>Congressman Scott Garrett Applauds Today’s Signature into Law of Secure Fence Act as Critical Measure to Keeping our Country Safe and Secure
Washington, D.C.-Congressman Scott Garrett applauded the President’s signature today of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, H.R. 6061, which authorizes the construction of a 700-mile fence at critical points along our southwest border and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain operational control of our border and ports through enhanced Border Patrol operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology.
“This Act, which was signed into law today, takes a significant step towards keeping our country even more safe and secure,” said Garrett. “By authorizing the construction of a fence and authorizing DHS to maintain operational control of our border and ports-providing them with cutting-edge equipment and technology-we are acting to stay ahead of terrorism, keeping control of what comes into our homeland.”
Initial funding in the amount of $1.2 billion for the construction of this fence and additional border security measures–such as vehicle barriers, tactical infrastructure, and technology–was approved as a part of the Fiscal Year 07 Appropriations bill and additional funding will follow. Congressman Garrett voted in favor of Secure Fence Act in September of this year.
Additionally, Congressman Garrett voted for the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which was also signed into law, providing amongst other things, $2.27 billion for border patrol funding to help add an additional 1,500 new Border Patrol agents for a total of 14,800 agents; $5.2 billion for the Secure Border Initiative, helping to provide tools and personnel needed to prevent terrorists and other criminals from crossing our border; and $4.2 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
>School Leadership LLC, the search firm hired by the Board of Education to find a new superintendent of schools, is overseeing a number of ways the community can provide input on what to look for in candidates for the Ridgewood position. School Leadership will be conducting general community meetings at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, on November 14 and November 29 at 7:30 PM to gain ideas from the community in how to narrow their search to find the ideal candidate. At the public meetings, School Leadership will describe the process for conducting the search, and ask attendees which professional and personal characteristics they feel the new superintendent should bring to the position. School Leadership will also be meeting with district administrators (November 1); Federated Home and School Association (November 2); and the Human Resources Coordinating Council and Clergy Council (November 16). School Leadership is also conducting a web-based interactive survey that will be available on the district website (www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us) for the month of November. Participants will be asked to choose from a list the qualities they consider essential in a superintendent of schools. There will also be open-ended questions. A hot link to the survey will be posted in the next rps.eNews. Survey takers also have the option of printing the survey and mailing or faxing their opinions to School Leadership. All results from the anonymous survey will be sent directly to School Leadership offices. Information from the meetings and the survey will be synthesized into a set of search specifications that the Board will approve at its December 18, 2006, meeting. School Leadership expects that the new superintendent will be appointed at the April 23, 2007, Board meeting.
>That a member of the Village Council openly solicited donations to the Ridgewood A.M. Rotary Club from Village employees. The solicitations recently took place at Village Hall during normal business hours.
>The complacency displayed in the last municipal election and the missteps and wrong doings of the council and the school board are a result of nonpartisan elections. Remove the political tension between the two parties and you have a free for all where both sides join together to steal as much as they can because they have no fear of being caught.
Non partisan elections stifle public debate of the issues. Adherents of this arrangement have appeared on this board from time to time telling posters to stop their complaining. If you want things to improve, bring back the two party system. Let the two sides slug it out, dig into each others doings and dealings and air the dirty laundry. It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable but it’s democracy,
>On Wednesday, October 18th, representatives from NJ Transit publicly presented their revised plan to make the Ridgewood Train Station ADA compliant.
Significant revisions to NJ Transit’s previously presented plans include: 1) Overhead canopies that don’t cover the entire length of either the inbound or outbound platforms; 2) neither platform will extend as far north as was originally proposed; 3) the addition of sidewalks to facilitate access between Wilsey Square’s parking area and the inbound platform.
It is anticipated that Village Council members will approve this revised plan via resolution at their October 25th Work Session.
>The Ridgewood High School Marching Band is inviting the Ridgewood community to its first ever Mid-Season Showcase, a free exhibition performance, on Saturday, October 28, 2006, at 4:30 PM at the RHS football stadium. The band will present its award-winning show entitled “Southern Sketches,” which uses traditional American music, dance, motion, and colors to portray the story of Smalltown, America. The band has had an excellent start to its competitive season so far with 1st, 5th, and 3rd place finishes at competitions in Somerville, Giants’ Stadium, and Hillsborough, respectively. It has also received awards for Best Music, Best Visual, Best Colorguard, and Best Percussion. Under the guidance of second year director James Garde, the band will compete at the All-States’ Championship in Allentown, Pennsylvania the following week. The RHS band program is one of Bergen County’s largest, composed of over 200 students who participate in more than a dozen ensembles. The curricular bands, Marching Band, Jazz Ensembles, Chamber Ensembles, Winter Colorguard and Twirlers are all recognized nationally, regionally, and locally for superior performance. Individually, members of the RHS Bands are chosen annually to perform in honor ensembles at the county, region and state levels.
>The next meeting of the Parks & Recreation master planning process is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m. in the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place. The target group for this meeting is the Planning Board; Park, Recreation & Conservation Board; Open Space Committee; BOE Facilities Committee. Future meetings will be held on: October 30th at the Ed Center; November 29 at the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room at Village Hall, 131 North Maple Ave
>Wednesday, October 18th from 7 to 9pm, representatives from NJ Transit will be in the Court Room in Ridgewood Village Hall to present a revised plan to make the Ridgewood Train Station ADA compliant. This meeting is for the public and will detail changes from the former set of plans. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.
>Columbus Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries in the Americas, commemorating the date of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World in 1492. Similar holidays, celebrated as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race) in many countries in Latin America, Discovery Day in the Bahamas, Hispanic Day in Spain, and the newly-renamed (as of 2002) Día de la Resistencia Indígena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela, commemorate the same event. Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Columbus Day was first celebrated by Italians in San Francisco in 1869, following on the heels of 1866 Italian celebrations in New York City. The first state celebration was in Colorado in 1905, and in 1937, at the behest of the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic fraternal service organization named for the voyager), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt set aside Columbus Day as a holiday in the United States. Since 1971, the holiday has been commemorated in the U.S. on the second Monday in October, the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada. Italian-Americans feel pride in the day due to the fact that Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, sailed to the Americas. Many royal courts were interested in financing the voyage, but Spain financed the ships for Columbus’ brainchild. Some Hispanics are embittered by this victory for Columbus. In the United States, Banks and government offices are closed on Columbus Day.
>Anonymous said… Slick strategy.1) saves tons in legal fees; 2) eliminates the opportunity for neighbors to object at zoning hearings; 3) instead of trying to schmooze the neighborhood masses, all they have to do is convince the 5 Village Council members.Slick; very slick. Valley’s attorney, Charles Collins, should be quite proud of himself. I guess that’s why Valley pays Charlie the big bucks though.If you plan on objecting to the expansion, don’t waste your time talking to anyone else but a Council member. The entire future of The Valley is now in their hands. 2:49 PM
Anonymous said… So now Ridgewood taxpayers know EXACTLY why Ms. Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Health Group, trotted herself out to this week’s Village Council Work Session to deliver what was billed as a “courtesy” presentation.”Courtesy” presentation my ass. Ms. Meyers completely understands the game objective; pull out all stops to get every Village Council member in favor of the expansion project.I always thought that Audrey Meyers was a very classy, upstanding businesswoman. Now I know that she’s nothing but a sleezebag like many others in this town. 3:11 PM
Anonymous said… The defined legal process is for The Valley to present before Ridgewood’s Zoning Board of Adjustment or Planning Board. The Valley’s attorney is very familiar with the proper procedure.Ms. Meyers’ attempt to inappropriately influence the Village Council prior to such presentations is what qualifies her as a sleazebag.Fortunately, Mayor David T. Pfund knew what she was up to, and that is why he directed Council members were to make no comments, nor ask any questions before, during, or after her presentation. Any slip of the lips could have created cause for legal action by opponents at a later date.Way to go Dave! 5:30 PM
Anonymous said… If you prefer reading the opinions only of those who identify themseleves, may I suggest that you confine your reading to the Ridgewood News’ Letters to the Editor section.99.9% of the posters on this blog choose not to identify themselves publicly. If that bothers you, stop reading this blog.Based on reports carried here and in the Ridgewood News regarding Ms. Meyers’ presentation, and from information taken directly off of The Valley’s own web site, it would appear The Valley was indeed trying to inappropriately influence Village Council members.If the shoe fits, wear it. 12:46 AM
Anonymous said… It would be my pleasure to provide you with my name, when and where would you like to meet? Regarding the suggestion about reading the Ridgewood News’ Letters to the Editor section, Thanks, I already read that newspaper along with a few others.I am well aware that 99.9% of the posters on this blog choose not to identify themselves publicly. However, I don’t remember saying that that bothered me…. Does it bother you? As you know (and I hope you do) Valley Hospital sent their presentation to every resident of the Village of Ridgewood, which happens to include the mayor and council.This presentation was done in public at a public meeting not in some back room behind some magical curtain. I wonder… if Valley didn’t make this presentation and only sent out their plan to the residents of the Village of Ridgewood, including the mayor and council, I am willing to bet you would still be making the same allegations of this being an inappropriate influence of Village Council members. Sounds to me like you just want to make claims of wrong doing no matter what. Based on your analysis then I guess the Valley Hospital is trying to inappropriately influence each and every resident too. A bit of a stretch!Your friendly Village Idiot 5:14 AM
Anonymous said… I am not concerned about The Valley’s advertising/public relations campaign directed at citizens of our community. The Valley is entitled to spend their money as they wish. I would fully anticipate they would seek to gain public support for this project.What concerned me was The Valley’s attempt to circumvent the prescribed process of presenting to either the zoning board of adjustment or planning board. The Village Council deals with zoning matters, by way of introducing new ordinances or amending existing ones, only upon the recommendation of either the zoning board of adjustment or planning board.Translation: There is an established process for pleading your case with respect to zoning matters in Ridgewood, and no individual/organization, except governmental agencies, is exempt from this process – not even The Valley. 10:53 PM
Anonymous said… “Any other laws we should change to protect a few important taxpayers?”For the record, The Valley pays no property taxes for their campus at Linwood and Van Dien. Zip, none . . . 4:44 PM
Anonymous said… Good point. Shall we list the ways that Valley Hospital impacts the local economy? Maybe they can move the Hospital.. then sell the land to developers? That will generate some property taxes! Oh, but wait… how to zone it? Review by the proper authorities? Nahhhh… lets have it re-zoned by our Friends in the Executive Branch. 5:41 PM
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_riaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 165
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_inhaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 166
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_mastodonIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 177
