Walters in Trenton to interview Christie
Television personality Barbara Walters was in the statehouse today interviewing Gov. Chris Christie as part of the release of her “10 Most Fascinating People of 2012.”
Christie’s was one of seven names revealed Monday. The remaining names as well as the top name on the list will be revealed on December 12. (Isherwood/PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/61194/walters-trenton-interview-christie
Photo by BERNIE WALSH
Troop 1326 members Ruby, Celeste, Katie, Erin and leader Bernie Walsh pose by the wrought iron gate made by Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Ga.
Ridgewood Girl Scouts return with trainload of goods for storm victims
MONDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2012, 10:09 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Through charity, goodwill or service, every Girl Scout at some point in their career has felt a family connection between individual troops.
A group of Ridgewood girls experienced the sisterly bond between scouts this past weekend after traveling to Savannah, Ga., for an annual conference. There, the local scouts, who were part of a large contingent from northern New Jersey, teamed with the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia to collect much-needed supplies for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Knowing that a group from New Jersey was headed to the conference, the young ladies from Georgia started the collection even before their counterparts arrived. The Savannah scouts requested and received hundreds of donations, ranging from batteries and blankets to clothing and trash bags.
Upon learning of and seeing the other scouts’ efforts, the 122 members of the North Jersey delegation, including 11 girls from Ridgewood and their three scout leaders, were floored.
Valley’s $500K donation to fund health programs for Ridgewood students
MONDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2012, 9:24 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Valley Hospital will be incrementally donating $500,000 to the Board of Education (BOE) over the next five years to improve student well-being, starting this school year. The half-a-million-dollar donation agreement represents Valley’s largest single donation commitment to the district.
Each year from now through the 2016-17 school year, the hospital will donate $100,000 to the BOE, according to board officials.
According to Valley spokesperson Maureen Curran Kleinman, the donation will be used to support both new and existing initiatives in the areas of health education, fitness and wellness, as well as disease prevention programs aimed at raising awareness and promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to Ridgewood students and their families.
In a statement, Valley’s President and CEO Audrey Meyers promoted the hospital’s longstanding education commitment, including its sponsorship of the Ridgewood Academy for Health Professions (RAHP) program and annual community events.
“As part of its commitment to community benefit, The Valley Hospital has a long history of supporting the students who attend Ridgewood Schools,” said Meyers. “I am very pleased that Valley is able to continue this tradition of support with this donation to the Ridgewood public school system, especially since it will be used to enhance the health and wellness of Ridgewood’s students.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/179947541_Valley_s__500K_donation_to_fund_health_programs_for_Ridgewood_students.html
140 Million Families Will Be Forced to Submit Obamacare Individual Mandate Compliance Forms to IRS
CBO estimates hours and hours of more paperwork for American taxpayers because of the Individual Mandate tax.
The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday announced that six million American families will be forced to pay the Obamacare individual mandate non-compliance penalty tax.
The six million families who will be forced to pay the tax understates the true compliance burden of the looming Obamacare individual mandate scheduled to take effect in 2014:
Every American required to file an income tax return must report to the IRS whether or not they have “qualifying” health insurance under Obamacare.
Thus, this tax will not just impact the six million American families having to pay the tax, but the 140 million U.S. households which file an annual income tax return. Each of the 140 million households will be forced to complete and submit compliance forms to the IRS.
The compliance burden described above does not even take into account the other 19 new or higher taxes in the Obamacare law, which the IRS has determined for the Ways and Means Committee will increase tax preparation time by a collective 80 million hours per year.
The non-compliance penalty tax will hit middle-income Americans, a violation President Obama’s “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of tax on families making less than $250,000 per year. There are at least seven Obamacare taxes that directly hit families making less than $250,000.
Read more: https://atr.org/million-families-forced-submit-obamacare-individual-a7197#ixzz2CffeIN3E Follow us: @taxreformer on Twitter
Photo By Boyd Loving
‘Occupy’ doctor had bomb-making chemicals in his home, authorities charge
Published November 18, 2012
FoxNews.com
A New York doctor active in the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 was charged with possessing a large quantity of chemicals used for making bombs, Paramus Patch reports.
Roberto Rivera, 60, a medical doctor, was charged Saturday hours after authorities conducted a raid on his Ridgewood, N.J., home, the website reports.
Rivera was charged with recklessly creating a risk of widespread injury or damage after FBI agents and members of the Bergen County bomb squad found chemicals used in the making of explosives, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said in a release.
Willard School Principal Marianne Williams accepts the award designating the school as a National Blue Ribbon School
Willard School Principal Marianne Williams (left) traveled recently to Washington, D.C., to accept the award designating the school as a National Blue Ribbon School. She was accompanied by Willard teacher Leigh Porod (right), who helped with the Blue Ribbon application. Aba Kumi, Director of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, U.S. Department of Education, is pictured in the center.
RHS LEARNING COMMONS COMMITTEE SEEKS COMMUNITY SUPPORT
General Information: Volunteers are seeking community-wide support for the proposed new Learning Commons at Ridgewood High School. Click here to learn more.
Fundraiser: On Friday, January 11, 2013 from 7-11 p.m., the 07450 Schools Committee will host a fundraiser to benefit the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons project, a plan to renovate the current high school library, which is almost 50 years old, and create a modern library for generations of students to come.
The event will take place at The Woodcliff Lake Hilton in Woodcliff Lake and is open to all Ridgewood families and alumni. Due to Hurricane Sandy and the families still suffering, the event that was originally scheduled to take place at the end of November was postponed.
The fundraiser will include cocktails, dinner and dancing, with giving opportunities at all levels. Guests will enjoy live music by Matthew Friedman and Uptown Sounds. Matthew Friedman starred as “The Piano Man” in Billy Joel’s award-winning musical, Movin’ Out.
Admission for the event is $110 per person and $200 per couple, and includes an open bar. The invitation can be downloaded from the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons website: www.RHSLearningCommons.com. All donations made at the event are tax deductible.
Parents, Coaches: Know the Risks of Concussions in Youth Sports The Valley Hospital is Offering Concussion Testing This Month
November 7, 2012 — To assist parents and coaches in protecting young athletes from the serious head injuries that can result from returning to play too soon after a suffering a concussion, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute offers the ImPACT Concussion Management Test. ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion.
ImPACT testing is suitable for athletes ages 12 and older. It is a 20-30 minute neurocognitive test battery that has been scientifically validated to measure the effects of sports-related concussion. Typically, in the preseason each athlete is given a baseline test. And, when a concussion is suspected during the season, a follow-up test is administered to see if the results have changed from the baseline. This comparison helps to diagnose and manage the concussion. Follow-up tests can be administered over days or weeks so clinicians can continue to track the athlete’s recovery from the injury.
The Sports Institute recently enhanced its Concussion Management Program with the addition of the Biodex BioSway Balance testing unit. The test takes about 5 minutes and provides a psycho-motor assessment of concussion injuries. Athletes should be tested in the preseason to gather baseline information that can be used for comparison in the event of a concussion to assess the extent of the injury and the athlete’s readiness to return to activity.
Since most high schools in the area have the testing in place already, the Sports Institute is providing this service primarily for the recreation and town-sponsored youth sports teams for athletes ages 12 and older.
The next scheduled baseline testing sessions will take place on Thursday, November 15 at 5:00 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. at Valley’s Kraft Center, located at 15 Essex Road in Paramus. The tests will be conducted in the 3rd Floor Computer Lab.
Pre-Registration is required, as space is limited. The fee is $25. Please call 201-447-8133 for more information and to register.
A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are most commonly caused by a bump or blow to the head, but, can also be caused by a sudden deceleration or acceleration of the head. In either scenario, the brain, suspended inside the skull and surrounded by fluid, continues to travel with momentum until it “bangs” up against the skull – causing a brain-bruising injury – or concussion. What may seem to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious.
You can’t see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury, or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. If your child reports any symptoms of concussion, or if you notice the symptoms yourself, seek medical attention right away. Common symptoms include: headache, dizziness, feeling foggy, nausea, fatigue and confusion. Common signs include memory loss, a loss of balance and coordination, and changes in personality. Concussion severity varies widely, and the number of signs and symptoms vary also – serious injuries may show few symptoms.
Although less common, bleeding in the brain can occur with some head injuries. Loss of consciousness, mental status deterioration and worsening symptoms raise the concern for a bleeding injury. An athlete does not need to lose consciousness (black out) to suffer a concussion. In fact, less than 10 percent of concussed athletes lose consciousness.
An athlete who suffers a concussion can be at risk for a condition known as Second Impact Syndrome if he or she returns to sports before full recovery. Second impact syndrome is a life-threatening condition in which a second concussion occurs before a first concussion has properly healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling. Second impact syndrome can result from even a very mild concussion that occurs days or weeks after the initial concussion.
“Second Impact Syndrome can be prevented,” Donald Tomaszewski, Director of The Valley Hospital Sports Institute. “Don’t allow an athlete to return to sports after a concussion until their symptoms have completely resolved and they have been cleared by a medical professional experienced in treating concussions.”
Urbanization: Ridgewood Planning Board mulls land use ordinance
Thursday November 15, 2012, 4:24 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
On the recommendation of the Village Council, the Ridgewood Planning Board has reviewed and will consider changes to an ordinance that, once approved by both bodies, will better manage the way institutions, including houses of worship and schools, use their property.
Village Planner Blais Brancheau will attempt to file the revised ordinance to board members by next Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting, though his crunched schedule might create a delay, he said.
In the meantime, council members are expected to continue a public hearing later this month on a previously introduced ordinance on the same matter, but action on that draft ultimately depends on the pending changes. If Brancheau’s revision is significant, the planner said the council will likely defeat the original ordinance and re-introduce the revised version.
Changes to the Village Code’s Land Use and Development chapter are needed, Brancheau said last month’, to conform to the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Congress passed the legislation in 2000.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/179550801_Ridgewood_Planning_Board_mulls_land_use_ordinance.html
9th Street PATH Station Reopens
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Announce Reopening of 9th Street PATH Station
Monday, November 12, 2012
Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that PATH rail service will resume at the 9th Street station in Manhattan beginning Tuesday, November 13 at 5 a.m. The station will open to ease overcrowding at the 14th Street station during the morning peak hours.
PATH riders will only be able to exit the 9th street station between the morning peak hours of 5 a.m.-9:30 a.m. After 9:30 a.m. passengers will be able to enter and exit PATH trains at 9th Street until 10 p.m.
PATH’s temporary line will now include stops at Newark, Harrison, Journal Square, Grove Street, and Newport stations in New Jersey and at the 9th, 14th, 23rd and 33rd Street stations in Manhattan. Trains will bypass Christopher Street. Disabled passengers will have access to the platforms only at Newark, Journal Square and 33rd Street.
PATH service remains suspended at the Hoboken, Exchange Place and the World Trade Center stations as recovery efforts continue. Due to significant damage that resulted from the unprecedented and widespread flooding in the PATH tunnels and multiple stations, it will be several weeks before resumption of service on the Newark-World Trade Center line and the lines to and from Hoboken station.
For up-to-date information visit the Port Authority’s website https://www.panynj.gov/path/ and follow them on Twitter @PATHTweet.
Hear a Veteran’s Story
https://youtu.be/gkWrdt39fh0
Steven BucciNovember 12, 2012 at 8:45 am
For nearly 100 years, America has been celebrating on November 11. Originally it was to remember the end of the First World War that was supposed to be the one that would end them all. Sadly, this was not the case. In 1952, a small town in Kansas started to use the date to remember veterans of all America’s wars. Two years later, President Dwight Eisenhower recognized the brilliant stroke of a small group of “regular” Americans by making it a national holiday.
Some cynics today would say we should grow past the parades and the thousands of memorial ceremonies in small parks across America. May it never be so! Every generation of Americans has had men and women step forward and stand for this nation. Every new generation needs to learn to acknowledge the debt the nation owes them.
As we honor those who have died in the service of the nation on Memorial Day, we must acknowledge those who have served on Veterans Day.
The living veterans of America are a treasure. They are a repository of knowledge and experience, of loss, and of enormous achievement. On Veterans Day, America should reach out to these humble men and women and say “Thank you.” Beyond that, we should ask them to share their stories. When they speak, we should listen, and recognize the price these veterans paid through their service.
Try it; ask them to tell you, and for every high-sounding “hero” story you might hear, you will hear hundreds of tales that will begin with “I was just doing my job” or “I only did what anyone would have done.” In truth, these are tales of exceptional heroism in its truest sense. These heroes are not all barrel-chested characters of fiction, but citizen servants who simply answered the call, every time.
One such individual is Major Ben Richards. He has a moving story to tell about his soldiers. In an excerpt from the forthcoming film Veteran Nation, his story reminds us of the honor and sacrifice of those who serve. This film will be a touchstone for Americans who want to serve those who serve the country. (See video above.)
On this hallowed day, for that is what Veterans Day is, please join us in thanking those who have served and those who serve us still. Our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends—Americans showing us all that standing united is far more important than any of the issues that divide us.
https://tinyurl.com/ahthdvo
6,125 Proposed Regulations and Notifications Posted in Last 90 Days–Average 68 per Day
By Penny Starr
November 9, 2012
Subscribe to Penny Starr’s posts
(CNSNews.com) – It’s Friday morning, and so far today, the Obama administration has posted 165 new regulations and notifications on its reguations.gov website.
In the past 90 days, it has posted 6,125 regulations and notices – an average of 68 a day.
The website allows visitors to find and comment on proposed regulations and related documents published by the U.S. federal government. “Help improve Federal regulations by submitting your comments,” the website says.
The thousands of entries run the gamut from meeting notifications to fee schedules to actual rules and proposed rule changes.
A message from Chief John Ward
On Behalf of the Ridgewood Police I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the residents of Ridgewood for your outpouring of support over the past 12 days. Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on our community, leaving most of us with no power, in the cold, and very long gas lines. During and after the storm, residents and some business dropped off hot food and coffe
A Guide to the Fiscal Cliff and the Options for Congress
Analysis Details What Is Expiring and Who Is Going to Be Most Impacted
Washington, D.C., November 8, 2012—Uncertainty over the expiring sections of the federal tax code known collectively as the “fiscal cliff” represents not only a threat to a prosperous and growing economy, but an abdication of leadership in Washington. The existence of an increasingly temporary tax code highlights the accumulated questions that Congress has refused to answer, according to a new guide to fiscal cliff provisions from the Tax Foundation.
In confronting the cliff, elected officials will need to start by asking big questions about how they want the tax code to work, including what the least economically destructive ways to raise revenue are, how high total spending should rise, and to what extent the code should be used to redistribute income. The present list of fiscal cliff elements will also require them to ask some more specific questions about the future of Obamacare, the estate tax, and the payroll tax.
“The huge potential impact of the fiscal cliff in scope, importance, and dollars is reflected in the anxiety felt by American taxpayers,” said Tax Foundation Chief Economist William McBride. “With so much of the tax and budget system on a short-term lease, and with the proposed permanent fixes so widely varying, economic growth suffers. While past practice suggests Washington will once again duct tape together another short-term extension and put off the hard choices, anything can happen.”
Among the expiring provisions are the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts enacted under President Bush, a compromise on the estate tax, a “patch” in the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), the temporary 2 percent payroll tax holiday, increased business expensing, and the “extenders” package of miscellaneous tax deductions.
In addition, on January 1, 2013, five taxes enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)—popularly referred to as Obamacare—also take effect, along with sequester spending reductions of $109 billion. In late February, the U.S. government will also hit the current debt ceiling, exhausting its ability to borrow without an increase by Congress. Finally, the federal government’s continuing resolution appropriating spending expires on March 27, 2013.
Tax Foundation Special Report No. 204, “The Fiscal Cliff: A Primer” is available here.
The Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan research organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937. To schedule an interview, please contact Richard Morrison, the Tax Foundation’s Manager of Communications, at 202-464-5102 or [email protected].
file Photo by Boyd Loving
A possible tax hit for Sandy’s victims
By Bill Bischoff
In addition to the tragedy of lost lives and injuries, Superstorm Sandy caused many billions of dollars in property damage. The sad truth: disasters occur every year in America. If you’re unlucky enough to suffer a disaster-related casualty, here’s what you need to know about the federal income tax implications.
Deductions for Personal Casualty Losses
Theoretically, our beloved Internal Revenue Code allows you to claim an itemized deduction — on Schedule A of your Form 1040 — for personal casualty losses to the extent they are not covered by insurance. Exactly what is a casualty loss? It’s when the fair market value of your property or asset is reduced or wiped out by a hurricane, flood, storm, fire, earthquake or volcanic eruption (not to mention sonic boom, theft or vandalism).
In reality, however, many disaster victims won’t qualify for any personal casualty loss write-offs because of the following two rules. First, you must reduce your loss by $100. Obviously, that’s no big deal. Then you must further reduce the loss by an amount equal to 10% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the year (AGI is the number at the bottom of page 1 of your Form 1040). That is a big deal. Say you incur a $20,000 personal casualty loss this year and have AGI of $100,000. Your write-off is a relatively puny $9,900 ($20,000 minus $100 minus $10,000). You get absolutely no tax break if your loss before the two required subtractions is $10,100 or less, and you have no chance at all if you don’t itemize.
But let’s assume you do have a deductible personal casualty loss from a 2012 event after the two subtractions. If the loss was caused by a disaster in a federally declared disaster area (more on that later), a special rule allows you to claim your rightful deduction either this year or last year. For example, victims of Hurricane Sandy can file amended 2011 returns and claim their losses last year. This rule allows you to get some immediate tax savings instead of having to wait until next year when you finally get around to filing your 2012 return. Remember: this special rule is only available for losses in federally declared disaster areas. You can find a by-state listing of these areas by using the interactive map on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website at www.fema.gov .
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-possible-tax-hit-for-sandys-victims-2012-11-07
