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Posted on September 21, 2014September 21, 2014 by James — 18 Comments

Ridgewood seeks new way to collect coins from parking meters after massive theft

current coin collection file photo Boyd Loving

Ridgewood seeks new way to collect coins from parking meters after massive theft

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014, 12:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

It is situated next to a women’s bathroom, across the hall from a senior citizens lounge, and sits behind a nondescript door most would assume opens to utility storage.

But this is no closet.

Thousands of coins extracted from Ridgewood’s parking meters are stored in this little, elongated room on the first floor of Village Hall. It’s where Thomas Rica of Hawthorne, a former public works inspector, methodically stole $460,000 in coins — sneaking in and out of the room undetected for two years, between 2011 and 2013.

Today, Ridgewood’s now-infamous “coin room” is on lockdown. Security inside and around the room has been enhanced. Even the coins themselves are protected inside — secured within heavy canisters as opposed to being packed loosely in open cans, giving Rica a perfect opportunity to swipe fistfuls of quarters. And a villagewide audit of the collection and storage methods of all municipal monetary transactions is under way, local officials said.

But despite those reforms, the village’s method of collecting parking meter coins — in open containers that occasionally spill into the street — is still archaic. It’s a system that one resident warned village officials about in an email several years ago, before the discovery of Rica’s theft. And it’s a system that several nearby municipalities, including Westwood, Paterson and Passaic, abandoned years ago.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-seeks-new-way-to-collect-coins-from-parking-meters-after-massive-theft-1.1092781#sthash.bh0PHIBl.dpuf

SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2014, 12:20 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

It is situated next to a women’s bathroom, across the hall from a senior citizens lounge, and sits behind a nondescript door most would assume opens to utility storage.

But this is no closet.

Thousands of coins extracted from Ridgewood’s parking meters are stored in this little, elongated room on the first floor of Village Hall. It’s where Thomas Rica of Hawthorne, a former public works inspector, methodically stole $460,000 in coins — sneaking in and out of the room undetected for two years, between 2011 and 2013.

Today, Ridgewood’s now-infamous “coin room” is on lockdown. Security inside and around the room has been enhanced. Even the coins themselves are protected inside — secured within heavy canisters as opposed to being packed loosely in open cans, giving Rica a perfect opportunity to swipe fistfuls of quarters. And a villagewide audit of the collection and storage methods of all municipal monetary transactions is under way, local officials said.

But despite those reforms, the village’s method of collecting parking meter coins — in open containers that occasionally spill into the street — is still archaic. It’s a system that one resident warned village officials about in an email several years ago, before the discovery of Rica’s theft. And it’s a system that several nearby municipalities, including Westwood, Paterson and Passaic, abandoned years ago.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-seeks-new-way-to-collect-coins-from-parking-meters-after-massive-theft-1.1092781#sthash.bh0PHIBl.dpuf

Posted on September 21, 2014September 21, 2014 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood Open Houses for September 21st 2014

$1,448,000 in Ridgewood

$439,500 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435705
670 Newcomb Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath, C/C
Megan Fox, Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc. Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
12

$445,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1426229
752 Newcomb Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Christine Aderhold, Broker Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
17

$460,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1432012
620 Albert Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Gina Fierro, Sales Associate
Susan Luciano, Broker Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
11

$474,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1421294
656 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Marilyn Becker, Broker Associate
Gilsenan & Co.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
14

$479,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1422470
674 Midwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Christopher Kaufman, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Franklin Lakes
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
18

$495,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1432911
458 Sheffield Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, C/C
Christine Gubb, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
22

$559,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1425480
478 Hunter Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Elizabeth Novak, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
24

$569,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1420224
228 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, COL
Amy Cepalia, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Valley Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
11

$619,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435701
259 Edwards St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Kurt Hedden, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
24

$620,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1430875
495 E Saddle River Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Michael Shetler, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.SyywpI7B.xGZOExDH.dpuf

$620,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435831
242 W Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Janis Fuhrman, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors/Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
20

$639,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1430648
143 Spencer Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Kathleen McCormack, Sales Associate
Gilsenan & Co.
Open House: 12:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
16

$659,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1430139
209 Oak St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Joanne Delaney, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$723,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1434615
440 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, COL
Elizabeth Coleman, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$799,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1414964
463 Van Emburgh Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
22

$850,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435659
548 Stevens Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Lori Lettieri, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
20

$899,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1434842
384 Hamilton Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Lynn Scerbo, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
21

$899,900 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1434947
349 Carlton Ter, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
Carolyn Strittmatter, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
24

$950,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1426793
234 Palmer Ct, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
24

$950,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1433539
350 Graydon Ter, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Joyce Albert, Sales Associate
Terrie O’Connor Realtors/Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.SyywpI7B.xGZOExDH.dpuf

$999,999 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1434988
285 Richards Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, COL
Barbara Masarky, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$1,075,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435839
373 Hillcrest Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Pam Christian, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
23

$1,095,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1428644
21 Theyken Pl, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath, COL
Joseph M. Hurley, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$1,099,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435248
205 Manor Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Christine Aderhold, Broker Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$1,100,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1435594
395 Beechwood Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
Christine Gubb, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
24

$1,200,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1420408
537 Spring Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
Shu-Jen Su, Sales Associate
Werner Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
25

$1,448,000 in Ridgewood
MLS # 1420695
244 Lotte Rd, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 9/21
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.SyywpI7B.xGZOExDH.dpuf

Posted on September 21, 2014April 9, 2020 by James — 10 Comments

Common Core State Standards a Threat to Personal Liberty — Thomas More Law Center Develops Opt-Out Form for Parents

Common Core State Standards a Threat to Personal Liberty — Thomas More Law Center Develops Opt-Out Form for Parents

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August 27, 2014

Amidst growing concerns from parents and teachers surrounding the Common Core State Standards and the Federal government’s control of classroom curriculum, the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) has prepared a Student Privacy Protection Request form for use by parents who wish to protect their children by opting-out of Common Core aligned curricula, data mining and the release of information concerning their children’s personal beliefs.

The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, MI, designed the comprehensive opt-out form for parents concerned about Common Core and who want to protect their children’s privacy from educational data mining. The form allows parents to choose which Common Core State Standards and data driven practices they do not want their children to be a part of, including standardized testing.

The form allows parents to opt-out of sharing their child’s information with the federal government, as well as outside agencies and private contractors. Information which parents can opt-out of sharing ranges from test scores and religious and political beliefs, to biographic, biometric, and psychometric data, such as fingerprints, DNA and information related to children’s personality and aptitude.

Richard Thompson, TMLC President and Chief Counsel, commented, “The opt-out form is based on the constitutionally recognized fundamental right of parents to direct the education of their children and on federal statutes which were designed to protect student privacy. Our Founding Fathers recognized the dangers to our freedoms posed by centralized control over public education. However, today, all but a handful of state governments, enticed by millions of dollars in federal grants, are voluntarily inviting the federal government to take control of our public schools, imposing untested educational standards and obtaining personal information on children and their parents which would make any totalitarian government blush with envy. We must ever keep in mind, ‘The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will become the philosophy of the government in the next.’ Clearly, Common Core is a threat to individual privacy and liberty, and to our Constitutional Republic.”

https://www.thomasmore.org/news/common-core-state-standards-threat-personal-liberty-thomas-law-center-develops-opt-form-parents/

Posted on September 21, 2014September 20, 2014 by James — 8 Comments

Ridgewood presentation recounts history of discrimination

Ridgewood presentation recounts history of discrimination

September 19, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 19, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Jodi Weinberger
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News

It wasn’t so long ago in the history of Ridgewood, and all of northwest Bergen County, that racial restrictions in deeds kept many from owning or renting property.

This violation of the 14th Amendment was hard to contest in court because house sales are private contracts, explained Joe Garbas, a land title expert and historian.

Grabas presented a history of deed restrictions at the library on Sept. 13 as part of a panel of speakers on housing discrimination in suburbia. The group, curated by reference librarian Peggy Norris, also included Joseph Suplicki, Ridgewood historian; Lee Porter, director of the Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey; Tom Dunn, archivist for the Mahwah Museum Society; and Carlos Martinez, an intern minister of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood.

Norris said the idea came to her to put together this presentation when she was asked to look into the deed restrictions and saw how pervasive the racism was.

In other words, spoken by Suplicki, “These bucolic little towns … had a darker side.”

In the 1920s, racism went beyond black and white though. Suplicki presented a history of the Ku Klux Klan in Bergen County, who also targeted Jews and Italians, from research by Kay Yeomans, curator of the Upper Saddle River Historical Society. Yeomans’ paper included stories of Klan marches down Main Street in Ramsey and burning crosses in Mahwah, and Suplicki showed images on a projector of houses with “KKK” spray-painted on the side.

Another relic, an article from The Ridgewood Herald in 1927 described a Klan gathering in Glen Rock: “It was a picturesque gathering of Klansmen and curiosity seekers to the number of over 300, but who were Klansmen and who were not was difficult to tell. There was no doubt whatever about the half dozen hooded men, robed in white whose eyes and noses alone were visible through holes in their white hoods.”

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/speakers-recount-history-of-discrimination-1.1091692#sthash.CYdewzUJ.dpuf

Posted on September 21, 2014September 20, 2014 by James — 5 Comments

Ridgewood is missing a 9/11 remembrance

by ArtChickphotography

Ridgewood is missing a 9/11 remembrance

September 19, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 19, 2014, 9:54 AM
The Ridgewood News
Print

Village should not forget 9/11
Katherine McCarthy

to the Editor:

I was saddened that Ridgewood had no official recognition of one of the most tragic days in American history. We had 12 Ridgewood residents killed on that day: Sept. 11, 2001. Most towns in Bergen didn’t have as many, but they “remembered” with ceremonies.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-ridgewood-is-missing-a-9-11-remembrance-1.1091963#sthash.A2nJfAZj.dpuf

Posted on September 20, 2014September 20, 2014 by James — 7 Comments

After 9 Months, Federal Probe of GWB Closure Finds No Link to Christie, Federal Sources Say

After 9 Months, Federal Probe of GWB Closure Finds No Link to Christie, Federal Sources Say

By Jonathan Dienst, Joe Valiquette and Pete Williams

‘Bridgegate’ Investigators Find No Link to Chris Christie

Will Democrats Refund Taxpayers ?

Friday, Sep 19, 2014 • Updated at 9:23 AM EDT

The U.S. Justice Department investigation into Gov. Chris Christie’s role in the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal has thus far uncovered no evidence indicating that he either knew in advance or directed the closure of traffic lanes on the span, federal officials tell NBC 4 New York.

The September 2013 closures — where several entrance lanes to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee were shut down, causing a traffic nightmare for commuters — has been the subject of several federal and state investigations.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/chris-christie-bridgegate-federal-probe-george-washington-bridge-closures-gwb-275661911.html

Posted on September 20, 2014September 20, 2014 by James — 1 Comment

Why Can’t We See This In The Cinema?

Why Can’t We See This In The Cinema?

James Carafano / @JJCarafano / September 19, 2014 / 0 comments

James Jay Carafano, a leading expert in national security and foreign policy challenges, is The Heritage Foundation’s Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, E. W. Richardson Fellow, and Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies. Read his research.

Of late, Hollywood has given us all kinds of movies about the military. The worst of them—such as “Green Zone,” a dreadful 2010 film that rightfully bombed at the box office—demonize and diminish our men and women in uniform to feed Tinseltown’s impulse to please the Code Pink crowd.

But sometimes, a maverick movie breaks out that portrays the heroic side of service. Films such as “Lone Survivor” (2013) often get scorned by the left and snubbed at the Oscars but earn significant applause in the theater.

Life is not easy for many veterans. They make up a significant portion of the homeless population. About 18 per day commit suicide.

It’s all too rare we see movies that humanize those who fight for us, that deliver a truly honest portrayal of the difficulties of balancing service and sacrifice. There is a movie that’s getting a limited theatrical release that does just that.

“Fort Bliss” is the fictional account of an Army medic who returns from combat deployment overseas and struggles to reconnect with her five-year old son. Filmmaker Claudia Myers found inspiration for the film from working with the military.

“It made me realize I’d been very sheltered from this aspect of the war,” she said in a recent interview. “I didn’t understand….there was a story there to be told.”

There is more than a little realism in this story. And, that’s something America needs more of. There has been an outpouring of concern for veterans who have served since 9/11, but much of that empathy has been a reaction to the costs of conflict.

But there are more than 22 million living veterans, and life is not easy for many of them. They make up a significant portion of the homeless population. About 18 per day commit suicide. Nearly a half-million are living with wounds sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Through it all, they are veterans, not victims. They want to be like the rest of us, to come home and reconnect with jobs and families. A movement has arisen to press communities to have a more realistic appreciation for America’s veterans and to understand better how we can serve them.

That said, there ought to be more films like “Fort Bliss,” but Americans would never know that if they don’t get to see the film. The film has gotten rave reviews at a handful of screenings, such as one at the GI Film Festival where it won the award for Best Narrative Feature, but that’s about it. Today the film opens in limited release in just three theaters in New York, California and Texas. If it does well, it might earn more screens along the way.

https://dailysignal.com/2014/09/19/cant-see-cinema/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Posted on September 20, 2014January 20, 2019 by James — 1 Comment

Former Tick Tock Diner manager sentenced to 8 years in murder plot

Former Tick Tock Diner manager sentenced to 8 years in murder plot

September 19, 2014, 3:55 PM Last updated: Friday, September 19, 2014, 11:46 PM
By ABBOTT KOLOFF and KIBRET MARKOS
staff writers
The Record

Before a judge sentenced him to eight years in prison Friday, Georgios Spyropoulos remained silent while being portrayed as a cold-blooded and remorseless would-be killer who caused his uncle and former boss at the Tick Tock Diner to live in fear, irreparably damaging an iconic Clifton business and splitting apart a once close-knit family.

His sentencing in Superior Court in Paterson ended a public family drama that centered on one of the most famous diners in North Jersey and the plot by its former manager to torture and kill his uncle because of a grudge over money. Spyropoulos declined to make a statement.

He pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to murder Alexandros Sgourdos by trying to hire a hit man who turned out to be a state police officer.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/former-tick-tock-diner-manager-sentenced-to-8-years-in-murder-plot-1.1092335#sthash.SxzjiCRB.dpuf

Posted on September 20, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — 2 Comments

Rep Scott Garrett Hits Back on IRS’ Non-Answers

Rep Scott Garrett Hits Back on IRS’ Non-Answers
Sep 18, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Chairman of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, along with six of his colleagues sent a follow-up letter to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen today after the IRS Commissioner refused to address a number of concerns the Members have about news of the recent IRS dismissal agreement with the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Within 30 days of receiving the letter, the Members requested that the following be provided:

Any communications, from July 1, 2012 to the present, regarding the subject matter of my August 25th letter, including any documents related to, or relevant to the Freedom from Religion Foundation, PARC, or the Johnson Amendment. You should regard relevancy as broadly as federal law permits, including, but not limited, to any internal communications, communications with outside groups, communications with the White House or other executive branch agencies.
Any communications or documents, from August 25th to the present, related to preparing your response to my August 25th, 2014 letter including, but not limited to, any internal communications, communications with outside groups, communications with the White House or other executive branch agencies.
Any communications or documents, from July 1, 2012 to the present, related to the activities of PARC and the 99 religious organizations under investigation that are referenced in your September 5th letter. Where necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the taxpayers under investigation, you may redact confidential taxpayer information or other information that may specifically distinguish the taxpayer. Your response should include all relevant communications and documents including, but not limited to, any internal communications, communications with outside groups, communications with the White House or other executive branch agencies.
Where necessary, to preserve attorney-client privilege, you may redact privileged information and provide a standard privilege log.
Please provide the names and positions of all people who spent any time as part of, or on behalf of, PARC.

Also, a number of previous questions (asked in my August 25th letter) remained un-answered and can be addressed by you, rather than the Department of Justice.

Please provide answers to questions 4, 5 & 6 from our previous letter dated August 25, 2014.

Click here to read the full letter.https://garrett.house.gov/sites/garrett.house.gov/files/20140918%20-%20Letter%20to%20IRS.pdf

Posted on September 20, 2014September 20, 2014 by James — Leave a comment

Government Insider Warned of HealthCare.gov Security Risks: ‘I Am Tired of the Cover-Ups’

Government Insider Warned of HealthCare.gov Security Risks: ‘I Am Tired of the Cover-Ups’

Sharyl Attkisson / @SharylAttkisson / September 18, 2014

Government insiders who flagged security issues prior to the launch of HealthCare.gov were right to be concerned. That’s according to a new audit by the Government Accountability Office, which concluded that security weaknesses are putting “the sensitive personal information” contained by HealthCare.gov and its related systems at risk.

HealthCare.gov security problems put “sensitive personal information” at risk, @usgao concluded.

As the Obama administration prepared to launch the website last fall, one of those insiders voiced concern about the vulnerabilities and complained about “cover-ups” masking the severity of the problems.

The findings run counter to claims by Obama administration officials who have long insisted there’s no reason for any concern regarding the website’s security.

The news comes in advance of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at 11 a.m. today examining the security vulnerabilities. GAO Director of Information Security Issues Greg Wilhusen will testify. His report concludes, “Until these weaknesses are addressed, the systems and the information they contain remain at increased risk of unauthorized use, disclosure, modification, or loss.”

Missing Information

As the GAO performed its security investigation, it did not receive full information from the government, according to Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif. He says that government officials refused to provide GAO with reports on 13 HealthCare.gov security incidents.

“What vulnerabilities to sensitive personal information is CMS still so intent on hiding from an independent government auditor?” said Issa in a statement issued Wednesday.

Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif. (Photo: Getty Images/Newscom)

The GAO found that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs HealthCare.gov, failed to “analyze privacy risks associated with HealthCare.gov systems or identify mitigating control.” The GAO also faulted officials for not performing comprehensive security testing and not ensuring that security plans contained all required information, “which makes it harder for officials to assess the risks involved in operating those systems.”

According to the GAO, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees CMS, agreed or partially agreed with GAO’s six recommendations “to fully implement its information security program” and “concurred with all 22 of the recommendations to resolve technical weaknesses in security controls, describing actions it had under way or planned related to each of them.”

Warnings Ignored

Serious security problems with HealthCare.gov were exposed in stories I reported for CBS News in November and December of 2013. They revealed that Teresa Fryer, the chief information security officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, explicitly recommended the website should not be launched Oct. 1, 2013, due to security concerns, but was overruled by her superiors.

“I am tired of the cover-ups,” a government security chief said of HealthCare.gov problems.

Fryer said she had warned, both verbally and in a briefing, that the website carried “high [security] risks” and possible exposure to “attacks.” Fryer also said that sherefused to put her name on a letterrecommending the website be given a temporary authority to operate while the issues were sorted out.

Additionally, Henry Chao, the CMS project manager in charge of building the website, was apparently kept in the dark about serious security failures. Those included “high-risk” issues, flagged by the government’s security testing firm, which indicated “the threat and risk potential [to the system] is limitless.”

‘Tired of the Cover Ups’

Meantime, internal documents newly released by Republicans on the Oversight Committee detail agency infighting and secrecy efforts surrounding the troubled launch of HealthCare.gov.

Fryer indicated that she was frustrated by fellow CMS officials who were not providing a true picture of security testing prior to the launch.

“I am tired of the cover-ups,” she emailed a colleague, stating that she intended to give “a truthful update of exactly what was going on” to an official at Health and Human Services who had asked for a status report.

CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner (Photo: Alyson Fligg/Sipa USA/Newscom)

When CMS’ independent security testing prior to launch produced negative results, documents indicate one CMS official sought to have the report changed.

“We need to hit the pause button on this report,” wrote CMS’ Thomas Schankweiler, “and have an internal meeting about it. … It is very possible that this report will be reviewed at some point by [the Office of the Inspector General], and could see the light in other ways.”

In an Oct. 5, 2013, email, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner forwarded a subordinate a complaint from a White House adviser and then instructed, “Please delete this email.” Issa says that instruction violates federal record-keeping rules.

Tavenner is scheduled to testify at today’s Oversight Committee hearing.

https://dailysignal.com/2014/09/18/government-insider-warned-healthcare-gov-security-risks-tired-cover-ups/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Posted on September 20, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — 1 Comment

RHS Gymnastics Clinics Begin on October 4

RHS Gymnastics Clinics Begin on October 4

Dom Nizza told the Ridgewood blog ,that “there is no truth to the Rumor that I willl be returning to Coaching Gymnastics any time soon” and that “Burt Lancaster helped me in my really younger days”

The Ridgewood High School Varsity Gymnastics Team will once again offer its free clinics, starting on Saturday, October 4 from 8-9 a.m. in RHS Gym 3. The clinics are open to Ridgewood residents enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 8 and will be held on the four consecutive Saturdays, October 4, 11, 18 and 25. Students are welcome to come for one, a few or all of the gymnastics clinics. For more information please contact RHS Varsity gymnastics coach Karen Mendez at [email protected]. Donations are welcome, but not necessary.

Posted on September 20, 2014January 20, 2019 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood High School Football delivers head coach his 200th Maroon win

Ridgewood High School Football delivers head coach his 200th Maroon win

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY JIM MCCONVILLE
CORRESPONDENT
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD — Taking the football field before the season-opening game against Passaic last Friday, Ridgewood High School head coach Chuck Johnson had no idea what to expect. With a team that had little varsity experience, there was a sense of the unknown.

Four quarters later, there was a different sense — one of joy. Not only did the Maroons take care of business, but they accomplished a piece of history in the process.

Their 53-6 trouncing of the Indians was surprising in the margin of victory, but it also marked the 200th win of Johnson’s Ridgewood tenure. In his 31st season at the helm, the coach is now 200-105-1 at RHS and 235-124-2 overall, including his six seasons as head coach at Bogota (1978-83).

“I would have been happy with a 28-0 or 35-7 win,” he said. “To do this was more than I expected. We came out without any injuries, too, which is wonderful.”

That means the Maroons (1-0) will be real close to full strength Saturday when they travel to Fair Lawn for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Cutters (1-0) had a surprising win of their own last week, 22-0 over Clifton.

Ridgewood senior Mitch Campbell, who sat out last game with an injury, will be back at cornerback and running back. Sophomore Jack Kiernan is likely still a week away, and sophomore Alec Jacobson could also be back in a week.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/football/team-delivers-coach-his-200th-rhs-win-1.1091481#sthash.IfhJaxCA.dpuf

Posted on September 20, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — 30 Comments

Readers Continue to Push for More Answers on Meter Thief

Readers Continue to Push for More Answers on Meter Thief

If you have any information relating to the theft of money relating to the Village of Ridgewood meter revenues please contact John L. Molinelli, Bergen County Prosecutor at:

10 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Mon-Fri (201) 646-2300
After Hours (201) 646-2700

All information received will be held in the strictest confidence.

Posted on September 20, 2014June 27, 2021 by James — Leave a comment

Free Community Traffic Safety Forum – Wednesday – October 1 – 7PM BFMS

file photo Boyd Loving

Free Community Traffic Safety Forum – Wednesday – October 1 – 7PM BFMS

Good News Ridgewood Parents!!

Wednesday, October 1 from 7-9pm at Benjamin Franklin Middle School our parenting co-pilot, Lenore Skenazy will teach us how to let go so our kids fly!

DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!

Lenore will make us laugh out loud!

She will teach us valuable lessons about trusting ourselves and our children.

The woman known as “America’s Worst Mom” will be the keynote speaker at a community safety forum on Wednesday, Oct. 1 in Ridgewood. The free event is open to anyone concerned about neighborhood and school zone traffic safety, including parents, school personnel and HSA members, law enforcement, public works, businesses, neighborhood organizations – anyone concerned about neighborhood and school zone traffic safety.

Lenore Skenazy is a New York City newspaper columnist-turned-reality-TV show host who earned the moniker after she let her 9-year-old son take the subway – alone. In response to the media blowback, she founded the book and blog “Free-Range Kids” (freerangekids.com), which helped launch the anti-helicopter parenting movement.

Titled “Community Traffic Safety: It’s No Accident,” the event will also feature Tom Everson, founder of Keep Kids Alive Drive 25, a non-profit group, in sponsorship with Teachers’ Insurance of New Jersey. The event, sponsored by the Ridgewood Citizens Safety Advisory Committee, will run from 7:00 to 9 p.m. at Ben Franklin Middle School, 335 N. Van Dien Ave., Ridgewood. Reservations are not necessary.

The purpose of the event is to educate and engage communities on how to implement a community-wide “Keep Kids Alive Drive 25” traffic safety education initiative (KeepKidsAliveDrive25.org). It will focus on speeding, stop-sign running, cell phone use, tailgating, and seat belt use. The first 50 participants will receive a Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 yard sign and five trash can decals. In addition Bookends will provide copies of Lenore Skenazy’s book Free Range Kids.

-Skenazy, a Yale University graduate, believes that children are safer and smarter than comtemporary culture gives them credit for, and her opinions have landed her on talk shows from Dr. Phil to The View. She lectures internationally and has written for everyone from The Washington Post to Mad Magazine (yes – she is funny too). Her reality show on Discovery/TLC International, “World’s Worst Mom,” airs in about a third of the world but not currently in the United States.

The goal of Free-Range Kids! is “fighting the belief that our children are in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of a non-organic grape.”

For more information about the event, contact Jeanne Johnson 201-851-3262

Posted on September 20, 2014February 2, 2023 by James — Leave a comment

Ridgewood High School to Honor Charlotte Samuels, the youngest swimmer to complete open-water swimming’s Triple Crown

Ridgewood High School to Honor Charlotte Samuels, the youngest swimmer to complete open-water swimming’s Triple Crown

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood High School Junior Charlotte Samuels, the youngest swimmer to complete open-water swimming’s Triple Crown, will be honored by the high school for her accomplishment.

The brief (five-minute) ceremony will take place on RHS Stadium Field on Thursday, October 2 at 6:45 p.m., in advance of the Boys Varsity Football game against John F. Kennedy High School.

In July, Samuels, age 16, circumvented the Island of Manhattan, then went on to swim the Catalina Channel off the coast of California in August, and has now completed the 20-hour swim across the English Channel, landing on the French shore in September.

Ms. Samuels is also a member of the RHS swim team

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