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>Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton

Read more: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_s_patton.html#ixzz1L34nFJWl

>Support the Fourth of July ‘Tradition : “Celebrate the Constitution.” 
Friday, April 29, 2011
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Support Fourth of July tradition

To the editor:

July 4th in Ridgewood is a very special day that our area looks forward to all year. In 2011, the Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration Committee will sponsor its 101st anniversary on Monday, July 4. The day includes our flag raising, parade and fireworks. This year’s theme is “Celebrate the Constitution.” The committee is an all-volunteer community group that coordinates the day’s events and does not receive direct funding from the Village of Ridgewood.

The Ridgewood Fourth of July Celebration began in 1910 when the local papers, the civic section of the Woman’s Club and the Ridgewood Fire Department joined forces to create a “safe and sane” holiday with an emphasis on patriotism. It has grown into one of the largest celebrations in the New York City area and has been featured on CNN and Good Morning America as well as local New York stations. The celebration was once again named Best Parade and Fireworks by the readers of (201) magazine.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/120939569_Column__Support_the_Fourth_of_July__Tradition_.html

>Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.

The equinox occurs each year on March 20, 21 or 22. Both Neopagans and Christians continue to celebrate religious rituals linked to the equinox. Wiccans and other Neopagans usually hold their celebrations on the day or eve of the equinox. Western Christians celebrate Easter on the Sunday on or after the full moon that follows the nominal date of the Equinox — MAR-21. The Eastern Orthodox churches follow a different calculation; their Easter celebration is often many weeks after the date selected by the Western churches.

https://www.religioustolerance.org/easter.htm

>Killer Combo of High Gas, Food Prices at Key Tipping Point
Published: Thursday, 21 Apr 2011 | 2:22 PM ET
By: Christina Cheddar Berk
News Editor

The combination of rising gasoline prices and the steepest increase in the cost of food in a generation is threatening to push the US economy into a recession, according to Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners.

Johnson looks at the percentage of income consumers are spending on gasoline and food as a way of gauging how consumers will fare when energy prices spike.

With gas prices now standing at about $3.90 a gallon, energy costs have now passed 6 percent of spending—a level that Johnson says is a “tipping point” for consumers.

“Energy is not quite as essential as food and water, but is a necessity in today’s economy, and when gasoline costs more than bottled water—like now—then it takes a huge bite out of disposable spending,” he said, in a research note.

Of the six US recessions since 1970, all but the “9-11 year 2001 recession” have been linked to—of not triggered by—energy prices that crossed the 6 percent of personal consumption expenditures, he said. (During the shallow 2001 recession, energy prices had risen to about 5 percent of spending, which is higher than the long-term 4 percent share.)

What may make matters worse this time around, is there has been a steep increase in food prices that occurred as well. In other recent recessions food costs were benign, at between 7.5 percent and 7.8 percent of spending.

This year food prices have climbed 6.5 percent since the beginning of early January, according to Consumer Growth Partners.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/42704213

>Tax Levy Up, But Spending is Relatively Flat

As one Board of Education member, I would strongly urge the public to vote YES on the school budget this Wednesday, April 27. I completely understand the economic times we have and continue to face. As one who has been in transition for 10 months and just landed a new employment opportunity, I know those realities firsthand. The presented budget is within the state-mandated cap and will raise the school taxes by 2%. If not for the Governor’s partial restoration of state aid for the 2011-2012 school year, we would have faced even more cuts.

If you have seen or read through Dr. Fishbein’s budget presentation, you’ll know that the BOE is asking for $81,323,178 in tax levy for our next school year. That amount reflects a 2% increase over last year’s request, but half the increase requested last year. Please refer to the very basic chart below:

School Year Total District Spend Tax Levy

2009-2010 $86,094,691 $76,758,275

2010-2011 $84,836,380 $79,728,606

2011-2012(Wed’s vote) $86,775,809 $81,323,178

Incr — 09/10 to 11/12 .79% 6%

I believe it is very important to point out that our district’s total spend has only increased by less than 1% from two years ago. I acknowledge that our tax levy has increased by the allowable cap – 4% last year and 2% this year. If we were to keep taxes flat in that same period, we would be forced to cut an additional $4.7 million on top of the nearly $3.0 million in cuts required by the state aid cuts we incurred last year. That is not a tradeoff the BOE wanted to make given the standards we aspire to in the Ridgewood schools.

In short, our total spend for public education in Ridgewood is only slightly higher than it was 2 years ago. At the presentations by Dr. Fishbein that I have attended, several citizens asked to see our budget numbers presented differently. To that point I would like to make two comments. First, public education and its finances, rightly or wrongly, are dictated by the state — public education in NJ is a highly regulated industry. Secondly, all the available comparable data shows that Ridgewood’s per pupil spend is one of the lowest and below the state average while our test results are consistently in the state’s top 5, both given our district’s size. As one board member, I believe Ridgewood has an outstanding value equation.

Lastly, the presented budget contains two major assumptions, both of which are on the bargaining table with our largest collective bargaining unit, our teachers. That is where they properly belong. One of those assumptions is a zero percent increase in teacher salaries. We cannot assume anything less by law. We must also bargain with teachers to manage the cost of health care for this year and into the future. To make the current budget a total reality, major work is still to be done on these two issues.

As a member of the BOE’s negotiating committee, I implore you to vote YES on the budget to allow us to focus our energies on the bargaining table.

Thank you.

Bob Hutton
Vice President, Ridgewood Board of Education

>After Security Lapses at Newark Airport, TSA Official in Charge Promoted to HQ Post
Thursday, April 21, 2011
By Edwin Mora

More than 33 million passengers moved through Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey in 2009.

(CNSNews.com) – The Transportation Security Administration appointed as a senior adviser at its D.C. headquarters an official who requested reassignment after quitting as federal security director of Newark Liberty International Airport, following a string of security lapses.

Barbara Powell, who served as TSA’s security director at the New Jersey airport since July 2007, has been promoted to the post of “senior adviser in the Office of Human Capital,” TSA said in a statement this week.

Before she left the Newark post, Powell was reportedly the subject of a blistering internal critique that found “inconsistent leadership” under her watch and “a work environment that is often fueled by fear of reprisal and retaliation.”

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/after-string-security-lapses-newark-airp

>Gov. Christie’s legal team tells N.J. Supreme Court to keep hands off education dollars

Published: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 8:30 AM Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 5:31 PM
By Chris Megerian/Statehouse Bureau

TRENTON — Back off.

That was the Christie administration’s message today to the state Supreme Court as New Jersey’s legendary battle over the state’s obligations to its poorest students was renewed in nearly two hours of arguments.

With former Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero leading the charge, the Christie administration basically told the state’s highest court it should step aside and let the other two branches of government handle school funding.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/gov_christies_legal_team_tells.html