SUPER SCIENCE SATURDAY Get ready for Fair – Feb 15, 29 & March 7
Save the Date: Super Science Saturday Returns on March 10: Workshop Registration is Underway Billed as the largest science extravaganza in northern New Jersey, this year’s Super Science Saturday is scheduled for March 10 at the high school, from 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Once again, a three –session workshop is being offered to student presenters on Wednesdays, February 15 and 29 and March 7, from 3:45 -5:45 p.m. To sign up, contact Mel Powers by Wednesday, February 8 at 201-394-2408 or [email protected]. Cost is $25. The Ridgewood Library will help students choose projects and create material lists over Winter Recess, February 21-25. For more information, contact the Children’s Center at the library or visit the Super Science Saturday website at www.supersciencesaturday.com.
>New Jersey’s Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 17th Annual National Awards Program Montville and Montclair Students Earn $1,000 Awards, Engraved Medallions and Trip to Nation’s Capital
TRENTON, N.J., Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –Honors Also Bestowed on Youth Volunteers in Neptune, Pitman, Clinton, Randolph, Brigantine and Ridgewood
Stephanie Jennis, 16, of Montville and Giovanna Boyle, 13, of Montclair today were named New Jersey’s top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Stephanie was nominated by Montville Township High School in Montville, and Giovanna was nominated by Glenfield Middle School in Montclair. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 17th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Stephanie, a sophomore at Montville Township High School, helped her family start a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $500,000 over the past nine years to fund programs that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools and communities. She then launched a project called “Include ME!,” to promote inclusion not only for kids with disabilities, but for others who feel ostracized as well. “My brother, Jacob, has multiple disabilities and has always been my source of inspiration,” said Stephanie. After focusing on children with disabilities through her family’s charity and through her own project initially, she realized that there are other children who feel unaccepted and isolated by their peers. “My purpose for ‘Include ME!’ has grown from including children with disabilities toward uniting all children in an effort to terminate bullying and promote acceptance of diversity across all platforms,” she said.
Working with 25 students that she recruited from five communities, Stephanie made presentations to legislators, education officials, businesses and other organizations. The group also prepared programs for school assemblies to promote inclusion, as well as to encourage students to become leaders in the movement. In addition, Stephanie and her fellow volunteers sold T-shirts and sponsored a walkathon and a 5k race to raise $40,000, which will help expand Stephanie’s program across the state. “My vision is to make ‘Include ME!’ a national campaign where all children can feel they belong,” she said.
Giovanna, an eighth-grader at Glenfield Middle School, worked with her mother and two other adults to create a charitable organization that connects privileged young people in her town with poor kids in Brazil. After traveling with her mother to Brazil in 2004, Giovanna wanted to do something to improve the lives of the children she had met in two fishing villages. “I made friends with some of the Brazilians and thought how great it would be if all my friends in Montclair could be friends with them, too,” she said. Since it would be difficult for them to actually meet, Giovanna proposed setting up pen-pal relationships to exchange letters, drawings and photos.
She and her mother registered 25 children in each village and paired them with 50 kids in Montclair. Over the past seven years, the pen-pals have formed deep friendships and gained an understanding of a different way of life, Giovanna said. Some of the U.S. students have also contributed financially to their pen-pals’ educations. Giovanna travels to Brazil every summer to teach the village children songs, games, dances, arts and crafts and English. At home in Montclair, she raises money for her charity, translates letters, and leads pen-pal workshops. “It’s important that those with abundance share with those who have very little,” said Giovanna. “If kids can do this globally, forming friendships and alliances, understanding and loving rather than fearing, we stand a much better chance of world peace.”
As State Honorees, Stephanie and Giovanna each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012 at that time.
Distinguished Finalists
In addition, the program judges recognized six other New Jersey students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:
Andrew Bauer, 18, of Neptune, N.J., a senior at Neptune High School, raised more than $12,000 in grants and donations to create and direct a film to help educate fellow students about proper financial management. Andrew, who secured help from CNBC and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., has shown his film not only at his school but on local access channels, to other schools and groups and to the Congressional Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.
Katelyn Eystad, 15, of Pitman, N.J., a freshman at Pitman High School, was only 12 years old when she opened “Angels of God Clothing Closet,” which provided free clothes to those in need. Katelyn, who chose to give back after the community helped her family overcome a house fire, organizes clothing drives to stock the store, works with local agencies to identify those in need, and recruits volunteers to help run the store.
Anne Kuster, 17, of Clinton, N.J., a senior at North Huntington High School in Annandale, raised nearly $145,000 to fund the material and installation costs of solar panels for nine homes being built for low-income families through Habitat for Humanity. Anne solicited donations from companies throughout New Jersey and secured a sponsorship from the Electrical Union, and her solar project is now being considered for all Habitat homes built in the future.
Carly Levin, 17, of Randolph, N.J., a senior at Randolph High School, is a passionate advocate on behalf of those with fibrous dysplasia, a tumorous bone disease that struck Carly when she was 13 years old. Since then, she has raised $5,000 for research and is helping others cope as the co-administrator of a Facebook support group for young people affected by the disease.
Joseph Mandes, 17, of Brigantine, N.J., a volunteer with the United Way of Atlantic County and a junior at Atlantic City High School, founded the “Kids for South Jersey Cancer Fund” when he was 13 years old and has since helped to raise more than $28,000 to support the South Jersey Cancer Fund. Joseph, whose volunteer work is in honor of his “Poppy” who died from cancer, has recruited 75 volunteers to raise funds by hosting bake sales, coin drops and beach runs.
Victoria Pan, 17, of Ridgewood, N.J., a senior at Ridgewood High School, created “Students Saving Energy,” a collaborative network that helps student environmental clubs across the U.S. make the connections and secure the support they need for sustainability projects. Victoria created a website, Facebook group and group email account, coordinated with local and national environmental groups, and helped organize an in-person meeting for network participants.
“Through their selfless acts of service, these award recipients have greatly improved the lives of others,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “We hope their stories and their dedication inspire other young people to do the same.”
“We are so pleased to celebrate these student volunteers,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “It’s important to highlight them as powerful examples of how young people can make a difference.”
New Jersey’s top education official said Tuesday there is much he likes about a Democratic-sponsored teacher tenure reform bill, although he stopped short of endorsing the measure.
Acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf said he is glad the bill, if enacted into law, would end tenure as lifetime job security, and require that teacher ratings play a significant role in determining who would be let go during layoffs.
But Cerf acknowledged that the bill does not contain provisions for merit pay, long advocated by Gov. Chris Christie’s administration. Instead, Cerf said, he hopes merit pay will be allowed by the Legislature and then eventually become embedded in teacher contracts through the local negotiation process. (Method, Gannett)
THERE AREN’T many government agencies as powerful as the Federal Reserve Board, which controls the nation’s monetary policy.
Nevertheless, when board Chairman Ben Bernanke was asked to appear before Congress last week, he dutifully did so. Bernanke probably knew he would take some heat from Republicans, and, in fact, the chairman was criticized by Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, for allegedly overstepping his bounds in regard to housing policy. However, answering to Congress is part of the job, and Bernanke fulfilled that duty.
Contrast Bernanke’s cooperative stance last week with that of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In the wake of last fall’s massive toll hikes and recent reports in The Record about secret bonuses to employees and dozens of jobs going to those connected to the Christie administration, Port Authority officials were asked to appear last week before an Assembly committee in Trenton.
> NJ Transportation chief says better analysis needed to decide if mega projects make sense
PHILADELPHIA — The man who’s defended the Christie administration’s decision to kill the second Hudson River rail tunnel project has become a transportation rock star.
Transportation Commissioner James Simpson has been a panelist at two major transportation forums in New York, in November, and most recently, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Thursday.
The debate always comes around to that tunnel project and Simpson defends his boss’s decision in plain talk — the state couldn’t afford it and it wasn’t the right project.
Bill to change N.J. teacher tenure rules is reintroduced by lawmaker
State Sen. Teresa Ruiz introduced a bill today that would dramatically overhaul teacher tenure by using a rating system based on annual evaluations.
The bill is the latest attempt to overhaul the century-old system that has come under fire from Gov. Chris Christie and other critics who say tenure protects bad teachers and is a lifetime guarantee of employment. Proponents for tenure argue teachers must be protected from political hiring decisions.
Christie has made teacher tenure and other education changes a major goal of his administration. (DeMarco, The Star-Ledger)
The Ridgewood Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with the Women Gardeners of Ridgewood, welcomes Patrick Scheuer, Director of NJ Audubon’s Lorrimer Sanctuary, to teach about winter in the woodlands. Discussions will include hibernation, migration and survival; how birds, mammals, insects and plants adapt to the winter months. Students must dress appropriately for the outdoor winter trek in search of animal tracks and trails.
Students in Grades 3-5 are invited to meet at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, on Wednesday, February 22nd, from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $20 for the workshop. Registration may be made online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or in person or by mail – The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may download the registration form from the Recreation homepage at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation. For more information or assistance please contact the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560.
>Ridgewood Parks and Recreation presents Comic Book Creations
During February School Recess From super heroes to fun silly characters, participants will learn how to begin to create a comic book, taking their imagination to a whole new level. Class is instructed by local resident Joe Federico. Village students in grades K–3 are invited to join. The workshop will be held at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, during the February school recess on Tuesday, February 21st (snow date is Feb 24 if needed). Grades K and 1 will meet from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and Grades 2 and 3 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. This cost is $20 which includes all materials.
Registration is available online at www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass or by mail/in person to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue. The Recreation Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can locate the registration form on our website at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation. If you have any questions, or if special accommodations are needed, please call the Recreation Department at (201) 670-5560.
>Archbishop to U.S. Troops: Obamacare Reg ‘Is a Blow to a Freedom…for Which You Have Seen Your Buddies Fall in Battle’ By Terence P. Jeffrey February 6, 2012 Subscribe to Terence P. Jeffrey’s posts
(CNSNews.com) – Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, wrote a letter to be read at all Sunday Masses for U.S. military personnel around the world that said that a regulation issued by the Obama Administration under the new federal health care law was “a blow” to a freedom that U.S. troops have not only fought to defend but for which some have recently died in battle.
>Catholic League Poised To Go To War With Obama Over Mandatory Birth Control Payments Donohue Says 70 Million Of His Voters Ready To Alter Presidential Election
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Catholic leaders upped the ante Monday, threatening to challenge the Obama administration over a provision of the new health care law that would require all employers, including religious institutions, to pay for birth control.
As CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer reports, it could affect the presidential elections.
Catholic leaders are furious and determined to harness the voting power of the nation’s 70 million Catholic voters to stop a provision of President Barack Obama’s new heath car reform bill that will force Catholic schools, hospitals and charities to buy birth control pills, abortion-producing drugs and sterilization coverage for their employees.
While I am finishing up part 5 of the series “the Telephone Pole Solar Panel Rip-Off”, I want to bring to everyone’s attention some interesting information that is being compiled on the operation of solar panels by Germany. The reason it should be of interest is because many in the state use Germany as a blueprint for New Jersey’s solar panel program.
Since the 1980’s the Green Party in Germany has pushed the country to invest enormous amounts of money in “Green” power projects. Because of this the installed solar cell base is 1.1 million power systems and is rated at 25 gigawatts. That might sound impressive until you convert is to megawatts and realize that it is 25,000 megawatts. That is about the same amount of electricity, if all of the cells are producing at the same time what would be produced by 25 average coal fired or nuclear powered generating plants.
To get this 25,000 megawatts Germany has paid a tremendous price. They have invested over 100 billion Euros to install these units and just recently the return on investment in the form of electricity from this expenditure was: ZERO.
Of course you will not read about this in the New York Times, Washington Post or on NBC, ABC or CBS since it does not support the green energy myth they have been pushing. You will though find out about these problems if you are an investor researching various companies in the alternative energy fields.
I was reading an article entitled Dark Clouds Threaten German Clean Energy Ambitions: Global Implications by John Peterson, an American living in Switzerland. This one quote really hit home:
“For weeks now, the 1.1 million solar power systems in Germany have generated almost no electricity.”
Because of this Germany has had to import electricity from France and Czech Republic. 100 billion Euros spent and they still have to import energy to heat and light their homes. Could this be the future of New Jersey? Well, some people want it that way and are willing to lie to us in order to make it so.
Writing at EcoOutfitters.net, Dawn Allcot compares Germany and New Jersey then makes this statement:
There’s a simple answer, and the proof is in the power. (So to speak…) Germany is currently the world’s leader in solar energy production. Last year, the country’s solar plants produced more than 13,000mw of solar energy – enough to power 4.3 million homes, according to an article on the BBC website about solar power in Europe.
And Germany isn’t exactly noted for its sunny, temperate weather. Let’s look at a snapshot of conditions in a few areas around Berlin today, according to Weather Underground:
• Scattered clouds
• Mostly cloudy
• Scattered Clouds
• Scattered Clouds
• Clear
• Mostly Cloudy…
This sure sounds a lot like the weather we get in New Jersey, and if we accepted what Allcot takes as gospel from the BBC, it might make sense for New Jersey to follow in Germany’s “green” footsteps. But before we open the checkbook, how about we consider this little piece of information by Alexander Neubacher at Spiegel Online International:
>Obamacare’s Latest Victim Is Religious Freedom Mike Brownfield February 2, 2012 at 9:35 am
It has not even been two years since Obamacare was enacted, and already the President’s health care law has taken another victim — the religious freedoms Americans hold dear, as reflected by the First Amendment.
The Obama Administration recently reaffirmed a rule under Obamacare that requires many religious employers to provide health care coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and related education and counseling. On the grounds that certain FDA-approved contraceptive methods can sometimes “cause the demise of embryos both after and before uterine implantation,” many groups also believe that the rule forces them to cover abortion.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is calling the contraception mandate an “unprecedented” attack on religious freedom. And in statement after statement issued in diocese after diocese, many bishops are publicly declaring that they “cannot” and “will not” comply with “this unjust law.” As Cleveland Bishop Richard Lennon explained, “Unless this rule is overturned, Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences or to drop health care coverage for our employees.”
It’s not just Catholics affected by the rule, however. Leaders from other faith traditions have expressed their concern, and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has already filed a lawsuit on behalf of an interdenominational Christian college that objects to providing abortion and related education and counseling in its health care insurance. “The mandate is un-American, unprecedented, and flagrantly unconstitutional,” says an attorney for the college.
The Fat Man” Cometh POETRY SINGS THE BLUES Celebrating FATS DOMINO’s Birthday in Poetry and Song
February 25th @ 1 pm – 4 pm
RIDGEWOOD – Poets, musicians, a Southern-style chef, fans, and anyone else who’s interested or curious, will gather Saturday, February 25, at 1 p.m. at Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church (271 Lincoln Avenue at West End Avenue) for “Poetry Sings the Blues.” The festival will celebrate the life and music of Fats Domino, the legendary rhythm and blues performer who shaped early rock and roll, upon his 84th birthday.
All poets are invited to attend and read their works on the blues and R&B themes, and drop-in musical performers are welcome. A free-will offering will aid ongoing post-Katrina relief in New Orleans, where Domino has been a lifelong resident of the devastated Ninth Ward. The event follows New Jersey poets’ successful tribute to Elvis Presley at the same church a year ago.
The featured poets are James Gwyn of Clifton, first prize winner in the 2008 Allen Ginsberg poetry contest and recipient of five Pushcart prize nominations, and Francesca Maximé of New York City, a TV host and journalist and author of “Rooted,” a forthcoming book of poetry.
Musical tributes will be performed by the Victoria Warne Band and special guest, pianist Joe Sabina. Warne, a songwriter and the lead singer and guitarist with her band, has performed at the JVC Festival, many other New York area venues, and internationally.
Chef Jesse Jones, winner of Bergen County’s Ultimate Chef competition for 2010 and known for his Southern cooking with a French twist, will honor Domino with a demonstration of Voodoo Shrimp.
Antoine (“Fats”) Domino Jr., born February 26, 1928, was the major bridge between Southern black rhythm and blues and early 1950s rock and roll. Unlike many rockers, he co-authored almost all his pieces, sung with a distinct Creole inflection, while accompanying himself on piano with a much-imitated rolling style.
Domino’s first nationwide hit, “The Fat Man” (1949), is generally regarded the first rock record to sell more than a million copies. He posted a remarkable 37 singles on the Top 40 charts, including such huge sellers as “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill,” “I’m Walkin’,” “I’m in Love Again,” and “Blue Monday.”
Assembly committee votes to put charters under local control
The Christie administration’s slowdown in approving charter schools in the suburbs hasn’t slowed the push by Assembly Democrats to tighten controls on all charters — possibly imperiling a slew of schools awaiting their final OK.
The Assembly education committee yesterday moved a bill that would give local voters the right to approve new charters in their home districts. If passed by both houses, the law would make New Jersey only the third state to require charter schools to face a local referendum.
First proposed last year, the new bill has been toughened for the new session. Amendments filed with the bill would make those referendums retroactive for as many as 30 urban and suburban schools awaiting their final charters. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
> The annual charity basketball game a win for Ridgewood’s Federatedl HSA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 BY JOSEPH CRAMER STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
As Ridgewood school administrators and parents squared off against the Harlem Wizards at a Ridgewood High School gymnasium packed with students and their families, not a shred of the controversy that hung over the event in early January was apparent.
The annual charity basketball game, organized by the Federated Home and School Association (HSA), traditionally pits Ridgewood teachers against the comedy basketball act. With the teachers’ union currently locked in contract negotiations with school administration, however, the teachers withdrew their participation in the event. The union did, however, donate $500 to the HSA.
