Tag: Churches

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African Americans Far Safer from COVID in Red States

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(photo NJ Gov. Phil Murphy)

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, lots of talk by the media of racial disparity when dealing with COVID, but here are some findings that should seriously disturb every African American family . While it is true and troubling that minorities have been more adversely affected (in terms of death rates and infection rates) by COVID than whites, the story that hasn’t been told is that Democratic governors have done a much worse job keeping blacks safe and healthy than red state governors.

Continue reading African Americans Far Safer from COVID in Red States

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Governor Murphy Announces Re-tightening of Restrictions on Indoor Gatherings

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, on Monday Governor Phil Murphy tweeted out a re-tightening  of restrictions on indoor gatherings :
UPDATE: We are re-tightening the restriction on indoor gatherings. Until further notice, indoor gatherings are now limited to 25% of a room’s capacity – with a MAXIMUM of 25 persons, down from 100. To be clear, this tightening caps indoor house parties at 25 people – period.
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Pastors Ask Governor Murphy to Let Them Reopen or Face a Lawsuit

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,President Trump on Friday announced that new Centers for Disease Control guidance will classify houses of worship as “essential,” as he called on governors to allow them to open “right now” after being closed during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Trump announced the policy for churches, synagogues and mosques, during a short briefing at the White House.

67 pastors signed a letter to Governor Phil Murphy asking him to let churches reopen in some manner by next Wednesday – or face a lawsuit. The letter, which includes the prospective lawsuit, was a partnership between Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey,  attorney Demetrios Stratis of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and Pastor Walter Nistorenko of Abundant Life Church in Seaville who mobilized pastors from across the state to add their name to this joint good-faith appeal.

Continue reading Pastors Ask Governor Murphy to Let Them Reopen or Face a Lawsuit

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Readers Say we auditoriums in EVERY single school , Why do we need a performing arts center? Not to mention that the property is in a flood zone

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file photo by Boyd Loving

From the July 2015 Ridgewood Library Board of Trustees Meeting

A couple of library board trustees said they want to move ahead with the original plan, which called only for the renovation of the library, and add in the construction of a performing arts center next to the library and village hall. This would turn the library and its surrounding area into the cultural hub the members are seeking.

The cost of the library renovations alone is estimated at around $5 million, according to Ralph Rosenberg, who was responsible for the renovations 20 years ago. Rosenberg has agreed to advise the trustees throughout the process as “owner’s representative.”

The estimated cost of the renovations, including the hypothetical performing arts center, is unknown.

(Community News | At the Library | Ridgewood Inside NorthJersey.com)

See any common threads here?

Board of Trustees Ridgewood Library

John Johansen, President 12/31/2015
Elisa R. Legg, Vice President
Arlene Sarappo, Secretary 12/31/2018
Gail Campbell, Treasurer
Christine Driscoll 12/31/2018
John Saraceno 12/31/2017
Janis Fuhrman 12/31/2018
Paul Aronsohn, Mayor
Albert Pucciarelli, Mayor’s Delegate
Dr. Daniel Fishbein, Superintendent of Schools
Linda Diorio, Superintendent’s Delegate

Don’t we have auditoriums in EVERY school which can be rented for a very reasonable price. Why do we need a performing arts center? Not to mention that the property is in a flood zone.

Yes, the National Elks organization appears to have been “gotten to”, at least indirectly, by a cabal of local supporters of the idea of building a performing arts center where the Elk’s Lodge now stands. The Local Elk’s club membership is probably reeling at the treatment they have been receiving from their national – level hierarchy. The tax status of the property on which the Elk’s Lodge now sits appears to have also been the subject of hijinks or skullduggery of some sort. Its valuation was dropped by more than half, if memory serves, with no apparent explanation for the change, which sounds like a setup.

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SECURITY IS FOCUS AT CHURCHES, MOSQUES AMID HEIGHTENED FEARS

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BY JAY REEVES AND RACHEL ZOLL
ASSOCIATED PRESS

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — In Alabama, a Presbyterian church wanted to be able to hire its own police for protection. Mosque leaders around the country are meeting with law enforcement officials as an anti-Muslim furor fuels arson attacks and vandalism. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been holding specialized training for congregations for “all hazards, including active shooter incidents.”

Religious congregations across the United States are concentrating on safety like never before following a season of violence, from the slaughter unleashed in June by a white shooter at a historically black church in Charleston, South Carolina, to the killings this month in San Bernardino, California.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said 2015 is shaping up as the worst year ever for U.S. mosques, amid the backlash to the Islamic-extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and the intensifying anti-Muslim rhetoric from Donald Trump and others seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Preliminary 2015 data collected by the civil rights organization found 71 reported cases of vandalism, harassment and threats, with 29 of those incidents occurring since the Nov. 13 assaults in France.

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONGREGATIONS_SECURITY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-19-09-56-44

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North Jersey churches wary of too much security

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JUNE 18, 2015, 10:59 PM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015, 11:08 PM
BY JEFF GREEN AND MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

For as long as Mack Cauthen could remember, Bible study at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Englewood has always been open to not only members of the congregation, but anyone who is interested in learning and sharing their experiences.

But a day after nine people were killed during a prayer meeting at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., Cauthen, a church deacon, and other North Jersey religious leaders were grappling with how to continue the church’s mission to welcome and attract new members while keeping their congregations safe.

“We are trying to reach as many people as possible to join us and to learn, but at the same time what do you do?” Cauthen asked. “Try and restrict people, and who is the judge?”

The Rev. Melanie Miller of the AME Zion Church in Hackensack said the shooting will compel churches to discuss what security measures can be instituted, while balancing the religious needs of the community.

“When things like this happen it not only instills fear, but at the same time we have to reach out to anyone who may feel isolated,” she said

https://www.northjersey.com/news/north-jersey-churches-wary-of-too-much-security-1.1358778