>72% Are Not Confident Congress Knows What It’s Doing When It Comes to The Economy
Saturday, May 22, 2010 Even as Congress puts the finishing touches on legislation asserting more government control over the U.S. financial industry, most U.S. voters continue to believe the legislators have little idea what they’re doing when it comes to the economy.
The latest national telephone survey of Likely Voters finds that just 27% are at least somewhat confident that Congress knows what it’s doing when it comes to addressing current economic problems. An overwhelming majority (72%) are not confident in Congress to address these problems. These figures include six percent (6%) who are Very Confident and 43% who are Not at All Confident.
These findings show little change from surveys dating back to late September 2008, just after the Wall Street meltdown that included the collapse of the Lehman Brothers financial firm. Supporters of the new bill say it is intended to prevent another such meltdown.
The Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration is offering a special edition T-Shirt to commemorate it’s 100th anniversary. The shirts are imprinted with art work from the cover of the 1910 Ridgewood Independence Day program. These attractive T-Shirts also gain the wearer entrance to the 2010 Evening Entertainment and Fireworks. Proceeds from the sale of the shirts will help fund the 100th Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration. The shirts can be purchased from our website, https://www.ridgewoodjuly4th.org/ .
Build your own cheese platter…..figure ¼ lb of cheese per person..add some dried fruit or favorite spread…we can help…
Joel’s Malibu Kitchen……Take out Dinners!…….now available only….$10.95 Joel has decided to get back in the “game” by creating frozen dinners for you to enjoy in your home. We’re starting out with five completely cooked, different, colorful, balanced, all natural selections created by Joel from his former menu. Stock up for those late work nights we all seem to have these days. Easy reheating instructions, delicious results!
Chicken Malibu Tender pieces of chicken breast, lightly egg battered and sautéed in a Malibu lemon wine sauce with a touch of half and half, served w/julienne of veg and potato
Salmon w/Champagne Dill Sauce Alaskan King salmon filet poached to perfection in a champagne dill sauce, julienne of vegetables, and rice
Chicken Stir Fry Tender pieces of chicken breast, sautéed till golden brown with an array of vegetables in a ginger-teriyaki-hoisin sauce, sprinkled w/brown sugar and stir fried.
Fettuccini in Silly Sauce w/Shrimp Homemade fettuccini in a zesty pink tomato sauce with wild mushrooms, tiger shrimp, grand marnier, Romano cheese and a touch of cream.
Toasted Almond Tilapia Fresh Tilapia filet encrusted with almonds, pan seared in a Chardonnay citrus beurre blanc sauce.
A MILLIONAIRES TAX is a one-shot budget fix. Forget whether the 16,000 New Jerseyans who make more than $1 million a year should be taxed at nearly an 11 percent rate. Forget whether the more than $600 million in anticipated revenue is an accurate number. And forget whether that revenue would really be used for senior citizens. In plain New Jersey English, just fuhgeddabout the whole thing. (Doblin, The Record)
It took about two minutes from the time Senate President Steve Sweeney certified the passage of the millionaires tax package for Governor Christie to veto the bills at his desk. (Friedman, Fleisher, The Record)
>434 BERKSHIRE ROAD – RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY THIS SATURDAY MAY 22nd. 9AM – 4PM YARD SALE — GI……………NORMOUS!!!!!!!! MULTI-FAMILY, VINTAGE, DOLLS, FISHING LURES, HO– USEHOLD ITEMS, DEPRESSION GLASS, RUG, TOO MUCH TO LIST.
GIANT GARAGE SALE—— THIS SATURDAY , MAY 22 , 10-3 NO EARLY CALLERS! 43 N. Pleasant Ave, Ridgewood NJ Most items only $1 a piece!
Something for Everyone!! Yard Sale Friday, May 21, 10 to 4 and Saturday, May 22, 9 to 3. Fine jewelry, lots of household items, chandeliers, Waterford, Burberry, wedding dress, furs, old records, garden items, sports items. Location: 155 Mountain Ave, Ridgewood, N.J.
Tons of toys, baby items, books, cameras and more for sale at this multi-family garage sale. NO EARLY BIRDS. Saturday, May 22. 9 am to 3 pm. Location: 453 Cherry Ln, ridgewood, nj
Teachers Encouraged to Apply for PSEG Environmental Education Grants
(May 19, 2010 – Newark, NJ) – New Jersey teachers are encouraged to apply for funding through PSEG’s Environmental Education Grant Program, which provides funding to educators who can link their students’ understanding of math, science, computer science, and technology with an enthusiasm and appreciation for the environment.
“We’ve long been committed to education and the environment, and this program, which provides direct funding for hands-on environmental education, is one we’re particularly proud of,” said Vaughn McKoy, president of the PSEG Foundation. “Now in its 20th year, this program is a prime example of PSEG’s commitment to sustainability, and of the ways in which we’re working to improve the communities in which our employees live and work.”
Teachers of grades K-9 are encouraged to apply. The grants, which may be as large as $3,500, can be used to purchase materials and equipment, fund field trips, and develop curriculum-related activities. Applications that focus on the development of one or more classroom units, the expansion of an existing course or curriculum, or the extension of classroom work to community or after-school activities will be considered. Projects must be conducted over at least two years.
Teachers from schools in PSE&G’s utility service area, PSEG’s estuary enhancement program area and PSEG’s emergency planning zone may apply. Applications, which are available online, must be postmarked by Wednesday, June 30th. For more information on the towns, and to download an application, visit www.pseg.com/eegrants.
PSEG has awarded more than $335,000 to 143 project grantees since the program began twenty years ago.
Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy company with three principal subsidiaries: PSEG Power, PSEG Energy Holdings, and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G). PSEG has a long tradition of caring for New Jersey’s people and communities. Each year, the company and its employees invest millions of dollars and thousands of hours to improve the quality of life in New Jersey. The company’s culture dictates that service to customers and community go hand-in-hand
>The New Jersey Association of Realtors Governmental Research Foundation released a report detailing the migration patterns of people moving in and out of New Jersey.
The study shows that in 2007 alone, New Jersey lost over 38,000 residents a loss of almost 14-thousand households. In the previous report, New Jersey lost more than 135,000 residents between 2001 and 2006. NJAR GRF President William Hanley says New Jersey having the highest taxes in the nation makes this a continuing problem.
“The loss of population is startling. It is not hard to deduce why residents are leaving the state. The report found that property tax payments were 2.5 times higher for households entering New Jersey than those leaving the state. This is an increase over the previous report’s findings, which showed them as 2 times higher. It is evident fundamental property tax reform is needed to not only attract new residents but keep our existing residents from moving to more affordable locations.”The study also shows that households moving to New Jersey had incomes over 37 percent higher than those leaving New Jersey.
“It is clear many residents are being priced out of New Jersey. It would be truly devastating if New Jersey becomes a place where only the high-income earners can thrive. This report should serve as a wake-up call that, as a state, we clearly need to do more to attract and retain middle-class residents,” Hanley said.
>Ridgewood Sports: LAX Parents claim Coach Pounds punished the team by losing on purpose
Many RHS lax parents angry at coach Pounds. #6 Ridgewood played the #11 team in the states and lost. The coach refused to start his senior goalie (would not give a reason). He passed over all the other goalies in the program and started his inexperienced freshman son – IN THE STATE PLAYOFF!!! We were missing 3 sophomores but in this game it would not have mattered. It was easily winnable.
The opponent scored 6 times on 8 attempts. A freshman on the West Windsor team scored his first goal of the year. In an interview on the Ridgewood Patch the player from West Windsor said “Luckily, the ball went through the keeper’s legs, but I’ll take it anyway…. It’s a great feeling.”
Pounds was unhappy with the team all year and was looking to end the season. He shamed himself in an attempt to punish the team. Many seniors did not even get to play in the last game.
When you go to a game you should play to win. We have a loser for a coach and RHS deserves better. Tell the wellness director to place the “help wanted” ad. We need a leader for a coach.
More bad news for the state and the Christie administration. Income tax collections in April were more than $550 million below even Gov. Christie’s expectations. And apparently they haven’t recovered in May. Residents in 12 counties got an automatic income deadline extension until May 11 because of storms and floods. (Ingle, Gannett)
Free Demonstration and Tasting, Monday, June 7th at 6:30 p.m. Wine Tasting Dinner, Tuesday, June 15th at 7:00 p.m.
Continuing its series of educational food demonstrations and events, A Mano Neapolitan trattoria in Ridgewood, NJ will be hosting two events in June and will be incorporating New Jersey’s Alba Vineyards wines into both events.
The first event will be a free demo and tasting, “Neapolitan Pizza, Pasta and Techniques with a Twist” and will be held on Monday, June 7th at 6:30 p.m. Reservations for the demo are required and can be made by calling A Mano at (201)493-2000. A Mano’s co-owner Fred Mortati will lead this free demonstration and tasting with help from the trattoria’s specially trained pizzaioli (pizza chefs) and an Alba Vineyards wine specialist, who will conduct a tasting. A step-by-step event, Mr. Mortati and staff will cover all aspects of the Neapolitan pizza and pasta making processes, including the creation of dough, sauce and mozzarella. In addition to these basics they will debut the techniques used to make one of their newest offerings, a pizza with sautéed spinach-infused dough.
The second event, “A Mano’s Alba Vineyards Wine Tasting Dinner” will be held on Tuesday, June 15th at 7:00 p.m. Attendees will be served a five-course meal including a fresh mozzarella pinwheel appetizer, seafood salad, homemade lasagna with bolognese, tartufo pizza with truffles and porcini, and espresso or strawberry tiramisu, each course paired with a different Alba wine. The wine selections were specially chosen by the A Mano chefs and the Alba Vineyards sommelier to compliment and reflect the character of the menu. Reservations are required and the cost per attendee is $35 (not including tax and gratuity). A Mano co-owner Fred Mortati and restaurant manager Greg Stott will be on hand to walk attendees through the menu and the pairings choices. Reservations can be made by calling (201)493-2000.
Patrons who do not wish to attend the demonstration on June 7th or the wine tasting dinner can visit the restaurant between 11:30am and 11:00pm for regular service.
On May 1, a new law goes into effect in New Jersey that requires provisional drivers under 21 to put a red sticker on their license plate. The law, nicknamed Kyleigh’s Law, after Kyleigh D’Alessio who died in a car accident in 2006, is purported to make it easier for the police to enforce graduated driver’s license provisions on new drivers. The law is designed to give the police probable cause to pull over vehicles displaying the red sticker. The law also includes changes to New Jersey’s already fairly strict requirements for young people with provisional driver’s licenses, stopping individuals under 21 from driving past 11 pm instead of midnight and stopping drivers from using all cell phones (whether hands free or not). This law also increases restrictions on the passengers a young driver can have in the car. This is the first state in the country to attempt to require new, young drivers to display a special tag or notice on their car identifying them as such.
This law raises a number of important questions, some of which are rather unsettling. First of all, why are only new drivers under 21 required to display this sticker? No evidence exists that shows new drivers over 21 are safer than other new drivers. If this law were about safety then surely all new drivers should have the same restrictions and have the same red sticker on the back of their car. Proponents of this law cite Canada which has a similar identification for new drivers, but their law applies to all new drivers, not just new drivers under 21. The law is similar in Europe where new drivers, of any age, have to display some special marking. There is zero justification for singling out new, young drivers. None.
The plan was for the sticker to put a bullseye on the back of young people’s cars making them easier to pull over. The unsettling question we need to ask, is who else out there would like to easily identify young people driving alone? Our mind can conjure up many stalkers, criminals and sexual predators who could use this marking system to their advantage. Do we really want to put such a target on the cars of our youth?
New Jersey attorney, Gregg Trautmann, filed suit against the law hoping to stop it going into effect due to its safety concerns. His case lost the first round but he is working on an appeal.
Such concerns aren’t unjustified fears, in the 90’s a law in Florida requiring rental cars to display stickers identifying them as rentals led to the murders of nine people in the state. Criminals used those stickers to identify tourists who were often unsure of their surroundings and ran them off the road with the intent to rob them, or worse.
Because of concerns over the dangerous and discriminatory implications of this law it has attracted a storm of criticism before it has even gone on the books. Nearly 30,000 have joined a group called “NJ Teens Against “Kyleigh’s Law” Teen Driving Restrictions” and over 9,000 members have joined a Facebook group named “Kyleigh’s Law lets creepers know I’m young and alone.” Thousands more have joined one of the other 14 Facebook pages created to oppose this law. The members of many threaten non-compliance with this law. The comment sections of news websites are overwhelmed with passionate comments of young people and parents upset over this law.
Lawmakers are starting to take notice. Assemblymen Robert Schroeder and Michael Patrick Carroll are already planning to introduce legislation to repeal the law. Carroll, who initially voted for the law, hadn’t considered the law’s negative implications for the safety of youth. He now is working to oppose it and has been impressed with the public outcry against it.
My organization, the National Youth Rights Association, is calling upon all drivers over 21 in New Jersey to voluntarily put a red sticker on their license plate as a sign of solidarity with all the individuals under 21. Some have described our efforts as “sabotage” but we see it as showing support and solidarity with young people who have been singled out in such an egregious manner. Letting them know they aren’t alone and that people of all ages oppose this law. That’s the point of it. If, however, it causes some sexual predator to think twice before following a car with a red sticker on it, then all the better.
This scarlet letter sticker is the most striking and unique part of this law, but there are questions about its other provisions as well. The law bans provisional license holders under 21 from using a cell phone entirely, no matter if they are talking, texting, or using a hands-free device. Obviously the last thing New Jersey wants a young girl to do after a creepy van spots the sticker and starts following her is to call for help.
>Goodwin combats Republican footsoldier designation by going after decal law
Every issue goes into the arena here in a special election in the 14th District, and the one that state Sen. Tom Goodwin (R-Hamilton) grabbed hold of enabled him today to surround himself with worried parents and children. Intent on repealing a law requiring red decals on the cars of underage drivers, Goodwin stood in the rain of his hometown with supporters and focused populist outrage at the same Statehouse that gave birth to the law. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
>Ingle: How do you spell hypocrisy with four letters?
Did someone declare it Hypocrisy Week in Trenton? Observers got a double dose of watching what the insiders do as opposed to what they say, a real-time display of the two-faced deceit inherent in Jersey politics. The NJEA, the teachers union, falls back on “it’s for the children” whenever it can’t otherwise justify its push to bankrupt the taxpayers (Ingle, Gannett)
Ron Emrich, Preservation NJ director, said in Trenton, “The endangered historic sites program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost. The act of listing these resources acknowledges their importance to the heritage of New Jersey and draws attention to the predicaments that endanger their survival and the survival of all historic resources throughout our state.
“The list aims to attract new perspectives and ideas to sites in desperate need of creative solutions,” Emrich said. “Several challenges face properties included on this year’s endangered sites list, including neglect and deferred maintenance, weak or non-existent local preservation ordinances, and simple misinformation.
“But on this year’s list, the effects of an extraordinarily challenging economy are particularly evident: a dearth of funds, a lack of historically-sensitive and financially-capable buyers, and taxed municipal budgets are just a few of the difficult issues with which not only those sites on this year’s list, but historic properties throughout New Jersey, are currently grappling.”
Graydon Pool at Graydon Park at Linwood and Maple Avenues, Ridgewood, Bergen County — A natural municipal swimming pool threatened with demolition and replacement.
