Congressional veterans line up against military intervention in Syria
By Carlo Muñoz – 09/07/13 05:07 PM ET
The majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans serving in Congress are lining up against President Obama’s plan for military action in Syria.
Of the 16 veterans of those two conflicts serving in Congress, only GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) have publicly supported the White House’s plan.
Three other members — Iraq War veterans and Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) are undecided.
A fourth, Scott Perry (R-Pa.), said he hasn’t made up his mind either, though he told a town hall this week he wasn’t inclined to support a resolution authorizing force.
Ten of the remaining members have announced their opposition to a military strike.
Benghazi haunting Obama effort to win support for Syria strike
By Julian Pecquet – 09/08/13 06:00 AM ET
The first anniversary of the Benghazi, Libya terror attack is making it more difficult for President Obama to win support for a military strike against Syria.
Tea Party lawmakers say the Obama administration lacks credibility on Syria because of the Benghazi attack.
“I can’t discuss the possibility of the U.S. involvement in Syria’s civil war without also talking about Benghazi,” Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) told Secretary of State John Kerry during a testy exchange at Wednesday’s House Foreign Affairs hearing.
“The administration has a serious credibility issue with the American people due to the unanswered questions surrounding the terrorist attack in Benghazi almost a year ago,” Duncan said.
CARES Foundation, a national organization supporting those affected by the genetic disorder Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), will hold its 2nd Annual CAREing Hearts Walk for CAH on September 28, 2013, in Ridgewood, NJ.
Patients, health professionals, families and friends will gather at Wild Duck Pond Park for the 3 mile walk. The Walk will also include a Kids Fun Run and other activities for children. Registration starts at 9am and the Walk kicks-off at 10am. There will be music and raffle prizes too, including the chance to win an Ipad Mini. To register or for more information , visit our website at www.caresfoundation.org. click the following link: https://caresfoundation.kintera.org/NJWalk2013.
Those who prefer not to walk can support the event by making donations and spreading awareness. More details are available on our website. This year’s sponsors include Capital One Bank, AFN USA, Almeida & Hudak Contractors, DaSilva Family, Gofman Family, LB Industries, and Raffuel Surety. Proceeds from the event will benefit CARES’ programs including patient and medical education, research, centers of excellence, EMS protocols for adrenal insufficiency and other programs to benefit the CAH community. CARES Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization is the only US organization that raises awareness, funds research and provides support for families affected by Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), a life threatening adrenal disorder. CAH is a family of genetic disorders affecting the adrenal glands. In the severe form, it can lead to shock, cardiac arrest and death in newborns and emergency situations. The non-classical, milder form of CAH affects 1 in 27 to 1 in 1000 in the general population and can seriously affect quality of life, cause growth and pubertal problems in children, infertility in adults, and other long-term symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
For more information on CAH, please visit: www.caresfoundation.org. CARES Foundation 2414 Morris Avenue, Suite 110 Union, NJ 07083 Telephone: 908-364-0272 or toll-free 866-227-3737 Fax: 908-686-2019 https://www.caresfoundation.org
Full Schedule resumes:
8:30 AM Little Lambs Child Care – Nursery
8:45 AM Chapel Communion Service
9:00 AM Sunday School (Pre-K-Gr 5)
(Note: Adult Groups resume 9:00 AM September 15)
10:00 AM HOMECOMING WORSHIP with Commissioning of Teachers
10:00 AM Sunday School (Pre-K-Gr 7) starts in worship, children excused following Children’s
Message
11:15 AM HOMECOMING CELEBRATION:
There will be a celebration following 10:00 worship. Join us for fun, food and fellowship! Enjoy hot dogs with toppings, cookies, popcorn, a bounce house, face painting, and games as we kick off our new Sunday School year!
NEEDED!
Baked Goods
Volunteers to help with clean up
Please contact Carol at [email protected] to sign up.
Child care for pre-school children is provided in the West Side Nursery, on the 2nd floor of the Christian Education building.
West Side Presbyterian Church Nursery School 6 S Monroe St, Ridgewood, NJ, 7450
Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, in Boise, laments ‘alarming degree of public ignorance’
Katie Terhune | Idaho Statesman
Two-thirds of Americans cannot name a single Supreme Court justice, former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told the crowd that packed into a Boise State ballroom to hear her Thursday.
About one-third can name the three branches of government. Fewer than one-fifth of high school seniors can explain how citizen participation benefits democracy.
“Less than one-third of eighth-graders can identify the historical purpose of the Declaration of Independence, and it’s right there in the name,” she said.
O’Connor touted civics education during her keynote address at the “Transforming America: Women and Leadership in the 21st Century” conference, put on by the Andrus Center for Public Policy. She also described being a female lawyer in the 1950s, and challenged her listeners to help the next generation of leaders reach their goals.
O’CONNOR ON CIVICS
“The more I read and the more I listen, the more apparent it is that our society suffers from an alarming degree of public ignorance,” O’Connor said.
That ignorance starts in the earliest years of a child’s schooling, she said, but often continues all the way through college and graduate school.
O’Connor argued that learning about citizenship is just as important for American children as learning multiplication or how to write their names.
“We have to ensure that our citizens are well informed and prepared to face tough challenges,” she said. “If there is a single child not learning about civics or not being exposed to what they must do as citizens, then all our lives are poorer for that.”
To combat what she sees as a dangerous lack of civics in schools, O’Connor founded icivics.org, a website for educators and students. The site uses games, lesson plans and activities to make learning about government and citizenship less boring.
ON PRACTICING LAW AS A WOMAN
After graduating from Stanford Law School in 1952, O’Connor’s husband was drafted and she needed to find a job.
Many of her Stanford classmates went on to high-paying jobs with large firms. But O’Connor quickly learned that her own path to employment would be much harder.
“The problem was, I was female,” she said. “I couldn’t get a job; they all said no when I applied.”
Finally, O’Connor landed a job with the county attorney’s office in San Mateo, Calif. But the office did not hire female lawyers, so they wouldn’t pay her. O’Connor just worked for free.
“Eventually, I did start getting a salary,” she said. “I spent those years working through the problems women had in those years, like getting a job, and having gotten one, getting paid for it. Very few of my male classmates had that experience.”
O’Connor said the experience only strengthened her resolve. She eventually entered politics — including a stint as the Arizona Senate majority leader — before becoming a judge.
“That early experience made me realize that maybe I did have a role to play in helping shape the character of our nation,” she said.
ON A CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT
O’Connor was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981, just two years after she was named to the Arizona Court of Appeals
She still remembers the shock of the phone call from President Ronald Reagan.
“He said, ‘Sandra, I’d like to announce your appointment to the Supreme Court tomorrow. Is that all right with you?’ ” she said.
O’Connor served on the high court until retiring in 2006. Initially viewed as a conservative, she became regarded as the decisive swing vote in many cases.
ON PAVING THE WAY
O’Connor acknowledged that many of the women and men who came to Thursday’s conference were already in leadership roles, whether in their job, the classroom, or at home.
Those people need to take the lead again and create a better education for the next generation of leaders, she said.
“Everyone is going to grow up to be a citizen,” she said. “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”
Ridgewood School District embraces differences
Friday September 6, 2013, 3:00 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood school teachers renewed their pledge to educate the village’s children and vowed the continued celebration of differences each student and staff member offers the district, the latter promise marking the theme of this year’s All-Staff Convocation.
PHOTO/TAV JINIVIZIAN
Buy or license this photo
The Ridgewood High School Maroon Men kicked off the school district’s annual All-Staff Convocation at Benjamin Franklin Middle School on Tuesday. The theme of this year’s convocation was ‘Celebrating Our Differences.’
Held Tuesday morning at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, the annual district-wide assembly brought together all Ridgewood’s instructors, among them many new teachers, under the umbrella of “Celebrating Our Differences.” But while administrators and faculty preached the theme, many teachers believe Trenton’s attitudes toward education and the state’s testing policies create added and unfair pressure on students and staff.
After enduring a separatist age during the early 1900s, the Ridgewood school district underwent a transformation highlighted by the community’s acceptance of and willingness to embrace its own diversity, said Sheila Brogan, president of the Board of Education. In her address, Brogan spoke of the village’s diversity, revealing that Ridgewood “has ancestry from 50 different countries” and is served by approximately 18 religious institutions.
As Obamacare looms, Generation Opportunity releases final Millennial Jobs Report of the summer
Washington, DC – (9/6/13) – Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization, is announcing its Millennial Jobs Report for August 2013. The data is non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) and is specific to 18-29 year olds:
The effective (U6) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor force participation by including those who have given up looking for work, is 16 percent (NSA).
The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.7 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 (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds is 11.8 percent (NSA). The (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans is 21.6 percent (NSA); the (U3) unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics is 12.8 percent (NSA); and the (U3) unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women is 10.8 percent (NSA).
Evan Feinberg, President of Generation Opportunity, issued the following statement:
“As the summer draws to a close, young people are no better off than we were three months ago. Practically all of the jobs created this summer were part-time, and precious few even went to young people. Worse, the looming threat of Obamacare offers employers little incentive to transition any of those jobs into full-time positions.
“Young people are recognizing there is little to like about Obamacare and a whole lot that hurts them financially and personally. Once open enrollment starts next month, I’m confident that millions of us are going to opt-out of the law’s doomed-to-fail exchanges; unfortunately, we can’t opt-out of the disastrous job market Obamacare has also created.”
Generation Opportunity is a national, non-partisan organization advocating for economic opportunity for young people through less government and more freedom.
Pope Tweets Against Syria Strike, Writes Putin, Plans Saturday Vigil
By Elizabeth Dias @elizabethjdiasSept. 05, 20130
Pope Francis has written a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, host of the G-20 summit that President Obama is attending, urging world leaders to oppose a military intervention in Syria.
“To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution,” the Pope urged. “Rather, let there be a renewed commitment to seek, with courage and determination, a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation of the parties, unanimously supported by the international community.”
The move is the latest in a series of efforts by the Holy See to prevent military action in the already civil-war torn region. On Sunday, the Pope declared in his Angelus teaching that Saturday Sept. 7 would be an day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria. The prayer rally will take place in St. Peter’s Square from 7 p.m. to midnight, on the vigil of the birth of Mary, the Queen of Peace. “Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love,” the Pope asked people around the world. “She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children!”
‘Real Housewives’ Ridgewood assault case put off until later this month
Thursday September 5, 2013, 12:12 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — Three cast members from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” will not appear before a criminal judge this evening, as previously reported.
The assault and terroristic threat complaints against “Housewives” star Jacqueline Laurita of Franklin Lakes; her husband, Christopher; and Joe Gorga of Montville have been adjourned.
The cases will now proceed in Ridgewood’s Municipal Court on Sept. 26.
The charges stem from a fracas at the grand opening of a salon in Ridgewood.
The charges had been referred in April to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office for grand jury consideration, which returned the matter to Ridgewood for resolution last month.
The case of John Karagiorgis of Paramus, who is charged with assault and making terroristic threats as well as three counts of harassment, was also adjourned until later this month.
Karagiorgis claimed he was assaulted by the “Housewives” trio when cameras were rolling for the Bravo television series.
He said he sustained several injuries, including a head abrasion, when Jacqueline Laurita allegedly clubbed him with a stiletto heel.
Rep. Alan Grayson: Syria Intelligence Manipulated
By Steven Nelson
Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., who is aggressively lobbying against a military strike on Syria, says the Obama administration has manipulated intelligence to push its case for U.S. involvement in the country’s two-year civil war.
Grayson made the accusation in an interview published Wednesday by The Atlantic and offered more detail in a Thursday discussion with U.S. News. He says members of Congress are being given intelligence briefings without any evidence to support administration claims that Syrian leader Bashar Assad ordered the use of chemical weapons.
Grayson said he cannot discuss the classified briefings, but noted details in the administration’s public, non-classified report are being contested.
L’Shanah Tovah From Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
I want to take this moment to wish all our Jewish friends and neighbors L’Shanah Tovah or Happy New Year!
The Jewish New Year known as Rosh Hashanah began tonight at sundown and runs through sunset on Friday September 6. In the Jewish calendar this is year 5774. The holiday kicks off a period of reflection and repentance culminating with Yom Kippur onFriday, September 13.
I hope all those celebrating Rosh Hashanah do so with family and friends in a memorable and meaningful way. I have learned that there is nothing more important to the Jewish people than family and tradition – the pillars upon which the children of Israel have built and maintained a special and inspiring community. I deeply respect their adherence to the laws and ceremonies handed down from generation to generation; century after century. Such respect for tradition can only be admired.
My wish this Rosh Hashanah is for all the members of our Jewish community to share their holiday traditions with those they love and cherish the most in the world.
COME ALIVE OUTSIDE – Bike, Hike and Discover – September 28
“COME ALIVE OUTSIDE” – Bike, Hike and Discover A Village of Ridgewood Community Adventure
Saturday, September 28th, 3 p.m. (raindate 9/29)
Sponsored by Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction, Ridgewood Parks and Recreation, Ridgewood Police Department, Ridgewood Wildscape Association and Ridgewood Cycle Shop, all Village families are invited to set out for this community afternoon adventure. Gather together, have bikes inspected, learn about bicycle safety, and then ride to discover and explore some of our local wildscape park areas. A live animal program and nature scavenger hunt are included as part of the festivities. No fee, but pre-registration is required, ending Sept 27th.
Saturday, Sept 28th (raindate 9/29)
Schedule of Events
Bike Route #1
Ben Franklin School, Twinney Pond, South Pleasant Park
Bike Route #2
Willard School,
Habernickel Park,
Citizen’s Park
3:00 p.m. Bike and meet at either Ben Franklin Middle School (335 N. Van Dien Ave) or Willard Elementary School (601 Morningside Rd).
• Bicycle Inspection
• Review of Bike Safety Rules – youth helmets required, adults encouraged
• Overview of Come Alive Outside and Program Details
3:30 p.m. Bike to either Twinney Pond Park or Habernickel Park following rules of the road and good bike safety.
3:45 p.m. Hike through parks to explore and discover nature. Light refreshments will be available.
4:15 p.m. Presentation – “NJ Native Wildlife” Certified naturalists will introduce animals native to northern NJ and explain their habitat behaviors.
4:45 p.m. Bike to either South Pleasant Park or Citizen’s Park and explore some, then work together to solve the clues and find items for the nature scavenger hunt.
We hope you will join us! Register online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person/by mail: The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, weekdays, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Locate the registration flyer on the Recreation homepage at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation. Call the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 if more information is needed.
Cake Boss Buddy Valastro backs Christie named chairman of the Small Business for Christie coalition.
September 4,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Riidgewood NJ, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has received a boost from the world of reality television with an endorsement from the star of the TLC television show “Cake Boss.”
Christie announced last Thursday afternoon that Buddy Valastro, the owner of Carlo’s Bakery and star of the reality show “Cake Boss” will become chairman of the Small Business for Christie coalition.
The announcement, made in front of Valastro’s bakery in Hoboken, was part of a broader endorsement of the incumbent by small business leaders, including the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
Valastro told the HuffPost that people need to forget about Christie’s weight, as undue attention on the matter could have an adverse effect on young people.(https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/cake-boss-chris-christie_n_3860135.html)
“It is kind of sick, the world we live in,” . “People talk about his weight, and we wonder why kids bully kids.”
Valastro, called Christie a “straight shooter,” said that his main reason for backing the Republican has been Christie’s outreach to small businesses as governor. Valastro said that while he does not agree with Christie on every issue, he believes the Republican has done a good job and deserves another term. ( https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/cake-boss-chris-christie_n_3860135.html )
Christie currently leads Democratic nominee Barbara Buono by 20 points in a recent poll.
According to Valastro “Governor Christie has kept his promise to remain committed to improving our state’s economic climate throughout the past three and a half years,” . “By cutting taxes and red tape, getting our state budget under control without raising taxes, and fighting for real, effective tax relief, this governor has created an environment in New Jersey that gives small businesses a chance to thrive,”
Carlo’s Bakery is located at 12 Wilsey Square ,Ridgewood Nj
Wave of reforms result in lower salaries for police and firefighters
After years of winning at the negotiating table, cops and firefighters across New Jersey are losing and walking away these days with much less money.
Since January of 2011 — following a wave of reforms that capped municipal spending and arbitration awards — police and firefighter unions have signed at least 160 new contracts, according to the Public Employment Relations Commission. (Renshaw/Star-Ledger)
While America was resting from its labors, the countdown to Obamacare began.
In just 27 days, the Obamacare exchanges are scheduled to open, and people who don’t get health insurance through their employers (or through the government already) will start buying coverage.
Sixteen states are doing their own insurance exchanges, while the federal government is running exchanges in 34 states.
Many states have been aggressively advertising and promoting their exchanges. But there is still a lot we don’t know. Several questions we’re still asking:
How many insurers will participate?
So far, the number of insurance companies offering plans through the exchanges varies widely from state to state. And in some, it’s nearly chaotic. Consider Mississippi. Heritage expert Alyene Senger details that state’s woes: Initially, only two insurers applied to offer coverage in the exchange—and they weren’t even going to provide coverage for the entire state. Humana later said it would provide coverage to the uncovered counties. But it remains that the vast majority of Mississippians in the exchange will only be able to do business with one insurer.
Which doctors and hospitals will be covered?
Exchange customers may not have access to the same doctors and hospitals that other patients have. Senger writes that “limited networks have resulted in major hospitals being excluded in California’s exchange.”
How much will coverage cost?
Most people probably don’t know yet how much their exchange insurance plans will cost. Senger warns that premiums aren’t the only cost—people could also see co-pays and deductibles go up.
For example, Ohio announced that premiums in their exchange will increase on average by 41 percent compared to the premiums that Ohio companies reported at the end of 2012. In addition to premium projections, the Ohio Department of Insurance also provided a projection for the increase in the total cost of coverage, called the average index rate, which is projected to be a dramatic 83 percent increase.
How safe will your personal information be?
Obamacare “navigators” will be helping people sign up for the exchanges—and they don’t have to go through background checks to get those jobs. Security of the data hub that will house Americans’ tax filings, Social Security reports, and other government data has been delayed, and there have been reports that the Administration is cutting corners on data privacy.
Lawmakers could prevent this convoluted, unpopular, unworkable law from wreaking havoc on the health care system if they would defund Obamacare.
