“Ridgewood” Bear shot in New York State
Written by Jim Stabile
Outdoors Columnist
A hunter shot a New Jersey bear Nov. 23, even though our season doesn’t open until Dec. 9.
The legal kill was made in New York, 107 miles from our state, closer to Albany than Ringwood State Park, where the nuisance bruin had been released five months ago after being tranquilized near a Ridgewood school.
New York and Pennsylvania hunters kill dozens of tagged and tattooed New Jersey bears, plus countless more that don’t have identification. They’re killed in neighboring states because of our growing bear overpopulation.
no proof its the bear our former mayor wrestled
Bears cross the Delaware, walk north or go further. One was caught in Connecticut on June 5, 2012. Another went to Maryland’s eastern shore.
They don’t leave New Jersey because there’s not enough food. There’s plenty to eat. Young male bears are forced to leave by bigger, older male bears that don’t want competition for sows during the June breeding season.
BOOKENDS: Hey Kids, Comics! – Authors Autographing this Saturday
Forget Black Friday – Small Business Saturday is coming! Come meet Robert J. Kelly, Paul Castiglia and Ed Catto as they discuss and autograph copies of the best holiday gift you can give the comics fan in your life – a copy of Hey Kids, Comics! published by Crazy 8 Press. This discussion and autographing is scheduled at the independent bookstore, Bookends, this Saturday, November 30th at 2PM.
Ridgewood’s Bookends Bookstore is known for having top authors such as Nelson DeMille, James Patterson and Harlan Coben as well as celebrity authors, ranging from Gene Simmons to Billy Crystal. This independently owned and operated shop is located at 211 East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood, NJ (phone : 201.445.0726). And this event is in conjunction with Amex’s Small Business Saturday, so there are savings for American Express Card Holders.
More information is available at www.book-ends.com
Black Friday less crazy in North Jersey as holiday openings soften the crush
Friday, November 29, 2013 Last updated: Friday November 29, 2013, 11:13 PM
BY JOAN VERDON, KATHLEEN LYNN AND AND REW WYRICH
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
It was a North Jersey Black Friday with a new twist — shoppers saying they went to malls and stores Friday because they wanted to avoid the craziness.
While Black Friday still is expected to draw the most sales and shoppers of the four-day weekend, the madness — the frenzied rush for door-buster deals — largely was pushed forward into Thanksgiving night, when more than a dozen major retailers opened their doors or began offering deals in the early evening.
As a result, the stores that opened on Thanksgiving were quieter and calmer on Friday, although stores and malls in Paramus — which delayed their openings until 7 a.m. Friday because of a borough ordinance restricting all-night shopping — still had lines of shoppers waiting for the doors to open.
Black Friday Spending Spree (in Washington)
11/29/2013
American shoppers aren’t the only ones getting ready to spend big this holiday season.
In Washington, members of the budget conference committee are considering several options that could increase spending by up to an additional $100 billion.
What’s standing in their way is sequestration: the automatic spending cut mechanism President Obama signed into law with the Budget Control Act (BCA). Sequestration enforces spending caps on the discretionary budget, which includes those domestic programs that brought you the infamous IRS Star Trek parody video and the $325,000 RoboSquirrel. The reductions disproportionately fall on defense, and lawmakers should do a better job of prioritizing this core constitutional function while staying within the agreed-upon spending levels.
According to news sources, some budget conference members are considering a compromise deal to bust the sequestration spending caps by up to $100 billion. In an attempt to find offsetting mandatory spending cuts and revenues to entice both sides into such a deal, lawmakers are reportedly considering an increase in “user fees.” This is simply a disguised tax increase.
Raising these fees to cover the cost of providing services is one thing. Increasing them to pay for more spending is just another Washington gimmick. Using gimmicks like this one to get around necessary spending reductions is a destructive habit that has helped fuel the now $17.2 trillion national debt.
What adds even more fuel to the fire is that Congress is not currently restrained by a debt limit.
Lawmakers suspended the debt limit through February 7 in the deal that ended the government shutdown. With no dollar amount to limit their spending, there is little to stop Washington from piling even more spending and debt on taxpayers. Imagine hitting the Black Friday deals with an unlimited credit card at your disposal.
A budget conference “compromise” may sound like progress in this era of congressional gridlock, but when it means higher spending and continuing on the current fiscal collision course, it will do more harm than good. Washington is already on track to spend nearly $150 billion more in 2014 than it did in 2013, largely due to growth in entitlement spending—the key driver of spending and debt.
Instead of spending even more of taxpayers’ money, lawmakers should address future debt by controlling the growth in entitlement spending, sticking to the Budget Control Act, and enforcing lower levels of spending. If the committee fails to begin solving America’s entitlement problem, this means spending and debt will continue to go up and harm the opportunities of all Americans.
The credit card has been maxed out too many times already. This is the season to curb Washington’s spending spree.
Ridgewood Police Answers : Why do New Jersey Police Departments refer to the person who is accused of committing a crime the “actor”?
Here is a quote from Title 2C, NJ Criminal law:
2C:1-14. Definitions.
2C:1-14. In this code, unless a different meaning plainly is required:
a. “Statute” includes the Constitution and a local law or ordinance of a political subdivision of the State;
b. “Act” or “action” means a bodily movement whether voluntary or involuntary;
c. “Omission” means a failure to act;
d. “Conduct” means an action or omission and its accompanying state of mind, or, where relevant, a series of acts and omissions;
e. “Actor” includes, where relevant, a person guilty of an omission;
f. “Acted” includes, where relevant, “omitted to act”;
g. “Person,” “he,” and “actor” include any natural person and, where relevant, a corporation or an unincorporated association;
As you see, the “perpetrator” or “do-er” or “defendant” fits in with that legal definition of “actor” and that term is used in lots of the individual statutes use that term, like this excerpt from 2c:2-3:
“e. When causing a particular result is a material element of an offense for which absolute liability is imposed by law, the element is not established unless the actual result is a probable consequence of the actor’s conduct.”
Because the term is used in NJ criminal law, police just tend to use it on complaints, in their reports and news releases. Lots of states that use the “model; penal code” as the basis for their criminal law use the word “actor” when reffering to the accused
Citing ‘complexity’ of case, judge grants ex-Bergen Democratic chief delay in corruption trial
Thursday, November 28, 2013 Last updated: Thursday November 28, 2013, 4:48 PM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Joseph A. Ferriero will have a year to prepare for his next federal corruption trial on charges of orchestrating a series of bribery, kickback and shakedown schemes during his reign as chairman of the Bergen County Democratic organization.
U.S. District Judge Ester Salas, sitting in Newark, signed an order Nov. 18 setting a new trial date of Oct. 14, 2014 for Ferriero’s racketeering case. The trial, estimated to take six weeks, had previously been tentatively scheduled for December.
Ferriero, 56, once among the state’s most powerful political leaders, was indicted on Sept. 11 on charges of running the affairs of the county’s Democratic organization through a pattern of racketeering activity. He also was charged with conspiring to promote bribery and distribute bribe proceeds and to commit mail and wire fraud; as well as with one count each of violating the Travel Act and the mail and wire fraud statutes.
The judge acted on a joint application by the office of U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Ferriero’s counsel, Michael Baldassare and Jennifer Mara, for an order declaring the matter to be a complex case.
1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe, sober and happy Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. During these holidays, families and friends will come together to celebrate. To ensure that everyone can enjoy their holidays safely we will be increasing DWI patrols commencing tonight. Please, if you must drink during the holidays, do so responsibly and don’t get behind the wheel if you have been drinking.
“Heavy Drop” slows down Village Leaf Pick Up
November 23,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, According to the Village Hall website ,”Due to the heavy drop of leaves we are currently running about 4 days behind schedule. Right now we are in Area D and will finish by Monday. We will begin Area A on Tuesday, November 26th and continue until after Thanksgiving. We will not get to Area B before Thanksgiving.”
So we decided to take a ride around the Village and see for our self’s . And yes no surprise but the leaves piles towered over our car and work crews were hard at working playing catch up .
Almost 80 million with employer health care plans could have coverage canceled, experts predict
By Jim Angle ,Published November 26, 2013 ,FoxNews.com
Almost 80 million people with employer health plans could find their coverage canceled because they are not compliant with ObamaCare, several experts predicted.
Their losses would be in addition to the millions who found their individual coverage cancelled for the same reason.
Stan Veuger of the American Enterprise Institute said that in addition to the individual cancellations, “at least half the people on employer plans would by 2014 start losing plans as well.” There are approximately 157 million employer health care policy holders.
Avik Roy of the Manhattan Institute added, “the administration estimated that approximately 78 million Americans with employer sponsored insurance would lose their existing coverage due to the Affordable Care Act.”
Last week, an analysis by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, showed the administration anticipates half to two-thirds of small businesses would have policies canceled or be compelled to send workers onto the ObamaCare exchanges. They predicted up to 100 million small and large business policies could be canceled next year.
According to projections the administration itself issued back in July 2010, it was clear officials knew the impact of ObamaCare three years ago.
In fact, according to the Federal Register, its mid-range estimate was that by the end of 2014, 76 percent of small group plans would be cancelled, along with 55 percent of large employer plans.
All eyes on N.J. as online casino gambling rolls out
Online gambling in the U.S. today takes what industry experts say is the most significant step yet — the rollout of online casino gambling in New Jersey.
Nevada residents and visitors have been able to play state-sanctioned online poker since April, and those in Delaware have had that option since last month. (Brennan/The Record)
Commissioner Faces Difficult Choice on Coverage Option Offered by Obama
Experts say Kobylowski must balance wishes of NJ consumers with what works best for insurance marketplace
New Jersey Commissioner of Banking and Insurance Kenneth Kobylowski is weighing whether to allow thousands of state residents to keep their recently cancelled health insurance plans.
The decision will have major policy and political implications over the next year. (Kitchenman/NJSpotlight)
‘Modified’ tailgating at MetLife for Super Bowl
Monday, November 25, 2013 Last updated: Monday November 25, 2013, 6:24 PM
Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD — Tailgating will be allowed in the parking lot at MetLife Stadium for February’s Super Bowl, in a modified capacity.
In other words, don’t expect to bring your deluxe grill to the festivities. In fact, don’t bring any kind of grill unless you want to be turned away at the entrance.
The National Football League won’t allow grills in the parking areas at the Meadowlands sports complex on game day. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said Monday that’s a standard rule that’s been employed at previous Super Bowls.
Published reports last week suggested tailgating might not be allowed. But McCarthy said fans can bring their own food and beverages as long as they don’t bring a grill or spread out taking up empty parking spots as many fans do at New York Giants and New York Jets games.
The complex has more than 25,000 parking spots available for a typical Giants or Jets game, but more than half of those will be taken up by security and television equipment, organizers have said.
A good read, and important information for Ridgewood residents to familiarize themselves with if our school district is to avoid remaining mired in the political and cultural trap that is the Common Core State Standards Initiative…
November 25, 2013 The Progressive Myth of Creativity
By Bruce Deitrick Price
Creativity has been a big theme in progressive education for more than 75 years: We are constantly lectured (see https://www.americanthinker.com/2012/06/progressive_educations_war_on_knowledge.html) that kids need music, art, theater, etc. This theme is now metastasizing into an oppressive dogma. But, why?
Ken Robinson, the guru of creativity, is famous for saying “We are educating people out of their creative capacities.” (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY) The premise seems to be: if kids do arty things, they will end up being artists. Empirically untrue. Conversely, Robinson says that if children do something rigorous and academic, they will be prevented from being creative. Dangerously untrue.
Rearranging knowledge in new ways is arguably the very essence of creativity. (see https://anniemurphypaul.com/2012/11/the-false-dichotomy-between-facts-and-creativity/) It follows that the systematic acquisition of knowledge is one of the best things you can do if you want to be creative. (see https://www.supermemo.com/articles/20rules.htm)
Furthermore, there are habits of mind or consciousness that can be developed only through practice and discipline. It’s always been understood that students learn by mastering basic skills and then by completing more and more difficult projects, not empty make-believe projects, but real projects such as speaking French, understanding American History, or figuring out how computers work.
Professor Robert Weisberg wrote a book called “Creativity, Genius and other Myths” where he stated: “There is evidence that deep immersion is required in a discipline before you produce anything of great novelty….There is this concept that genius has leaps of insight way beyond everybody else. If you look at the background of these people, there is much more of a progression. They don’t make leaps — they build in small pieces.” In short, Weisberg says that drills do not stifle creativity. They engender it. (see https://www.improve-education.org/id39.html)
It’s fascinating to observe how many famous writers started off as doctors and lawyers. What could be less creative than a premed and medical curriculum? What could be more stifling than studying to be a lawyer?
John Grisham, Erle Stanley Gardner, Scott Turow, Wallace Stevens, Henry Fielding, Louis Auchincloss, David Baldacci worked as lawyers. There is nobody more creative than Wallace Stevens.
Zane Grey, Anton Chekhov, Robert Ripley, Michael Creighton, Somerset Maugham, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Robin Cook, and William Carlos Williams were doctors.
Question for education professors: Anthony Trollope was a postal inspector. He wrote three hours each morning before going off to work. He published 47 novels. How would you propose to make Trollope more creative?
Let’s stipulate that creativity is a good thing and should be encouraged. So are sports a good thing; but nobody proposes that we transform schools into gymnasiums. The problem is Ken Robinson’s overstatement “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” The next sound you hear will be children struggling to read, and traditional textbooks being tossed in the trash.
The pattern for the last century is that our Education Establishment is always looking for ways to justify dismissal of the traditional curriculum. One day they’ll assert straight out that academics are a waste of time. The next day they’ll argue slyly that we need to devote more time to nonacademic goals, such as creativity, critical thinking, or dressing for success.
The key to understanding all this confusion is to note that “progressive” educators are socialist educators. They want children to end up more or less equal (a result which they call social justice). So they pretend to care about creativity. But what they really care about is making sure that little time is left for children to learn who George Washington was.
Ken Robinson made a famous speech about creativity several years ago. (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U) He railed against the so-called “factory method of education.” One video has been viewed 11 million times. There are only 3 million teachers in the US. Apparently, our Education Establishment loves the message in this speech and forces it on everyone. “Factory method” is code for children going to class on time, sitting at desks, and memorizing stuff. “Factory method” is what most education has been for thousands of years, long before there was a factory. Such schools are orderly and designed to achieve educational progress. That seems to be what progressive educators can’t stand.
Robin Eubanks, an attorney who wrote the new book “Credentialed to Destroy: How and Why Education Became a Weapon,” sees the road to serfdom everywhere in our educational system. In a recent blog she wrote: “Only an electronic color billboard in Times Square could be more explicit. It is indeed slam dunk time in our effort to show that the education reforms known as Common Core or 21st Century Skills or social and emotional learning are actually a means of gaining much broader transformations.”
That would be the same “fundamental transformation” that Barack Obama bragged of achieving. That would be the drive to impose socialism on this country.
Does that strike you as something new? It’s not. John Dewey launched this offensive a century ago. (see https://www.americanthinker.com/2012/10/john_dewey_is_a_fraud.html) Our Education Establishment is defined by this offensive. A word to the wise: whatever these people recommend is probably designed to do the exact opposite of what they claim. More creativity? No, you’ll just be an ignorant serf.
Robin Eubanks wants a different future: “Unfettered by government seeking to restrict what any American can know or do, we can prosper again.”
Finally, can creativity even be taught? John Saxon who created Saxon Math and other highly successful curricula, famously said that creativity cannot be taught. All you can do is create a context where creativity can express itself. (see https://www.rightsidenews.com/2012062223739/life-and-science/health-and-education/the-legend-of-john-saxon-math-warrior.html)
But I’ve often wondered, if creativity could be taught, how do you do it? Speaking as a writer and painter, I don’t think you teach ordinary students to be creative by having them do so-called creative things. What then? What would fit in with elementary school subjects and work for everyone? I start thinking about mazes and optical illusions, puzzles and riddles. I start thinking about checkers, bingo, Chinese checkers, and card games such as as Go Fish and War. And let’s not forget simple machines, models, electric circuits, and tools. Especially let’s not forget Aesop’s fables and maxims of all kinds. (Why is it true that a stitch in time saves nine??) Kids do most of these things for fun. They stimulate the mind to be more flexible and opportunistic. You see problems, you try to solve them. So it would be easy to build an enjoyable “creativity curriculum” from toys and games, a curriculum that would encourage creativity and logic, and as well arithmetic and reading.
Bruce Deitrick Price explains education theories and methods on his site Improve-Education.org
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