Downtown for the Holidays, an event sponsored by the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce, will feature the return of the village Christmas tree to the train station for the 25th annual tree lighting celebration.
For the past two years, the tree lighting ceremony took place in Van Neste Square Memorial Park with the decorating and lighting of a live tree purchased and planted by the village. The switch was made to eliminate the expense of transporting a donated tree to its original spot at the train station.
>Scott Garrett : Honoring Our Angels in Adoption This week, I was pleased to go to the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize November as National Adoption Month and commemorate the anniversary of National Adoption Day on November 20th. Now in its eleventh year, National Adoption Day is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the 123,000 children in foster care who are eligible and waiting for adoption, as well as honor families that have chosen to make a lasting difference in the life of a child through adoption.
Since its inception in 2000, more than 30,000 children have been connected to their new families as part of National Adoption Day activities. Last year alone over 4,800 children were adopted, and in 2010, it is hoped that almost 5,000 adoptions from foster care will be finalized nationwide. As your Congressman, I’m proud to report we have many families in the Fifth District that have changed the life of a child by choosing to adopt. Through the commemoration of the 11th Anniversary of National Adoption Day, I’m confident we will inspire many others to open up their hearts and homes to children in need of loving families.
This year, I would like to honor Shea and George Campbell of Waldwick for their tireless dedication as a foster family and adoptive parents. For more than thirty years, the Campbells have welcomed over 121 foster children into their home and have gone on to adopt several more to become full-time members of their family. Although many children have come in and out of their lives, George and Shea continue to be a haven of support, an invaluable resource for mentoring and source of inspiration for Americans across the country. Shea and George Campbell have given so many children the hope of a brighter future and I am proud to recognize them as “Angels in Adoption” as we celebrate National Adoption Day.
As we celebrate the 11th anniversary of National Adoption Day, it is important to remember that many children remain in foster care and are looking for a family to care for them and a place to call home. It’s my hope that we can continue to raise the awareness of National Adoption Day well into the future and inspire the next generation of families to open their homes to children in need of a family. Sincerely,
>Are Ridgewood Schools a place where some of the kids in Ridgewood get the idea that they can freely criticize and bully others I can see where some of the kids in Ridgewood get the idea that they can freely criticize and bully others.
You should examine his/her own cruel attacks and why he/she feels comfortable making fun of a teen on this blog. We are talking about a child here – 16 years old. You should not post hurtful opinions about him to make your point. Get help before your kids adopt your insensitive mind. Really? You did not like his choice of Halloween Costume? Grow up.
Sadly this post reveals, once again, there are bullies, who call themselves teachers, right here in Ridgewood! I wish Matt would out the teacher(s) that participated in the taunts against him. Past posts on this blog have openly discussed the names of bullies who are being paid big dollars to teach our kids! How can anyone expect kids to reject bullying when over and over teachers lead the charge.
Out the teacher bullies and fire them. The same teachers are complained about every year for the bullying tactics they use against our kids! I hope Matt Zimmer reads this and I hope he names the teacher(s)!
There are more issues than the lights potentially shining in a neighbor’s bedroom. Issues such as increased traffic, street parking and noise have an impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. While this is a typical NIMBY situation, the neighbors feel they never even had a chance to protest before it was a done deal….they were essentially hoodwinked.
The B.O.E. knew this would be controversial and that is why they did not include it in the original bond referendum, although they will claim it was a matter of cost at the time. The B.O.E. knew that sports groups would later come up with the funding for lights. The B.O.E. knew exactly what it was doing in an attempt to bypass neighborhood protests and the Village Planning Board was either ignorant of the issues or in cahoots with the B.O.E. Shame on the B.O.E. for its deception and the Planning Board for its lack of diligence.
>New Jersey cities brace for pain; reforms proposed
With cuts in state subsidies and a tighter cap on property-tax increases looming, New Jersey’s 566 municipalities face an ugly year of layoffs and service cuts. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
>Bret Schundler talks economics at New Jersey Tea Party event
Former State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler, seeking to emerge from behind the acrimonious circumstances of his firing by Gov. Chris Christie, was the guest speaker Thursday night at a Tea Party meeting. (Jennings, Daily Record)
The village manager recently revealed some positive numbers for Ridgewood’s budget heading into 2011.
Graydon Pool cut its 2009 losses nearly in half; the building department may finish the year in the black; and a number of other revenue generators are contributing to the gains, said Village Manager Ken Gabbert.
In 2009, Graydon’s expenses surpassed its revenues by about $192,000, but this year the municipal pool’s “losses” have been cut to around $100,000, Gabbert said.
The building department lost $153,000 in 2009, but could end the year with a positive $15,000, Gabbert said.
>ELEC: Democratic State Committee wrongfully spent on Corzine campaign
Democratic State Committee spent $227,120 for Gov. Jon Corzine’s reelection run last year, but didn’t follow campaign financing laws, according to a complaint from the Election Law Enforcement Commission released this week. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
The state has cut a total of $100,000 in aid to 225 municipalities because some are operating inefficiently, a top state official said Wednesday. (Method, Courier-Post)
In what some fear could lead to higher parking costs for commuters, NJ Transit is weighing a plan that could privatize parking at 81 of the cash-strapped agency’s sites — including the Hamilton, Princeton Junction and Trenton train stations. (Duffy, The Star-Ledger)
>N.J. Supreme Court to decide whether effort to recall Sen. Menendez can proceed
New Jersey’s Supreme Court is expected to rule today on whether a citizens group has the right to try to recall U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. (The Associated Press)
>Bill Clinton bans Twitter, Facebook and live-blog coverage for upcoming speech
Bill Clinton has called for a ban on the use of Twitter, Facebook updates and any live blogging during his keynote at the Dreamforce Cloud Computing conference in San Francisco next month.
Maybe Al Gore, who is a member of Apple’s board of directors and possibly more tech-friendly, could get the 42nd president of the United States to embrace a bit of social media and blog coverage of his speech?
Tech blog ReadWriteWeb said it was sent this memo from Outcast, a public relations firm, regarding Clinton’s speech at the conference, sponsored by Salesforce.com:
“PLEASE NOTE: President Clinton’s representatives have mandated that there be absolutely no reporting during his session.
That includes live blogging, Tweeting, Facebook posting or use of any other social media.
We understand the inconvenience this may present, but greatly appreciate your compliance. Thank you.”
TSA’s tyrannical tactics threaten American freedoms
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has crossed the line. As if subjecting millions of Americans to X-rated x-ray scans and public groping sessions weren’t bad enough, the agency now threatens $11,000 in fines against anyone refusing to submit to humiliation at the airport.
Oceanside, Calif., resident John Tyner found this out after he posted on YouTube a video of his degrading encounter with TSA screeners. Mr. Tyner’s catchy phrase, “If you touch my junk, I’ll have you arrested,” spread quickly, thanks to attention provided by the Drudge Report. TSA was not amused, and an official announced Monday that Mr. Tyner faces punishment for leaving the airport without submitting to the high-tech or low-tech molestation options.
The term is not used lightly. Under 18 U.S. Code Section 2244, ” ‘sexual contact’ means the intentional touching, either directly or through the clothing, of the genitalia, anus, groin, breast, inner thigh or buttocks of any person with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade.” It’s no coincidence that TSA initiated sexual-contact pat-downs after fliers began to refuse the pornographic scanners. There can be no question that when threats of civil punishment are used to ensure compliance, those encounters with the TSA lose their status as a voluntary transaction. It’s even more outrageous that these unnecessary searches are being conducted on children.
