Teachers Union and Democrat Politicians set to block teacher ratings’ release in New York State
By ERIK KRISS Bureau Chief
Last Updated: 12:33 PM, June 20, 2012
Posted: 12:24 AM, June 20, 2012
ALBANY — The public be damned! The state Legislature is likely to pass a last ditch bill that would prevent the release of teacher evaluations, while letting parents see the ratings only of their kids’ instructors.
The measure, introduced by Gov. Cuomo just before midnight Monday, could pass before lawmakers head home for the year tomorrow, sources said yesterday.
EXCESSIVE HEAT UPDATE: COOLING CENTER OPEN AT RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY
Due to excessive heat today through Friday, the Office of Emergency Management reminds residents that the Ridgewood Public Library is air conditioned and open to the public today and Thursday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Residents without air conditioning are invited to visit the library located at 125 N. Maple Ave. and avail themselves of the cool air.
During periods of excessive heat, residents are reminded of the following quick tips for staying cool and safe:
Do
• Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries
• Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air
• Take a cool bath or shower
• Minimize direct exposure to the sun
• Stay hydrated – regularly drink water or other nonalcoholic fluids
• Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads
• Wear loose fitting, light-colored clothes
• Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat
• Know the symptoms of excessive heat exposure and the appropriate responses.
Don’t
• Direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°f
• Leave children and pets alone in cars for any amount of time
Supreme Court could reveal healthcare ruling Thursday
By Timothy M. Phelps
June 20, 2012, 11:40 a.m.
WASHINGTON — Television cameras will surround the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, as they did Monday, anticipating something that may, again, not happen.
The momentous healthcare decision could be announced Thursday. Or not. All we really know is that it is extremely likely to be handed down by the following Thursday, June 28, when the court is expected to end its current term.
The court works in secrecy as it prepares its opinions, and outsiders might be surprised to learn that some of its work is done at the last minute. The justices would have voted almost immediately after three days of oral arguments last March on whether President Obama’s healthcare overhaul is constitutional. Although that vote would normally have determined the outcome of the case, there is a lot of back and forth before the majority opinion and the dissents, if any, are finished.
“NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” the largest state land grab in history
June 21,2012
the staff of the Ridgewod blog
It’s called A.2168 – “NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” ,and despite huge fiscal and emotional opposition at Monday’s New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing from Eagle Forum of New Jersey, multi-New Jersey Tea Parties and taxpayers, A2168 or the “NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” passed out of Committee via strictly partisan votes. A.2168 – “NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” has now been hurriedly scheduled for a vote Thursday, June 21 , in the NJ State Assembly.
The Bills opposition cited: the huge cost of the Bill and the ” indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local government” .The Office of Legislative Services; cited the Bill (known as both A2168 and S1566) as just another bank bailout .
“NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” is the largest state land grab in history, The state will manage property in your neighborhood ; a serious, and growing threat to neighborhood stability considering the rapidly expanding mortgage foreclosures and the questionable, broad-based use of such properties.
The “NJ Residential Foreclosure Transformation Act” turns the State into a realtor who can purchase foreclosed and market rate houses in ANY neighborhood, and turn the foreclosed houses into ‘affordable’ housing for 30 years. In addition to low and very low income households, the affordable housing will include ex-offenders, AIDS/HIV patients, the homeless and ‘individuals in other emerging special needs groups identified by State agencies’. Look for decreased property values, increased local taxes, neighborhood transformation and less local autonomy. .
Unfortunately market based solution to sell these very affordable priced homes at auction via private, responsible buyers and without big government involvement would create a huge loss of local tax revenues which doesn’t sit well with Trenton .
Contact info here:
https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ members/roster.asp
Governor Christie: 609.292.6000
A little Tired of Jon Stewart mocking Mitt Romney for being rich
Mike Huckabee
The Daily Caller got a little tired of the liberals’ favorite “Everyman,” Jon Stewart, constantly So they did a little calculating. They estimate that at his current $15 million salary, Stewart must be worth at least $80 million. If that holds up, by the time he’s Romney’s current age of 65, he should be worth $320 million, or $70 more than Romney. And that’s not even including appreciation on his assets, like two mansions in New Jersey and a 6,000-square-foot Manhattan penthouse. But to be fair, they note that those properties aren’t owned by Jon. They’re owned by private trusts named after his pets, presumably to avoid taxes. Wow, can you just imagine the hilarious jokes Jon Stewart would tell about this story – that is, if it were about Mitt Romney?
Sorry we missed it , Happy Birthday Lou Gehrig June 19, 1903
Of all the players in baseball history, none possessed as much talent and humility as Lou Gehrig. His accomplishments on the field made him an authentic American hero, and his tragic early death made him a legend.
Meeting 7 pm, Tuesday, June 26 at the Larkin House
Now’s the time to get active, West Bergen Tea Party
Time to Regain control of your Government , “THEY WORK FOR US”
Join us 7 pm, Tuesday, June 26th
at the Larkin House 380 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff
(1/4 mile North of Stop & Shop) More information: 201 891-5918
conservative_caucus@verizon.net https://www.westbergenteaparty.com/
Solar in NJ not so dim after all, as installations boom
Despite all the gloom and doom talk about the solar sector, New Jersey installed more solar systems in the first three months of the year than any other state in the nation.
New Jersey installed a total of 174 megawatts of solar systems in the first quarter of 2012, or nearly one-third of the total arrays put in across the country, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight, a publication put out by the Solar Energy Industries Association, an industry trade group. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
5PM HEAT UPDATE: The Bergen Record is reporting that 4 ambulances responded to treat family members who passed out due to the high temperatures in Bruins Stadium in Braddock Park. Several other schools have moved their graduation indoors due to the heat including Palisades Park Junior/Senior High School which will hold its graduation in the school’s auditorium Wednesday evening, Teaneck High School’s Thursday graduation has been moved to the Rothman Center at Fairleigh Dickinson University, River Dell High School’s graduation ceremony remained scheduled for Thursday; but members of the public will be able to view a live broadcast of the ceremony in the air conditioned rooms of the high school’s auditorium, library and cafeteria.
Heat: No plans to move Graduation Day Ceremony from RHS Stadium Field
June 20,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ Thursday just may just be the hottest day of the year ,with temperatures expected to reach just south of 100 degrees weather conditions not exactly ideal for a high school graduation on a turf field.
Near record temperatures have not deterred School officials and according to Superintendent Daniel Fishbein there are no plans for last minute changes.
In an email Superintendent Daniel Fishbein detailed the steps being taken to prepare for the extreme heat assuring all that there will be plenty water available for the graduates and invited guests.(https://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/ridgewood-preparing-for-extreme-heat-on-graduation-day)
Among the common sense suggestions and information are : make sure you stay hydrated and bring water.,carefully decide whether to bring elderly and health impaired relatives or friends to the ceremony.,dress appropriately for the heat, there will be tented areas for graduates who feel they need to get out of the sun, and the Village is prepared with emergency services .
We all remember the flash flooding, last year so ably handled by the former RHS principle Lorenz .
According to Dr. Fishbein ,”This year it will be heat. All part of the graduation experience people will talk about for years.”(https://ridgewood.patch.com/articles/ridgewood-preparing-for-extreme-heat-on-graduation-day)
The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. this Thursday at Ridgewood High School Stadium Field .
Iowa’s Grassley responds to Obama’s executive privilege move on ‘Fast and Furious’ Attorney General Eric Holder facing contempt charges
9:30 AM, Jun 20, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Dept says that President Barack Obama has asserted executive privilege to withhold documents a House committee is seeking in an investigation of a flawed gun-smuggling probe.
In a letter to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a Justice Department official said the privilege applies to documents that explain how the department learned that there were problems with the investigation called Operation Fast and Furious.
““The assertion of executive privilege raises monumental questions,” Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said in a statement released Wednesday shortly after the president’s move. “How can the President assert executive privilege if there was no White House involvement? How can the President exert executive privilege over documents he’s supposedly never seen? Is something very big being hidden to go to this extreme? The contempt citation is an important procedural mechanism in our system of checks and balances. The questions from Congress go to determining what happened in a disastrous government program for accountability and so that it’s never repeated again.”
Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee and has previously called a Justice Department investigation into the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation “botched.”
File Photo Ridgewood PD will the beat cop be back?
Ridgewood Police Back on the Beat ?
06/20/12 10:57 AM
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , As part of the new community policing initiative, Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward is bringing back the beat cop to the Ridgewood Central business District. The feeling is that with an increased pedestrians activity in the downtown and a serious issues with pedestrian-involved accidents Chief Ward plans to put one officer on foot patrol during the busy afternoons and nights over the entire summer.
According to the Bureau of Justice in the monograph A Frame Work for Action : Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems . Obviously Chief Ward’s summertime initiative is an attempt to improve traffic safety conditions in the downtown Ridgewood.
Community policing came in to favor in the early 1980’s .It gave the police and the community greater opportunity to interact as opposed to what had become the tradition that stressed efficiency over effectiveness with rapid response as the primary means of addressing serious crime.
Many old timers remember Ridgewood PD paroling the downtown spinning their night stick .According to Deputy Mayor Tom Riche this is “Something I have been asking for a long time. We should have a walking cop downtown on the busy nights. ” Richie went on ,”The Central Business District already has a patrol car stationed but the car often gets pulled away for calls. The walking post assures that someone is there regardless of the call volume. ”
The issue of foot patrols in the Central Business District (CBD) has been hotly debated over the years on this blog with most readers seem in favor .
Village Council members however are rightfully concerned about the cost impact : Deputy Mayor Tom Riche once again explains , “The issue is the Chief has been told to manage his huge overtime budget. On face value it appears he is going to give out comp time in lieu of pay. This plan just defers our liability to be cashed in at a later date at possibly a higher rate of pay. If he requires that the comp time be taken within a specific time frame ie: same year, and those comp days don’t create additional overtime issues then it may be OK. “
Heat Wave: Prolonged period of excessive heat and humidity.
Heat Index: A number (in degrees Fahrenheit) that tells how hot it really feels when relative humidity is added to the actual air temperature. Exposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index by 15 degrees F.
Heat Cramps: Muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are an early signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
Heat Exhaustion: Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow to decrease to the vital organs. This results in a form of mild shock. If not treated, the victim may suffer heat stroke.
Heat Stroke or Sunstroke: A life-threatening condition when the victim’s temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.
Know What to do When a Heat Wave is Predicted/Happening
Slow down! Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Stay indoors as much as possible. If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Try to go to a public building with air conditioning each day for several hours. Remember, electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate, which cools your body.
Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun’s energy.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often (even if you aren’t thirsty). Your body needs water to keep cool.
Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly, but make the heat’s effects on your body worse. This is especially true about beer, which dehydrates the body.
Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.
Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
Signals of Heat Emergencies
Heat Exhaustion: Cool, moist, pale or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
Heat Stroke or Sunstroke: Hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high – as high as 105 degrees F. If the person was sweating from heavy work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry.
Know What to do When a Heat Emergency Occurs
Heat Cramps: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position. Lightly stretch the affected muscle and replenish fluids. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not give liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them, as they can make conditions worse.
Heat Exhaustion: Get the person out of the heat and into a cooler place. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as towels or sheets. If the person is conscious, give cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not give liquids that contain alcohol or caffeine. Let the victim rest in a comfortable position, and watch carefully for changes in his or her condition.
Heat Stroke or Sunstroke: Heat or sun stroke is a life-threatening situation. Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way you can. If the victim refuses water or is vomiting or there are changes in the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.
Registration for YWCA Bergen County Summer Classes Now Open
June 19, 2012
Registration is now open for the YWCA Bergen County’s summer session. Classes run from June 24th through August 18th, 2012, and members can register at www.ywcabergencounty.org, by phone or in person.
New summer classes include one-week concentrated swim lessons (June 18th to 22nd) for children and adults and Aqua Adventures, a two-week class for kids aged five to 10 that combines swim lessons and structured free play. American Red Cross certified swim lessons for ages three through 16 are split into two four-week sessions to accommodate family vacation and camp schedules.
The YWCA has also expanded its summer fitness class schedule, which includes Bellydance Boogie, Aqua Zumba®, Vinyasa Yoga and Integrated Pilates, and is offering additional Aquatherapy classes. Drop-in child care is available at the 112 Oak Street Ridgewood facility. Visit www.ywcabergencounty.org for details or call (201) 444-5600 for a free brochure.
The YWCA Bergen County is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. They are the area’s largest provider of child care services, a recognized leader in health and fitness programs, and operator of the county’s only Rape Crisis Center. Celebrating nearly a century of commitment to our community, today they improve the lives of thousands of women, girls and their families. Visit www.ywcabergencounty.org for more information.
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