>AOL Needs ‘Immediate Action,’ Investor Says
By Edmund Lee – Dec 21, 2011 12:50 PM ET
AOL Inc. (AOL), losing as much as $500 million annually in its display advertising business, must take “immediate action” to stem shareholders’ losses, activist investor Starboard Value LP said.
Starboard, which said it holds a 4.5 percent stake, sent AOL a letter dated today that outlines its poor performance, estimating the Internet company sees “staggering” operating losses in display ads.
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After end of ARC, NJ Transit focuses on privatizing parking, expanding rail lines
>50% toll increase slated for NJ Turnpike and Garden state Parkway on January 1st.
The second phase of a toll increase approved in 2008 by the Corzine administration will go into effect on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden state Parkway at 6:30am January 1st 2012 .
There were four public hearings in the fall of 2008. With the approval of then Gov. Jon Corzine, the Turnpike Authority Board of Commissioners adopted the two-phase toll increase after the final hearing on October 10, 2008. The rst phase went into effect Dec. 1, 2008. The second phase will go into effect Jan. 1, 2012.
How much will tolls increase? 53 percent on the New Jersey Turnpike, 50 percent on the Garden State Parkway. For speci c toll rates, see the revised toll tables on the Turnpike Authority Web site (www.state.nj.us/turnpike/toll-rates.html).
If the Turnpike Authority has been cutting costs and reducing the number of employees, why is a toll hike necessary? The additional revenue from the two-phase toll increase is not being used to pay operating costs. Instead, the revenue is funding the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s $7 billion capital program and other transportation projects.
What projects are in the capital program? The revenue has enabled the Turnpike Authority to nance a 10-year, $7 billion capital program that includes the Turnpike widening between Interchanges 6 and 9, the Parkway widening south of Toms River and dozens of other projects that will relieve congestion, restore bridges, improve interchanges, expand the use of intelligent transportation systems, and increase safety on both roadways.
Will we see any immediate benefits from the capital plan? Yes. The work is creating thousands of private sector jobs. A study done for the New Jersey DOT and the Federal Highway Administration by Rutgers University in 2009 found that, on average, each $1 million of spending on transportation infrastructure projects in New Jersey sustains 10 jobs for a year. That means the Turnpike Authority’s $7 billion capital program will create or sustain some 70,000 jobs.
How do the toll rates on the Turnpike and Parkway compare to other toll roads around the country? At 4.8 cents per mile, the Garden State Parkway will remain among the lowest-priced toll roads in the U.S., less expensive even than rural toll roads such as the Oklahoma Turnpike and the West Virginia Turnpike. The New Jersey Turnpike, at 11.4 cents per mile, will remain less expensive than similar urban toll roads such as the Miami-Dade Expressway and the Massachusetts Turnpike, both of which cost around 20 cents per mile, and the Delaware Turnpike (I-95), which costs about 35 cents per mile.
https://www.state.nj.us/turnpike/documents/njta_toll_incre_2012.pdf
>RHS Should Join Forces with Wikipedia
Peter Coti
RHS Student
Wikipedia Editor
As we all know, Ridgewood High school is a top national school but it still lacks in many areas. One area it lacks in is the ability to integrate computers into classrooms. Some of the issues that have been raised is the cost of programs that could be integrated and the benefits it would have. I feel that in order for Ridgewood High School to remain progressive and prestigious it requires integration of the Wikipedia Ambassador program.
The Ambassador program has been used in schools such as Yale, NYU, and Columbia. If RHS were to partake in this program it would become the first high school in the world to join in and it would be on the same field as Ivy league colleges.
The program would also allow for new ways for students to learn. Wikipedia can help teach neutral point of view writing which is something that is not often taught to students even though it can be quite useful in certain professions. This neutral point of view aspect will also encourage critical thinking as they will need to boil a topic down to its bare basics to contribute to Wikipedia. The implementation of Wikipedia would also justify effort into a project as they will not simply have the satisfaction of a grade, their hard work will be visible to the millions of unique visitors of Wikipedia monthly.
The costs of running this program at RHS would be minimal. Already 140 “Welcome to Wikipedia” brochures are on standby nearby and already there are class materials published online for educations (https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Education/Materials_for_Teaching ). The only cost will be the hours it takes to orient teachers to the project and the basics of Wikipedia that they can then pass on to their students.
The combination of the low cost, and potentially high benefits leads me to believe that if we were to have an Ambassador program run from RHS it would be successful and a benefit to the school.
>Ridgewood Patch and Glen Rock Patch Merge
The staff of the Ridgewood blog
Wednesday ,December 14, 2011
(Ridgewood , NJ) Last week AOL’s “hyper local” online news network Patch consolidated 4 of its New Jersey local websites. The Patch in Ridgewood has now merged with Glen Rock and the Franklin Lakes Patch has been merged with Wycoff . Sources claim it was a business decision done to better serve both readers and advertisers.
However Ad Age reports that Patch spokesperson Janine Iamunno said the decision was “editorially driven,” coming from editors who felt there was too much news overlap in the towns. Previously the Patch also reduced freelance budgets to make the sites more profitable.
AOL the parent company is under pressure from the recent merger with Huffington Post and is still struggling with how hyper local the Patch’s news coverage and and advertising should be.
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>The current leaf system hasn’t worked in years
The current leaf system hasn’t worked in years and yet every year it’s handled the same way. We need new ideas and a new plan, whether it’s bagging leaves (largely impractical for the amount of leaves most of us get), cutting back on other services such as recycling and bulk during leaf season, or outsourcing or getting private landscapers to help, something has to change.
The ordinance requiring leaves not be left on the street more than 7 days before pickup can’t be enforced because the leaves are never picked up according to schedule, so there’s no way to tell if the leaves have been there 7 days or 27 days. In order for streets to remain clear leaves need to be picked up every two weeks from the end of October through the end of December.
In my area there were two pickups all season; one before Halloween before much had fallen, and again about a week ago, where they had to deal with removing all of the leaves of the entire season in one trip, and we had to deal with navigating around the mess for over a month. Maybe leaf pickups before November 1 should be the responsibility of the homeowner – you can bag it yourself and bring to recycling, or get your landscaper to remove it – the October pickup seems to be a waste of time since there’s not much accumulation at that point, so residents could reasonably handle this themselves. After that, the town should come twice in November and twice in December. It can’t be that difficult.
> “Letter: Rejection of Valley was affront to Ridgewo…”: Mr. Halaby’s wife, Cynthia Halaby, is on the Valley Board of Trustees
The author of the letter, Rurik Halaby, states that “My interest in Ridgewood village politics was recently ignited by hearings on The Valley Hospital Renewal.”
His wife, Cynthia Halaby, is on the Valley Board of Trustees and addressed the Valley Renewal hearings in early November.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/133672623_Hearings_are_winding_down.html
I think Mr. Halaby should pay a little more attention at home if he only recently became interested in what he refers to as Ridgewood “politics”.
>“The Prisoner” Opening credits
>234 mayors endorse Christie plan to alter public employee’s sick leave and vacation benefits
THURSDAY, 08 DECEMBER 2011 21:34
BY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
As Gov. Chris Christie’s office Thursday announced that a bipartisan group of 234 mayors support the governor’s proposal to change how public employee sick leave and vacation pay is allotted, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) said the legislation is unconstitutional.
The mayors, Republicans and Democrats from every county have joined Christie’s in calling for what he sees as the Democratic-controlled Legislature’s delay in acting on the proposal. The governor argues his proposal would save taxpayer dollars and deliver budget relief to cities and towns.
11 mayors joined the Christie at a press conference in Teaneck, including Bergen County Executive Kathe Donovan and Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin, to call for “action on critical, common sense reforms that will provide significant taxpayer savings and give mayors the tools they need to manage their budgets and hold down property taxes for New Jersey families.”
https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/234-mayors-endorse-christie-plan-to-alter-public-employees-sick-leave-and-vacation-benefits
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112th Christmas Bird Count
Citizen Science in Action
The count period for the 112th Christmas Bird Count will begin on December 14, 2011. Please check the Current Year’s Results link to the right to find out what CBC circles reported on the 111th CBC.
From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission – often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.
https://birds.audubon.org/cbc?gclid=CLHD2dDf9KwCFUbf4AodByK9Rg#
>11 Leading Health System CEOs Share Top Goals for 2012
Written by Sabrina Rodak | December 07, 2011
Bob Garrett, President and CEO, Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center. Hackensack University Medical Center’s goals include reopening Pascack Valley Hospital, working on several construction projects, continuing a physician alignment strategy and enhancing the network development strategy. Hackensack UMC is planning an ED expansion that will double its size, include fixed private rooms and feature pods — different areas within the emergency department that are devoted to specialties such as geriatrics, cardiology and oncology. In 2012, Mr. Garrett hopes to complete construction of the new Heart & Vascular Hospital. In addition, the hospital aims to build a comprehensive wellness center. “It will include a large fitness component as well as wellness programs and community education. It will be the largest fitness and wellness center of its kind in the region,” Mr. Garrett says.
>FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
345 AM EST WED DEC 7 2011
…HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT…
WESTERN PASSAIC-EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-
EASTERN BERGEN-WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-
EASTERN UNION-
345 AM EST WED DEC 7 2011
…FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE
TONIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…INCLUDING
THE FOLLOWING AREAS…EASTERN BERGEN…EASTERN ESSEX…EASTERN
PASSAIC…EASTERN UNION…HUDSON…WESTERN BERGEN…WESTERN
ESSEX…WESTERN PASSAIC AND WESTERN UNION.
* FROM 10 AM EST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.
* AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT…BRINGING A PERIOD OF MODERATE
TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY RANGE
FROM TWO TO TWO AND ONE HALF INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO FALL
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF TONIGHT.
* THE RAIN MAY LEAD TO FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS…POOR DRAINAGE
AND URBAN AREAS…AND ROADWAYS. THE LARGER RIVERS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO REACH FLOOD STAGE AT THIS TIME.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP.
>Are you taking the George Washington Bridge less since the toll hike?
Published: Tuesday, December 06, 2011, 11:08 AM
By S.P. Sullivan, NJ.com
Considering the tolls have gone up, and we’re not even sure where they’re going, a lot of people are grumbling about taking the Port Authority-controlled bridges and tunnels to New York.
So are you taking the train more?
The New York Times reported this week that traffic on the George Washington Bridge is down by 890,000 cars — or 4 percent — since cash tolls jumped from $8 to $12 in September.
At the same time, according data the Times collected from the Port Authority, traffic on the PATH rose by 560,000 riders — about 3.7 percent.
>VILLAGE LEAF / BRANCH REMOVAL
We are continuing our efforts to remove branches as a result of the Halloween Weekend snow storm in addition to leaf pick up. With over 200 lane miles and almost every home in the Village affected by this storm our leaf removal efforts have been many, many times the normal Fall amounts. Normal procedure involves pushing large piles by our street sweepers. Because of the large branches which are in the piles we are not able to do this. We must use loaders which is a much slower process. To date we have collected over 38,000 cubic yards of debris which is over double our normal leaf volume to date.
We are currently in Area B – consisting of West of N. Maple Ave. to the Midland Park border and from the Waldwick border South towards W. Glen Ave. It will take approximately 5 days to get through Area B. Area C is scheduled for December 12 to 14 and Area D is scheduled for December 15 to 19.
How can you help? By cutting the brush into lengths no longer than 4 feet in length and separating it from the leaf piles while keeping in mind not to block streets or sidewalks. Also you can continue to bring leaves and branches to the Recycling Center Monday through Saturday from the hours of 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM which is located at 205 E. Glen Avenue. Landscapers ONLY can bring material to our compost facility which is located on Lakeview Drive.
Area B – Crews working on the following streets:
Monday, December 5
Mulberry
Barnett
First
Cliff
Second
Pine
Downing St.
Bryden Pl.
Dead end of Oak
Tuesday, December 6
Robinson La.
Douglas Pl.
Mastin Pl.
Cottage St.
N. Walnut St.
Oak St.
Cameron La.
Brookmere Ct.
Phelps Rd.
Contact Information: 201/670-5585
