Shown here are Bettyann Kempin; Ann Marie Leichman, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer; and Beverly Karas-Irwin.
Valley Nurses Selected for Nursing Leadership Awards
December 18, 2013 — The Valley Hospital is pleased to announce the selection of two of its nurses for Nursing Leadership Awards by the Organization of Nurse Executives of New Jersey (ONE NJ). Since 1971, ONENJ has been the professional organization of choice for nursing leaders, representing nursing administration and management in all practice settings.
Beverly Karas-Irwin, Director of Professional Practice and Research at Valley, has been recognized with the 2013 Professional Recognition Award. This award is bestowed upon a nurse who demonstrates nursing leadership through a professional achievement that has made a significant impact on nursing. Beverly is being recognized for her work in developing the joint nursing program between The Valley Hospital and Ramapo College. These types of partnerships between academia and practice are now a recommendation of the Institute of Medicine’s in their 2010 report called, “The Future of Nursing”.
Bettyann Kempin, Assistant Vice President for Medical and Surgical Services at Valley, has received the 2013 Leadership in Mentorship Award. This award is presented to a nurse leader who demonstrates supportive leadership in mentoring nurses in the leadership role. Bettyann was nominated by nurse manager from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson for recognition of the mentorship she provided to her as part of the Organization of Nurse Executives of New Jersey Mentorship Program, which Bettyann helped develop.
Bid Notice – Maple Park Artificial Turf Cleaning – Opening January 22
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Click Here for details.
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Three Conference Room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451 on Wednesday, January 22, 2014, 10:00 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for following project:
“Maple Park Artificial Turf Cleaning”
The work of the contract shall consist of providing all labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary to clean and remediate Maple Park Turf Field. Upon mutual agreement of all parties, the Village will consider extending this contract for an additional year beyond the term stated.
Specifications and bid forms will be available from the office of Parks and Recreation, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, telephone (201) 670-5565. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Parks and Recreation Office, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all federal, state and local sales and excise taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail. Mailed bids shall be addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid to the bid opening location sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
The contractual obligation of the Village of Ridgewood under this Contract for these Items is contingent upon the availability of appropriate funds from which payment for this Contract can be made.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, “Maple Park Artificial Turf Cleaning” and must be accompanied by the following: either a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for $1,000; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, and E, are required to be submitted on the forms enclosed in the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
All contractors, their subcontractors, and material suppliers shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Contractor Business Registration Program, pursuant to Public Law 2004 Chapter 57. Evidence of satisfactory registration(s) shall be submitted at the time of the bid. All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate.
The successful bidder shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond in the amount of $10,000.00 as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall furnish policies or Certificates of Insurance as required by the Contract. In default thereof, the said checks and/or bid bond submitted with the bid, and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies), and/or Surety Company(ies)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27). A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.”
Pick Up your Updated Emergency Planning Guide – Printed Copies Available at Village Hall
The Ridgewood Office of Emergency Management (OEM) just published an Emergency Planning Guide for 2013 – the first update of this critical resource in nearly 15 years.
The Emergency Planning Guide is designed to provide residents with basic emergency preparedness information, including tools and checklists that will assist families in preparing for different types of emergencies. It will also help residents to stay informed before, during and after disasters.
Click Here for your copy of the Ridgewood Emergency Planning Guide.
“The Emergency Planning Guide is a must-have resource for all Ridgewood residents and businesses,” explained Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “As we have learned from Super Storm Sandy and other recent storms, you can never be too prepared for a disaster.”
“I applaud our OEM leadership for its proactive approach,” Aronsohn continued.
For the first time, the Emergency Planning Guide is available electronically for viewing and downloading on the Ridgewood OEM website (https://oem.ridgewoodnj.net) as well as the main Village of Ridgewood website (www.ridgewoodnj.net).
The new Emergency Planning Guide was specifically designed as a PDF document to take advantage of current technology. Hard copies can be picked up in the Lobby of Village Hall.
According to OEM Coordinator Jeremy Kleiman, “In the past, we would print and mail a copy of the booklet to all village residents and businesses, which is expensive. Budget constraints made us re-think how we communicate emergency preparedness information to the public. We decided to make the Emergency Planning Guide an electronic document to save costs and also to leverage current technology. Residents who are registered to receive E-Notices from the village will receive the document by email.”
OEM asks all residents to register for E-Notices to receive routine information, such as the Emergency Planning Guide, as well as emergency alerts. Please register by visiting either www.ridgewoodnj.net and clicking on the “E-Notices” link, or https://oem.ridgewoodnj.net and clicking on the “Swift911 Notification” icon. Either link will take residents to the same registration portal.
For those residents who do not register for E-Notices or are unable to receive information by email, a limited number of hard copies of the Emergency Planning Guide are available at Village Hall. Ridgewood Councilman Tom Riche is leading a fundraising effort to secure donations that will cover the cost of printing the booklets. Contributions may be made payable to Ridgewood Emergency Planning Guide, c/o Finance Office, Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07451.
Generation Opportunity releases Millennial Jobs Report
Washington, DC – (1/10/13) – Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, is announcing its Millennial Jobs Report for December 2013. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor force participation by including those who have given up looking for work, is15.9 percent (NSA). The (U-3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds is 9.5 percent (NSA).
The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.880 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed” by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans is24.2 percent (NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 16.7 percent (NSA).
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics is 16.8 percent (NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 10.5 percent (NSA).
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old women is 13.7 percent(NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 8.5 percent (NSA).
Evan Feinberg, President of Generation Opportunity, issued the following statement:
“The unacceptably high youth unemployment rate is troubling because we are the most creative, innovative generation in American history. We are developing new technologies, saving lives, and making this country better. The only thing holding us back is the constraint of government.
The real shame is there are easy policy solutions that would free our generation to realize our potential. We need to stop spending our economy into a tailspin and eliminate red-tape and other barriers to work.”Youth Unemployment at 15.9% in December
Generation Opportunity releases Millennial Jobs Report
Washington, DC – (1/10/13) – Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, is announcing its Millennial Jobs Report for December 2013. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor force participation by including those who have given up looking for work, is15.9 percent (NSA). The (U-3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds is 9.5 percent (NSA).
The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.880 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed” by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans is24.2 percent (NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 16.7 percent (NSA).
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics is 16.8 percent (NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 10.5 percent (NSA).
The effective (U-6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old women is 13.7 percent(NSA); the (U-3) unemployment rate is 8.5 percent (NSA).
Evan Feinberg, President of Generation Opportunity, issued the following statement:
“The unacceptably high youth unemployment rate is troubling because we are the most creative, innovative generation in American history. We are developing new technologies, saving lives, and making this country better. The only thing holding us back is the constraint of government.
The real shame is there are easy policy solutions that would free our generation to realize our potential. We need to stop spending our economy into a tailspin and eliminate red-tape and other barriers to work.”
NJ Senate committee urges Congress to restructure Port Authority
A measure urging Congress to restructure the Port Authority to improve its transparency passed a state Senate committee on Thursday with support from the panel’s three Democrats. The two Republicans on the Senate State Government Committee abstained.
The resolution is only a request. If it passes the Legislature, New Jersey would officially ask Congress to examine the authority and find ways to “to increase accountability and transparency at the Port Authority for the safety of the region’s residents.”
It says the agency’s current structure does not serve the public well.
“The Port Authority has failed to honor the public trust,” the resolution says, citing the controversy over Christie appointees closing local access to the George Washington Bridge in September. “The Port Authority would benefit from efforts to improve its accountability and transparency.”
It is sponsored by state Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, one of the most outspoken legislators in the bridge scandal.
For the request to be sent to Congress, it will need to pass the state Senate and Assembly before the current session ends on Tuesday. (Linhorst/The Record)
Reader says How am I suppose to enroll my kids in Kindergarten when I have a job
How are we supposed to register our kid if we both work? What is this 1955 with Stepford Wives and pa with a 9-5 job?
Time to enter the current century Ridgewood. There will be free preschool in Manhattan while we still have 1/2 day Kindergarten and middle of the week school registration.
Most households now are 2 income families and our schools have to start to respect that fact.
Pictured (left to right) Donald Rogers, Chief Development Officer, NSU; Dennis Doll, Chairman, CEO and President Middlesex Water; Village of Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn; Ed Clerico, President, NSU and Dominick Kulik, Chairman and CEO of NSU.
Reader Says Failed Generator is Gross Incompetence
If this were a private corporation and a critical facility was not able to function because some asshole manager forgot to periodically check the standby generator, that manager’s ass would be grass.
But this is Ridgewood, and in Ridgewood taxpayers just keep kicking in more and more money each month to pay to correct stupid mistakes made by management and management keeps getting their annual bonuses.
The nerve of Mr. Rutishauser to blame NJDEP for his failure to make sure the generator was checked on a regular basis. And what a bunch of buffoons on the Village Council; they just keep approving additional funds to cover incompetent management decisions.
Is there a plan now Mr. Rutishauser or will you not try to start the generator again until the next time commercial power goes out? And by the way, what happened to the Emergency Services trailer mounted generator that was supposed to be stored at Water Pollution Control? Why didn’t someone step outside and try using that one?
Developer drops plan for housing in Ridgewood
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — And then there were three.
For more than a year now, Ridgewood’s Planning Board has been mulling four applications from four separate developers for a quartet of proposed downtown housing complexes.
But village residents learned this week that one of the developers has backed out, completely withdrawing its application from consideration.
Terminal Construction — which had been eyeing the former Ken Smith Motors site for a multifamily, high-density housing development — notified Ridgewood in a letter dated Dec. 17 that it wanted to pull its petition.
Terminal’s proposed project, dubbed Ridgewood Station, would have been a 114-luxury apartment and retail complex on Franklin Avenue.
The application’s withdrawal should have no impact on the board’s ongoing consideration of a master plan amendment, which would potentially permit such developments in Ridgewood.
Playing classical music to your child can improve their listening skills later on in life
Playing classical music to young children boosts their concentration and self-discipline as well as their social skills The Institute of Education, University of London examined a scheme that introduces children to classical music in assemblies and classes Teachers said it increases pupils’ listening power, musical knowledge, aspirations and in some cases improved their English
By SARAH HARRIS
PUBLISHED: 13:27 EST, 8 January 2014
Playing classical music such as Beethoven and Mozart to young children boosts their concentration and self-discipline, a new study suggests.
Youngsters also improve their general listening and social skills by being exposed to repertoires from composers including Ravel, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn.
In addition, they are likely to appreciate a wider range of music in later years, according to a study from the Institute of Education, (IoE), University of London.
Bridgegate Politics as usual for New Jersey , No Biggie for Commuters left in a Jam
January 8, 2014
PJ Blogger and the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Chris Christie Releases statement on “Bridgegate” , “What I’ve seen today for the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge. One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions.”
Ridgewood NJ, Am I the only one who finds this whole thing ridiculous irritating ? After being inconvenienced for 350 days a year for over 30 years commuting and suffering a range of indignities from bus break downs ,getting towed from in the tunnel in 90 degree weather , walking the length of the Lincoln tunnel to get to the Port Authority Bus station ,waiting hours for late busses , being panhandled , harassed ,having a family member almost murdered at the hands of a mugger in the Port Authority Bus station. and did I forget to mention the recent rash of suicide bridge jumpers .
After all that seeing one bridge and tunnel toll raise after another , after another. On top of that seeing one scandal after another involving both the Port Authority and Port Authority officials all this with hardly a mention let alone an Op ed from any one in the tri-state media
Now Chris Christie plays hard ball politics and one mayor get inconvenienced by some traffic at the GWB and its national head lines? . Mayor welcome to the real world , nothing happened in Fort Lee that does not happen everyday .
Excuse me , I and 3 million other commuters have been inconvenienced every day for the last 30 years ,but when it happens to a politician its big news when it happens to you and me we are cry babies , lunatic fringe , right wing nuts , racists ,bigots and homophobes .
Only because Christie is a Republican did the media decide to report it .If it were Corzine or McGreevey history shows us you would have never known it had even happened , sorry folks truth hurts . Let face it MacGreevey’s escapades were going on since he was mayor of Woodridge and yet the media chose to ignore it and Corzine the father on ENRON had more than one scarlet letter ignored.
Do I have to rattle of a list of scandals ,in Trenton and Washington DC? IRS Targeting, NSA domestic spying , Benaghazi ….traffic jams on the GWB..snore.
So may I suggest the next time your sitting for hours stuck on a train or waiting for a very late bus in the freezing cold , or stuck in traffic give Mayor Mark Sokolich a call after all when he gets stuck in traffic the media comes running.
Mark Sokolich Fort Lee Mayor’s Office Address: 309 Main St, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Phone:(201) 592-3500
Obamanomics: There are 3 unemployed people for every job opening
Gene Sperling, a key economic adviser to President Barack Obama, appeared on the Jan. 5, 2014, edition of CNN’s “State of the Union.”
About 1.3 million Americans rang in 2014 with a loss of long-term unemployment benefits, due to Congress’ failure to renew the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program before its Dec. 28 expiration.
Gene Sperling, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama and director of the National Economic Council, is pushing Congress to extend the benefits. The Senatepassed the measure Tuesday, but the House is not considered likely to follow suit.
To receive the benefits, the law requires that people actively look for jobs. On CNN’s State of the Union, Candy Crowley suggested that some people may be able to game the system. Sperling pushed back against that idea, emphasizing that a large majority of the unemployed are honestly trying to find jobs in a tough economy.
“Most of the people are desperately looking for jobs,” he said. “You know, our economy still has three people looking for every job (opening).”
Hillary Clinton and Obama admitted they opposed Iraq troop surge only to look good politically, claims former defense secretary Robert Gates in damning new book
Robert Gates, secretary of defense under Barack Obama and George W. Bush, writes that Hillary Clinton made a callous political move in 2006 She announced her opposition to Bush’s Iraq troop ‘surge’ just before entering the presidential race Gates writes that she admitted making that choice in order to avoid being politically outflanked by Obama as they entered the 2007 primary season The revelation could prove problematic for Clinton as she prepares what political observers see as a second run at the White House in 2016 The former defense secretary says Obama believed his own troop surge – the move of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan – would fail He also attacked VP Joe Biden, saying he ‘has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue’ The White House responded, saying Obama ‘disagrees with Secretary Gates’ assessment’ and defending Biden as a ‘leading statesman’
By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR
PUBLISHED: 17:09 EST, 7 January 2014 | UPDATED: 00:01 EST, 8 January 2014
Hillary Rodham Clinton, a likely Democratic Party standard-bearer in the 2016 presidential contest, staked out her military-related positions in the 2008 race based on how they would play politically, according to a former secretary of defense who served in both the Obama and Bush administrations.
Describing a ‘remarkable’ exchange he witnessed, Robert Gates writes in a book due out next week that ‘Hillary told the president that her opposition to the [2007] surge in Iraq had been political because she was facing him in the Iowa primary.’
Obama, too, ‘conceded vaguely that [his] opposition to the Iraq surge had been political,’ Gates recounts. ‘To hear the two of them making these admissions, and in front of me, was as surprising as it was dismaying.’
And Gates recounts how, as the president lost faith in Gen. David Petraeus’ handling of hostilities in Afghanistan, he – Gates – lost faith in Obama’s commitment to accomplishing much of anything.
‘As I sat there,’ he recalls, ‘I thought: The president doesn’t trust his commander, can’t stand [President Hamid] Karzai, doesn’t believe in his own strategy and doesn’t consider the war to be his.’
RAHP INFO SESSIONS FOR NINTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE ANNOUNCED
Come Out and Hear about the Ridgwood Academy for the Health Professions
Information Session Invitation for current Ninth Graders
Saturday, January 11 9:30-11 a.m. RHS Campus Center
Thursday, January 16 3:15 p.m RHS Room 296
Each information session will include the opportunity to discuss the RAHP curriculum, speak with members of the RAHP Steering committee, meet current RAHP students and get a brief preview of the experiences afforded to students as they participate in explorations,
Religious Freedom K of C Follow Up Meeting Tuesday Jan 7
On behalf of Joe, Don and Art, I would like to remind everyone of our meeting on Tuesday Jan 7, 7:30 sharp and ending at 8:30.The meeting will be at the Oakland K of C with a discussion for Religious Freedom and how it could impact all Catholics in America and World Wide.
Please join us, bring a friend and discuss what you can do to help.
Tuesday’s agenda includes:
1) The Little Sisters of the Poor/The Supreme Court’s order halts any fines the Roman Catholic nonprofit’s faced.
2) Other Obamacare lawsuits by Religious Organizations
3) Anti Religious discrimination in VA Administration
4) Common Core at Odds with Classical Catholic Education
5) Right to Life March on Jan 25
Please note that : NDAA 2014 passed with the section protecting Religious Freedom of speech. Thank you Scott Garrett.
During our discussion, we planned on sending e-mails to our own representatives and others in Congress regarding:
1) Opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and
2) support for the religious freedom section to the National Defense Authorization Act 2014 (NDAA 2014), which strengthens the requirement for the military to accommodate the religious beliefs of military people and speech based on such beliefs. It also requires the Department of Defense in implementing this provision to consult with “the official military faith-group representatives who endorse military chaplains”.
The White House has already expressed its opposition to Section 530 as well as other unrelated items in the bill. Presumably, Democratic Senators and Congressmen will be under pressure to oppose Section 530, so we might send e-mails to some of them, as well.
Below from Don Burns are the e-mail links to contact members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Here’s the link to the lists of all US Senators & Representatives:
NJ TRANSIT IMPLEMENTS SYSTEMWIDE CROSS-HONORING TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY DUE TO EXTREME COLD FRONT
Waiting room hours extended through Thursday, January 9
January 6, 2014
NEWARK, NJ — With an extreme cold front expected to move into the region overnight, NJ TRANSIT operations, customer service and police personnel continue to take steps toward minimizing delays and ensuring service reliability and safety across the system. All customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information before starting their trip
Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Effect Tuesday, January 7 and Wednesday, January 8: To give customers additional travel options during the extreme cold weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring on Tuesday, January 7 and Wednesday, January 8, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail or bus—including private bus carriers.
For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass or ticket on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge. Customers using their tickets or passes to travel to a destination other than the destination printed on their original ticket will be subject to the appropriate additional fare if applicable.
Waiting Room Hours Extended through Thursday, January 9: Due to the impending drop in temperature and subzero wind chills, all NJ TRANSIT rail station buildings and waiting rooms will remain open, including evenings and overnight, through Thursday, January 9.
NJ TRANSIT will be closely monitoring conditions across the system, as extreme cold weather can potentially impact rail infrastructure and equipment. In addition, bus routes may be subject to delays and detours due to expected icing conditions on roadways. Customers are advised to visit njtransit.com before starting their trip.
Winter Weather Travel Advice:
For the latest travel information, visit njtransit.com or access our Twitter feed at @NJTRANSIT prior to starting your trip. In the event of delays or service adjustments, NJ TRANSIT will provide the most current service information via the My Transit alert system, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone, PDA or pager. (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at www.njtransit.com/mytransit) Service information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
Build additional travel time into your trip to a station, terminal or bus stop.
Stairs, flooring and platforms can be slippery, so please use caution when walking along wet surfaces or any outdoor surface exposed to the weather. Use extra care when boarding or exiting buses and trains.
Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or
NJ TRANSIT staff.
If you park, ensure your car is stocked with a snow brush and ice scraper so you can clear your car upon returning to the lot in the event it snows
