Calif. Employee Pensions Are Not Sacred Cows, Judge Rules. But Don’t Call the Slaughterhouse Just Yet.
Scott Shackford|Oct. 2, 2014 10:50 am
Public sector unions in California have used their enormous clout to protect their plum pensions, making it nearly impossible for municipal governments to scale back benefits in any way shape or form (even for employees they hadn’t even hired yet). Even as California cities file for bankruptcy, unable to pay off various creditors, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has argued that debts owed to them are special and off the table. They cannot be reduced or severed, even in the case of bankruptcy.
And then yesterday U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein’s told CalPERS it was wrong. In the case of a bankrupt city, pensions can be cut just like any other debt. That’s what the bankruptcy process is for. As The Sacramento Bee explains, the ruling came because a creditor in the bankruptcy of the city of Stockton, Franklin Templeton Investments, is upset that it’s only going to get a ninth of what it’s due and wants a better deal, and that might come from money going to pensions.
October 3, 2014 Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Eileen La Forgia
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
“I paint in beautiful contemplative places, which lend peace to me and hopefully to those viewing my work,” said well-known watercolor artist Joel Popadics. The subjects include vistas depicting land and sea, some in bright sunlight or moody fog.
“When I look at each painting I can recall very vivid details about the day, the time and temperature and who I was with. The paintings almost become a journal or diary of my life that is not written, but painted or drawn out,” reflected Popadics.
Joel Popadics paints at the Jersey Shore.”Lobster Cove””Port Clyde”
He loves the coast of Maine with its harbors and coves. He has rented a house on seven acres of land in Cutler, an area known for hiking trails. The exhibit includes: “Lobster Cove” Boothbay Harbor, painted in autumn. “Waves at Western Point,” a scene at Acadia National Park and “Holmes Bay Low Tide,” painted during a drizzle.
Ridgewood Football breaks quickly from the starting gate
October 3, 2014 Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Jim McConville
CORRESPONDENT
The Ridgewood News
RIDGEWOOD — Heading into Thursday night’s home game versus Kennedy, the Ridgewood High School football team was looking not only to continue its winning ways but also to continue to develop the chemistry, experience and execution it will need as the schedule toughens later this month.
There were plenty of positives through the Maroons’ first three games, and much of that had to do with the way the sophomores injected themselves into the lineup and made key contributions.
Members of the 2004 Ridgewood High School North 1, Group 4 championship football team gather on the field of RHS Stadium at halftime of last Friday’s game to be honored on the 10th anniversary of their state-sectional title.
The youth movement can be a double-edged sword, however. RHS benefitted from an early schedule in which its first three opponents were a combined 2-7, and the team won all three games by an average of 46-4 (Kennedy was 0-3 entering Thursday). That necessitates tempering any enthusiasm a bit in assessing the results.
Still, every win is important, and the schedule is what it is. Ridgewood need not make excuses for winning the games it is supposed to win while giving some of its rookies a dose of confidence at the varsity level.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/football/ridgewood-breaks-quickly-from-the-starting-gate-1.1101679#sthash.qMj2EYGh.dpuf
Davidoff Opens New Cigar Lounge in Ridgewood Barry October 02, 2014
Davidoff Announces Opening of Cigar Lounge in Ridgewood, NJ Premier Swiss cigar brand opens its newest lounge in the United States
Basel, September 29, 2014 – Davidoff, a Swiss company known for its excellence in luxury goods, announces the opening of its Davidoff Lounge at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood in downtown Ridgewood, NJ. Being the 4th addition to the Davidoff lounge portfolio in the US, Ridgewood marks the roll-out of additional locations under the global lounge concept.
The Davidoff Lounge at The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood offers an oasis of sophistication and comfort. The 2,400 square foot space takes the concept of traditional lounges to the next level featuring a modern design with industrial inspired touches and natural materials.
Situated in a 1931 historical building, the lounge features exposed brick walls, striking antique skylights and 21 industrial windows welcoming natural light. A statement-making peninsula fireplace sits in the center of the lounge, custom designed to add warmth and interest to the open floor plan. With custom furniture and décor, the overall design creates a balance between the modern but traditional allure of Ridgewood. Amenities include an elegant boardroom offering members a private space to conduct meetings and hold private dinner events. 100 custom-built humidified lockers welcome private members to store their personal cigars.
Davidoff commissioned NYC urban artists UR New York to create a 3-dimensional metal wall sculpture depicting the fusion of Davidoff luxury and Ridgewood’s downtown urban flavor. URNY artists Fernando “Ski” Romero and Mike “2ESAE” Baca drew inspiration from the historical and present elements of Ridgewood, constructing a 3D assemblage of recycled and found materials from their time in Ridgewood.
The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood The Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood has just completed its fourth and largest expansion in its 35-year history. The shop is nestled in the historic area of the Village of Ridgewood, a Victorian town established in 1894. A family business, developed in 1979, has brought much camaraderie between many of the men and women that have patronized the shop over the years. This expansion into the Davidoff Lounge will expand the networking of many of the members in a 2,400 square foot upscale setting.
A Century of Davidoff Henri Davidoff, who emigrated from Kiev to Switzerland at a time of political unrest, opened his first store in Geneva in 1911, laying the foundations for today’s worldwide network of 65 Davidoff Flagship Stores. Henri’s son, Zino Davidoff, learned the trade from the ground up. He resided for several years in Central and South America to deepen his knowledge. In 1930, he returned to Switzerland and thereafter successfully managed the business over four decades. Zino Davidoff transferred the family business to the Oettinger Group in 1970. Davidoff appeals to connoisseurs all over the world who seek to embrace the art of living and pleasure. The premium brand Davidoff stands for a culture of conscious enjoyment and reflection in today’s hectic world. Davidoff learned over the years that time is the ultimate luxury. Zino’s pleasure in this was the starting point for the global brand of Davidoff, a brand that connects people all around the world. A brand that fills the unforgettable moments in life with the joy and pleasure of elegance and beauty – “Time Beautifully Filled.”
Oettinger Davidoff Group – a Swiss family business steeped in tradition With almost 4,000 employees around the world, the CHF 1.3 billion Oettinger Davidoff Group traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family owned to this day. The Group operates two distinctly different businesses: one focused on consumer goods distribution in the Swiss market, and one dedicated to its core business, the producing, marketing, and retailing of premium branded cigars, tobacco products, and accessories. The premium-branded cigar business includes Davidoff, Camacho, Zino Platinum, AVO, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino, and Winston Churchill Cigars. Oettinger Davidoff Group is anchored in a strong “crop-to-shop” philosophy, having pursued a vertical integration from its tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to its worldwide network of 65 Davidoff Flagship Stores.
Ridgewood stenographer keeps transcripts in good hands
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 12:31 AM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Sometimes, when Ridgewood’s court reporter Laura Carucci is “in the zone” at a hearing, typing up a transcript at between 180 and 270-plus words a minute, her mind will drift off for a few seconds. She’ll think of grocery lists, or of what she’s doing after work.
But, in a testament to her training, her fingers keep doing their magic, flawlessly. The transcript will still be fine, devoid of any mention of needed snacks or household supplies.
“I’ve never actually written about what I’m thinking,” she said.
Still, sometimes as a joke for her mother, herself a long-time stenographer who occasionally copy edits Carucci’s transcripts, Carucci will write something into her notes, like “I’m so tired,” or “This person is speaking too fast.”
“She can read it. She thinks it’s funny,” Carucci said, chuckling.
For nearly 15 years, Carucci has been the stenographer for the village zoning board, also handling big Planning Board meetings, including The Valley Hospital and multi-family housing hearings. She also works for Englewood, Hackensack, Clifton, Fair Lawn and Rockleigh.
She has worked in other venues, including her most high-profile job taking depositions during the original O.J. Simpson murder case.
Friends from his days growing up in Ridgewood went to New Orleans to show their pride when Peter Gautier was promoted to rear admiral in the Coast Guard. From left: Chris Bujara, Shuya Ohno, Rosa and Peter Gautier, John Tees and Jon Haas.
RHS alum named rear admiral in Coast Guard
OCTOBER 3, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014, 12:31 AM BY BETSY MURPHY CORRESPONDENT THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
“Yes, frocked is the word,” says Peg Gautier, referring to her son, Peter. Rear Admiral Gautier, that is. Peg was there to see it all happen, June 27 in New Orleans. With her older son, Andrew, who lives in Connecticut, Peg joined Peter, his wife, Rosa, children, Natalie, 11, and Drew, 12, and other family members to celebrate. They all met at Peter’s house for a party, a gathering of out-of-town guests, before attending the ceremony the next morning on the banks of the Mississippi, with the Marine Band playing for 400 guests. Among those guests were four Somerville and Ben Franklin classmates, who traveled from Oregon, Washington, D.C. and New Jersey: Jon Haas came from Oregon, Shuya Ohno from Washington D.C., John Tees from Hoboken and Chris Bujara from Clifton.
“Peter made two speeches during the ceremony,” says Peg. “I’m so proud of him!” Of her late husband, she says, “Lou would be beaming!”
At a reception following the ceremony, four members of his Coast Guard Academy class were there. That evening there was dinner at a historic building in New Orleans. Next day a luncheon near Jackson Square had people snapping photos from the balcony of the restaurant. There was even a wedding, with guests walking to the reception accompanied by a New Orleans jazz band. Peg admits to being happily exhausted.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/friends-cheer-on-new-rear-admiral-1.1101651#sthash.f3X0dIbo.dpuf
Ridgewood seeks feedback on proposed changes to meters
OCTOBER 2, 2014 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014, 4:36 PM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood’s two-hour meters, 12-hour meters, and non-resident parking permits might soon be gone.
Village officials are discussing resident-only permit parking and putting a three-hour time limit on all downtown meters (except for the 15-minute spots).
These ideas are being lauded as the latest measures to help improve Ridgewood’s parking situation in the short term. Now, officials are looking for resident feedback, Mayor Paul Aronsohn announced at Wednesday’s council meeting.
The mayor noted that a compilation of the new short-term ideas, titled “Ridgewood Downtown Parking Initiative,” will be put on the village website (ridgewoodnj.net) for public review before any action is taken.
“Parking’s been on everyone’s mind,” Aronsohn said. “We’ve been kicking around a lot of ideas … We really need to take care of Ridgewood residents first.”
According to a preliminary version of the document provided to The Ridgewood News, the village would make parking “easier, simpler, better” by standardizing the rules.
The village would do this first by making all downtown meters run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., cost 25 cents per half hour, and provide three-hour parking. Current meters provide 12-hour and two-hour parking limits.
Ridgewood High School honors record-setting swimmer Charlotte Samuels
OCTOBER 2, 2014, 9:03 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014, 9:09 PM BY ALLISON PRIES STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD – Football fans weren’t the only people seated in the stands at Ridgewood High School on Thursday night.
Some of the crowd turned out to see hometown hero Charlotte Samuels be recognized by school leaders for the physical and mental feat of being the youngest person to complete the Triple Crown of open water swimming.
Charlotte, a junior at Ridgewood High School, was brought to the 50-yard line before the start of the Maroons football game against the Kennedy High School Knights. Joined by her parents, the boys and girls swim teams, her swimming coach and the principal and vice principal, the 16-year-old was lauded for her accomplishment.
“We’ve all faced hardships and challenges,” Principal Thomas Gorman said. But swimming for more than 20 hours, some of the time in the dark, feeling cold, lonely and afraid makes Charlotte “a champion and inspiration to all of us.”
Charlotte swam around Manhattan Island in June, across the Catalina Channel in California in August and through the English Channel last month.
Booker-Bell Really a 5-Point Race
8:28 AM, OCT 2, 2014 • BY WILLIAM KRISTOL
The new Quinnipiac poll of the New Jersey Senate contest shows Jeff Bell only 11 points down to Cory Booker, 51 to 40 percent, among likely voters. It goes without saying that a race can move a dozen points in the final five weeks of a campaign—especially when a little known challenger (but one who’s well-regarded by those who do know of him) is taking on a pro-Obama incumbent who’s barely above 50 percent in an anti-Obama, anti-incumbent year. (Obama’s approval in New Jersey is hovering around 41 percent.)
But take a further look at the poll results. Booker leads Bell, 51-40. Seventy-six percent of Booker supporters and 84 percent of Bell supporters say their mind is made up. Do the math. Among those whose mind is made up, Booker leads Bell 39 to 34 percent.
Scrutiny in Texas to Detect Whether Ebola Has Spread
By MANNY FERNANDEZ and NORIMITSU ONISHIOCT. 1, 2014
DALLAS — The man who has become the first Ebola patient to develop symptoms in the United States told officials at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital last Friday that he had just arrived from West Africa but was not admitted that day because that information was not passed along at the hospital, officials acknowledged Wednesday.
The man, Thomas E. Duncan, was sent home under the mistaken belief that he had only a mild fever, a hospital administrator said; the information that he had traveled from Liberia, one of the nations at the heart of the Ebola epidemic, was overlooked.
Mr. Duncan came back to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday and was admitted for treatment, but in those two days in between, his contacts with a number of people — including five schoolchildren and the medics who helped transport him to the hospital — potentially exposed them to Ebola, forcing officials to monitor and isolate them in their homes and to begin a thorough cleaning of the schools the students attended. Mr. Duncan is now in serious but stable condition.
Wary of Ebola, Dallas parents pull kids from school Posted Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2014 BY BILL HANNA
billhanna@star-telegram.com
DALLAS — Parents rushed to get their children from school Wednesday after learning that five students may have had contact with the Ebola patient in a Dallas hospital, as Gov. Rick Perry and other leaders reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm.
The patient, identified by The Associated Press as Thomas Eric Duncan of Liberia, arrived in the U.S. on Sept. 20 to visit family. Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson said county officials suspect that 12 to 18 people may have had contact with Duncan.
“Right now, the base number is 18 people, and that could increase,” he said. Thompson said more details are expected by Thursday afternoon. The number includes five students at four schools, Dallas school district Superintendent Mike Miles said.
“This case is serious,” Perry said during a news conference at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan is being treated. “Rest assured that our system is working as it should. Professionals on every level on the chain of command know what to do to minimize this potential risk to the people of Texas and of this country.”
Miles said Dallas school officials learned Wednesday morning that five students at four schools — Tasby Middle, L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary, Dan D. Rogers Elementary and Conrad High — had come in contact with Duncan. Lowe Elementary is also being watched because it connects to Tasby.
Only in government and on union jobs does a no-show get paid. Now, the Assembly has codified the practice, allowing members to phone in their presence in order to obtain a quorum for the transaction of business.
Caught by The Star-Ledger with their absentee hands in the cookie jar as being “present” when they were nowhere near Trenton, the Assembly unanimously passed a measure to legitimize the shady practice of being recorded as attending a session you didn’t.
Irrespective of what’s on the agenda, voters elect representatives to be physically on the job when there is business to transact, not to not be on the job. If you can’t commit 100 percent, then find a new hobby.
Ridgewood Toastmasters International group opens lines of communication
OCTOBER 1, 2014 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014, 10:10 AM BY LAURA HERZOG STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The topic was “excellence.”
Speakers had one minute to give an impromptu speech on the subject, guided only by a famous quote.
After his name was pulled randomly from a jar, one young man wearing running shorts got up nervously to the podium in the front of nearly 30 other people, of all ages, sitting in a back room of The Unitarian Society of Ridgewood last Tuesday night.
Mahwah resident Joseph Liberatore, a personal trainer who was only at his second Ridgewood Toastmasters meeting, silently re-read the Greek poet Hesiod’s quote about “badness.”
“Badness you can get easily, in quantity; the road is smooth, and it lies close by, but in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to it.”
“When you’re sitting alone, and you’re just trying to think of nothing, bad thoughts can stream into your mind…” he began.
By the time he was done, with the ding of a bell – 1 minute and 23 seconds later – he leaned over, laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Jitters,” he said, as he walked back to his seat.
Melissa Gorga Goes to Court to Fight Five Traffic Citations Received While Driving Her Bentley Borrowed from Emporio and Scammer Bobby Khan (Updated 9/26/2014)
Ramsey luxury car dealer under probe after accusations of fraud
OCTOBER 1, 2014, 11:44 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014, 11:56 PM BY JOAN VERDON STAFF WRITER THE RECORD
Bobby Khan spoke the language of luxury car lovers. He could discuss whether a Lamborghini Aventador could outrace a Ferrari F12berlinetta. He said he could tell a Bentley from a Rolls-Royce blindfolded, by the smell of the leather.
In his Ramsey auto showroom filled with gleaming models built for style and speed, Khan dressed in expensive suits and charmed his customers, who believed they were dealing with someone who loved cars as much as they did. He persuaded them to buy from him, or give him their cars to sell on consignment.
There were no apparent problems at the Route 17 dealership he opened in April 2013 until a month ago, when irate customers began posting on Yelp.com, the business review website, that they had not been paid for cars Khan sold on consignment, or had not received titles for purchased cars. In mid-September, Yelp posters began urging all victims to file complaints with the police, and customers began sharing information through text messages and emails.
SPECTRUM FOR LIVING PARTNERING WITH ALEX AND ANI FOR CHARITY BY DESIGN EVENT IN RIDGEWOOD RIDGEWOOD, NJ (October 2014) – On Wednesday, October 15th, Alex and Ani will be hosting a Charity by Design event that will benefit Spectrum for Living. 15% of all sales between the hours of6P.M. and 8P.M. will go directly to our organization to further help serve our clients.
“CEO, Founder and Creative Director of Alex and Ani, Carolyn Rafaelian, created Charity by Design, which serves as a unique division focused solely on giving and making the dreams of charitable organizations come true. Charity by Design empowers non-profit organizations both on a national and local scale to reach their goals by sharing their mission through the power of positive energy and creative design.” (www.alexandani.com)
If you are interested in shopping and cannot join us on October 15th, begin your shopping on Sunday, October 12th in the Ridgewood store or by placing an email order to ridgewood@alexandani.com(pick up only). *Whether shopping in store or by email, do not forget to mention you wish to take part in the Spectrum for Living fundraising event.Currently, Spectrum for Living facilities and services touch the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities in over 100 New Jersey communities. Spectrum for Living is one of New Jersey’s most respected and recognized not-for-profit organizations assisting adults with developmental disabilities in Bergen, Passaic, Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Spectrum provides a wide array of housing, medical, clinical, habilitative, social and educational services to more than 200 residential consumers and hundreds of community clients.
