A too-quiet summer for some Jersey Shore towns
Sunday, August 25, 2013 Last updated: Monday August 26, 2013, 4:40 AM
BY KAREN SUDOL AND KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
Every time a new business reopens in the tiny Shore town of Sea Bright, Mayor Dina Long tweets about it, considering each a celebratory milestone for the borough that was wiped out by Superstorm Sandy.
“I do it so that people know that Sea Bright is coming back to life,” Long said of her tweets, which have included a July 24 note about the 7-Eleven convenience store’s grand reopening: “Oh, thank heaven. Welcome back 7-11!”
As businesses have steadily opened doors throughout the summer along the Jersey Shore, many shop owners — especially those in the towns hardest hit by the Oct. 29 storm — have characterized it as a very quiet summer with revenues that don’t come close to last year’s figures.
Their fervent — and last — hope is for a sunny and warm Labor Day weekend that will lure more visitors and consequently place more money in their pockets. Some are even planning to remain open into the fall. The Keansburg Amusement Park, for example, is hosting events like an Octoberfest to draw visitors during the off-season.
Real estate agents and tourism officials said that the summer was weaker than in 2012 for a combination of reasons, including rainy weather in May and June and a lingering heat wave in July, as well as the aftereffects of the storm, especially in the hardest-hit areas. Despite an aggressive statewide advertising campaign promoting the Shore as open for business, potential visitors stayed away somewhat because of the perception of widespread damage. – See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/A_too-quiet_summer_for_some_Jersey_Shore_towns.html#sthash.R3diNkJT.dpuf
20-somethings jump into super PACs
By ANDREA DRUSCH | 8/24/13 5:09 PM EDT
What’s cool for America’s youth this election cycle isn’t putting an Obama poster on your wall or tattooing the Romney R on your face. It’s starting your own super PAC.
In 2012, groups like Restore Our Future, American Crossroads and Priorities USA spent millions — reshaping the campaign landscape around the chase of big — often older and male — donors. Now, America’s youth are ready and eager to get in on the game.
In the past month alone, four super PACs were formed by people younger than 35 with the intention of advocating for young people. Often, the idea is to push back against political parties they say are drifting off course.
“When we’re talking about people our age, in their mid-20s to 30s, a lot of the candidates don’t represent exactly what we want,” said Sarah Ponn, 25, president of Pass the Torch PAC in Manchester, N.H.
Frustrated with what she sees as parties and politicians that are disinterested in the needs of young people, Ponn, 25, started a super PAC with two of her friends.
She says her group wants to rebrand the message of the Republican Party. They want to see the economy back on track, student loan rates fixed and politicians taking their focus off of social issues. “We’re trying to steer clear of issues like abortion and gay marriage,” she said. “With a lot of candidates … it’s hard to separate out what they really stand for and to get behind them for everything.
“That’s why we went with a super PAC,” Ponn added. “It gives us that ability to step outside the party lines.”
It’s a sentiment young super PACs from both parties share: National candidates either don’t align with their views, or they don’t prioritize the issues that matter to them.
Opening Day for Students:
Monday, September 9
Minimum Day Schedule
RIDGEWOOD BOE MEETS MONDAY, AUGUST 26
The Board will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, August 26 at 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting will be aired live on FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77. Or it may be viewed live via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us using the “Link in Live” tab.
Click here to view the agenda for the June 25, 2013 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the webcast of the July 22, 2013 Regular Public Meeting.
NJASK REPORTS UPDATE
State Testing Results
Please note that, based on the most current information from the New Jersey Department of Education, parents/guardians can expect to receive their child’s Individual Student Report for the Spring 2013 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) no later than September 27, 2013.Click here to view the agenda for the June 25, 2013 Regular Public Meeting.
A full moon at Valley hearing
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Ridgewood News
A full moon at Valley hearing
Jeanette LaRocco
To the editor:
After the Tuesday, Aug. 20 “non-meeting” with the Planning Board regarding Valley Hospital, a friend who had attended with me noted that there was a full moon that night. That was apropos considering the results.
Instead of hearing CRR’s lawyer and planner speak about their research regarding Valley Hospital’s expansion, the meeting was cancelled. It was because of the amazing support of Ridgewood residents who had come to hear the experts speak.
I truly want to thank all the residents who showed up in force, to the consternation of the Planning Board and Valley Hospital, especially those residents who had sporadically attended meetings or had never attended a meeting before. I believe that is why it was scheduled for Village Hall instead of a larger venue. There were an overflowing number of people, so much so that we exceeded the amount allowed and we could not have a meeting, whereby all residents could hear the information. As Mr. Drill expressed it, he was concerned that CRR would file an appeal because all the residents present would not be able to be in the room during the meeting to hear the presentation.
4 Problems with Federal College Scorecards
Lindsey Burke
August 23, 2013 at 6:50 am
Yesterday, President Obama announced his plan to make “college more affordable, tackle rising costs, and improve value for students and their families.”
But a big part of the President’s plan includes creating a college rating system—a federal scorecard—to evaluate colleges on measures such as graduation rates, the number of low-income students served (i.e., the percentage of Pell Grant recipients), graduate earnings, and affordability.
Scorecards are a seductive idea. But having the federal government issue scorecards to measure college output would be a mistake. Four problems with the President’s plan:
1. Government says what’s best. As we wrote yesterday in National Review Online, for one thing, a monopoly government scorecard would inevitably reflect what bureaucrats—rather than parents, students, and scholarly communities—determine is or is not important in education.
2. Special-interest institutions with more clout could shape the standards. Existing institutions that are comfortable within the cocoon of protectionist accreditation would lobby hard, and no doubt effectively, for output measures that define success in their own terms.
3. Standard-setters would also control college funding. Educational institutions’ lobbying becomes particularly problematic when considering the second part of President Obama’s proposal: to then tie federal student aid to the new rating system by giving larger Pell Grants and lower student loan interest rates to students who enroll in colleges that fare well on the federal scorecard.
The logical outcome is a system that has the federal government handing out subsidies based on a rating system designed by the people handing out the funding. What could possibly go wrong?
4. We already have scorecards. A competing range of private outcomes-based scorecards already exists, sponsored by such outlets as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, ACTA, and Kiplinger’s. Each of these reflects the differing visions of quality held by different Americans, from post-graduation salary to the likelihood of a well-rounded education. A one-size-fits-all federal rating system is unnecessary and will likely trump these independent evaluators that parents and students have long trusted.
If the Obama Administration truly wants to “shake up” higher ed and bring down college costs, it would acknowledge that federal government intervention is the problem, not the solution.
Continuing to increase federal subsidies enables universities to raise tuition. Since 1982, the cost of attending college has increased 439 percent—more than four times the rate of inflation. Increases in college costs exceed increases in health care costs, which have risen more than 250 percent over the same time period. Economist Richard Vedder argues that “some of these financial aid programs have contributed mightily to the explosion in tuition and fees in modern times.”
The key in education reform is to do things that improve students’ learning. A federal college scorecard gets an F on all counts.
Hearing on Valley Hospital postponed when too many people show up
Thursday, August 22, 2013 Last updated: Thursday August 22, 2013, 7:27 AM
BY BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — Opponents of the proposed expansion at The Valley Hospital are frustrated and angry that they have to wait another six weeks to present their case after a public hearing was abruptly canceled when village officials decided the room had become overcrowded.
After seven months of listening to experts hired by Valley testify before the Planning Board in favor of the hospital’s proposal to expand to nearly 1 million square feet, opponents were supposed to get their turn Tuesday night.
Instead, the meeting was shut down when officials said there were too many people in the room at Village Hall, violating fire codes.
“I think this was strategic — we rallied and they want us to just go away,” said Angele Ekert, a resident and one of the opponents who tried to attend the meeting.
Many previous hearings on the issue had been held in large halls at the middle and high schools. This meeting was scheduled in a room that officials said could not hold the approximately 130 who wanted to attend. Opponents pointed out that many more people had been in the same room during other events, like the village reorganization meeting, and those had not been adjourned.
Village officials said they did not realize so many people would attend the hearing. “We’ve been having hearings since April and haven’t had this issue before,” Kathryn Razin, attorney for the Planning Board, said on Wednesday. “The board had no reason to anticipate anything differently last night.”
Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian said they considered trying to use some type of technology to include people standing outside the room but felt it wouldn’t allow complete public participation.
The debacle harkened back to another mishap at a Planning Board hearing on the same issue. In June 2010, the Planning Board moved its meeting to a small auditorium at George Washington Middle School for its vote on a previous hospital expansion plan. So many people were locked out that police from three towns had to help local officers get control of the crowd.
A TID is really the best friend of the developer, not the community.
A TID will not fix all that is wrong with Ridgewood. A TID will only collect money from developers to take care of new problems brought on by new development. A TID does not have to (legally) fix any problems that are pre-existing. A TID is really the best friend of the developer, not the community.
By creating a TID, large scale development that should not and currently cannot be built, will easily get passed through our approval process. These proposals will easily pass through because we will all be focused on all the $$ brought in through the TID. Long after these buildings go up and the TID money has dried out, we will be stuck with large, out of character buildings abutting our railways and blacking out our skyline. Hundreds of new residents will increase demand on our services (fire, police, schools,etc), and our taxes will most certainly rise!
Reader says In this economy it is all about your skills
Private colleges are too expensive. There has been A spike in applications. Students realize that having $50k in debt after college is not worth it.
In this economy it is all about your skills, not where you went to school. I am sure that the Harvard wannabees will disagree but most Americans go to college and go to work. Practical skills are in demand not esoteric degrees from $200k schools.
This is a global economy and we need to get people working not saddled with debt. I am also saying that going to a school that you cannot afford is foolish. In Ridgewood we are hung up on name brands and unless you want to pay for college for 20 years you had better get over it.
273 NJ Transit railcars, 70 engines destroyed in Sandy flooding after storm plan ignored
From ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last Updated: 9:56 AM, August 19, 2013
Posted: 9:55 AM, August 19, 2013
NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey Transit had a hurricane plan to move its trains to higher ground before Hurricane Sandy hit.
But it’s not clear why the agency instead moved locomotives and rail cars to low-lying rail yards in Kearny and Hoboken. A third of the agency’s fleet – 70 locomotives and 273 rail cars – were damaged by flooding from the storm.
The Record newspaper obtained a copy of the 3 1/2-page plan that was prepared four months before Sandy after filing a public-records suit.
The plan calls for moving railcars and locomotives “from flood-prone areas to higher ground” and lists more than a half-dozen locations.
REUTERS
Water floods the complex at the Meadows Maintenance Complex in New Jersey in the aftermath of super storm Sandy in this October 31, 2012 handout photo obtained by Reuters November 1, 2012.
Kearny Yard and Hoboken were not listed.
An NJ Transit spokesman declined to answer questions about why the equipment was moved to those locations.
Letter: TID is a no brainer
TUESDAY AUGUST 20, 2013, 11:18 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
TID is a no brainer
by Gary Muzio
To The Editor:
The issue of resident’s quality of life concerns versus developer ambition might be quietly hanging in the balance, as illustrated in last week’s Ridgewood News article “Plan for TID questioned” (page A4). This may be the last, best chance we have to put a governor on how much influence developers have in shaping what Ridgewood will look like in years to come.
A TID – transportation improvement district – allows a municipality to collect money from developers to fund infrastructure projects and upgrades to offset the increased density development will bring about. In effect, the village is asking prospective builders to address compromises residents will be making in terms of traffic, congestion and quality of life, now and in the future.
John Jahr, the traffic consultant hired by the village, recommended the Planning Board consider a TID before evaluating the four housing projects before them. This would fall under the council’s purview and that process starts by commissioning a comprehensive study on present and future traffic analysis throughout the village, as well as impact on schools, commuters, residents and pedestrians. These would be unvarnished studies, as opposed to the narrowly scoped, agenda-driven reports (from Valley Hospital’s “experts,” for instance), which routinely minimize impact and offer inexpensive, Band-Aid fixes from those seeking to maximize profits.
The BPU confirmed this week it has received the Village Council’s petition, seeking a hearing regarding the installation of higher electrical poles in town.
The residents group I Care has put together an FAQ on the over sized utility poles
I-CARE – Frequently Asked Questions
Is the neighborhood mainly upset about the height and appearance of the poles?
No.
While the poles are unsightly and caught our attention, our main concerns are the legality and safety of them.
We were never notified of the impending project, which consists of running a new, high-voltage (69,000 volt) transmission line through our town, creating a veritable electricity super-highway. And we strongly feel that PSE&G has skirted the legal process by proceeding with the project without first going to the town zoning board for a variance. The 65-foot poles far exceed the permissible height limits for the residential zones through which they intend to run. As such, the company should have gone before the proper boards to obtain the necessary variances.
We are appalled by the fact that PSE&G started the work (in June 2013) without first obtaining clearance from the town. In this regard, we feel that certain officials were initially misled about the nature of the project. The company proceeded to steamroll through without even filing the necessary paperwork. The town engineer had to hit the company with summonses and a cease work order before they actually did so. And it wasn’t until after we alerted the town to our concerns (on or about July 10, 2013) that PSE&G even bothered to pay for the “minor work” permits that had already been issued. The check arrived in the mail on July 17, 2013.
We are also concerned about high-voltage wires running too close to our homes on poles that are much taller than almost all of them. For more information on the topic of our safety concerns, see below.
Won’t this project help keep my power on in the event of another storm?
Unfortunately, no.
In the event of downed lines resulting from adverse weather conditions, we all need (1) more tree crews, (2) better communication centers, and (3) utility workers that are properly versed in the re-installation of various types of power lines. Not a new transmission line.
The proposed 69,000 volt transmission line bears no relation to the distribution lines running to our houses. They are part of an infrastructure upgrade that will not directly assist our town in the event of a storm.
While PSE&G framed this project to town officials as a response to Hurricane Sandy (2012), it is actually part of an earlier plan that was mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2007.
What information was the town given?
Nearly none.
Our understanding is that the Village Council was told of an impending “restringing of the lines” in March 2013, but given no substantive information on the nature of the project.
After already starting work, PSE&G presented the town engineer with a site plan showing the intended route of the new transmission line and, more specifically, the exact pole locations (78) along the route. The route begins on S. Maple Ave. in Glen Rock; proceeds north into Ridgewood; hangs a right (heads east) on Spring Ave., then left (north) on Hope St.; before turning right (continuing east) onto E. Ridgewood Ave. into Paramus.
The site plan does not indicate the size of the poles – 65 feet – required by the upgrade. This information is reflected only in the brand marks on the individual poles.
In addition, neither the Board of Public Utilities (state regulatory authority) nor the town zoning board (local regulatory authority) were notified.
Why didn’t PSE&G use their own right-of-way along the old trolley line for the new high-voltage transmission line?
Good question. We don’t specifically know why. It is a question we would like to have addressed by the company.
This right-of-way consists of a wide swath of land running from Fair Lawn through Glen Rock and Ridgewood, where PSE&G already possesses an easement for its infrastructure. The impact to actual residences, schools and the like, would be far less if PSE&G were to run the new transmission line here instead.
In an e-mail sent to us by the Village Manager, PSE&G cited “setback/clearance requirements and major environmental issues” in their decision not to use this land. Presumably, they would have had to have gotten permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection in order to upgrade the structures on this property, which in many parts runs adjacent to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook.
What are your safety concerns?
Simply put, death by electrocution.
The new transmission line consists of 69,000 volts – more than 300 times the power of household electricity, i.e., 220 volts.
The reason the poles are so much higher is because of the magnified danger created by this higher voltage. To our understanding, the existing distribution line consists of 4000 volts on Hope Street. Because the addition of a transmission line to those distribution lines significantly ups the voltage, engineering codes kick in and dictate the new mammoth size of the poles.
According to what we know, you don’t even have to touch a 69,000 volt line to be electrocuted. If you breach the recommended safety clearance from them, you are in serious danger of being electrocuted. This places a number of people in immediate danger, namely, the contractors operating near the lines. There just isn’t enough “wiggle room” for them to do their jobs safely.
There is evidence that 69,000 volt lines can arc electricity through smoke. If a house is on fire, this creates a seriously dangerous situation, not just for the people inside, but also for the emergency personnel responding to them.
We also worry about what happens in the event of a storm. In the past, wires have touched down in the floodwaters that envelop our streets. There is no shortage of cases where those lines fail to “de-energize” in a timely manner. What will happen to the people below?
The list of dangerous scenarios simply rolls on.
Are there health concerns related to high voltage wires?
Several studies have demonstrated a clear correlation between proximity to high-voltage power lines and seriously heightened incidences of childhood leukemia and brain cancer. While the studies have been inconclusive to date, their importance has been elevated to examination by the World Health Organization.
Why did PSE&G avoid the intersection of S. Maple Ave. and E. Ridgewood Ave. in its route, detouring, instead, into the wholly residential areas of Spring Ave. and Hope St.?
Good question. We’d certainly like to know.
Why didn’t PSE&G avoid as many residential areas as possible and simply head east on Century Road from the Fair Lawn substation then north on Route 17 to the Paramus substation?
The way to do things the right way is not to change any zoning for any project. Since any project would then require many variances, it would allow ‘control’ to be maintained on size, density, and impact (on traffic, schools, etc). It would allow proposed projects to proceed within reason.
Valley needs to upgrade, but they don’t need to double their footprint while doing so. The owners of the car dealerships have the right to continue the current use of their properties with the current zoning. If they want a change of use, then they will have to do so within the current zoning, and any changes would require variances that would keep developments within limits agreed to.
Its a matter of being reasonable, by both the ‘opposition’ and the developers. We do need senior housing, so if apartments are built that are for 55+, that would have zero impact on the schools while increasing tax revenues. Many ‘empty nesters’ are still here in town, but many that I speak with are about to sell due to the increased taxes.
More And More Men Are Suffering From Muscle Dysmorphia
August 16, 2013 11:34 AM
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It has often been perceived that women are constantly fixated on their diets. Now, a growing number of men have become obsessed with “bulking up.”
The new trend has been called “bigorexia” and it could come with some serious health consequences.
Early in his career, personal trainer Alfonso Moretti was obsessed with building his own muscles.
“It takes over your life. Every decision you make becomes the workout and how your body looks. I used to track and weigh every single ounce of food that went in my body. I used to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning to drink protein shakes. I never missed a workout, ever, ever, ever,” he told CBS 2′s Maurice Dubois.
As many as 45-percent of men have fallen victim to bigorexia or muscle dysmorphia, according to Dr. Michele Kerulis the director of sports & health psychology at the Adler School of Professional Psychology.
Affordable Care Act do do away with plan used by 100,000 New Jerseyans
The bare-bones health insurance policy that’s been the plan of choice for New Jerseyans who can’t afford something better is set to go away next year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.Star-Ledger
Eligibility: 12th Graders, College Undergraduates, and Graduate Students
Entry Deadline: September 17, 2013
FIRST PRIZE: $10,000
3 SECOND PRIZES: $2,000
5 THIRD PRIZES: $1,000
25 FINALISTS: $100
50 SEMIFINALISTS: $50
Topics
Select ONE of the following three topics:
Atlas Shrugged contains both businessmen who are heroes, such as Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart, and businessmen who are villains, such as Orren Boyle and James Taggart. What are the differences between these types of businessmen? Is the story a celebration of business? How does this issue relate to the wider themes in the novel?
Hank Rearden says that the killer tenet which destroys a man is the soul-body dichotomy—that this wrong idea has been the source of his life’s pain. What do you think this dichotomy is? How has it wreaked havoc in Hank’s life?
What is the meaning of money to Francisco? To James Taggart?
Judging
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
The winning applicant will be judged on both style and content. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Atlas Shrugged. Essay submissions are evaluated in a fair and unbiased four-round judging process. Judges are individually selected by the Ayn Rand Institute based on a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Ayn Rand’s works. To ensure the anonymity of our participants, essay cover sheets are removed after the first round. Winners’ names are unknown to judges until after essays have been ranked and the contest results finalized. The Ayn Rand Institute checks essays with Ithenticate plagiarism detection software.
Rules
No application is required. The Contest is open to students worldwide, except where void or prohibited by law.
Entrant must be a 12th Grader, College Undergraduate, or Graduate Student. To avoid disqualification, mailed in essays must include a stapled cover sheet with the following information:
your name and address;
your e-mail address (if available);
the name and address of your school;
topic selected (#1, 2 or 3 from list above);
your current grade level; and
(optional) the name of the teacher who assigned the essay, if you are completing it for classroom credit.
Essay must be no fewer than 800 and no more than 1,600 words in length, and double-spaced.
One entry per student. No purchase necessary to win. Essay must be postmarked no later than September 17, 2013, no later than 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard time.The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.
Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification. Essays must not infringe on any third party rights or intellectual property of any person, company, or organization. By submitting an essay to this Contest, the entrant agrees to indemnify the Ayn Rand Institute for any claim, demand, judgment, or other allegation arising from possible violation of someone’s trademark, copyright, or other legally protected interest in any way in the entrant’s essay.
Decisions of the judges are final. Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first-place winners are not eligible for this contest.
All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.
Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via e-mail by November 28, 2013.
Winners are responsible to provide their mailing addresses and other necessary information under the law in order to receive any prizes. Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The winning first place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author. Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.
To Enter
Or mail your essay with stapled cover sheet to:
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest
The Ayn Rand Institute
P.O. Box 57044
Irvine, CA 92619-7044
Please do not submit duplicate essays!
If submitting your essay electronically, you will be sent an email confirming our receipt. If you have not received an e-mail notification within 24 hours, please e-mail [email protected]. If you are submitting by mail, please paperclip a stamped, self-addressed postcard to the your essay and we will return it to you.
To learn more about Atlas Shrugged, go to: https://atlasshrugged.com
Comments or Questions
Comments or questions about the essay contests are welcome. Please write to [email protected]
