9/11 Anniversary Prompts More Transit Security
By Dino Flammia September 10, 2013 5:24 AM
Mass transit officials are on high alert this week as we mark the twelfth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
“We know we’re a target, as is every transit agency in the country,” said Jim Weinstein, executive director of New Jersey Transit. “So we take this seriously.”
While he wasn’t willing to share specifics, understandably, Weinstein said special efforts are underway from the agency’s police department. People can expect more cops, as well as K9 units, in major bus and train hubs across the state.
Federal officials have learned that the visibility of a police officer is the best deterrent to terroristic activity, according to Weinstein.
CARES Foundation, a national organization supporting those affected by the genetic disorder Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), will hold its 2nd Annual CAREing Hearts Walk for CAH on September 28, 2013, in Ridgewood, NJ.
Patients, health professionals, families and friends will gather at Wild Duck Pond Park for the 3 mile walk. The Walk will also include a Kids Fun Run and other activities for children. Registration starts at 9am and the Walk kicks-off at 10am. There will be music and raffle prizes too, including the chance to win an Ipad Mini. To register or for more information , visit our website at www.caresfoundation.org. click the following link: https://caresfoundation.kintera.org/NJWalk2013.
Those who prefer not to walk can support the event by making donations and spreading awareness. More details are available on our website. This year’s sponsors include Capital One Bank, AFN USA, Almeida & Hudak Contractors, DaSilva Family, Gofman Family, LB Industries, and Raffuel Surety. Proceeds from the event will benefit CARES’ programs including patient and medical education, research, centers of excellence, EMS protocols for adrenal insufficiency and other programs to benefit the CAH community. CARES Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization is the only US organization that raises awareness, funds research and provides support for families affected by Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), a life threatening adrenal disorder. CAH is a family of genetic disorders affecting the adrenal glands. In the severe form, it can lead to shock, cardiac arrest and death in newborns and emergency situations. The non-classical, milder form of CAH affects 1 in 27 to 1 in 1000 in the general population and can seriously affect quality of life, cause growth and pubertal problems in children, infertility in adults, and other long-term symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
For more information on CAH, please visit: www.caresfoundation.org. CARES Foundation 2414 Morris Avenue, Suite 110 Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: 908-364-0272 or toll-free 866-227-3737 Fax: 908-686-2019 https://www.caresfoundation.org
Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, in Boise, laments ‘alarming degree of public ignorance’
Katie Terhune | Idaho Statesman
Two-thirds of Americans cannot name a single Supreme Court justice, former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told the crowd that packed into a Boise State ballroom to hear her Thursday.
About one-third can name the three branches of government. Fewer than one-fifth of high school seniors can explain how citizen participation benefits democracy.
“Less than one-third of eighth-graders can identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence, and it’s right there in the name,” she said.
O’Connor touted civics education during her keynote address at the “Transforming America: Women and Leadership in the 21st Century” conference, put on by the Andrus Center for Public Policy. She also described being a female lawyer in the 1950s, and challenged her listeners to help the next generation of leaders reach their goals.
O’CONNOR ON CIVICS
“The more I read and the more I listen, the more apparent it is that our society suffers from an alarming degree of public ignorance,” O’Connor said.
That ignorance starts in the earliest years of a child’s schooling, she said, but often continues all the way through college and graduate school.
O’Connor argued that learning about citizenship is just as important for American children as learning multiplication or how to write their names.
“We have to ensure that our citizens are well informed and prepared to face tough challenges,” she said. “If there is a single child not learning about civics or not being exposed to what they must do as citizens, then all our lives are poorer for that.”
To combat what she sees as a dangerous lack of civics in schools, O’Connor founded icivics.org, a website for educators and students. The site uses games, lesson plans and activities to make learning about government and citizenship less boring.
ON PRACTICING LAW AS A WOMAN
After graduating from Stanford Law School in 1952, O’Connor’s husband was drafted and she needed to find a job.
Many of her Stanford classmates went on to high-paying jobs with large firms. But O’Connor quickly learned that her own path to employment would be much harder.
“The problem was, I was female,” she said. “I couldn’t get a job; they all said no when I applied.”
Finally, O’Connor landed a job with the county attorney’s office in San Mateo, Calif. But the office did not hire female lawyers, so they wouldn’t pay her. O’Connor just worked for free.
“Eventually, I did start getting a salary,” she said. “I spent those years working through the problems women had in those years, like getting a job, and having gotten one, getting paid for it. Very few of my male classmates had that experience.”
O’Connor said the experience only strengthened her resolve. She eventually entered politics — including a stint as the Arizona Senate majority leader — before becoming a judge.
“That early experience made me realize that maybe I did have a role to play in helping shape the character of our nation,” she said.
ON A CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT
O’Connor was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981, just two years after she was named to the Arizona Court of Appeals
She still remembers the shock of the phone call from President Ronald Reagan.
“He said, ‘Sandra, I’d like to announce your appointment to the Supreme Court tomorrow. Is that all right with you?’ ” she said.
O’Connor served on the high court until retiring in 2006. Initially viewed as a conservative, she became regarded as the decisive swing vote in many cases.
ON PAVING THE WAY
O’Connor acknowledged that many of the women and men who came to Thursday’s conference were already in leadership roles, whether in their job, the classroom, or at home.
Those people need to take the lead again and create a better education for the next generation of leaders, she said.
“Everyone is going to grow up to be a citizen,” she said. “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”
As Obamacare looms, Generation Opportunity releases final Millennial Jobs Report of the summer
Washington, DC – (9/6/13) – Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, is announcing its Millennial Jobs Report for August 2013. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:
The effective (U6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor force participation by including those who have given up looking for work, is 16 percent (NSA).
The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.7 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed” by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.
The (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds is 11.8 percent (NSA). The (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans is 21.6 percent (NSA); the (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics is 12.8 percent (NSA); and the (U3) unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women is 10.8 percent (NSA).
Evan Feinberg, President of Generation Opportunity, issued the following statement:
“As the summer draws to a close, young people are no better off than we were three months ago. Practically all of the jobs created this summer were part-time, and precious few even went to young people. Worse, the looming threat of Obamacare offers employers little incentive to transition any of those jobs into full-time positions.
“Young people are recognizing there is little to like about Obamacare and a whole lot that hurts them financially and personally. Once open enrollment starts next month, I’m confident that millions of us are going to opt-out of the law’s doomed-to-fail exchanges; unfortunately, we can’t opt-out of the disastrous job market Obamacare has also created.”
Generation Opportunity is a national, non-partisan organization advocating for economic opportunity for young people through less government and more freedom.
‘Real Housewives’ Ridgewood assault case put off until later this month
Thursday September 5, 2013, 12:12 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — Three cast members from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” will not appear before a criminal judge this evening, as previously reported.
The assault and terroristic threat complaints against “Housewives” star Jacqueline Laurita of Franklin Lakes; her husband, Christopher; and Joe Gorga of Montville have been adjourned.
The cases will now proceed in Ridgewood’s Municipal Court on Sept. 26.
The charges stem from a fracas at the grand opening of a salon in Ridgewood.
The charges had been referred in April to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office for grand jury consideration, which returned the matter to Ridgewood for resolution last month.
The case of John Karagiorgis of Paramus, who is charged with assault and making terroristic threats as well as three counts of harassment, was also adjourned until later this month.
Karagiorgis claimed he was assaulted by the “Housewives” trio when cameras were rolling for the Bravo television series.
He said he sustained several injuries, including a head abrasion, when Jacqueline Laurita allegedly clubbed him with a stiletto heel.
20th Annual Fall Chamber Car Show Sponsored by Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce
2013 Ridgewood Chamber Annual Car Show The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present its 20th Annual Car Show on Friday, September 6, 2013. Memorial Park at Van Neste Square 6:00-9:00pm This is a FREE event to all residents, families and friends who love to come to Ridgewood and view the wonderful cars that are vintage, imports, hot rods, muscle, stock and contemporary. Trophies to be given at 8:30pm in front of Hillmann Lighting This year’s show will celebrate its 20th year with great music from Ridgewood’s very own Take 4. IF there is a threat of rain, check www.experienceridgewood.com – 201-445-2600 for updates.
Ridgewood Police Traffic Alert for Friday 9/6/13
The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 20th annual car show from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm in the Central Business District. East Ridgewood Ave will be closed from North Maple Ave to Chestnut Street starting at 4:00 pm. Dayton Street, South Wanlut Street and Van Neste Square will also be closed adjacent to the park. Parking will be prohibited on the closed… roads after 4:00 pm. Busses will continue to pick up passengers near the bus stop on Prospect Street at the intersection of Hudson Street. Expect heavy traffic delays on the streets surrounding the business district beginning at 4:00 pm.
Bogg bag fans, just in time for Fall perfect size for the Ridgewood Soccer Mom!!!
September 4 2013
A family favorite for the past 5 years, our TOTE-ally awesome bogg bags are the only bags you will ever need – whether you’re at the beach, gym, pool, school, work, sporting events, camping, boating, carrying groceries, diapers, gardening supplies, toys, books, computers, laundry and more! Three perfect sizes – you may need them all. Big hauls – the original bogg bag can handle it all! Quick trips – baby bogg bag makes it a zip!
Dinner on the go – grab your favorite wine and your byo, bogg that is! All three bogg bags are made of durable EVA material with sturdy sides and flat treaded bottoms to keep your items where you want them – and not on the floor! Want to make your bogg unique? Customize and accessorize with decorative bogg bits and initials. Dress it up or down, with so many new options you’ll look great carrying them wherever you go!
Why Is Education Commissioner Cerf Standing In Way Of School Choice?
September 4,2013
Ridgewood NJ, Today marks the beginning of another school year for most New Jersey students. Unlike Ridgewood, far too many New Jersey school kids will find themselves trapped for another year in some of our worst schools with no way out—no way to attend a better school that affords them the kind of opportunity for the future they deserve. This is unacceptable. Today, New Jersey should be embracing school choice and allowing parents the option to enroll their kids in schools that are not failing them.
Trenton, Newark, Camden , Atlantic City …..
Three months ago, however, Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf denied 850 New Jersey children the chance to attend the school of their choice. For years, the New Jersey Department of Education had been negotiating with two online charter schools to open up in the Garden State. The two schools jumped through all of the bureaucratic hoops, received government approval last spring, and even started hiring teachers and enrolling students.
But, at the very last minute, Commissioner Cerf stepped in and revoked the schools’ applications, claiming that there’s insufficient evidence that online learning improves student performance. Any New Jersey schoolchild could tell Commissioner Cerf that the evidence will continue to be insufficient if he doesn’t give virtual schools a chance in New Jersey. It’s elementary logic.
Think of the future ,thousands of New Jersey children are stuck in a failing public school with little opportunity to escape. Even our state’s brick-and-mortar charter schools are often inaccessible since they are subject to enrollment caps, rendering many children’s future subject to the luck of a lottery. Online learning, on the other hand, would expand school choice to any New Jersey schoolchild with an Internet connection. This new frontier of education is something that the Garden State should embrace, not shun for an outdated one-size-fits-all model that is failing too many of our kids.
Sadly, it’s too late for the 850 students to access online school choice this year since the two virtual schools’ application have already been denied. However, it’s not over yet. Americans for Prosperity – New Jersey will continue to push forward for a virtual school to open up next year. New Jersey schoolchildren have been waiting much too long for the guarantee of a quality education they deserve.
Meanwhile, call Commissioner Cerf at 609-292-4450! Urge him to stop impeding school choice and preventing New Jersey kids from being able to access the education they deserve!
PATTI JOHNSON IS 2013 ASHBY AWARD WINNER
September 3,2013
Ridgewood NJ, The 2013 winner of the coveted Ashby Award is Patricia Johnson, recently retired RHS Biology Teacher.
Patti taught in the Ridgewood Public schools for 40 years, starting at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and later at Ridgewood High School, where she taught Biology and AP Biology.
Patti has a BA from Sacred Heart University and an MA from Montclair State College (Now Montclair University), as well as numerous continuing education credentials. Over the years, she has been recognized by her peers for excellence in education, including the New Jersey Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year by the Biology Teachers Association of New Jersey and the Ridgewood Teacher Recognition Award.
10 recipes for the perfect Labor Day barbecue
Published August 29, 2013
FoxNews.com
While summer may be coming to a close, the end of grilling season is still a long way away. This Labor Day, take advantage of the fact that the old Weber isn’t covered with snow or plastered with rotting leaves. Think about it. You’ve only got a few more weeks before summer is over and the neighbors think you’re crazy for firing up the grill in a blizzard.
To aid in your Labor Day celebration, we’ve come up with a list of recipes that pay tribute to summer and welcome the fall. From barbecued turkey wings to a fall berry cocktail, we’ve compiled all the makings of an epic Labor Day feast. So turn on the grill, loosen that belt and let the Labor Day party begin.
Tougher N.J. teacher evaluations aim to highlight the best
Saturday, August 31, 2013 Last updated: Sunday September 1, 2013, 12:21 AM
BY LESLIE BRODY
STAFF WRITER
The Record
After years of pressure from sources as varied as President Obama and Governor Christie, teachers in New Jersey will face more stringent evaluations than ever when schools open in the coming days.
The push to improve teacher quality through tougher evaluations has intensified across the country in response to widespread concern that too many American students lag far behind their competitors abroad.
If all goes as Trenton officials intend, school administrators will spend more time in classrooms, checking how well their teachers engage students and prod them to think analytically. Teachers will also be judged by their students’ progress — not just on academic tests, but also in tasks like singing scales in music and doing sit-ups in gym.
Both Obama and Christie have expressed faith that changing the “drive-by” evaluations of the past, which blessed nearly everyone with a good rating, will create pressure for better instruction.
Many teachers, however, are leery. Their unions across the country have been adamant in arguing that one linchpin of new evaluations in many states — using test scores to isolate a teacher’s impact on students’ growth — has serious flaws in methodology. And many principals, who face more rigorous reviews themselves, wonder how they will find time to orchestrate more frequent, time-consuming classroom observations.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_teachers_to_face_tougher_evaluations_with_goal_of_highlighting_the_best.html#sthash.QLpzaMX1.dpuf
All residents are invited to view the 9/11 Portraits Exhibit in the Belcher Auditorium at the Ridgewood Library. The exhibit will be open beginning September 3 and be up for the month of September. This exhibit of portraits of “Ridgewood’s 12” offers a place for all to remember and reflect.
Some school districts quit healthier lunch program
(AP) Some school districts quit healthier lunch program
By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press
After just one year, some schools around the country are dropping out of the healthier new federal lunch program, complaining that so many students turned up their noses at meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that the cafeterias were losing money.
Federal officials say they don’t have exact numbers but have seen isolated reports of schools cutting ties with the $11 billion National School Lunch Program, which reimburses schools for meals served and gives them access to lower-priced food.
Districts that rejected the program say the reimbursement was not enough to offset losses from students who began avoiding the lunch line and bringing food from home or, in some cases, going hungry.
“Some of the stuff we had to offer, they wouldn’t eat,” said Catlin, Ill., Superintendent Gary Lewis, whose district saw a 10 to 12 percent drop in lunch sales, translating to $30,000 lost under the program last year.
Mark was shown where he made a mistake in stating in a footnote that delegates from Vermont belatedly attended the constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787. In reality, Vermont was not even a state until 1791. Before that it was a disputed territory between New Hampshire and New York. So Vermonters were not asked to nor were they qualified to attend the Philadelphia convention. He gave his challenger no credit for reading his book carefully and bringing this non-trivial mistake to his attention. He then refused to sign the book on the page where the footnote appeared and showed distinct signs of impatience and annoyance when he opened the front of the book and began to sign it.
At this point, Mark was challenged about Cruz’s eligiblity. But the challenge did not happen as Mark said it did. The challenger asked this: “Under what possible definition of the term natural-born Citizen does your friend Ted Cruz qualify to be president?” At this same time the challenger placed an annotated copy of an earlier TheRidgewoodBlog posting repeating CNN’s recent article questioning Cruz’s eligibility, and was pointing at the document. After cursing at the challenger , Mark replied: “I never said he was a natural-born Citizen.”, upon which his challenger said: “But you must be a natural-born Citizen to be President!”. Mark then said: “No you don’t!”, and the challenger said “Yes, you do. Read the Constitution.” Levin was showing no signs of changing his tune. The challenger then turned around and left the booksigning. There was no time during any of this dialogue for Mark to ruminate on the challenger’s motivations or talk about Canada or Cruz’s mother or anything like what he said on his Radio program
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE BOE RUNS A DAY CARE CENTER AND AFTERSCHOOL KINDERGARTEN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM?
The Infant Toddler Development Center (ITDC), a program of the Ridgewood Board of Education, is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering some improvements to meet the needs of today’s families. ITDC, a fully licensed day care/preschool program for children ages six weeks through five years of age, is open to the public, with discounts offered to teachers. In addition to daycare and pre-school, the ITDC offers afterschool enrichment classes for half-day kindergartners.
Busing is provided from Ridgewood elementary schools. New hours of operation are 7:00am to 6:30pm, with flexible scheduling options available. The ITDC is located at 865 E. Glen Ave., Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, please call 201-445-0642 or email [email protected].
