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>In the Net for Nick, Monday January 16, at Bethlehem Lutheran

>In the Net for Nick, Monday January 16, at Bethlehem Lutheran

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ridgewood, invites all 3rd-12th grade boys and girls to join us for a In The Net For Nick.  This is a fundraiser for Nick Tsiskakis, an 8th grade student at George Washington Middle School in Ridgewood, who was hit by a landscaping truck this fall. Nick is presently at home but receiving extensive therapy for head injury.  We are calling all 3rd-12th grade boys and girls to join us for a free-throw fundraiser to be held on January 16, 2012.  Come by anytime between 2-6 pm to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church Gymnasium located at 155 Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood
   
Nick Tsiskakis is the son of Mariel and John from Ridgewood, NJ.  Nick is a typical 13-year-old boy who loves to ride his bike and listen to music. This past October 11th, Nick was riding his bicycle to school and was struck by a truck. He suffered severe damage to his head and parts of his body. Since the accident, Nick has undergone several surgeries on his skull and leg. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of the challenges that face him.  Nick’s future will certainly change as a result of the accident, but anyone who knows this amazing boy hopes that he will be able to do all the things he dreams of accomplishing.  As friends of Nick, we all want to help in any way possible.

The In The Net For Nick fundraiser is being organized to help ease the ongoing financial burden the family is enduring.  In a time of emotional pain, it is difficult that anyone would have to endure the added stress of an immense financial burden.

Registration is required.  Please send an email to gen829@gmail.com with your child’s name, grade,
school, phone, estimated time of arrival, and In The Net For Nick  in the subject line.

Here’s how it works . . .
  Use the In The Net For Nick sponsor form to request sponsor donations
  Come to the In The Net For Nick event anytime between 2-6pm.  Shoot your free-throws              
              and make as many baskets as you can.
  Collect your sponsor donations and mail to the In The Net For Nick address on the sponsor
              form.
If you are unable to participate in this event, but would like to make a donation to Nick, please
Make your check payable to: “Nick Tsiskasis” and mail to In The Net For Nick, c/o Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ  07450.

In The Net For Nick is sponsored by Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ridgewood, in cooperation with Upward Basketball and Goatgear Basketball.

The members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Ridgewood want you to know that God has a plan for you and he loves you.  Our faith is in Christ.   Our guide is in the Bible.  Our love is for all.  Come celebrate with us.  We offer 2 Sunday services:  Contemporary Praise Service at 8:45am and Traditional Worship at 11am with Sunday School and Bible Class at 10am.  Please join us at 155 Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood.

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>Former Madoff employee’s sentencing postponed

>Former Madoff employee’s sentencing postponed

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011
BY ANDREW TANGEL
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

* Former Madoff employee is helping government’s case.

Sentencing for a Ridgewood man who helped Bernard Madoff conceal his massive Ponzi scheme has been postponed for six months so he can continue helping the government.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Friday requested to delay the proceeding — which had been scheduled for Thursday — until June 15, citing Eric S. Lipkin’s “continuing cooperation with the government.”

Lipkin, a second-generation Madoff employee who worked as his payroll manager, pleaded guilty in June to six charges, including bank fraud and conspiracy. He admitted doctoring the records of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC to hide the multibillion-dollar fraud.

“Mr. Lipkin continues to cooperate with the government with the hope that he can assist in the investigation and the prosecution of others,” James Filan, Lipkin’s attorney, said in an e-mail Monday. He declined to comment further.

https://www.northjersey.com/topstories/ridgewood/135489923_Sentencing_is_delayed_for_Ridgewood_man.html

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>Teachers rally in Ridgefield and Ridgewood

>
Teachers rally in Ridgefield and Ridgewood

MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2011, 10:19 PM
BY MONSY ALVARADO AND EVONNE COUTROS
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD

Clutching posters that read “Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a fair contract” and “’Tis the season to be fair,” teachers and their supporters rallied outside Ridgefield Memorial High School on Monday before the start of their first session with a state-appointed mediator.

Meanwhile, in Ridgewood, teachers who have been working without a contract since September held a rally of their own outside the Education Center on Cottage Place on Monday night while state mediators met inside with union representatives and members of the school board.

“Everyone is here away from their families and their homes to be here to show their support and unity for their colleagues and profession,” said Darla Ferdinand, president of the Ridgefield Education Association. “I’m hoping that they see that we are serious.”

https://www.northjersey.com/topstories/ridgewood/Teachers_rally_in_Ridgefield_and_Ridgewood.html

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>NJEA says Christie’s argument that teachers ‘only work 180 days’ is inaccurate

>NJEA says Christie’s argument that teachers ‘only work 180 days’ is inaccurate


New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is of the opinion that teachers don’t work hard for the money, but the New Jersey Education Association argues the facts say otherwise.

The governor claimed in a forum at the University of Notre Dame on Nov. 18 that teachers only work 180 days — or just half the year — and make around $60,000.

Well, the NJEA would give Christie a big fat F for failing to prove his statement.
“It’s a bit like saying that the governor is only working on days when he signs bills,” NJEA spokesman Steve Baker said. “In other words, wrong, and intentionally misleading.”  (Greene, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/njea-says-christies-argument-that-teachers-only-work-180-days-is-inaccurate
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>N.J. Assembly panel clears bill requiring school officials to notify parents of absentee children

>N.J. Assembly panel clears bill requiring school officials to notify parents of absentee children


An Assembly panel today approved a bill to force public school administrators to notify parents when their child does not show up for school, unless the parents have already let the school know about the absence.

The bill (A416), which the Assembly Education Committee cleared unanimously, is called “Tabitha’s Law” after Tabitha Tudor, a 13-year-old who went missing in Nashville, Tn. Although school officials received no notification that she would be absent, they did not notify her parents when she did not turn up. Tudor’s parents did not learn about her disappearance until 4:45 in the afternoon.

“Due to the delay, law enforcement officials and Tabitha’s parents lost an entire day before their search could begin,” says the bill’s text. “Tabitha is still missing.”  (Friedman, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nj_assembly_panel_clears_bill_1.html
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>Critics contend new bill imperils water quality, encourages sprawl

>Critics contend new bill imperils water quality, encourages sprawl


Despite strong protests from virtually all of the state’s environmental organizations, a Senate committee yesterday easily approved a bill that would delay much contested water quality management rules, a step opponents said would weaken protections that safeguard drinking water and avert sprawl.

The near unanimous approval by the Senate Economic Growth Committee, with only its chairman abstaining, appears to put the measure (S-3156) on the fast track for approval in the lame duck legislative session that ends early in January. The latest version of bill only became available for review late last week.

If approved before a new legislature is sworn in, its passage would mark the latest twist in a long effort to allow sewer service expansions in the state, an issue that is critical not only to economic development, but also to preservation of open space and farmland in a state fast losing both.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1213/0024/
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>Sick-leave bill stalls over cash payouts

>Sick-leave bill stalls over cash payouts


The Democrat sponsoring a bill to end five- and six-figure sick-leave payouts for retiring public employees clashed with New Jersey’s Republican governor on Monday over whether accumulated sick time should have limited cash value — or none.

Sen. Paul Sarlo of Bergen County told The Associated Press that Gov. Chris Christie is holding up the bill over a relatively small difference that would end unlimited payouts for all future employees.
The sticking point is over whether to eliminate the sick time’s cash value, as Christie wants, or to allow retiring employees to cash out a nominal amount, as Sarlo wants, to discourage employees from using up their sick-leave allotment every year.

“A year ago the Legislature unanimously passed (a bill) with input from Democrats, Republicans and the governor’s office and put a bill on his desk that would have immediately stopped all of these ridiculous sick payouts,” Sarlo said. “While the governor has grandstanded the past year, and argued about whether it should be $15,000 for employees or $0, he has cost these municipalities money.”  (Delli Santi, Associated Press)

https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20111213/NEWS02/312130011/Sick-leave-bill-stalls-over-cash-payouts?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|State
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>Christie orders more state troopers into crime-ridden Camden

>Christie orders more state troopers into crime-ridden Camden


Gov. Chris Christie Monday ordered that additional state troopers be sent to aid the Camden police in the crime-ridden and poverty-stricken city.

The directive will provide more troopers for targeted patrols in areas of Camden identified as crime hot spots. Christie‘s action is also part of the effort to implement a regionalized police force in Camden County.
“As Mayor (Dana) Redd and county officials are taking bold, necessary action to implement a long term policing strategy centered on a regionalized police force, I am taking action to deploy additional resources to support the public safety needs of Camden right now,” Christie said. “This targeted deployment of state personnel and assets will have an immediate impact in curbing violence and crime and protecting the people of Camden.”  (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/christie-orders-more-state-troopers-into-crime-ridden-camden
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>Redistricting Commission : so-called fair fight district that would combine U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett’s 5th District and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman’s 9th District

>

Redistricting Commission : so-called fair fight district that would combine U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett’s 5th District and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman’s 9th District

With the deadline for a new Congressional map just over a week away, sources connected with the redistricting commission report that members of the state’s House delegation are on heightened alert, each wary that the seat that disappears could be theirs.

Phone calls from delegation members and their staffs have spiked, sources say, since a report last week that the commission could be leaning toward a so-called fair fight district that would combine U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett’s 5th District and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman’s 9th District, pitting the two men against each other in November.

“It’s like they finally woke up and realized that come next week, one of them could be gone,” said one source connected with the commission.  (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/53175/panic-delegation
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>Hurricane predictors admit they can’t predict hurricanes

>Hurricane predictors admit they can’t predict hurricanes
Monday, December 12, 2011
By Tom Spears

Two top U.S. hurricane forecasters, revered like rock stars in Deep South hurricane country, are quitting the practice because it doesn’t work.

William Gray and Phil Klotzbach say a look back shows their past 20 years of forecasts had no value.

The two scientists from Colorado State University will still discuss different probabilities as hurricane seasons approach — a much more cautious approach. But the shift signals how far humans are, even with supercomputers, from truly knowing what our weather will do next.

https://www.ottawacitizen.com/mobile/story.html?id=5847032

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>Poll: Little love for big gov

>Poll: Little love for big gov
By MJ LEE | 12/12/11 4:42 PM EST

Americans’ fear of big government – partly fueled by a sharp spike among Democrats since President Barack Obama took office – almost reached a record high this year and is far greater than people’s concerns about big business and big labor, a new Gallup poll Monday shows.

An overwhelming 64 percent of people surveyed said big government was the biggest threat to the country, compared to just 26 percent who said big business is their gravest concern and 8 percent who picked big labor.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70318.html#ixzz1gQIVh265

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>Rurik Halaby fires back at blog posters

>Rurik Halaby fires back at blog posters 

Dear Anonymous:

I did mention my wife Cynthia the two times I addressed the Village Council. I also disclosed the fact that Cynthia was a trustee in the letter I wrote to the Bergen Record but this was not printed.

And before you start seeing too many conspiracies, I also stated in my letter that except for the time when our boys were in school and I was active in school board elections, I never paid much attention to the working of the Village Council itself, until recently, that is. My interest has always been in national and state politics.

I attended some of the Planning Board meetings but I found the behavior of certain attendees too much to take.

In 1996 when my wife led the charge to rebuild the Red Cross building which had been destroyed by arson, I attended the Board of Adjustment meetings, which were a farce. There too, under pressure from who knows the approval was delayed by some 5 months and for no good reason.

By the way, I am amazed so many people in Ridgewood share the name Anonymous. Are you all related? Do you all share a common email address anonymous@anonymous.com?

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>Unannounced Verizon Emergency Alert Causes Panic In New Jersey

>Unannounced Verizon Emergency Alert Causes Panic In New Jersey
 
Scared citizens flood 911 boards with anxious calls
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
Monday, December 12, 2011

An unannounced test of a soon to be mandatory emergency alert system caused panic in New Jersey today after Verizon customers received text messages warning them that a “civil emergency” was in progress and to “take shelter,” prompting alarmed citizens to flood 911 lines with anxious calls.

However, media reports concerning the alarm completely ignore the fact that Verizon was almost certainly running a test for the federal government’s soon to be mandatory PLAN alert program, which the company has signed up for.

https://www.infowars.com/unannounced-verizon-emergency-alert-causes-panic-in-new-jersey/

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>Obviously the leaf issue is a volume issue

>Obviously the leaf issue is a volume issue

Obviously the leaf issue is a volume issue – a volume of leaves from every property owner throughout town. The Octo storm compounded it, as well as property owners by piling branches on top of leaf piles in streets and mixed in with them. Have been a homeowner here 45 years, seen past 10/20 years more volumes of leaves in streets. Leaf production is up as trees grow. A homeowner, not an apartment dweller, no kids, not a troll – just tired of seeing everyone bitchin instead of using common sense and make suggestions.

Both the town and homeowners need to comply together. A better management plan for leaf removal needs be drawn up – as some others say, by either changing to prioritizing clearing all the main roads first, and regular weekly pick ups like the recycle is done, even if temporarily changing rear yard p/u from 2 times week to once week just during the leaf season. After all, what is the leaf season? – c’mon, maybe 8 or 9 weeks, abt. 2 months? Also, hire part time seasonal workers, some other towns do that. I believe the plan for snow removal is prioritize the main roads, then the others.

Compliance on homeowners side should come with either limiting the volume of tarp piles they can place in streets at a time, so not to block the flow of road traffic, c’mon people need to use common sense, you can’t put a football field size of leaves into streets (that’s a bigee safety problem) and or using barrels and bags. Landscapers should remove their clean ups as they do with grass clippings. Some of the town curb trees, are so big, that they need trimming, either by town, or in most cases PSE&G as many are in the wires. PSE&G used to come regularly every 1 or 2 years to trim, but I have not seen them do that in the past 10 years. Only saw them trim certain trees because they had to put up those solar panels on those certain trees.

 Chemistry.com