Principal at Passaic Valley High may carry handgun on the job
Thursday, February 7, 2013
BY MATTHEW MCGRATH
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Raymond Rotella, a career cop and former school resource officer, may become North Jersey’s first school administrator to pack a pistol when he enters Passaic Valley Regional High School each day.
The decision to arm the principal is one of several moves the district has made to beef up security following the school shootings in Connecticut late last year, including developing a rigorous registration process for visitors and installing elaborate security entrances.
“Having a teacher or a principal carry a weapon is not a policy I would have recommended for most people,” Superintendent Viktor Joganow said. “But we don’t just have someone who is trained to use a weapon, we have someone who is trained to respond to a crisis.”
Sen. Menendezat Ridgewood REORG photo by Boyd Loving
Sen. Menendez contacted top officials in friend’s Medicare dispute
By Carol D. Leonnig and Jerry Markon, Published: February 6
Sen. Robert Menendez raised concerns with top federal health-care officials twice in recent years about their finding that a Florida eye doctor — a close friend and major campaign donor — had overbilled the government by $8.9 million for care at his clinic, Menendez aides said Wednesday.
Menendez (D-N.J.) initially contacted federal officials in 2009 about the government’s audit of Salomon Melgen, complaining to the director overseeing Medicare payments that it was unfair to penalize the doctor because the billing rules were ambiguous, the aides said.
Last year, in a meeting with the acting administrator of the agency in charge of Medicare and Medicaid, Menendez again questioned whether federal auditors had been fair in their assessment of Melgen’s billing for eye injections to treat macular degeneration, the senator’s aides said.
The agency had ordered Melgen to repay the $8.9 million, and at the time of both conversations, Melgen was disputing the agency’s conclusion. His appeal continues to this day.
Menendez’s office provided this account of his contacts with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after The Washington Post asked about the role he had played in the long-standing dispute between Melgen and the agency over his billing practices.
Assistant Superintendent Angelo DeSimone gives a status report on the 2014 Budget
Volume 9, Number 13
February 5, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, 2014 budget preparations. Most recently, the Board was given all details on contractual salaries, benefits and out-of-district tuition, bringing the total information to 75%. The remainder of budget information will be sent to the Board this week. Once the budget is prepared, the Board will host a series of public information workshops.
April 16 Annual School Election business:
The Board approved Wednesday, March 6 at 3:30 p.m. as the date and time to hold the drawing of candidate names for ballot position in the annual School Election. The drawing will take place at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, in the office of the Assistant Superintendent for Business/Board Secretary.
The Board approved the list of the polling locations and hours for the April 16 Annual School Election, listed below. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
POLLING LOCATIONS FOR THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 HOURS: 7:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M.
DISTRICT LOCATION
1 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
2 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
3 Willard School, Auditorium, 601 Morningside Road
4 George Washington Middle School, Gym, 155 Washington Place
5 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
6 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
7 George Washington Middle School, Gym, 155 Washington Place
8 Travell School, Small Multi-purpose Room, 340 Bogert Avenue
9 The Ridgewood Public Library, Auditorium, 125 N. Maple Avenue
10 Orchard School, Cafetorium, 230 Demarest Street
11 Travell School, Small Multi-purpose Room, 340 Bogert Avenue
12 Ridgewood High School, Gym #1, 627 E. Ridgewood Avenue
13 Ridgewood High School, Gym #1, 627 E. Ridgewood Avenue
14 Glen School, Multi-purpose Room, 865 E. Glen Avenue
15 Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Auditorium, 335 N. Van Dien Ave.
16 Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Auditorium, 335 N. Van Dien Ave.
17 Somerville School, Gym, 45 S. Pleasant Avenue
18 Somerville School, Gym, 45 S. Pleasant Avenue
19 Hawes School, Cafetorium, 531 Stevens Avenue
February 6, 2013 7:41 AM
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ– The U.S. Postal Service has announced that it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion, the financially struggling agency says. Saturday mail cutback would not begin until August.
The move allows the USPS to focus on package delivery which has increased by 14% since 2010, At the same time technology which aids in package delivery has caught up with the delivery of letters and other mail declining significantly with the ever increasing use of email and other Internet based technologies. .
Under the new plan, mail would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. and Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.
The Postal Service for some time has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages . The US Postal Service is an independent agency that gets no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control.
The agency would need congressional approval to make the change and It was not immediately if that would be forth coming or even necessary.
Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general , says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs.
Donovan calls on utility authority appointee Kenneth Gabbert to resign, citing stipend
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
BY CHRIS HARRIS AND JUSTO BAUTISTA
STAFF WRITERS
The Record
Saying he betrayed the taxpayers’ trust, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan on Tuesday called on Ridgewood’s embattled village manager, Kenneth Gabbert, to resign immediately from the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority
The move comes as Gabbert also finds his job in jeopardy in Ridgewood, where administration sources said three officials plan to ask him to resign Wednesday as village manager.
He could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Donovan fired off a letter to Gabbert on Tuesday expressing her disappointment that he is accepting a $5,000-a-year stipend as a part-time authority commissioner after his “personal agreement” that he would not accept a stipend.
Donovan’s letter was the latest salvo in her yearlong effort to stop some of the authority commissioners from continuing to collect the stipends and medical benefits. Donovan told Gabbert, whom she appointed to the authority last year, that she was disappointed by the disclosure in January that he had accepted the stipend, saying it “violated the trust” she had placed in him.
“I was elected to break up the status quo and institute an era of good government built on a foundation of taxpayer-friendly public policy,” Donovan, a Republican, said in her letter. “It was a government of which I thought you wanted to be a part of.”
She said Gabbert’s letter requesting an appointment ended with the words “wherever you need an ally for service.”
The PD manpower is very low, there are several employees eligable to retire at anytime. Minimum manpower on patrol is down to 4 patrol man and 1 supervisor to cover the entire town, that’s from Goffle and rock north to goffle and lake st all the way to the Paramus and Washington twp border near immaculate heart.and down into the lawns by Hawes school including the easternmost area east of Van Emburg. Pretty thin don’t you think? 1 domestic dispute and your down to one person on the road and do not be bamboozeled by the response “you got lots of inside people” they aren’t there any more,they have been eliminated through attrition, retirements, and a firing. 4 men assigned to the bureau, who don’t work 24/7 . The town needs to hire police officers now.
That depends on who does the staffing plan. People with no law enforcement experience, bean counters who work in the corporate world have no business dictating or recommending police staffing levels, there are actual facts, the state police ucr staffing report, which recommends 56 officers for Ridgewood the matrix report which say 44 officers as a minimum staffing level, and that came from a company that was hired by a previous coucil, also the department roster level of the rest of the PD’s in Bergen county, last check had Ridgewood at the lowest officer per resident rate in Bergen. The collective bargaining agreement has already been modified thru PBA cooperation to reduce starting salaries, and lower longevity payment, and lower capped sick time accumulation for new hires, yet the town has failed to take action and rehire. Who is the tiger tean and what are their qualifications to make recommendations as to how many police are necessary to protect the village.
If that is correct, it will be confirmed when a long-term staffing evaluation/plan is done. Right now, we have no actual facts to support whether we are under-staffed or over-staffed in a particular department. By creating efficiencies through other ideas proposed in the report, we may find that historical staffing needs no longer apply. We should get this comprehensive evaluation completed quickly to understand our actual staffing needs in the future. When employees retire, we definitely need to proceed with caution before deciding to hire a replacement.
Last i looked the village had 44 police officers, what do they all do?
The police department may be properly staffed. The staffing plan that the tiger team recommended does not appear to be about reducing staffing arbitrarily. From what I read, they recommended getting an understanding of pending retirements and what the necessary staffing levels in all departments should be. I don’t think they are suggesting that they should perform that evaluation. It stands to reason that any evaluation would need to involve input from appropriate personnel from the each department, who understand the needs. Of course, in the case of the police, the state UCR report is probably not the definitive reference for staffing needs in Ridgewood. I think it offers more of a guideline based on historical practices, which may or may not reflect the specific needs in Ridgewood. Nor does it take into account the long term cost of its staffing guidelines in a particular municipality, which is the most important consideration. It is quite possible that existing contracts can create a cost structure that limits potential staffing options.
The bottom line is that there are about 275 employees in town and the police are only 16% of them. Rather than laying off newer employees (as Gabbert’s budget proposes) to cut expenses, the Village should try to take advantage of normal attrition (retirement) to reduce costs according to a thoughtful plan. If a department is properly staffed or understaffed, then such a plan should have no impact or may even point to increased staffing in that department. Accordingly, this is something that employees should encourage, not resist.
A GUIDE TO THE NEW JERSEY OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT WHAT IS THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW?
The Open Public Meetings Law, which is commonly referred to as the “Sunshine Law”, was enacted in 1975. It establishes the right of all citizens to have adequate advance notice of all public meetings and the right to attend meetings at which any business affecting the public is discussed or acted upon. – N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 to 10:4-2
IS THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW THE SAME THING AS THE RIGHT-TOKNOW
LAW?
No. The Open Public Meetings Law refers to public meetings. The Right-to-Know Law refers to public records. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 to 47:1A-4
TO WHOM DOES THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETING LAW APPLY?
The law applies to any public body of the state, county, or municipal level of government that has legal authority to vote on public matters or to spend public funds.
TO WHOM DOES THE LAW NOT APPLY?
The law specifically exempts the Judiciary, grand and petit juries, parole boards, the State Commission of Investigations, The Apportionment Committee and any political party committee. In addition, the Law exempts informal or purely advisory bodies and meetings of a
public official with subordinates.
ARE ALL GATHERINGS OF PUBLIC BODIES SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS
OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW?
No. In order to be covered by the provisions of the Law, a meeting (whether attended in person or conducted by means of communications equipment) must be:
(1) open to all the public body’s members, (2) attended by an effective majority of the members of that public body, and (3) the members present must intend to discuss or act upon public business. For example, political caucus meetings and change encounters of members of public bodies, or gatherings attended by or open to all members of three or more similar public bodies are not covered by the Law.
However, the Open Public Meetings Law specifically prohibits any person or public body from failing to invite a portion of its members in order to avoid the requirements of the Law.
WHAT MUST A PUBLIC BODY DO TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE
OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW?
The Law requires public bodies to provide the public with: (a) adequate advance notice of all its meetings, (b) the right to attend its meetings, and (c) reasonable comprehensive minutes of all its meetings. In each of these areas, the Law sets forth specific requirements:
A. ADEQUATE NOTICE
The Law requires the public bodies provide the public with adequate advance notice of all its meetings. This can be accomplished by either:
(1) an “Annual Notice” or (2) a “48-hour notice.” The “Annual Notice” containing the time, date, and, to the extent known,
the location of each meeting, must be provided within seven days of the annual organization or reorganization meeting of the public body. If there is no organization or reorganization meeting, “Annual Notice” must be provided by January 10th.
A “48-Hour Notice” is required when a public body wishes to convene a meeting which has not been listed on the annual notice or regularly scheduled meetings. The Law mandates the public body to provide a written notice at least 48 hours prior to the convening of the meeting.
The “48-Hour Notice” must contain the time, date, location and, to the extent known, the agenda of the meeting.
Both the “Annual Notice” and the “48-Hour Notice” must be (1) prominently posted in at least one public place reserved for such announcements, (2) transmitted to two newspapers in time for publication 48-hours in advance of the meeting, (3) filed with appropriate Municipal or County Clerk or the Secretary of State if the public body has statewide authority, and (4) mailed to any person upon request.
B. MEETINGS
The Law requires that public bodies permit all members of the public to attend their meetings. However, the right to attend meetings does not entitle members of the public to participate in the meetings. The public body may exclude the public only from portions of a meeting
known as the “executive” or “closed session.” Prior to excluding the public, the public body must first adopt a resolution at a meeting which is open to the public indicating generally what matters will be discussed in closed session and when these discussions will be disclosed to the
public. The following items are permitted to be discussed in closed session.
1. Any matter considered confidential by federal law, state statue,
or court rule;
2. Any matter in which the release of information would impair the receipt of federal funds;
3. Any material which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of individual privacy if disclosed;
4. Any collective bargaining agreements or other discussion of the terms and conditions of a collective bargaining agreement,
including negotiations leading up to such an agreement.
5. Any matter involving the purchase, lease or acquisition of real property with public funds, the setting of banking rates or investment of public funds where disclosure of such matter could adversely affect the public interest.
6. Any tactics and techniques used in protecting the safety and property of the public and investigations of violations or possible violations of the law.
7. Any pending or anticipated litigation or contract negotiations in which the public body is or may become a party, and any matter falling within the attorney-client privilege, to the extent that confidentiality is required to preserve the attorney-client relationship.
8. Personnel matters related to the employment, appointment or termination of current or prospective employees, unless all individuals who could be adversely affected request, in writing, that the matter be discussed at a public meeting.
9. Any deliberations of a public body occurring after a public hearing that may result in the imposition of a fine upon an individual or the suspension or the loss of license or permit belonging to an individual. The New Jersey courts have recognized the potential for misuse of the closed session exceptions by public bodies and have, therefore, strictly construed these exceptions in an effort to further the legislative intent of providing open public meetings in most instances.
C. MINUTES
The Law requires the public body to keep reasonably comprehensible minutes of all its meetings, showing the time and place, the members present, the subjects considered, the actions taken, the votes of each member and any other information required by law to be recorded by
minutes. These minutes are to be made promptly available to the public. In addition, the Law requires that a statement be entered into the minutes at the outset of each meeting indicating (1) that adequate notice has been provided (specifying the time, date, and manner in which the notice was provided), or (2) that adequate notice was not provided and an explanation for the failure of public body to provide adequate notice.
Consumers Taking Financial Hit From Rising Fuel Prices
By: Sharon Epperson
CNBC Senior Commodities Correspondent & Personal Finance Correspondent
Consumers have been spending more on gasoline than they have in nearly three decades.
With pump prices at their highest level on record for this time of year, the stage is set for an even greater climb in gasoline prices and expenditures than in 2012. Retail gasoline prices have surged 17 cents in a week to top $3.50 a gallon on average, posting the highest prices on record for the beginning of February.
According to AAA, the national average price of regular gasoline is $3.52 a gallon, 4 cents higher than the average price a year ago. The average price was $3.35 a gallon a week ago and $3.30 a gallon a month ago.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported Monday that gasoline expenditures in 2012 for the average U.S. household reached $2,912, or just under 4 percent of income before taxes. This was the highest estimated percentage of household income spent on gasoline in nearly three decades, with the exception of 2008, when the average household spent a similar amount. Gasoline prices averaged $3.63 a gallon in 2012, according to EIA.
Although overall gasoline consumption has decreased in recent years, a rise in average gasoline prices has led to higher overall household gasoline expenditures, according to the EIA.
Tiger Team Recommendations: Establish a Five-Year Staffing Strategy
The Village should establish a five-year staffing plan that incorporates anticipated attrition, compensation rates for new hires, outsourcing, civilianization opportunities and modeling of efficient staffing levels.
Personnel costs, staffing levels, and service offerings are some of the main drivers of the excessive operating costs of the Village. Historically, when one Village employee retires, another is hired as a replacement with little or no attempt to reengineer other employees’ duties to consolidate positions or reduce cost.
Across the Village, a significant number of employees are near or currently eligible for full-time retirement benefits. These long-term employees are at the highest end of the pay scale and it is critical for Village management to evaluate the cost-benefit for them to continue working for the Village or attempt to accelerate their retirements and replace them, if necessary, with lower cost employees. This must be facilitated under collective bargaining agreements. In order to properly evaluate this, the concessions from existing employees, as well as the terms of contracts for new hires must be known. Therefore, this analysis should be performed in conjunction with collective bargaining agreement negotiations, in collaboration with the FOB, and in alignment with the Strategic Financial Plan.
The manner in which services are delivered must be closely evaluated for every service offering throughout the Village. If the Board of Education can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by terminating the use of Village services and outsourcing them, it is only logical that the Village itself could save significantly larger amounts by doing the same. As referenced throughout this report, Village management must carefully evaluate the cost-benefit of outsourcing the delivery of all service offerings.
The analysis of all of these components requires coordination among numerous departments and Village management. In order to more effectively manage future personnel levels and compensation/benefit costs, in terms of the immediate and long-term impact, the committee believes it is critical for management to develop a five-year staffing plan.
Additional crews and equipment on hand to restore service
Ridgewood NJ , Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) Company, New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, is closely monitoring the track of the approaching nor’easter and is making emergency preparations should the storm bring heavy snow and strong winds to our service territory. At this time, the storm is expected to begin impacting New Jersey on Friday and continue through Saturday, with the full brunt of the storm hitting the area on Friday night.
In anticipation of the storm, PSE&G is taking the following steps to ensure that the utility is ready to respond to what may be widespread power outages:
• Ensuring that all available personnel are ready to respond beginning Friday.
• Arranging for contractors, including tree crews, to assist the utility’s own skilled workforce.
• Ensuring that additional supplies, such as poles, transformers and other pole-top equipment, are on hand.
• Ensuring that all vehicles are fueled and ready to go.
• Testing generators at utility locations.
• Coordinating with county and municipal emergency management personnel to inform them of outages and expedite restoration efforts.
Snow, by itself, does not pose a serious problem for utilities, but heavy snow, icing and strong winds can increase the possibility of downed wires and associated power outages. Cars striking utility poles can also cause wires to come down. And cold weather can affect the number of calls we receive from customers with insufficient or no heat.
Depending on the severity of the storm, response times for both electric and gas emergency services may be longer than usual. PSE&G asks for our customers’ patience and cooperation as we work to safely restore service as quickly as possible. As the storm gets closer, the utility will provide information about estimated restoration times.
To report downed wires or power outages, customers should call PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. PSE&G uses an automated system to handle customer calls as efficiently as possible. Customers who get an automated response when calling PSE&G are encouraged to use it, as it is designed to route their calls to the right destination quickly. The system also provides the option to speak directly to a customer service representative. If you have specific information regarding damage to wires, transformers or poles, we ask that you speak with a representative to provide that information.
Customers with a handheld device, or who are at an alternate location with power, can also report power outages and view the status of their outage by logging in to My Account at pseg.com.
General outage activity throughout our service territory is available online at www.pseg.com/outagecenter and updates are posted on pseg.com during severe weather.
In addition, if outages are widespread, the utility will activate its Twitter page to keep the public informed about our restoration progress. Sign up as a follower at https://twitter.com/psegdelivers to monitor restoration progress.
This storm clearly has the potential to interrupt service, and customers should prepare for the possibility of long outages. PSE&G offers the following tips:
DOWNED POWER LINES
Accumulation of ice and heavy snow may weigh down power lines and as a result cause power lines to come down. Downed wires may appear dead but should always be considered “live.” STAY AWAY FROM ALL DOWNED LINES. Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that it might be in contact with. Parents are urged to check for downed wires in areas where their children might play and to remind the children to stay far away from any wires. If a wire falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay in the vehicle until help arrives. To report a downed wire, call 1-800-436-PSEG and tell PSE&G the nearest cross street.
CUSTOMERS WITH LIFE-SUSTAINING EQUIPMENT
Individuals who rely on electricity to operate life-sustaining electronic equipment, such as a respirator or dialysis machine, should pre-register with PSE&G to receive priority attention in the event of an outage. To request the service, call PSE&G at 1-800-436-PSEG. They should also inform their rescue squads and fire departments of their needs, in case of emergency. Even though customers with life-sustaining equipment who have registered with PSE&G will receive priority attention during outages, they should also have emergency back-up equipment on hand, since immediate restoration cannot be guaranteed.
IF YOU LOSE POWER
First check your neighborhood. If you are the only one without power, check your fuse box for tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses. If that’s not the problem, look outside at the wire between your house and the utility pole. If it is down, report it immediately to PSE&G.
GENERAL TIPS
Mother Nature can be unpredictable. It’s wise to have an emergency kit on hand year round. Here are some things to include:
• A battery powered radio.
• A corded telephone. (Cordless phones will not work if the power is out.)
• Flashlights and extra fresh batteries.
• A first-aid kit.
• Bottled water and an adequate supply of non-perishable food.
• A non-electric can opener.
• Matches and candles with holders.
• Extra blankets and sleeping bags.
• A list of emergency phone numbers, including PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG. Call this number to report power outages or downed wires.
NJ TRANSIT Announces Systemwide Cross-Honoring in Advance of Winter Storm – Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, 2013
In preparation for the impending winter storm, NJ TRANSIT operations, customer service and police personnel are taking steps to minimize delays and ensure service reliability and safety. Customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information.
Full System-wide cross-honoring in effect: NJ TRANSIT will offer full systemwide cross-honoring for the entire service day Friday, February 8 and Saturday, February 9, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode—rail, light rail, NJ TRANSIT bus or on private bus carriers at no additional cost.
Additionally, NJ TRANSIT is encouraging customers to consider traveling early on Friday due to the expected impact of the storm on the evening commute. Early getaway service will be offered on select rail lines Friday afternoon.
View schedules for Friday here.
View rail schedules here.
Northeast Corridor
The following trains WILL operate: Train 8849 (the 2:02 p.m. NY departure), Train 8851(the 2:24 p.m. NY departure) and Train 8855(the 3:27 p.m. NY departure). These trains are shaded in red on the weekday FROM (outbound) panel of the October 14 public timetable. (NOTE: Getaway Trains 8845 and 8847 WILL NOT operate on Friday.)
Thefollowingregular trains WILL NOT operate: Train 3867 (the 5:21 p.m. NY departure), Train 3955 (the 5:45 p.m. NY departure), and Train 3961 (the 6:39 p.m. NY departure). These trains are shaded gray on the weekday FROM (outbound) panel of the October 14 public timetable, and are normally cancelled on getaway days.
Please note that NJ TRANSIT will closely monitor the crowds at New York Penn Station, Hoboken Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal and make further adjustmentsto service as necessary.
Customers are advised of the following:
Systemwide: NJ TRANSIT plans to operate a regular weekday schedule on Friday, February 8, and a regular weekend schedule on Saturday, February 9. Depending on the impact of the storm, it may be necessary for NJ TRANSIT to modify service as conditions change.
Bus Service: While every effort will be made to continue operating bus service throughout the state, customers may experience delays or detours on their routes in the event of extreme winter weather conditions. Customers are advised to plan accordingly and anticipate disruptions to bus service.
Travel Advice: For the latest travel information, visit njtransit.com or access our Twitter feed at @NJ_TRANSIT 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 cellphone, PDA or pager. (If you are not yet a My Transit subscriber, we encourage you to sign up at 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.
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.
During this time, customers should allow for additional travel time. For further information, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555.
The “Cake Boss” announces the Grand Opening of the Wilsey Square Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop
February 3,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, After several delays “Cake boss” Buddy Valastro has finally set the date to open his Wilsey Square ,Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop in Ridgewood . Carlo’s City Hall Bake Shop will hold its grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 12
Since the initial announcement Valastro has opened the 2,774 square foot “Cake Boss Cafe” on the ground floor of the Port Authority bus terminal in Times Square. The Wilsey Square location will be the second location in New Jersey .
The Cake Boss is an American reality television series, airing on the cable television network TLC. The show follows the operations of Carlo’s Bakery, a family-owned business in Hoboken, New Jersey . The show focuses on custom cakes, and the interpersonal relationships among the various family members and other employees who work at the shop.
There is always some interesting interplay bwetween the siblings Buddy Valastro Lisa Valastro, Maddalena Castano, Grace Faugno and Mary Sciarrone.
One, Two, Three is a 1961 American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder
Check Out Adult Programs at Ridgewood Recreation
Start the New Year
Senior Programs with Ridgewood Recreation
January/February Session
The Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to offer winter programs for active senior adults at the Community Center, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood.
Don’t stay in; the senior bus runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call 201-670-5500, ext 200 for details or to make reservations.
A variety of classes offered are as follows beginning the week of January 7, 2013:
Mondays Zumba 10:30 a.m.
Tuesdays Silver Strength & Motion 10 a.m.
Mindful Meditation 11 a.m.
Wednesdays For Men Only – Men’s Fitness 9:15 a.m.
The Art of Chinese Brush Painting 9:30 a.m.
Jazzercise 10:30 a.m.
Chair Yoga 11:30 a.m.
Fridays Silver Strength & Motion 10:30 a.m.
Each class is $24 for 6 sessions; priced for Ridgewood residents 55 and older. Registration may be open to others if space is available; additional fees will apply. Please let us know if special accommodations are needed for any program.
In addition, don’t miss our free Classic Movie Tuesday, sponsored by The Hobbyists Unlimited, the first Tuesday of each month, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
January 8th – “Chariots of Fire” (1981)
February 5th – “One, Two, Three” (1961)
March 5th – “Grand Illusion” (1937)
You may register in person or by mail to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information call 201-670-5560. A listing of programs with all details and the registration form can be found at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation.
Quiet Time at Valley Gives New Moms Privacy for Rest and Bonding with Baby
January 31, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, Excited visitors, squabbling siblings, and photo ops can take their toll on a new mother who is exhausted from giving birth and needs private time to bond with her new baby.
At The Valley Hospital’s Center for Childbirth, the afternoon hours of 1 to 3:30 p.m. have been designed as “Quiet Time,” a period when the lights are dimmed, soft music plays, and new moms and their support persons are encouraged to sleep and bond with their baby with skin-to-skin contact. During Quiet Time visitors and siblings are asked to wait in the waiting rooms, and hospital personnel only enter a mother’s room if she asks for assistance. There is a sleeper chair in each room to allow the father or other support person to rest.
“My husband, Robert, and I loved Quiet Time because it gave us private time to talk, sleep, and get to know our new daughter, Emily,” says Limor Regular, of Wyckoff, who delivered her third daughter at Valley in early January. “I had a lot of visitors and with my two other little girls in the room with us, I wouldn’t have been able to rest without Quiet Time.”
In addition to giving new moms needed rest and privacy with their newborns, Quiet Time also encourages them to room-in as a family, learn their babies’ feeding cues, and prepare for caring for their baby at home. When a family rests during the day in the hospital, they are better equipped to room-in with their baby at night.
“In observing Quiet Time, we are responding to patient satisfaction surveys that told us new mothers felt they did not have adequate rest time after childbirth and were disturbed by hospital interruptions and too many visitors,” says Beth McGovern, MSN, RN-OB, a clinical practice specialist for Valley’s Women’s and Children’s Services. “Now, just before 1 p.m. our nurses and patient care associates go to each room to see if the mothers need anything, and then we tuck them in for a nap. Our whole floor instantly feels calmer. Everyone, even our staff, is noticing the benefits of Quiet Time.”
Quiet Time is also observed in Valley’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, when parents are encouraged to practice “kangaroo care” by placing their babies skin to skin.
Quiet Time is an important component of the hospital’s Patient- and Family-Centered Care model and a step on Valley’s journey to become a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the goal of which is to achieve optimal infant feeding outcomes, mother-baby bonding, improved health outcomes for mothers and babies, and elevated patient satisfaction.
Valley’s quest to become designated a Baby-Friendly Hospital is a four-phase rigorous endeavor that includes the development of new policies, research, data collection and dissemination, and a site visit. The journey creates an environment that is supportive of best practices in maternity care.
This process fits in with Valley’s holistic approach to childbirth and mission to keep mothers and their babies together as much as possible. In 2011, mother-baby nurses began newborn admitting procedures directly after birth. Such duties as assessing the baby’s health and taking footprints are now accomplished in the room with the mother, instead of whisking the baby away to the nursery for a bath and assessment.
“Research has shown that as newborns transition to life outside the womb they self-regulate their body temperatures better when placed skin to skin to their mothers right away rather than being separated,” says McGovern. “Keeping them with their mothers after birth also enables them to breastfeed successfully for the first time.”
Mrs. Regular says she was pleased with Valley’s approach to promoting a natural birth experience. “I enjoyed keeping Emily with me as much as possible, and giving her special time alone with me and her father before her sisters came to visit,” she says.
The Valley Hospital Center for Childbirth is a component of the hospital’s comprehensive Women’s and Children’s Services, which includes private labor/delivery/recovery suites and private post-partum rooms; the Center for Holistic Birth and hydrotherapy tub; maternal-fetal medicine services; genetic counseling and screening; the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and its Peek-a-Boo ICU™; Birth Doula Program; the Women’s and Children’s Resource Center; the Fertility Center; a host of family education and childbirth preparation classes; and the eLearning Childbirth Education Program. For more information, call 201-447-8403 or visit www.valleyhealth.com/Obstetrics.
Caption: Robert and Limor Regular at home in Wyckoff with baby Emily and daughters Tamara (left) and Maya.
STEARCLEAR OF DUI ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY IN NY, NJ & PA
Designated Driver Service Available Across Northern and Central NJ, NYC Rockland County, NY and Berks County, PA
WYCKOFF, NJ (Jan. 29, 2013) – STEARCLEAR, the smartphone app designated driver service, will be on high availability come Super Bowl Sunday across multiple counties in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the worst days of the year for DUI and DUI related crashes and fatalities, and to help keep its customers safe and impaired drivers off the road, STEARCLEAR franchisees will be adding drive teams and expanding on-call hours to meet demand. For Super Bowl Sunday STEARCLEAR’s service will be available to customers in the following areas:
· Bergen County, NJ
· Mercer County, NJ
· Morris County, NJ
· Hunterton County, NJ
· Somerset County, NJ
· New York City – Manhattan
· Rockland County, NY
· Berks County, PA
In recent years Super Bowl Sunday has rivaled other big holidays for drunk driving in the U.S. such as St. Patrick’s Day, the Fourth of July and Halloween. In 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), forty percent (40%) of the fatal crashes on Super Bowl Sunday were related to drunk driving. In that year, alcohol contributed to a fatal accident every 52 seconds.
STEARCLEAR is available on the iPhone and Android platforms and is the first app of its kind that connects customers directly with drive teams that pick them up and get them and their car home safely. STEARCLEAR began operating in NJ earlier last year. The company has more than 3000 customers and has completed more than 400 rides in the last few months.
“Unfortunately, many people opt to drive their car home rather than risk leaving it overnight somewhere after having a drink or two,” said Craig Sher, CEO and Co-Founder of STEARCLEAR. “We saw that it was a big problem and created STEARCLEAR in order to provide a safe, efficient and reliable alternative to driving yourself home after you have had a drink.”
Taking advantage of the service is easy. Just download the STEARCLEAR app for the iPhone or Android, fill out a few details, add a credit card for billing and you are ready to go. Open STEARCLEAR up and it will identify your location so you can call for and confirm a drive team. The team arrives and drives you and your car home. At the end of the ride STEARCLEAR calculates the pickup and mileage fee and allows you to leave a tip and complete the transaction with the drive team.
About STEARCLEAR
STEARCLEAR is a technology company dedicated to providing “last mile” services to consumers and businesses using smartphone applications and sophisticated GPS technology. Its flagship designated driver service provides customers with one-touch access to local driver teams that pick them up and get them and their car home safely and responsibly. The company is currently featured on SeedInvest.com, an equity based crowdfunding platform. STEARCLEAR franchise opportunities are available across North America, EMEA, Australia and South Africa. More information can be found at www.stearclear.com.
