any other council person would vote for Valley he would have went the other way. He took the safe root and vote no. The big question is knowing Aronsohn quest for power and higher office will he flip flop if the council had more Valley supporters on it.

A Valley trustee(Dittrick) gave 500.00 to Paul Aronsohn’s Congressional campaign. It’s public record. Dittrick is a Republican and Aronson a democrat. It’s payback time. Watch out for the Aronson-Valley flip-flop.

>Government Surveillance Crackdown On Internet Goes Into Overdrive
 
Cyber bills legislate for mass surveillance; Former Cybersecurity Czar calls for Homeland Security data “customs inspections”
Steve Watson
 Infowars.com
April 5, 2012

In a New York Times editorial, former government cybersecurity czar Richard A. Clarke has called for the creation of customs checks on all data leaving and entering US cyberspace.

Clarke makes the call in relation to Chinese hackers stealing information and intellectual property from US firms.
“If given the proper authorization, the United States government could stop files in the process of being stolen from getting to the Chinese hackers.” Clarke writes.

https://www.infowars.com/government-sureillance-crackdown-on-internet-goes-into-overdrive/

>Orlando’s Rep. Adams fears Obama power grab
8:09 p.m. EST, April 7, 2012|By Mark K. Matthews, Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — A White House order updating federal emergency powers has raised alarm among some conservative commentators, and U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, that President Barack Obama is attempting to grab unconstitutional powers.

A columnist with The Washington Times declared the mid-March order — an update of a 60-year-old document outlining the president’s authority in a national emergency — “stunning in its audacity and a flagrant violation of the Constitution.” The conservative Drudge Report website linked to it with the headline, “Martial Law?”

https://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-07/news/os-sandy-adams-obama-martial-law-20120407_1_order-powers-barack-obama

>What Is Passover?
The holiday’s history and observances

The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom that our ancestors gained.
The Story in a Nutshell

After many decades of slavery to the Egyptian pharaohs, during which time the Israelites were subjected to backbreaking labor and unbearable horrors, G‑d saw the people’s distress and sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: “Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me.” But despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed G‑d’s command. G‑d then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops.

At the stroke of midnight of 15 Nissan in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), G‑d visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn. While doing so, G‑d spared the Children of Israel, “passing over” their homes—hence the name of the holiday. Pharaoh’s resistance was broken, and he virtually chased his former slaves out of the land. The Israelites left in such a hurry, in fact, that the bread they baked as provisions for the way did not have time to rise. Six hundred thousand adult males, plus many more women and children, left Egypt on that day, and began the trek to Mount Sinai and their birth as G‑d’s chosen people.

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/871715/jewish/What-Is-Passover.htm

>Ridgewood School District Seeks Piano Donations

Do you have a piano that is no longer being used? The district is looking for good uprights (e.g., Yamaha, Baldwin, Steinway) that have been well maintained and play and stay in tune.

Please contact Chris McCullough, District Supervisor of Fine and Applied Art, for more information at 201-670-2800, ext. 20509 or cmccullough@ridgewood.k12.nj.us.

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Village Council Elections: “When Valley gets their three candidates voted in things will change”

So Which ones are there three “Valley” candidates?
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That would be (1) Gwenn Hauck, Valley Auxiliary officer or past officer and ongoing booster, and (2) Russ Forenza, outspokenly so.

As for (3), could be either Albert Pucciarelli, who is in favor of the expansion but says he would recuse himself because his law firm has represented Valley, which would not necessarily be a good thing (who would make the deciding vote in case of a 2-2 council tie?), or in a stealth way, Paul Aronsohn. In fact, wouldn’t Hauck also need to recuse herself for the appearance of potential conflict even though she has not received $$ from Valley?

Only Mayor Killion and Jane Shinozuka are exempt here. Residents who are adamantly opposed to the Valley expansion might consider “bullet voting” for the two of them to help make sure they win. You don’t have to vote for 3 candidates just because there are 3 open seats. This procedure is often recommended by people who are politically savvy.

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Photo credit:  Boyd A. Loving


Motor Vehicle Accident Route 17 Ridgewood
5:20 PM, Thursday, 04/06/2012
Boyd A. Loving

(RIDGEWOOD-NJ) Motor Vehicle Accident on Route 17 South In Ridgewood Slows Evening Rush Hour Traffic To A Crawl

A two (2) car motor vehicle crash on Route 17 near East Glen Avenue in Ridgewood shortly after 5PM on Thursday resulted in one minor injury and the closure of two (2) southbound lanes for approximately 45 minutes.  The injured driver was transported to The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood by ambulance.  Both vehicles were towed from the scene; one driver was issued a summons.  Northbound traffic on Route 17 in the area was heavy due to rubbernecking.

Photo credit:  Boyd A. Loving

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Photo by Boyd Loving 


RHS Bridge Options 

LAN Associates presented a feasibility study of design options for the bridge, which is NJDEP-regulated. The options ranged from eliminating the bridge entirely, to repairing the abutments or raising the elevation or replacing the structure with a mechanical draw bridge. Click here to go to the feasibility study.

The Board approved a bid award for the Repair of the Existing Bridge Over the Stream Between Athletic Fields at Ridgewood High School to Zenith Construction, Orange, NJ, the lowest responsible bidder, for the base bid in the amount of $83,000 and the unit price per yard for rock excavation of $500 as per bids received and opened on March 28, 2012. The three lowest bids were received as follows:

Company

Base Bid Unit Price Per Yard for Rock Excavation

Zenith Construction  $ 83,000  $500
CMS Construction $ 92,000 $250
Let It Grow $109,685 $550

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The Valley Heart & Vascular Institute to Conduct Research with Leading Russian Heart Hospital

(RIDGEWOOD_NJ) March 28, 2012 — Electrophysiologists at The Valley Heart & Vascular Institute have signed an agreement with their peers at the busiest cardiovascular hospital in Russia to collaborate on clinical research projects to improve the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias.

Representing Valley’s Arrhythmia Institute – a component of The Valley Heart & Vascular Institute — was director Jonathan S. Steinberg, M.D., who signed the agreement with Evgeny Pokushalov, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Arrhythmia Department and Electrophysiology Lab at the State Research Institute of Circulation Pathology in Siberia.  Cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists, and electrophysiologists at the Russian hospital perform 4,500 cardiac surgeries and procedures every year.

“This agreement is a huge opportunity for our Valley electrophysiologists to collaborate with an incredibly smart and talented group of Russian electrophysiologists conducting research at a state-of-the-art facility in Novosibirsk, Russia’s third largest city and the cultural and industrial center of Siberia,” says Dr. Steinberg, a member of The Valley Heart & Vascular Institute’s Executive Council.

Electrophysiology is a specialized area of cardiology that involves the diagnosis, treatment, and management of arrhythmias, disturbances in the heart’s intricate electrical system.

Dr. Steinberg and his fellow Valley electrophysiologists will be conducting research with Dr. Pokushalov and his research team on atrial fibrillation, a common, yet complex arrhythmia that involves multiple regions of the heart.  The American and Russian researchers will work to develop advanced technology to treat atrial fibrillation, including refining catheter ablation procedures.

The Arrhythmia Institute at The Valley Heart & Vascular Institute’s New Jersey office is located at The Valley Hospital at 223 N. Van Dien Avenue in Ridgewood.  The New York City office is located at 5 Columbus Circle. For more information, visit www.valleyheartandvascular.com, or www.arrhythmia.org.

>Arizona Passes Sweeping Internet Censorship Bill
 
Legislation to make it illegal to use “offensive” language online
Steve Watson
Infowars.com
April 2, 2012

The state legislature of Arizona has passed a bill that vastly broadens telephone harassment laws and applies them to the Internet and other means of electronic communication.

The law, which is being pushed under the guise of an anti-bullying campaign, would mean that anything communicated or published online that was deemed to be “offensive” by the state, including editorials, illustrations, and even satire could be criminally punished.

https://www.infowars.com/arizona-passes-sweeping-internet-censorship-bill/