>Please support CRR’s lawsuit and help preserve the beautiful landscape and suburban community neighborhood we love!
Please support CRR efforts to Stop Valley Hospital from this unprecedented expansion subjecting the Village of Ridgewood, residents and our neighborhood schools to years and years of construction… 6 years for phase one alone! Please support CRR’s lawsuit and help preserve the beautiful landscape and suburban community neighborhood we love! Please support the effort to maintain the quaint and lovely Village of Ridgewood!
Please Donate Today! From the smallest donation to the largest…every little bit helps! Donations will pay legal fees to fight Valley Hospital’s Third Party change to our Village Master Plan!
>Restoring Honor in Washington :500,000 attendees from all races, religions (or none at all) from across the USA
My husband and I joined 200 others from North NJ, so here’s an unblemished report of the facts:
-There were 500,000 attendees from all races, religions (or none at all) from across the USA who share the same belief – that our rights are given to us by God, not man.
-We recognize that those freedoms and liberties are under attack. We see the country transforming from a Representative Republic to a Socialist Democracy. We want to restore America to it’s original foundational principals.
-The goal was to recognize what’s great about America (Merit Medals awarded) and its people – and restore it through practice of faith, hope and charity on an individual level.
-When all of us have the courage to do the right thing, and live our lives honorably, we will begin to restore our government.
-If you would like to learn more about the crowd, and the spirit of the day, check out 8/31 WSJ Op-Ed.
Whatever you do, please do not accept Mainstream Media reports. Do your own homework.
We’re all entitled to our opinion, but not our own set of facts.
>If Jimmy Carter created Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama created Chris Christie
Christie Channels Reagan to Become Anti-Obama: Kevin Hassett
With all the crazy talk of President Barack Obama being the antichrist, it’s sort of amusing that the anti-Obama is a guy named Christie.
To understand the political force sweeping our country, one need only search the words “Chris Christie” on YouTube. The New Jersey governor’s town hall appearances have received hundreds of thousands of hits and glowing comments because the man, like Ronald Reagan before him, has an uncanny ear for what troubles Americans.
The truth is, a mensch like Christie could never have emerged in American politics if super-slick Obama had not enraged so many Americans first. If Jimmy Carter created Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama created Chris Christie.
Americans put their faith in a cocky Obama who wowed “The View” crowd in a bathing suit. But he gave us a government that didn’t know its own boundaries, defied common sense and fueled anxieties in post-financial crash America. Now the people of New Jersey have put their faith in a man who looks like the rest of us in a bathing suit.
Democrats might like to believe that the backlash embodied in the Tea Party movement is nothing more than a carnival of fools, headed for nowhere. But Christie is in touch with the national sense of unease that animates the Tea Party movement, and at town hall-type gatherings he has shown a grittiness that as drama surpasses the best reality TV shows.
>Moody’s Investors Service cuts Westfield Bond-Rating
New Jersey Property Tax Cap Prompts Moody’s Bond-Rating Cut for Westfield
Westfield, a New Jersey suburb where the median family income is more than twice the U.S. average, had its debt rating reduced by Moody’s Investors Service, which cited concerns about the town’s ability to balance its budgets. (Servetah, Bloomberg)
>Voters, not aid cuts, kill school construction projects
To paraphrase Bill Clinton: “It’s the economy.”
For school districts at the Jersey Shore, “It’s the economy” is a reminder that needed repairs are neglected, or that projects that could provide future savings — a hedge against further economic downturns — go undone. (Sastrowardoyo, Asbury Park Press)
“…America faces not only a crisis of confidence among consumers unwilling to spend and businesspeople unwilling to invest, but also a crisis of leadership. So long as our leaders tell us that we must trust them to regulate and redistribute our way back to prosperity, we will not break out of this economic quagmire. One can hope only that this Administration, composed of brilliant academics that have had experience in creating the very regulation and overseeing the very institutions that have failed, has learned from its mistakes and will set us down the right path. Perhaps our leaders will awaken to the fact that free market capitalism is the best system to allocate resources and create innovation, growth and jobs. Perhaps they will see the folly of generating greater deficits by “investing” in programs that lead to corruption and distortions of the system. Perhaps too, a cloven-hoofed, bristly haired mammal will become airborne and the rosette-like marking of a certain breed of ferocious feline will become altered. In other words, we are not holding our breath and are focused instead on navigating these murky waters for the benefit of our funds.”
>The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood filed a lawsuit on Monday in New Jersey Superior Court to challenge the validity of the H-Hospital Zone Amendment to the Village Master Plan
Residents’ group files lawsuit challenging Valley Hospital Renewal project Tuesday, August 31, 2010 Last updated: Tuesday August 31, 2010, 2:04 PM BY MICHAEL SEDON The Ridgewood News Staff Writer
RIDGEWOOD – The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood (CRR), a non-profit group challenging The Valley Hospital renewal project, filed a lawsuit on Monday in New Jersey Superior Court to challenge the validity of the H-Hospital Zone Amendment to the Village Master Plan, which was approved by the Village Planning Board on June 21 despite vigorous opposition by residents.
Named as defendants in the legal action are the Planning Board of the Village of Ridgewood and The Valley Hospital. The hospital is named along with the Village because it sponsored a change in the Master Plan under a 2007 ordinance that was created by the village council under former Mayor David Pfund. The ordinance allowed third parties to also sponsor changes to the Village’s Master Plan, not just the Village itself.
“As so many residents have voiced, the recently-approved Master Plan Amendment, which would allow Valley Hospital to double in size in this quiet residential neighborhood, is simply wrong for Ridgewood, and the residents are asking the court to reverse the decision,” said Paul Gould, spokesperson for CRR.
“From the day Valley made the request, the Village Planning Board appeared fully determined to push through this change to the Master Plan, overriding the views of its residents, and in its haste, tainted the process by making procedural glitches, allowing conflicts of interest to exist and mishandling notifications,” Gould said.
Special message from Concerned Residents of Ridgewood We do need money however to carry the fight through the courts. Please donate at: https://www.stopvalley.com/Donate.html and we take PayPal
>Congressman Scott Garrett :Greater and greater control of our educational system is being wrested from our local school boards and placed into the hands of faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
Garrett: Race to the Top gaffe is a teachable moment
By Rep. Scott Garrett August 29, 2010
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Education announced the 10 finalists for the “Race to the Top” initiative. Enacted shortly after President Obama took office, this program allows states to apply for federal education funding after they implement educational reforms in line with the goals of the Obama Administration.
As most are aware of by now, New Jersey was not a recipient of the funding.
While my congressional colleagues and I will do what we can to ensure that New Jersey’s application was — and will continue to be — treated fairly, it’s my hope that no matter what happens, we can take a step back and use this experience as a teachable moment.
After all, it is illustrative of a broader problem we face: Greater and greater control of our educational system is being wrested from our local school boards and placed into the hands of faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
PRINCETON, NJ — Republicans lead by 51% to 41% among registered voters in Gallup weekly tracking of 2010 congressional voting preferences. The 10-percentage-point lead is the GOP’s largest so far this year and is its largest in Gallup’s history of tracking the midterm generic ballot for Congress
>Obama, Democrats got 88 percent of 2008 contributions by TV network execs, writers, reporters
By: Mark Tapscott Editorial Page Editor 08/27/10 3:45 PM EDT
Senior executives, on-air personalities, producers, reporters, editors, writers and other self-identifying employees of ABC, CBS and NBC contributed more than $1 million to Democratic candidates and campaign committees in 2008, according to an analysis by The Examiner of data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Democratic total of $1,020,816 was given by 1,160 employees of the three major broadcast television networks, with an average contribution of $880.
By contrast, only 193 of the employees contributed to Republican candidates and campaign committees, for a total of $142,863. The average Republican contribution was $744.
Disclosure of the heavily Democratic contributions by influential employees of the three major broadcast networks follows on the heels of controversy last week when it was learned that media baron Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. contributed $1 million to the Republican Governors Association.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/Obama-Democrats-got-88-percent-of-TV-network-employee-campaign-contributions-101668063.html#ixzz0y9CNzk9h
THE world’s leading climate change body has been accused of losing credibility after a damning report into its research practices.
A high-level inquiry into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found there was “little evidence” for its claims about global warming.
It also said the panel had emphasised the negative impacts of climate change and made “substantive findings” based on little proof.
The review by the InterAcademy Council (IAC) was launched after the IPCC’s hugely embarrassing 2007 benchmark climate change report, which contained exaggerated and false claims that Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035.
The panel was forced to admit its key claim in support of global warming was lifted from a 1999 magazine article. The report was based on an interview with a little-known Indian scientist who has since said his views were “speculation” and not backed by research.
Independent climate scientist Peter Taylor said last night: “The IPCC’s credibility has been deeply dented and something has to be done. It can’t just be a matter of adjusting the practices. They have got to look at what are the consequences of having got it wrong in terms of what the public think is going on. Admitting that it needs to reform means something has gone wrong and they really do need to look at the science.”
Climate change sceptic David Holland, who challenged leading climate change scientists at the University of East Anglia to disclose their research, said: “The panel is definitely not fit for purpose. What the IAC has said is substantial changes need to be made.”
The IAC, which comprises the world’s top science academies including the UK’s Royal Society, made recommendations to the IPCC to “enhance its credibility and independence” after the Himalayan glaciers report, which severely damaged the reputation of climate science.
It condemned the panel – set up by the UN to ensure world leaders had the best scientific advice on climate change – for its “slow and inadequate response” after the damaging errors emerged.
>The Ridgewood blog Special Series: Restoring Honor in Washington, Part III
Restoring Honor in Washington, DC.
by Jason A. Vigorito
Part III
Barry and I have never attended a rally before. We are two of those Conservative/Libertarian-minded individuals among the masses who cannot regularly attend rallies because we’re busy, hard-working guys. And most rallies occur in the middle of a weekday. The Restoring Honor Rally for both of us, and according to many others who attended, is considered one of the most important experiences of our lives. And the rally’s climax at 1pm was one of the most important moments.
The 240-member “Black Robe Regiment”—a multi-faith group of religious leaders—came on stage at the end for a final prayer session. To see these men and women of diverse religious backgrounds come together shoulder-to-shoulder, singing and praying locked arm-in-arm, was mind-blowing. The scene beautifully illustrated our country’s potential.
Hearkening back to MLK’s eloquent “I Have A Dream” speech, the scene and common thread throughout the rally contributed to King’s statement to not look at skin color but at character. The idea of unity through breaking barriers is inherent in returning our national identity back to God. Racial barriers, ideological barriers, religious barriers, can all be overcome!
A truly inspirational moment, and a truly inspirational message.
Jo Dee Messina, John Rich, and other singers brought a fun end to this historic event. Barry and I spent some time at the Lincoln and other memorials, mingling with the crowd, savoring the moment. We ate some Sabrett hotdogs with some fellow ralliers and hit the road at 5pm. It was a long drive back home to Nutley and Lyndhurst, and on that drive Barry and I realized the event was a national epiphany—how to come together again as Americans. Spirituality and reliance on self-governance were stressed at the rally, only echoing what others—Jefferson, Washington, Whitfield, de Tocqueville, Churchill, King—have said to be America’s successful exceptionalism.
If you are pro-faith, pro-military, pro-individualism, etc., and you feel isolated in your beliefs…don’t. I conclude with Sarah Palin’s reassuring words, “Look around you, you are not alone. You are Americans!”
>The Ridgewood blog Special Series: Restoring Honor in Washington, Part II
by Jason A. Vigorito
Part II
Sarah Palin—speaking as a soldier’s mother—best stated Barry’s, mine, and every other rallier’s reason for attending the Restoring Honor Rally: we don’t want to fundamentally transform America, we want to RESTORE America. So how do we do that, we all wanted to know.
First, by returning our focus on God. Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Dr. Alveda King (MLK’s niece), Tony La Russa (the St. Louis Cardinals’ manager), and the other many speakers and presenters all spoke on how God is necessary to strengthen our country. Direct descendants of the Pilgrims and Plymouth’s Indians stood arm-in-arm illustrating that this country’s origins lay in humbleness to God.
Second, that we can all be heroes in our own ways. So many touching veterans’ stories from several wars were illustrated, bringing most in the crowd to tears several times. Three men were presented with Badges of Merit to continue George Washington’s tradition of honoring America’s citizenry: Pastor C.L. Jackson for Faith, Albert Pujous for Hope, and Jon Huntsman, Sr., for Charity (giving $2 billion to charity!). Glenn stated, “Heroes are those who stand and do the right things, even at their own peril.” And the crowd was moved by the many examples on stage.
The thrust of the rally was to support the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Over $5.5 million dollars was raised through the rally! A staggering number that SWOF’s president, John Kearny, tearfully thanked the crowd for. And many in the crowd joyfully replied, “Your welcome!”
Have you ever cheered alongside 300,000+ people? Have you ever sung with 300,000+ people?? Have you ever prayed with 300,000+ people??? Have you ever even been in a crowd that large?! To hear that many people say the Pledge of Allegiance, led by a Boy Scout, together; to sing the National Anthem in unison; to hold hands with strangers and sing “Amazing Grace” to bagpipes. You’re struck with awe. Wonderment! Looking at the vast sea of folks who were there with the same purpose, the same convictions, the same patriotism for your country…Barry and I were overwhelmed with emotions. And so was everyone else. Everyone cried.
It all coalesced at the end with 240 religious leaders taking the stage—pastors, reverends, rabbis, priests, and, yes, even imams. Glenn called them “The Black Robe Regiment.” And what they did was truly inspirational!
>The Ridgewood YMCA : extraordinary and unique opportunity to lead the FIRST Robotics Competition Team
The Ridgewood YMCA is looking for a professional engineer who would like to volunteer to lead a FIRST Robotics Competition Team. The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program aims to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, inspire innovation and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
The FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRCTM) stages short games played by autonomous and remote controlled robots. The robots are designed and built in 6 weeks (from a common set of parts) by a team of 15 to 25 high-school-aged young people and a handful of engineers-mentors. The students remotely control the robots in competition rounds on the field.
Any interested engineers should call Chris at the Y at 201-444-5600 ext. 339 or [email protected].
