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>TSA Warns Travelers Not To Smuggle Carry-On Items In Christmas Gift Wrap

>TSA Warns Travelers Not To Smuggle Carry-On Items In Christmas Gift Wrap
November 11, 2011 11:33 PM

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Security screeners at LAX will apparently have zero tolerance for holiday cheer this Christmas.

KNX 1070′s Bob Brill reports authorities on Friday are on the lookout for people who try to smuggle illegal items disguised as holiday gifts onto airplanes.

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration issued the warning after a traveler was arrested this week after trying to smuggle marijuana in a wrapped gift.There are other items which people feel they can carry on if it looks like a gift, but legally are banned from being brought onto a passenger aircraft.

If the circumstances are suspicious, TSA can and likely will open those gifts

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/11/11/tsa-warns-travelers-not-to-smuggle-carry-on-items-in-christmas-gift-wrap/

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>Internet keeps government honest: Google chief

>Internet keeps government honest: Google chief
Nov 13 12:57 PM US/Eastern

Broader adoption of the Internet will keep governments on their toes as wired-up citizens exercise their newfound power to check rights abuses, Google chief Eric Schmidt said on Saturday.
“In nations and communities around the world, citizens are turning to online tools to keep their governments honest,” he told business leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Honolulu.

“Whistleblowing has never been so easy,” he said.

Schmidt cited demonstrations that toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt in which activists used Facebook to schedule protests, Twitter to coordinate them and YouTube to broadcast the events to the world.

“Online citizens can find like-minded allies, they can find like-minded diasporas from a country,” he said.

https://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.c770bd78ee6f2e104d86c0139d85cd9e.11&show_article=1

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>Regis Philbin and Mary Higgins Clark at Bookends

>

Mary Higgins Clark theridgewoodblog.net

Mary Higgins Clark & Wendell Minor Tuesday, November 15th @ 4:00pm New York Times Bestselling Author, Mary Higgins Clark & IIlustrator, Wendell Minor, will sign their new book:The Magical Christmas Horse.  Books available now.

Regis Philbin theridgewoodblog.net

Regis Philbin ,Tuesday, November 15th @ 7:00pm Host of LIVE with Regis & Kelly, Regis Philbin, will sign his new book:  How I Got This Way. Books available November 15th..

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.Please call the store for details.

Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ   07450   201-445-0726

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>Luckow Pavillion can solve Valley debate

>Letter: Luckow Pavillion can solve Valley debate

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Luckow Pavillion can solve theValley debate

To the Editor:

As the recent discussions at the Village Council meetings on the Valley Renewal Plan have made clear, both sides have presented valid arguments.

The Ridgewood Residents for Valley support Valley’s plan because they want Valley to maintain its prestige as a state-of-the art medical facility centered in Ridgewood.

The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood are concerned about the cost of the plan to the environmental and traffic safety as well as changing the suburban character of the community.

The good news is that both sides recognize the validity of the other side’s arguments.

Actually, all Ridgewood residents want both: a state–of-the art hospital and a safe environment for all of our residents and their families.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/133673963_Letter__Luckow_Pavillion_can_solve_Valley_debate.html

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>Readers debate value of Collaborative teachers

>Readers debate value of Collaborative teachers

Collaborative teachers means 2 full certified teachers in a classroom. It is like having two managers in a department, tends not to work real well. The only way it does work well is if one steps back and basically acts as a teacher’s aide – in which case just pay for a teacher’s aide.

I have not seen the value added by having a certified teacher in the classroom as opposed to an aid at half the cost and have generally found the aids to be superior in terms of the assistance they give to ALL students. Of course, there are exceptions to this on both sides but, in my experience, two teachers actually results in a less well-run classroom. If we’re cutting the special ed. budget, we should take a hard look at the necessity of the collaborative teachers.

It always seemed that no one was in charge and the quality of instruction was always substandard compared to single instructor classes. Consistently, if one teacher was teaching, the other was not involved with the class at all or any individual students. My child NEVER got added attention in a collaborative class and in fact got less. I did not realize that collaborative classes were there to accomodate special needs kids. They really don’t help at all. What a waste.

My child does worse in a collaborative classroom setting and reports that the collaborative teacher “just kind of hangs out at the front of the classroom and interupts the class ocassionally with comments that make no sense”. They seem to be a detriment to learning (in most instances). I, like you, have complained that they just make no sense; if a spec. ed. child can function intellectually in a mainstream classroom then so be it. If an aid is necessary for other accomodations, such as organization, notetaking, etc. then provide an aid. The collaborative teachers cost 2x as much as an aid and do 1/2 the work.

My problem is that everyone complains about special ed. costing so much. Many special ed. parents, like regular ed parents, have cost-saving ideas that are not considered by the BOE or district personnel. Getting rid of collaborative teachers is high on my list. It seems that all school district use special ed. funding to place extra teachers/aid in classrooms where they aren’t really needed for that cohort of students. If RPS wants teachers helpers, they should NOT try to hide them in the special ed. budget.

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>Ridgewood council’s Valley hearings are winding down

>Ridgewood council’s Valley hearings are winding down

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011  
BY KELLY EBBELS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

A decision is drawing near on The Valley Hospital’s expansion project, and Ridgewood residents are coming to the microphone in greater numbers to make sure their thoughts are heard.

At last week’s special public meeting concerning the proposed “Renewal,” a drove of supporters of the hospital’s plans stepped forward in high numbers – many of them doctors, current or former employees or members of the hospital’s board of trustees – to voice their reasons why the project should pass: the importance of single-patient rooms, the need for more space for diagnostic equipment, and the hospital’s support for the community.

Opponents of the project – some of whom asserted that they supported modernization, but not at the scale Valley has proposed – made their case as well, noting that recent testimonies from experts signaled that construction could pose risks to neighboring properties and safety hazards to schoolchildren near the hospital.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/health/133672623_Hearings_are_winding_down.html

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>Administration eyes public-private partnerships, plan-driven funding

>Administration eyes public-private partnerships, plan-driven funding


Officials in Gov. Chris Christie‘s administration are close to recommending New Jersey join 23 other states in passing a law authorizing public-private partnerships, a senior official said today.

The partnerships would include transportation projects and other areas, according to Wayne Hasenbalg, Christie’s deputy chief of staff for policy and planning.

Hasenbalg also told the infrastructure advocacy group New Jersey Alliance for Action in a brief speech that the administration is preparing significant changes in support of the state growth plan announced by Christie.  (Kitchenman, NJBIZ)

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20111110/NJBIZ01/111119984/-1/opinion/Administration-eyes-public-private-partnerships-plan-driven-funding
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>Christie attacks jurists’ motives in pension case

>Christie attacks jurists’ motives in pension case


Gov. Christie questioned the motives of two state Supreme Court justices Thursday after the court agreed to fast-track a case involving a Superior Court judge’s challenge to a new requirement that judges – like other state employees – pay more toward their health insurance and pensions.

The suit maintains that the higher contributions in effect reduce judicial salaries and thus violate the state Constitution provision that the salaries of Supreme Court and Superior Court judges “shall not be diminished during their term of appointment.”  (DeFalco, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20111111_Christie_attacks_high_court.html
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>N.J. Supreme Court to decide if judges must pay more for pension, health benefits

>N.J. Supreme Court to decide if judges must pay more for pension, health benefits


The legal battle over whether New Jersey state judges and justices should have to pay more for their pension and health benefits will be heard by the state Supreme Court and not a state Appellate Court, according to an order signed by Justice Virginia A. Long.

In the order, filed Thursday, the Supreme Court granted Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale’s request that it decide whether judges and justices must pay more toward their pension and health benefits is unconstitutional.  (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-supreme-court-to-decide-if-judges-must-pay-more-for-pension-health-benefits
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>HOME FRONT: TB and Shooting mar "Occupy"

>Tuberculosis Breaks Out At Occupy Atlanta’s Base

ATLANTA (CBS Atlanta) – The home base for Occupy Atlanta has tested positive for tuberculosis.

The Fulton County Health Department confirmed Wednesday that residents at the homeless shelter where protesters have been occupying have contracted the drug-resistant disease. WGCL reports that a health department spokeswoman said there is a possibility that both Occupy Atlanta protesters and the homeless people in the shelter may still be at risk since tuberculosis is contracted through air contact.

https://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2011/11/10/tuberculosis-breaks-out-at-occupy-atlantas-base/

Future of Occupy Burlington encampment uncertain after police clear City Hall Park to investigate man’s death

The city closed half of City Hall Park and put a halt to all camping at the Occupy Burlington site Thursday night while police investigate a shooting in a tent that cost a 35-year-old man his life. Meanwhile, the movement’s participants mourned a member of their community and planned the future of the encampment.

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20111110/NEWS02/111110019/Breaking-Police-respond-shooting-City-Hall-Park?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE

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>Trustee Fires 1,066 Workers at MF Global’s Broker Dealer

>Trustee Fires 1,066 Workers at MF Global’s Broker DealerWritten By Matt Egan

Just two weeks after MF Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the trustee overseeing the failed futures brokerage disclosed plans on Friday to fire all of its broker dealer employees as it liquidates the business.

In a statement, the court-appointed trustee, James Giddens, said the broker dealer’s 1,066 employees were notified on Friday that their employment has been terminated, effective immediately.

However, the MF Global trustee said the liquidation and terminations don’t apply to the parent company, MF Global Holdings, which listed 2,847 employees as of September.

Read more: https://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/11/11/trustee-fires-1000-workers-at-mf-globals-broker-dealer/#ixzz1dXDwGO8u

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>Pro Arte Chorale welcomes conductor Joshua Greene

>Pro Arte Chorale welcomes conductor Joshua Greene

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011  
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

This very evening, Pro Arte Chorale begins its 2011-2012 season with its new conductor, Joshua Greene. Greene steps to the podium as musical director of Pro Arte Chorale after a year-long search by Chorale members and others.

From a musical family, he comes with good credentials. His father, Herbert Greene, conducted the original “Music Man” on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award. His mother, Lucy Greene, was a concert pianist and teacher. Josh began studying piano when he was six. “I’ve been in music school all my life,” he says happily. As a child, he sang the role of the Third Spirit in “The Magic Flute” at the New York City Opera with Beverly Sills as Queen of the Night. A boy soprano, he toured the United States, Canada and Japan with the American Boychoir.

He received his bachelors of music in Orchestral Conducting from the Mannes College of Music; his masters of music in Orchestral Conducting from the Manhattan School of Music and pursued further studies at Juilliard and at Aspen Music School.

https://www.northjersey.com/topstories/ridgewood/133672258_Pro_Arte_Chorale_welcomes_conductor_.html

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>The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra Kicks off the 2011-2012 Season

>
The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra Kicks off the 2011-2012 Season 

A personal message from Maestro Leytush:

“I envision a 2011-12 season that will become a significant epoch in the “life” of our orchestra, and our loyal and devoted audience. It is with great pride that I inform you that this season’s concerts will be held in the noteworthy venue of the West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. Not only is the West Side Presbyterian Church a visually beautiful hall but it is also a tremendous acoustical improvement from our previous location.

In this new season, we will continue to carry on in our stride to considerably raise the mastery of our musicianship to the new levels. We  collectively set out on this path 2 years ago, as I became the Artistic Director of this fine institution, and have consistently executed based upon this principle.  Coincidentally, this very goal of raising individual soloists, as well as groups of performers within the orchestra to the new heights, led to the upcoming season’s programs.  Our joint development, and a probable next step, rests on a successful execution of such in our upcoming concerts.

Without much ado, I would like to share a sampling of some of the highlights of the upcoming season, namely, Schubert’s Symphony # 9, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony #3, Taneyev’s “John of Damascus”, and Haydn’s Symphony#103. On an additional exciting note regarding this season, we will be joined by the two exceptional international soloists who will surely embellish our upcoming season; these are violinist Sergey Bolkhovets from Berlin, and flutist Claudio Barile from Buenos Aires.

We very much hope to foster listeners’ interest in our performances, boost curiosity of younger generations, and to attract new audience members and subscribers.”

Arkady Leytush
 Artistic Director and Conductor

Next Concert…

Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM

West Side Presbyterian Church
Varian Fry Way
6  South Monroe Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450

– March from Karelia Suite – Sibelius
-Concerto for Violin & Orchestra No. 1,   in D Major, Op. 19 – Prokofiev
– Symphony No. 9, in C Major “Great”
– Schubert

 Featuring: Sergej Bolkhovets, violin  

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>Artist finds beauty in her own backyard

>Artist finds beauty in her own backyard

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011  
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Artist Maureen Casey’s exhibit at the Stable Gallery this month, “Right in my own backyard,” features her oil paintings of the Celery Farm in Allendale. The natural wildlife preserve is within walking distance from her home. “And when I go home, I appreciate all those little things right in my own backyard even more, especially my garden and my dogs and cats,” said Casey. “Nature, animals and the light that illuminates them is what inspires me to paint the most.”

She says that when you are hiking in the mountains or walking through the woods, you can’t help but know when you are approaching a swamp because “the air is suddenly filled with the sound of a symphony of frogs, insects, ducks and birds of all kinds.”

https://www.northjersey.com/topstories/ridgewood/133672193_Artist_finds_beauty_in_her_own_backyard.html

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>Small businesses are key to job creation, not government

>Small businesses are key to job creation, not government
BY U.S. Rep. SCOTT GARRETT
U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett

With New Jersey’s unemployment rate locked in at 9.2 percent, residents of the Garden State are all too familiar with the economic travails facing our country.
Understanding the challenges confronting job creators is a top priority of mine as I work to put my constituents back to work, which is why I recently took to the road for a tour of businesses in the 5th District to discuss job creation and the state of the economy with local business leaders.

From Franklin Lakes to Belvidere, I made stops across the district during my business tour. The topics I discussed along the way ranged from the costly effects of burdensome regulations to the lack of capital available to small-business owners to grow their businesses and hire new workers. While each business faces unique challenges, one word rang true in all my conversations: uncertainty.

Business owners are uncertain if their taxes are going to go up if the $1.6 trillion budget deficit isn’t handled in a responsible way. Businesses owners are uncertain if they will have the ability to access the capital they need to expand.

Businesses owners are uncertain about the cost of Obamacare and whether or not they will have to let employees go — much less hire new ones — because of increased health care costs.

Business owners are uncertain about rising compliance costs due to never-ending regulations from every level of government.

https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/11/guest_column_small_businesses.html