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>‘Reel’ voices speak at film festival

>‘Reel’ voices speak at film festival

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011  
BY GLORIA GEANNETTE
MANAGING EDITOR
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

For the ninth year in a row, the Ridgewood Public Library is bringing the latest cutting-edge documentaries to the village. Reel Voices Film Festival organizer Roberta Panjwani has been viewing movies both in person and on DVDs all year to select just the right mix for her audience.

“They all have a common thread of social justice, of a larger issue being seen through an individual experience,” she said. This year she saw more than 40 films before selecting five that she is confident will please the audience.

At the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, she viewed as many documentaries as possible to test how they screened with a live audience. “A lot look great on paper but not after seeing them,” she noted. “And others were really good, but some not quite right for the Ridgewood audience.”

https://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/131309294__Reel__voices_speak_at_film_festival.html

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>Ridgewood High School principal to be recognized for SAIL program

>Ridgewood High School principal to be recognized for SAIL program

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood High School Principal Jack Lorenz will be among those honored at the annual “Salute to Champions” event that recognizes community members advocating for persons with disabilities.

Lorenz will be honored on Friday, Oct. 28 for his achievements in establishing the school’s SAIL (Strategic Actions in Learning) program, now in its third year. SAIL provides a specialized learning track for those with special needs. This fall, the program began placing its participants in work-study internships in local businesses and municipal departments.

Councilman Paul Aronsohn, chairman of Ridgewood’s Community Access Network, which advocates for the mentally and physically disabled, praised Lorenz for his work with the program.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/131353573_Ridgewood_High_School_principal_to_be_recognized_for_SAIL_program_.html

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>Public hearing to be held on Hackensack opening new hospital at former Pascack Valley site.

>Public hearing to be held on Hackensack opening new hospital at former Pascack Valley site.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2011
BY BARBARA WILLIAMS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

State officials will hold a public hearing on Oct. 19 on the proposal to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood.

On Friday, the state deemed Hackensack University Medical Center’s application complete. The hearing on Hackensack’s plan to open a 128-bed community hospital in Westwood will be held at Westwood Regional Junior/Senior High School in Washington Township.

“This is an important step in the process toward restoring the much-needed hospital services to the residents of the Pascack and Northern Valley regions,” said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of HUMC. “We look forward to a public hearing which will allow community members to make their voices heard.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/131377738_Public_to_hear_proposal_on_reopening_hospital.html

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>Ridgewood police search for solutions after pedestrian accidents

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Ridgewood police search for solutions after pedestrian accidents

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011  
BY KELLY EBBELS AND JOSEPH CRAMER
STAFF WRITERS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

There were two pedestrian accidents and one involving a cyclist in the course of five days this week, prompting a surge in police decoy programs and alarm among Village Council members.

The accidents, which all occurred during the late afternoon or evening, resulted in non-life threatening injuries to four victims. Two pedestrians were struck by a motor vehicle downtown during a rainstorm Saturday night, and a bicyclist was struck close to Ridgewood High School on Tuesday night. On Wednesday evening, a man was struck at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Chestnut Street, authorities said.

As the accidents piled up, police responded by dispatching three decoy programs on Wednesday and Thursday to issue warnings and tickets to drivers failing to stop for pedestrians.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/131310119_Police_search_for_solutions_after_three_accidents.html

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>Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan’s Administration Directs First Comprehensive Review of Bergen Regional Medical Center

>Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan’s Administration Directs First Comprehensive Review of Bergen Regional Medical Center

The Donovan administration has ordered the first taxpayer-friendly review of the County’s 90 year ownership of Bergen Regional Medical Center. Previous administrations have failed to address the true costs of the institution and the changing system of healthcare delivery for the medically needy, mentally challenged and indigent populations.

The administration has no preconceived plans but is gathering information through a comprehensive review to enable us to develop a 21st century solution. We are committed to meeting the challenge of meeting the needs of populations served by Bergen Regional as well as county taxpayers.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/131311079_Bergen_Regional_could_be_up_for_sale.html

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>State simplifies permit process for cogeneration facilities

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State simplifies permit process for cogeneration facilities

In an effort to promote development of more efficient ways of producing electricity, the Christie administration is streamlining its permitting process to expedite small projects involving facilities that generate power and heat simultaneously.

The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) yesterday announced it will establish a general permit to make it easier for small- and medium-sized manufacturers, hospitals, and other institutions to build so-called combined heat and power (CHP) projects.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1005/2212/
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>Controversial NJ power line picked for Obama administration pilot project

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Controversial NJ power line picked for Obama administration pilot project

The federal government yesterday announced a new pilot program to expedite construction of transmission projects, selecting the highly controversial Susquehanna-Roseland proposal, which cuts through the Delaware Water Gap and New Jersey Highlands, as one of seven chosen nationwide.

In a conference call from Washington, D.C., top Obama administration officials called modernizing the nation’s power grid a key to a clean energy economy and creating thousands of jobs, while making the power system more reliable and delivering savings to consumers.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/1005/2008/
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>Nearly Half of U.S. Lives in Household Receiving Government Benefit

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Nearly Half of U.S. Lives in Household Receiving Government Benefit

By Sara Murray

Families were more dependent on government programs than ever last year.

Nearly half, 48.5%, of the population lived in a household that received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2010, according to Census data. Those numbers have risen since the middle of the recession when 44.4% lived households receiving benefits in the third quarter of 2008.

The share of people relying on government benefits has reached a historic high, in large part from the deep recession and meager recovery, but also because of the expansion of government programs over the years. (See a timeline on the history of government benefits programs here.)

Means-tested programs, designed to help the needy, accounted for the largest share of recipients last year. Some 34.2% of Americans lived in a household that received benefits such as food stamps, subsidized housing, cash welfare or Medicaid (the federal-state health care program for the poor).

Another 14.5% lived in homes where someone was on Medicare (the health care program for the elderly). Nearly 16% lived in households receiving Social Security.

https://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/10/05/nearly-half-of-households-receive-some-government-benefit/

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>Ridgewood council votes to demolish home at Habernickel Family Park

>Ridgewood council votes to demolish home at Habernickel Family Park

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2011
BY KELLY EBBELS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Village Council members agree that the prominent house at the Habernickel Family Park should be demolished.

The decision was unanimous at Wednesday’s council meeting, despite a request from Village Manager Ken Gabbert to spare the house and convert it into meeting rooms, given the space crunch the village is facing.

Funds from a Bergen County Open Space grant received for the development of the Habernickel property can help pay for the demolition, Gabbert said, and the council decided to go ahead with previous plans. Demolition had always been part of the “phase II” portion of Habernickel’s development plan, and council members explained that they would rather see the village go ahead with fully utilizing the park as green space than keep the house for rental property or meeting space.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/131234414_Demolition_of_home_to_open_space.html

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Post Office’s Rescue Plan: Junk Mail

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postman theridgewoodblog.net



Post Office’s Rescue Plan: Junk Mail
By JENNIFER LEVITZ

Many consumers are irked by the catalogs, credit-card pitches and other “junk mail” they receive. But the U.S. Postal Service loves it—and wants to deliver more.

The agency, beset by historic losses and a plummet in first-class mail, is running promotions, easing rules and planning television and radio ads to encourage more businesses to send pitches by standard mail, the official term for bulk mailings used by marketers to prospect for customers.

“What we want to do is to make standard mail more interesting for customers so we can grow the total volume,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in an interview. “We don’t call it junk mail—it’s a lucrative avenue for anyone who wants to reach customers.”

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204612504576606743516301586.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_editorsPicks_1

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>N.J. charter schools receive almost $800K in federal aid

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N.J. charter schools receive almost $800K in federal aid

The developers of four new New Jersey charter schools will share almost $800,000 in federal aid for planning and program design, the U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Overall, the U.S. DOE handed out $4,792,526 to help 23 new charter elementary and high schools open their doors in 11 states.

Bright Horizon Charter School of Penns Grove-Carneys Point in Salem County is receiving $199,099, Friends of Tikun Olam in Highland Park is getting $200,000, Shalom Academy of Englewood-Teaneck $200,000, and Spirit Preparatory of Newark $186,562.  (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-charter-schools-receive-almost-800k-in-federal-aid
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>Property taxes fall $224M on reforms

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Property taxes fall $224M on reforms

New Jersey property taxpayers will pay $224 million less for police and fire pensions in the current fiscal year, Gov. Chris Christie’s office announced Wednesday.

The savings comes on top of $43 million less in pension payments for rank-and-file local workers.
Municipalities and counties don’t have to pay as much because pension reform measures enacted in June will lower the long-term liabilities the system faces. Under the reform, workers must pay more toward their pensions and retirees will have their pensions frozen until their respective funds get healthier.  (Method, Gannett)

https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20111006/NEWS02/310060022/Property-taxes-fall-224M-reforms?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|State
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>Officials: N.J. towns to save $267M in pension costs thanks to new law

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Officials: N.J. towns to save $267M in pension costs thanks to new law

The Christie administration today touted big savings for local governments because of pension reforms as state employees and a judge tussled over lawsuits challenging new requirements for them to pay more for their benefits.

The controversial public benefits overhaul, signed by Gov. Chris Christie in June, shifts a greater share of the costs onto public workers.

Today, the governor’s office said local governments across the New Jersey will save $267 million in pension costs, according to figures provided by the state’s Treasury Department. Supporters said the move was necessary to help save the cash-strapped pension system for future retirees and to help ease the burden on local governments.  (Spoto, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/officials_nj_towns_to_save_267.html
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>SEIU launches campaign to unionize thousands of workers at Newark, 2 NYC airports

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SEIU launches campaign to unionize thousands of workers at Newark, 2 NYC airports

One way airlines have cut costs in the post-9/11 era has been to lay off baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, SkyCaps and other service employees, then contract for those services with companies that pay lower wages and offer fewer benefits.

In an effort to boost compensation for ground support workers, while at the same time expand their own membership, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union is launching a campaign to unionize thousands of workers at Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports.  (Strunsky, The Star-Ledger)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/seiu_launches_campaign_to_unio.html
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>Museum in NJ displays some of Jobs’ earliest work

>Museum in NJ displays some of Jobs’ earliest work

(10/06/11) WALL TOWNSHIP – Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died at age 56 yesterday, leaving behind what current Apple CEO Tim Cook calls, “a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

There is a place in New Jersey you can visit and see some of Jobs’ earliest works for Apple.

The InfoAge Science History Center at Camp Evans has many vintage computers including the Apple II.

https://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=294351&position=1&news_type=news