ACLU sues over NSA phone records program
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 Last updated: Tuesday June 11, 2013, 6:02 PM
BY ELLEN NAKASHIMA AND SCOTT WILSON
THE WASHINGTON POST NEW SERVICE
The Record
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s surveillance program that collects from U.S. phone companies the call records of tens of millions of Americans.
It is the first substantive lawsuit following reports in The Washington Post and the Guardian last week detailing two sweeping surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency under laws authorized by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The ACLU suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenges the legality of the spy agency’s collection of customer “metadata,” including the phone numbers dialed and the length of calls. The lawsuit is asking the court to force the government to end the program and purge any records it has collected.
Access to lifesaving device a concern for some towns
Tuesday June 11, 2013, 10:50 PM
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
A kid on a recreation field is hit by a ball and his heart stops. A jogger suddenly drops from an apparent heart attack.
As critical moments tick away before police arrive, onlookers try to help. And increasingly on North Jersey’s playing fields, they can assume there’s an automated defibrillator somewhere nearby to use.
But where is it? Is it under lock and key?
And who’s allowed to use it?
Answering those questions is a concern facing almost every community, as defibrillators are rapidly being acquired for public places, including athletic fields. The problem: The lifesaving devices cost anywhere from $850 to $3,000, and if they’re openly accessible, they could be stolen or vandalized. Using them could also put a life-and-death crisis, literally, in the public’s hands.
And yet, if they’re not available, a life could be lost
Catalytic converter thefts on the rise
Posted: Jun 11, 2013 11:40 AM EST Updated: Jun 11, 2013 11:40 AM EST
By LUKE FUNK, Senior Web Producer –
Police in one New Jersey city are warning about a rise in catalytic converter thefts in vehicles at train stations, schools and other areas.
In the past week, there were two daylight thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles, one which was parked at the Linden train station and one which was parked at a private company on the 1900 block of Lower Road.
Linden police say this was in addition to 16 converters, taken from trucks parked at the Linden U-Haul, 1440 E. Edgar Rd. and two, which were taken from vehicles in the parking lots of McManus Middle School and Linden High School.
The thieves are targeting larger vehicles, especially SUVs like the Jeep Cherokee. Police say that’s because the converters are larger and contain more platinum, which is currently valued on the open market at approximately $1,500 per ounce. They are also easier to crawl under to get to the converters.
The crooks are using small battery-powered saws and can cut the converter off in a matter of minutes.
Letter: Planning Board meetings on Valley are on a ‘slippery slope’
Friday June 7, 2013, 11:25 AM
The Ridgewood News
Planning Board meetings on Valley are on a ‘slippery slope’
To the editor:
I am a 26-year Ridgewood resident and a regular attendee at Planning Board meetings addressing Valley Hospital’s persistent and increasingly aggressive expansion plans. I have lost track of the many concessions that have been made to Valley Hospital over the past 26 years.
This current proposal is the most grandiose of all. If Valley’s plans are approved, the hospital’s above-ground facilities will more than double in size to almost one million square feet. Phase One construction alone will last for six years. Ridgewood will gain a skyline with the tallest structure climbing 94 feet into the sky with parts of that building only 40 feet from the property line of Ben Franklin Middle School. Children currently in elementary school will face potential construction-related noise, traffic and air quality issues as they attend Ben Franklin. Children not yet born will face the same issues as they attend Travell School.
I started this letter while attending Planning Board meetings exploring traffic, construction, environmental and other issues. I wonder why we are getting into so many details without addressing the basic question of whether this project makes sense for the village – and yes the question is whether it makes sense for the village, not whether it makes sense for Valley Hospital.
I ask if it is relevant at this point in the proceedings if truckloads rumbling through the village’s streets can be reduced to 8,000? Is it relevant if Bergen County will widen Linwood and Van Dien avenues to address traffic worries? Is it relevant if a proposed traffic crossing island is truly safe for our children? Is it relevant if excavation and related water table disruption present undue risk to residential homes and to Ben Franklin? If the construction project is approved, these details will undoubtedly be vetted as specific building site plans are filed.
I am dismayed by the slippery slope of Planning Board meetings that are debating these details. These discussions imply, in my opinion, that the goal is to try to determine a tolerable scope for the project.
Letter: Valley expansion will negatively impact village life
Friday June 7, 2013, 11:19 AM
The Ridgewood News
Valley expansion will negatively impact village life
To the editor:
For the last several weeks, Valley Hospital’s hired experts have been presenting their sales pitches before the Planning Board. Unfortunately, little has changed since the Village Council unanimously voted down Valley’s expansion plans in 2011.
Indeed, the hospital still aims to build a regional medical center of unprecedented size, nearly doubling its current bulk, in a neighborhood of three schools, single-family homes and playing fields. Buildings will tower 94 feet above us, dump trucks will make thousands of trips, and 300,000 gallons of groundwater per day will be pumped, likely into the flood-prone Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, near Graydon. This project will take many years to complete. Yes, it is dejà-vu all over again.
Traffic and safety are major concerns. While there are many dangerous intersections in Ridgewood, only one is traversed by hundreds of children every single day, and that is the intersection of Linwood and N. Van Dien, precisely where Valley hopes to build a multi-level parking garage. Hospital officials would like us to believe that trucks and heavy machinery will have no effect on our children or the neighborhood, as plans to add a lane to Linwood Avenue, with a bus turnout, have been discussed. And just in case your child doesn’t quite make it across the street, a traffic “refuge” island will be built to accommodate her.
Few of us are comforted by the image of a child stuck in the middle of Linwood Avenue as trucks and impatient drivers whiz by. Anyone who believes that traffic lights will always be obeyed doesn’t understand the culture of children. Our crossing guards are reliable, but their hours are limited (they are not present during sports activities), and they work alone.
2013 Village of Ridgewood Budget Newsletter – June 12 Public Budget Hearing
2013 Budget Newsletter Click Here https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013BudgetNewsletter.pdf
The Village 2013 tax levy of $33,040,375 is $36,725 less than Village 2012 tax levy of $33,077,101. The average residential property assessed at $686,994 in 2013 will experience a municipal tax bill of $3,966. This municipal tax for the average taxpayer represents NO increase over the 2012 year.
The introduced 2013 Budget totals $45,343,651. This is a budget decrease of $677,509 from amended 2012 budget (a 1.4% decrease).
The exact tax rate and average tax paid will be determined by the Bergen County Tax Board after the Village Council adopts the Budget. The 2013 Budget Public Hearing will be held at 8PM June 12, 2013.
Click Here for Budget document.https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2013Budget.pdf
Readers express skepticism over the proposed senior housing structure
The proposed structure would be 6 stories tall.
According to the developer’s representative, 44 parking spaces would be required to support the facility (86 rooms, the number of full time and/or part time employees was not revealed). Net gain in parking could be 60 or could be less depending upon the number of employees at the facility.
A 6 story building would cast quite a shadow in that neighborhood, and also set somewhat of a precedent for those wishing to enlarge or build new structures in the CBD.
Generation Opportunity releases Millennial Jobs Report
Washington, DC – (6/7/13) – Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, is announcing its Millennial Jobs Report for May 2013. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:
The effective unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor participation rate by including those who have given up looking for work, is 16.1 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 unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds is 11.6 percent (NSA). The unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans is 21 percent (NSA); the unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics is 11.7 percent (NSA); and the unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women is 10.6 percent (NSA).
Evan Feinberg, President of Generation Opportunity and one of the first Millennials to run for Congress, issued the following statement:
“With today’s depressing unemployment numbers and an economy that has been down for years, it would be nice for people my age to think that someone is watching out for us. Knowing that someone in Washington had our back would be comforting – and might give us some hope. Sadly, in recent days we’ve only seen more of the same from this Administration. We’ve witnessed President Obama state that more government involvement is the solution to unemployment, student loans, health care, etc. What has it gotten us? The highest sustained levels of youth unemployment since World War II, sky-high tuition and student debt, and rising insurance premiums. Government solutions aren’t solutions at all. Once again, Washington doesn’t get it.”
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving 30th Annual Special Olympics Torch Run Makes Its Way Through Ridgewood
June 7,2013
Boyd A. Loving
11:03 AM
Ridgewoood NJ , Despite poor weather conditions, the 30th Annual Special Olympics Torch Run made its way through Ridgewood on Friday morning. Stops along the route included the Willard and Ridge Elementary Schools. Participating law enforcement officers, noticeably damp but still smiling, were loudly cheered and given “high fives” by school children, teacher, and administrative staff at both locations.
Senior housing plan pitched in Ridgewood
Thursday June 6, 2013, 2:04 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
A developer’s proposal presented at Wednesday’s Ridgewood Council meeting could bring an assisted living community to the Central Business District as well as a public parking facility that will add at least 100 new spaces to the downtown.
Partners at Kensington Senior Development, based in White Plains, N.Y., outlined a preliminary draft of their plan to redevelop the municipal parking lot area at the Franklin Avenue and North Walnut Street intersection. At that spot, the development team hopes to build three floors to accommodate 88 assisted living units and approximately 3,000 square feet of street-level retail space.
The third component of the idea is one of the biggest eye catchers: Kensington has offered to fully fund the construction of a two-level, 180-space parking garage adjacent to the assisted living building. According to Harley Cook, one of the firm’s founders, the cost to build the garage amounts to $4.5 million.
Developers to present proposal for assisted living facility in Ridgewood
Wednesday June 5, 2013, 11:43 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
A Virginia-based development team is eyeing a portion of Ridgewood’s North Walnut Street parking lot as the future site of an assisted living housing facility.
The developers, who all have prior experience managing other assisted living homes, will pitch their concept for The Kensington of Ridgewood at Wednesday night’s Village Council work session.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn did not know full details of the plan, but he confirmed Wednesday morning that the proposal involves the parking lot at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Walnut Street as well as a portion of the municipal lot facing the rear of the PNC Bank building. In addition to the assisted living facility, the idea also includes the construction of a parking garage at the site.
Parents, Coaches: Know the Risks of Concussions in Youth Sports
June 4, 2013
Ridgewood NJ. 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 Tuesday, June 18; Wednesday, June 19; and Thursday, June 27. Two sessions will be held on each testing date at 5:30 p.m. and 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. Space is limited. 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
A Mano has only 10 spots left for our Pizza-Making with the Masters Demo
June 4, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, We have 10 spots left for our Pizza-Making with the Masters Demo on Thurs. 6/6, 6pm. Highly acclaimed pizza Chefs Roberto Caporuscio & Antonio Starita’s restaurants have been penned #1 Pizza in New York” by NY mag., “Best Pizza” in the state of NY by Food Network Mag., amongst the top 25 “Best Pizza Places the US” by Food and Wine, and had pizzas featured on the covers of Saveur and La Cucina Italiana mags. Don’t miss it! Call us at 201.493.2000 & the seats are yours!
Democrats look to squash Christie’s Proposed School Voucher Program
June .2,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, At $2 million, the Christie administration’s proposed school voucher program is a very small piece of the $12.4 billion that the state projects it will spend on public education next year., but Democrats looking to support the all powerfull teachers union are looking to put an end to educational opportunity for the poor.
Democrats lead by State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), the Democratic majority leader, this weekend repeated earlier comments that she was convinced the Democrats would put an end to the pilot, which would provide $10,000 vouchers for low-income students to attend qualifying schools, public or private. (https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/06/03/christie-s-proposed-school-voucher-program-at-latest-crossroads/ )
State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the chairman of the budget committee, last month also said much of the same thing: there were too many Democrats against it being part of an appropriations bill — if any law at all. ( https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/06/03/christie-s-proposed-school-voucher-program-at-latest-crossroads/ )
Gov, Christie and pro school choice vocatives have been pressing for vouchers since he first ran for governor, and it is the one piece of his education agenda still unfulfilled..
School choice advocates have been looking to break the monopoly grip on public education and have made some inroads but the NJEA controls to many democrat votes and continues to wage a war on the poor denying them educational opportunities afforded the wealthy and middle classes.
State Democrats seem all to happy to allow where on lives to determine the quality of eduction a child receives .
‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’ returns for its fifth season
Sunday, June 2, 2013 Last updated: Sunday June 2, 2013, 11:12 AM
BY VIRGINIA ROHAN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Hate means never having to say you’re sorry.
At least that’s true of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” which begins its fifth season tonight — without apology and, against all odds, with the entire feuding cast intact
Over the past four seasons, the Bravo show has featured table-flipping, hair-pulling, cursing, sibling feuding, name-calling and brawling — most recently, at a Ridgewood hair salon, during a private event on March 30. That last incident — which led to criminal charges against housewife Jacqueline Laurita, two other cast members and the man they fought with — will presumably become the big blowout episode of Season 5.
Despite all the mayhem, the “RHONJ” stars have never displayed the kind of public contrition — onscreen or off — that traditional actors who misbehave must adopt. Hugh Grant, Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Alec Baldwin — all seemingly followed carefully crafted crisis-management scripts after their respective misdeeds became public. And after Reese Witherspoon’s recent arrest in Atlanta for disorderly conduct, the actress went on a veritable media mea culpa tour.
