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A pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle on Friday evening at the intersection of East Ridgewood Avenue and Cottage Place. The victim was reported to be alert and conscious when Ridgewood Police, Fire, and EMS personnel arrived on the scene. He was transported to The Valley Hospital for treatment.
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>We haven’t shown this in a while, once again thank you for all your support in making the Ridgewood blog the Number One local News blog in the State of New Jersey !!!
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>A Ridgewood firefighter was seriously injured on Thursday evening while attempting to locate the source of smoke that filled a home on Lotte Road. It is rumored that the firefighter suffered a broken leg when he fell down the basement stairs; he was transported by Ridgewood EMS personnel to The Valley Hospital.
>POLL: The Best Pizza in Ridgewood 2009
2009 Nomination list
Puzo’s (2008 Winner)
Ridgewood Pizza
Brooklyn Pizza
Renato’s Pizza
Sicilian Sun (by popular demand)
La Bella Pizza
Lenny’s Pizza
Pizza fusion
Roma Pizza
A Mano
*Sicilian Sun had so many nominations it could not be ignored.
>BF graduates who have gone on to Bosco or Bergen Catholic in recent years have discovered the hard way that they have been left unprepared for a real math curriculum. Straight A’s at BF translates into way behind students from other districts with meaningful math programs. Where is the outrage?
I know it is sometimes hard to swallow the truth pill… Many RPS students have left to attend both private and parochial schools and have been given math placement tests before acceptance. They ARE NOT PREPARED by the district’s choice of CMP2. Just ask those parents that had to pay for tutoring to teach their kids REAL algebra before entering
9th grade someplace other the RHS.
If you want a real eye-opener, ask the 9th grade math teachers at RHS what THEY think of the math skills of those kids transitioning from one of the middle schools to the high school.
We were appalled to discover how ill-prepared our daughter was for high school math when she reached the high school. After receiving A’s and B’s at BF, why did we need to be concerned about 9th grade Algebra? Reality was a shocker.
One math teacher in the middle school tutored his advanced geometry students over their 8th grade to freshman summer, on his own time, because the students did not have a solid enough understanding of algebra coming to him from the 7th grade. He did this because he wanted them properly prepared for Algebra II as in coming Freshmen.
Guess who their 7th grade Algebra I teacher was who hadn’t prepared them? Answer: Ms. Debra Ives, the district’s math administrator, now gone but hired by Regina Botsford to oversee our math curriculum and by the way, the person responsible for introducing connected math to our district.
So, if our administrators at Cottage Place can not teach math to our kids, why should we trust their judgment when it comes to selecting math programs?
I feel sorry for Principal Lorenz. Parents are going to go nuts when their kids’ scores suck on the math portion of the SATs. No fault of his of course, just the guy who happens to be on the front line while Regina hides in her office.
I was not commenting on the perception of math teachers at either school, but the experience of the students themselves. as noted by other posters, the deficiency is so stark that it is in fact a topic of common discussion among parents in Ridgewood who have sent their kids to other high schools. You need not believe me. The test scores should validate this point emphatically so long as the current regime is in place.
>Politicker NJ ( https://www.politickernj.com/ ) part of The Observer Media Group |New York, New York seems to have only one rule when it comes to posting press releases for political candidates : You can publish anything you want but you have to be a “Liberal Democrat” to do it.
Like most of New Jersey Politics the media seems to be dominated by the Democratic Party. While Democratic Politicians garner around the clock wall to wall coverage ,Republicans barley have a voice . Much in the pattern of the national media ,in New Jersey you only hear someone is a Republican if they have done something wrong . While Democratic wrong doing often conveniently omits the “ D” or the Democrat moniker.
We knew immediately that “44 had been arrested “ on corruption charges ,and it was pointed out over and over how one was a Republican with little or no mention of the fact that 43 were Democrats .While the FBI has characterized New Jersey as the most corrupt state in the nation. It is a corrupt state dominated by Democratic politics .
The current Gubernatorial Election is typical ,after spending months on dissecting Republican Chris Christie’s driving record with no mention of Governor Corzine own high speed hy jinks. The New Jersey media has continued to give Jon Corzine a free pass to run on his “record” with no questions asked or to allow the Governor to run against former President Bush which does nothing to address the sad state of affairs in this state.
So lets take a look :
New Jersey is rated the worst business climate in the country.
New Jersey has the highest property taxes.
New Jersey Loses 79,000 of it citizens a year who leave the state.
New Jersey has one of the largest budget deficits of any state.
New Jersey corruption continues to define the states image .
New Jersey has the highest individual tax burden in the country.
New Jersey’s unemployment has reached 9.7%.
New Jersey has one of the highest sales taxes in the country.
New Jersey has almost zero private sector job growth in the last 4 years.
Well at least we have the “purest heroin” in the country according to the DEA.
Without a doubt this is the worst record of any sitting politician in the country.It seems to many of us that the New Jersey media is as complicate in this fiasco and has for too long acted as a propaganda arm Democratic Party. To be fair its been very hard to discern the difference between Republican and Democratic candidates in this state and for too many the Republicans look all to willing “to take the fall” .
My point being that Chris Christie may or may not be the answer but at least lets start asking the questions.
PJ Blogger
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In conjunction with the possible participation of Budwiser’s famed Clydesdale Horses and Carriage in next year’s 4th of July parade, Village Council members were asked by members of the 4th of July parade committee to consider allowing Budwiser to dispense free beer following the parade.
Deputy Mayor Keith Killion voiced the strongest objection to such a plan, citing potential liability issues and concerns related to the prevention of underage consumption.
Further discussion about this issue will take place during an as yet to be announced Village Council Work Session.
>Acting Village Manager Heather A. Mailander asked Village Council members to consider purchasing a dog, which would be used to keep all Village parks, athletic fields, and the Village’s Water Pollution Control Plant free of Canadian Geese.
Ms. Mailander and Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser proposed that the dog be kept at the Village’s Water Pollution Control Plant in Glen Rock, and driven to his/her work sites on an as needed basis.
Council members directed Mailander and Rutishauser to provide more specifics regarding potential costs, and report back to the entire Council during a future meeting.
Waterfowl management in the form of dog intervention, is currently being provided to the Village by Tyco, Inc. of HoHoKus, on a contract basis.
>B of A ,(Bank of America) has decided that it won’t do any more business with ACORN Housing Corp., “at least until the group can get its act together” sources tell us.
ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis blames Republicans for BofA’s move: “The Republicans are trying to intimidate banks that have stepped up to help stop the foreclosure crisis.”
GOP , Reps. Spencer Bachus of Alabama,Darrell Issa of California, and Lamar Smith of Texas sent letters Friday to 14 banks, including BofA, asking them to fully disclosure to the House Financial Services Committee any financial arrangements they have with ACORN, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates.
ACORN many feel was the chief promoter of sub prime lending and is accused of voter fraud in several states.ACORN has recently been videoed encouraging alleged tax fraud,child prostitution, child porn,and illegal immigration . Both the US Census Bureau and the IRS have cut ties with ACRON.
the Ridgewood Blog Staff
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>Washington, Sep 29 –
As many of you may know, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, also known as the “Audit the Fed” bill. I strongly support transparency of the Fed, and wanted to take a moment to tell you about this important issue.
Preserving the Federal Reserve’s independence in conducting its monetary policy is cited by many as a reason to oppose the Federal Reserve Transparency Act. But Allan Meltzer, one of the most prominent academic experts on Fed policy and history, recently declined to join others in signing a petition to preserve the central bank’s independence because, as he said, “the Fed has rarely been independent and it strikes me that being independent is very unlikely,” in the current environment.
According to a recent Wall St. Journal article, Meltzer went on to explain that history is replete of instances when the Fed bended to political pressure, keeping interest rates low in the 1930s and 40s to help finance the New Deal and World War II, for instance, and in the 1960s to finance Great Society spending, which later led to inflation.
I’m looking to explore this issue more fully in the near future – How independent is the Fed in reality? Because if history shows that the Fed has never truly been an independent entity, then there’s no independence to protect. Which then leads us to ask, ‘What is it, actually, that some people are so interested in protecting?’
Additionally, growing the power of the Federal Reserve has been the center of many proposals for financial services regulatory reform. This greatly concerns me, and I have asked President Obama for an investigation of the Federal Reserve prior to contemplating expansion of its power.
In a bipartisan letter signed by 16 of my colleagues, I wrote, “the financial services regulatory reform proposal that your Administration put forward contains within it provisions that would grant the Federal Reserve considerable new powers and oversight over a broad swath of industry in this country in order to monitor and take action to reduce “systemic risk” in our economy. Before Congress, working with the Administration, moves forward on granting the Federal Reserve any additional power, however, the actions of the Federal Reserve related to the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch deal need to be fully investigated.”
Given the events of the last few years and the resulting financial and economic turmoil in which our country now finds itself, it is appropriate that the Obama administration, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, and many other public and private entities, engage in a wide-ranging debate about what reforms are needed for our financial regulatory system. Momentum is now beginning to form to enact legislation to implement reforms. No additional powers should be contemplated for the Federal Reserve, however, until this issue is thoroughly investigated and the Federal Reserve is cleared of any wrongdoing. As mentioned above, even if it is cleared, we must ask ourselves, and we believe the American people are asking themselves, do we really want to centralize even more power in this entity?
Sincerely,
Scott Garrett
Member of Congress
>EDITORIAL: At the president’s pleasure
‘Safe school czar’ encouraged child sex with an older man
By THE WASHINGTON TIMES
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/28/at-the-presidents-pleasure/
A teacher was told by a 15-year-old high school sophomore that he was having homosexual sex with an “older man.” At the very least, statutory rape occurred. Fox News reported that the teacher violated a state law requiring that he report the abuse. That former teacher, Kevin Jennings, is President Obama’s “safe school czar.” It’s getting hard to keep track of all of this president’s problematic appointments. Clearly, the process for vetting White House employees has broken down.
In this one case in which Mr. Jennings had a real chance to protect a young boy from a sexual predator, he not only failed to do what the law required but actually encouraged the relationship.
According to Mr. Jennings’ own description in a new audiotape discovered by Fox News, the 15-year-old boy met the “older man” in a “bus station bathroom” and was taken to the older man’s home that night. When some details about the case became public, Mr. Jennings threatened to sue another teacher who called his failure to report the statutory rape “unethical.” Mr. Jennings’ defenders asserted that there was no evidence that he was aware the student had sex with the older man.
However, the new audiotape contradicts this claim. In 2000, Mr. Jennings gave a talk to the Iowa chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, an advocacy group that promotes homosexuality in schools. On the tape, Mr. Jennings recollected that he told the student to make sure “to use a condom” when he was with the older man. That he actively encouraged the relationship is reinforced by Mr. Jennings’ own description in his 1994 book, “One Teacher in 10.” In that account, the teacher boasts how he allayed the student’s concerns about the relationship to such a degree that the 15-year-old “left my office with a smile on his face that I would see every time I saw him on the campus for the next two years, until he graduated.”
Mr. Jennings’ denials about these events reveal a lack of remorse. He has not admitted that he made mistakes in this case, and he now refuses to answer any questions about the scandal. Don’t forget, this is a presidential appointee we’re talking about. Mr. Obama should make clear what his standards are for public servants serving at the pleasure of the president. Encouraging and covering up man-boy sexual activity are serious offenses. The White House should force Mr. Jennings to come clean.
Mr. Jennings has made extremely radical statements promoting homosexuality in schools and about his utter contempt for religion that render him unsuitable for a prestigious White House appointment. His job in the Obama administration is to ensure student safety, and this scandal directly calls into question his ability to perform that job. Mr. Jennings and Obama administration officials refuse to answer any questions about this newly discovered evidence. A lot of Americans want answers about this guy and how he was approved for a job in the White House.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/28/at-the-presidents-pleasure/
>Monday, September 28, 2009
Just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by
President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down two points from a week ago and the lowest level of support yet measured.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% are opposed to the plan.
Senior citizens are less supportive of the plan than younger voters. In the latest survey, just 33% of seniors favor the plan while 59% are opposed. The intensity gap among seniors is significant. Only 16% of the over-65 crowd Strongly Favors the legislation while 46% are Strongly Opposed.
For the first time ever, a slight plurality of voters now express doubt that the legislation will become law this year. Forty-six percent (46%) say passage is likely while 47% say it is not. Those figures include 18% who say passage is Very Likely and 15% who say it is Not at All Likely. Sixty percent (60%) are less certain.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Democrats say the plan is at least somewhat likely to become law. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans disagree. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 34% say passage is at least somewhat likely while 58% say it is not.
>By Stephen Dinan
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/28/liberals-seek-health-care-access-for-illegals/
Fearful that they’re losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access.
The Democrats, trying to stiffen their party’s spines on the contentious issue, say it’s unfair to bar illegal immigrants from paying their own way in a government-sponsored exchange. Legal immigrants, they say, regardless of how long they’ve been in the United States, should be able to get government-subsidized health care if they meet the other eligibility requirements.
“Legal permanent residents should be able to purchase their plans, and they should also be eligible for subsidies if they need it. Undocumented, if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room,” said Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Mr. Honda was joined by more than 20 of his colleagues in two letters laying out the demands.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/28/liberals-seek-health-care-access-for-illegals/
