Can we assume that our transparent administration has immediately suspended the wresting team ? How could we possibly allow them to continue to compete with a Ridgewood school sponsor?
Can we expect our police department to execute arrests in the near future ? Can it really take 10days to get the details ?
Can we assume that we will see a number of kids expelled ?
This can not be allowed to just be swept away, nor is this a time for counseling as suggested by the administration. We need prompt, clear transparent action to let everyone know that bullying, gang fighting, team pack mentality, and not doing the right thing will not be tolerated at all
There are conflicting stories about who and what instigated the dispute that led to this prearranged fight so perhaps it’s best for the generally uninformed, myself included, to let the actual facts emerge before embracing or making accusations that may be false or even libelous.. This is after all the age of hasty reporting that sometimes lays out a storyline that is later change after proper investigation. As far as students attending and videoing, many seem shocked and disappointed by that circus like happening. Unfortunately this is the environment that our kids grow up in where social media is extensively used and sensationalized., a generation where UFC and Kardashian type entertainment reigns . Thankfully, some students appear to have interceded after the injured boy collapsed after a second punch landed .Here ‘s the reality : Fights, raging parties and hard drugs happen here in Ridgewood, most times they don’t lead to bad injuries, outcomes. or overdoses. When they do, there is a knee jerk reaction with much condemnation and efforts to place blame. .The only certainty right now is that we all should be praying for the injured boy to fully recover.
Ridgewood NJ, Village seniors , we all have something to be grateful for. Let’s celebrate together with a nutritious and delicious home cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Musical entertainment will be provided.
Ridgewood Parks and Recreation and HealthBarn Foundation invite Ridgewood senior residents to join us for the Giving Thanks Elder Dinner, to be held Sunday, November 12th, 4:30 to 6:30 pm, at the Old Paramus Reformed Church, 660 E. Glen Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
There is no fee to attend, but registration is required as space is limited. Please contact the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560. Bus transportation is available – 201-670-5500, x203. Reserve by November 3rd.
This week the Ridgewood High School Administration has been investigating a serious student incident that rose to the level of police involvement following a thorough, deliberate and confidential exploration of the facts. The incident involved the misuse of social media, destruction of school property and violence.
It is important to address and dispel rumors that are circulating in our community and to ask for your understanding that this issue, like all student issues that involve minors and are also part of a student’s record, is, and will remain, confidential. Just as we protect the privacy of your child’s record, we are compelled to do the same for all children involved in this incident. For this reason, we cannot comment on the episode or on the eventual outcome, but I do want to reassure you as both a parent and also as your Superintendent, that I trust the administration to act in the best interest of all the students involved, as well as the entire school community. Anyone found to be involved in this incident will be held accountable in an appropriate way, including possible legal proceedings, school discipline and/or counseling.
At this time, I would like to also remind you that the Ridgewood High School administration is very open and transparent whenever possible. Anyone who has attended their HSA meetings would agree to their openness to discussing difficult topics and issues that the high school administrators handle. When working with children, even young adolescents to young adults, serious incidents and not-so serious incidents occur. Ridgewood Public School administrators excel at dealing with every such situation with care, and while not everyone may agree on the outcome, I can assure you our administrators work toward resolution and a goal that students will learn from the experience.
To that end, the Ridgewood High School administration will use this recent incident to address “witness” behavior as a school community. It is highly unfortunate that the incident — which happened after school hours on district property — resulted in unnecessary and unacceptable violence. It is also disappointing that other students were present who videoed the incident rather than attempted to intervene in order to prevent physical harm.
I hope you now understand the need for confidentiality in this particular event and are also reassured that action has been taken and will continue as the police complete their investigation. The safety, protection and privacy of our students is a top priority.
Thank you for your support of the Ridgewood Public Schools.
Ridgewood NJ, from the Ridgewood Schools website, In January, 2011 New Jersey adopted the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act”, which augmented a battery of school harassment and bullying prevention laws that were passed in 2002. Since the 2002 laws were originally adopted, school employees have had an obligation to report harassment and bullying problems which they see, or of which they become aware. The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act has made that obligation clearer and broader.
The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act reflects a core value to which the Ridgewood Public Schools has long been committed: that respectful behavior fosters a rich and challenging learning environment. A safe and civil environment in school is necessary for pupils to learn and achieve high academic standards. All students should understand that their attitudes and actions affect both their own and their classmates’ learning, and they should accept responsibility for helping to create a positive school environment. With the support of school staff, parent(s)/guardian(s) and other adults in their lives, all students can contribute to the effectiveness of the schools and the value of their education.
The Ridgewood Board of Education explicitly and unequivocally prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of its students. “Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability, or by any other distinguishing characteristic, that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds pursuant to law, that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students and that:
a. a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a student or damaging the student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his property;
b. has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students; or
c. creates a hostile educational environment for the student by interfering with a student’s education or by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the student. !
Any school employee, contracted service provider, Board of Education member, student or volunteer who has witnessed, or has reliable information that a student has been subject to, harassment, intimidation or bullying is obligated by law to report the incident to the school Principal. !
An act of student harassment, intimidation, or bullying must be reported verbally to the Principal on the same day the person witnesses or receives reliable information regarding the incident. ! The incident must then be reported to the Principal in writing, using the appropriate district form, within two (2) school days of when the incident was observed or the information was received.
As a permanent or substitute school employee, a contracted service provider, a Board of Education member, a student or a volunteer in a New Jersey public school district, one of your responsibilities is to know how to respond if you become aware of harassment, intimidation or bullying that needs to be reported. If you have any questions about how or when to do this, please talk to the school Principal.
Ridgewood NJ, Composing and arranging music is a recent, yet exciting, development in the life of Ridgewood musician and singer, Rita Blacker. Since childhood, music has been a significant part of Blacker’s life. Coming from a musical family, she began playing piano when she was three years old and started training formally at age nine. Her piano training and singing continued at Paramus High School and at the University of Maryland where she received a BA in Piano Performance. She also plays the flute and violin, having taken lessons for a few years on each, and is self-taught on the guitar.
In September 2003, Blacker joined the prestigious New Jersey Choral Society, an auditioned community chorus based in Ridgewood, in order to fill a musical void in her life. Eventually, because of her strong musical background, she was appointed Vice President of Artistic Planning and assisted the Artistic Director and Conductor, Eric Dale Knapp, with music selection for each concert.
In 2017, Knapp asked Blacker to write an original piece of music to celebrate the NJCS Jubilee season, which is celebrating artist-in-residence Linda Sweetman-Waters’ 30th anniversary with the chorus. Knapp found a prayer titled “Grant Us Peace” from The Gates of Prayer: the New Union Prayer Book, a standard liturgical work for the Reformed Judaism Movement, and asked Blacker to arrange a musical composition for this prayer. She feels that this prayer of peace is timely for our country, because it was written for and read by a rabbi at a UN special meeting on global peace. “The prayer has us look inward to find strength to set an example to the rest of the world that we can live in peace,” says Blacker. It asks us, continues Blacker, “to set an example and show the world how we hold out our hands toward friendship, strengthening bonds between us.” She used the text from the prayer and composed and arranged music for it. “Grant Us Peace” will receive its world premiere during the New Jersey Choral Society’s holiday concert series, Celebration of Carols, on Saturday, December 2 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, December 3 at 3:00 pm at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 30 North Fullerton Ave, Montclair, as well as Tuesday, December 5 at 7:30 pm at the West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 South Monroe St., Ridgewood.
Blacker has composed previously for the New Jersey Choral Society. In 2013, Knapp asked her to write a piece of music for the NJCS holiday concert, Ceremony of Carols. Excited by the prospect of composing music, she began reviewing winter poetry and came across the well-known poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, inspiring her original composition “Snowy Evening.” Due to the success of that piece, Knapp invited her again in 2016 to compose a work for the holiday concert, which featured Claudio Monteverdi’s Magnificat, a work based on the Marian Vespers or evening prayers. Blacker decided to write a piece connected to the spiritual themes in Magnificat. The biblical story of Hannah, a scorned and barren woman who prays to God for a child and miraculously gives birth to Samuel, inspired her to write the composition “Hannah Prays,” which received its world premiere in December 2016.
Aside from these composition opportunities, Blacker also collaborated in 2015 on arranging three contemporary pieces for the Echoes, a women’s a cappella group, at Lehigh University where her daughter Rebecca was a student. She assisted with new arrangements of “Levels” by Nick Jonas, “Soldier” by Gavin DeGraw and “Ghost” by Ella Henderson, which the Echoes (including her daughter Rebecca) performed in the spring of 2015. She also wrote a small violin part for the New Jersey Choral Society and credits this composition with “opening up the path to her future.”
Outside of her commitments to NJCS, Blacker teaches piano lessons at Music and Arts (formerly Victor’s House of Music) in Wayne and offers private piano lessons at her home in Ridgewood. She has also sung with Sirene, a women’s a cappella group, and has performed at “Ridgewood Unplugged,” an annual fundraising event offered by Ridgewood musicians to raise money for the Ridgewood Schoolhouse Museum. Blacker also works as an Interior Designer with an AA degree in Interior Design from Berkeley College. She owns RFB Design LLC, which specializes in space planning and renovations.
When asked if she plans to write more music, Rita replied “Composing music inspires and challenges me to write more.” She explains that “music is the passion that ignites the soul and breathes meaning and purpose into her life. It will always be an integral part of my life, because of its ability to heal, unite and transport.”
Advance tickets for performances of Celebration of Carols featuring Blacker’s composition “Grant Us Peace,” are $30.00 for adults and $25.00 for students and seniors. For reservations or more information, visit www.NJCS.org or call the New Jersey Choral Society at (201) 379-7719.
THE CENTRAL VALET SERVICE IN RIDGEWOOD CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS NOW IN OPERATION
November 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A Central Valet service is available for all shoppers and diners in Ridgewood’s Central Business District on Friday and Saturday nights, from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and running through December 30th. The location for the Central Valet service is Van Neste Square, opposite the bus station. The price per vehicle is $5.00, and some shops and restaurants will be paying that fee for their customers. There will be a listing of the shops and restaurants paying the valet service fee for their customers on the Village website, as well as being distributed at the Central Valet locations as they become available.
New Milford NJ, we are sorry to report that Darren Drake, a New Milford native and former school board president, was among those killed in Tuesday’s terror attack in Lower Manhattan. Drake, 33, was a project manager at Moody’s Investors Service at Seven World Trade Center.
Assemblymen Bob Auth District 39 issued the following statement , “I am deeply saddened by the attack of our fellow neighbors in New York City yesterday afternoon. My prayers, and the prayers of my family, go out to the victims and their families. I am especially saddened to hear that New Milford council candidate, Darren Drake, was among those who succumbed to his injuries. He had been elected to the New Milford school board and eventually became president of body. He will be missed by many. ”
Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi District 39 said , “I just heard that one of those killed in yesterday’s terrorist attack was a Bergen County resident. I am someone who is a realist on immigration issues. I believe in a pathway to citizenship for people who have built their lives in the US while working, paying taxes and providing for their children. However, if we turn NJ into a Sanctuary State, game over. We are literally advertising to every single person who comes into the US illegally, to every person who has a nefari…ous purpose for being here, that we as a State will not only welcome them but we will provide them with driver’s licenses and benefits, we will refuse to cooperate with Homeland Security and ICE and we will HARBOR TERRORISTS. As a legislator representing Bergen and Passaic counties, counties that the terrorist directly impacted and lived in, I say NO. If you care about the future of this State you must vote against us being a Sanctuary State and you must vote for representatives who pledge to fight against it. Make you voices heard on November 7th.”
THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA NOVEMBER 1, 2017 7:30 P.M.
7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
Presentation
Zoning Business District – Brigette Bogart, Village Planner
Valley Hospital Litigation Settlement
Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Award Contract for Professional Design Services – Ames Tank Rehabilitation
Parking
Draft RFP for Hudson Street Parking Garage
Budget
2017 Budget Transfers
Cancellation of Public Assistance Trust Funds
Cancellation of Current Fund Budget Appropriation
Washington Township Inter-Local Fleet Services
Purchase of Emergency Generator – Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Award Contract – Graydon Pool Repair of Chlorination System
Removal of Portion of Bike Path – Garber Squar
Policy
Approve Stop Sign at Cliff Street at First Street
Approve Stop Sign at Cantrell and West End Avenue
Decorations and Other Items Outside of Businesses in the Central Business District
Ordinance for Certain Illuminated Signs
Operations
Proposed Encroachment Agreement – 115 Monte Vista
Dedicated Tree Resolution
Major Soil Permit – Dayton – South Broad Street
Approve Community Development Block Grant Application for Housing Specialist – West Bergen Mental Healthcare
Review of November 8, 2017 Public Meeting Agenda
Manager’s Report
Council Reports
Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
Legal – Funding of Improvement Project in Central Business District
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced today that the State has filed a five-count lawsuit against Purdue Pharma L.P. alleging a “direct” link between New Jersey’s opioid crisis and a push by Purdue to boost profits by deceptively marketing addictive medications and exploiting vulnerable new markets, such as the elderly and the “opioid-naïve.” The lawsuit charges Purdue with widespread deception about the risks and benefits of these dangerously addictive pain medications.
“When we point the finger of blame for the deadly epidemic that has killed thousands in New Jersey, Purdue is in the bullseye of the target,” said Attorney General Porrino. “Today, my office took the first step toward holding them legally and financially responsible for their deception.”
Filed today in Superior Court in Essex County, the State’s 100-page complaint charges that Purdue manipulated the public and even the medical community to embrace the view that pain was undertreated and that opioids should be the first-line solution for patients suffering from chronic conditions such as moderate back pain, migraine headaches and arthritis. The complaint alleges that Purdue aggressively marketed its blockbuster opioid drugs – particularly OxyContin – as safe, effective, long-term treatments for chronic pain. It also alleges Purdue failed to disclose that it had no studies to support the efficacy or safety of opioid medications for treatment periods longer than 12 weeks.
“In a campaign of almost inconceivable callousness and irresponsibility, we allege that Purdue has spent hundreds of millions of marketing dollars to downplay the addiction risk associated with taking opioids for chronic pain, all the while exaggerating the benefits of using these dangerous drugs,” Porrino said. “We allege that this fraudulent conduct has not only given false hope to many pain patients, it has led to addiction, overdose, and death. It also has cost the State hundreds of millions on opioid prescriptions and the broader health and social effects of overprescribing. Many of these prescriptions never should have been written.”
The State’s investigation yielded evidence that each Purdue sales representative in New Jersey was required to visit 7-8 doctors per day, 5 days a week, to promote these opioids. The highest volume prescribers were given the title of “Super Core Prescribers,” and received special attention from Purdue. Sales representatives were compensated based on reaching their “Rx quota” for each drug. For OxyContin alone, the quotas were in the range of 500-700 prescriptions per month for each sales representative – amounting to quotas of 6,000-8,400 prescriptions per year for each sales representative. Attorney General Porrino noted, “The sheer number of marketing visits made by Purdue sales representatives to New Jersey prescribers is staggering – and based on the number of prescriptions, the scheme clearly was a smashing success for the company.”
Purdue makes and sells a variety of opioid pain medications including Dilaudid, Dilaudid HP, Butrans and Hysingla ER. However, the company’s most popular opioid pain medication by far is OxyContin. Since the market debut of OxyContin in 1996, Purdue has generated overall sales estimated at more than $35 billion. The company’s current annual revenues are estimated at approximately $3 billion, mostly from the sale of OxyContin.
According to the complaint, the State’s largest Medicaid managed care organization has paid $109 million for opioids through the Medicaid program since 2008, the State paid another $6 million under its Workers’ Compensation Program since 2008, and approximately $136 million under its State Employee and Retiree Health Plan since 2012. Meanwhile, New Jersey consumers – including individuals, employers and private insurers – easily have paid hundreds of millions for opioid prescriptions. In addition to these costs, the State and private consumers have paid millions of dollars to treat addiction, overdose and other injuries associated with opioid overprescribing and misuse.
The State’s complaint seeks monetary damages for false claims, maximum statutory penalties under the Consumer Fraud Act and the False Claims Act, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and other relief as contribution for the expensive solutions — including addiction treatment and prescriber education — which are necessary to abate the crisis in New Jersey.
“Prescribing opioids for routine chronic pain is dangerous and, in many cases, inappropriate,” said Attorney General Porrino. “However, in New Jersey and across the nation it became mainstream medical practice and the treatment of first resort. How did that happen? It happened because certain companies within the pharmaceutical industry saw a chance to grow their profits by peddling extraordinarily potent, highly-addictive opioid drugs for routine pain. We allege that Purdue Pharma was chief among these opportunistic and predatory companies.”
According to the State’s complaint, Purdue’s campaign to change the health care landscape with regard to opioids began in the late 1990s. Prior to that, the lawsuit notes, opioids were used on a much more limited basis – to treat acute trauma-related pain, post-surgical pain or for palliative care – because the drugs were considered too addictive and debilitating for long-term use. Faced with a medical and popular understanding of opioids that constrained its market, the complaint alleges that Purdue aggressively set out to change the image of opioids by encouraging prescribers to believe the drugs would permanently reduce pain in chronic pain patients and improve their function, with little or no addiction risk.
The complaint alleges that part of Purdue’s push to mainstream opioids was aided by Dr. Russell Portenoy, a pain management specialist who received “substantial” funding from Purdue to conduct research, and was paid to serve as a Purdue consultant. In the late 1990s, the State’s complaint notes that Portenoy led a successful campaign in the national medical community to make pain “the fifth vital sign” — to be checked in every health care encounter – putting it on par with measuring blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and breathing. Purdue’s early marketing of OxyContin lead to criminal fraud charges against the company and its executives, charges that Purdue paid more than $600 million to settle with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2007. But Purdue built upon those foundational deceptions, and continued deceptive and unconscionable marketing from 2007 through the present.
Among other actions in the 2007-2017 timeframe, the complaint charges that Purdue:
Blanketed the State with sales representatives trained to emphasize the benefits of opioids, minimize their risks, deflect questions about addiction risks, and encourage doctors to consult unbranded websites and materials that did the same.
Funded and created “unbranded” educational materials and websites that never identified Purdue or its products by name because they were deceptively designed to look like the work of unaffiliated patient advocacy groups. These unbranded materials magnified and supported Purdue’s deceptive marketing scheme.
Promoted the unsubstantiated concept of “pseudoaddiction” to assure doctors that patients showing signs of addiction were actually suffering from undertreated pain and needed more medication.
Promoted its 2010 “abuse-deterrent” reformulation of OxyContin by distributing and recommending materials that misleadingly described the signs of abuse as the stigmata of injecting or snorting opioids—skin popping, track marks, and perforated nasal septa – when, in fact, oral use (swallowing a pill) is the most common method of abuse and was not minimized by the 2010 “abuse-deterrent” reformulation.
Refused to acknowledge that OxyContin ER does not provide 12 hours of constant pain relief, despite widely reported end-of-dose failure. Instead, Purdue recommended that doctors prescribe patients with end-of-dose supplemental opioids for short-term relief and higher doses of OxyContin ER, putting patients in a perpetual cycle of craving their medication and at greater risk for addiction.
Ignored a growing body of research showing that long-term use of opioids was neither safe nor effective.
The company also trained its sales representatives to persuade doctors to prescribe OxyContin and Purdue’s other opioids for the elderly and for “opioid naïve” patients (patients who had not previously taken opioids). The complaint alleges that “Purdue’s decisions to target the elderly and opioid-naïve patients reflect, yet again, a business strategy that placed little, if any, value on the well-being and safety of consumers. Elderly patients taking opioids are at greater risk for fracture and hospitalization, and they have increased vulnerability to adverse drug effects such as respiratory depression.”
A Purdue sales representative interviewed by the State recalled intense pressure from Purdue to persuade doctors to convert patients from over-the-counter medications – such as Advil or Tylenol – to a “low dose” of OxyContin. Purdue knew, however, that chronic pain patients don’t stay on a “low dose” of OxyContin – as their bodies develop a tolerance to the drug, the dosage will likely be increased. In fact, Purdue’s marketing scheme included a focus on “titrating up” – the technical word for increasing a patient’s opioid dosage.
“This conduct was incredibly exploitative and put people in danger. As we allege in our complaint, Purdue targeted New Jersey seniors and the opioid-naïve for a reason – they were a growth sector,” Attorney General Porrino said.
Porrino noted that, according to the State’s complaint, “one in three” enrollees in Medicare Part D (the prescription benefit) received at least one opioid prescription in 2016.
The State’s lawsuit notes that recent findings by both the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) directly debunk Purdue’s claims about the efficacy and limited risks associated with opioids.
The CDC has confirmed there are no controlled studies about the use of opioids beyond 12 weeks, and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has made plain “there is no evidence that opioids improve patients’ pain and function long-term.”
The State’s lawsuit contends that such information clearly contradicts Purdue’s claim that long-term use of opioids improves function and quality of life. The lawsuit also asserts that, according to some research, opioids actually are ineffective at treating chronic pain, and can worsen a patient’s health not only by putting the patient at risk for addiction and overdose, but also by increasing the likelihood of other debilitating conditions, such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Water begins to prepare residents for further water usage cuts . On there Facebook page they posted, “a fun reminder to help conserve water? Ridgewood Water has 5-Minute Shower Timers available to customers at our office located in Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood. ”
First they restricted watering :Stage II restrictions (2 days per week irrigation) were imposed in June 2016 and are still in effect in Glen Rock, Midland Park, Ridgewood and Wyckoff. Without these restrictions, the use of drinking water for irrigation will continue increasing toward levels that are unsustainable regardless of drought conditions. To reverse this trend, an ordinance was approved by the Village Council on April 12, 2017 to amend the provisions governing Watering and Water Emergencies in the Village of Ridgewood Code. Changes include:
Making 2 days per week irrigation permanent year round,
Restricting irrigation hours to limit losses to evaporation,
Restricting irrigation using private wells to 2 days a week,
Adding new exemptions, including drip irrigation and smart controllers.
With four major high density housing projects going up in the Central Business District is Ridgewood Water getting the Village ready for further water restrictions?
Paramus NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced charges of Murder, Desecration of Human Remains, Hindering Apprehension and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose against JESUS LOPEZ (DOB: 08/19/1987) of 44 Spring Valley Road, Paramus, New Jersey, in connection with the death of his mother, 56-year-old Susana Lopez (DOB: 1/10/1961) of Paramus.
On October 24, 2017, Paramus Police were requested to conduct a welfare check at 44 Spring Valley Road in Paramus where Jesus LOPEZ resided with his mother Susana Lopez. After making contact with Jesus LOPEZ who was inside the home, further investigation revealed that he had murdered his mother days earlier, and that her remains were on the property. Police subsequently located her remains in a detached garage adjacent to the residence.
Following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Paramus Police Department, Jesus LOPEZ was arrested for the murder of Susana Lopez and was brought to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office for processing.
Jesus LOPEZ is charged with the following offenses: Murder in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1),(2), a crime of the 1st Degree; Desecration of Human Remains in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:22-1A(1), a crime of the 2nd Degree; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in violation of a crime of the 3rd Degree; and Hindering Apprehension in violation of N.J.S.A 2C:29-3B(1), a crime of the 3rd Degree. He is presently in the custody of the Bergen County Sheriff pending his first appearance, which will be set by the Superio Court.
Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Grewal would like to thank the Paramus Police Department under the direction of Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations under the direction of Sherriff Michael Saudino for their assistance in this investigation.
Trenton NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the New Jersey State Police announced that 676 data breaches were reported to the State Police in 2016 affecting more than 116,000 New Jersey account holders. October is National Cybersecurity Month, and the announcement – the first release of annual statistics on data breaches in the state – was made as New Jersey offered advice and resources to residents to protect their sensitive personal information. The Attorney General’s Office also highlighted legal actions taken this year by the Division of Law and Division of Consumer Affairs to address data breaches.
“Doing business online and on our devices has become so routine that it’s easy to let our guard down. But as these statistics on data breaches highlight, it’s critical that we protect our sensitive personal information from the many who seek to access it for harmful ends,” said Attorney General Christopher Porrino. “The internet touches almost all aspects of our daily life, whether we realize it or not, and Cyber Security Awareness Month is a good time to examine whether our accounts are secure. I urge everyone to take advantage of the great resources New Jersey offers in this area.”
To assist in tackling these security challenges, the New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) acts as the state’s one-stop shop for cybersecurity information sharing, threat analysis, and incident reporting. Located at the State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center (ROIC), the NJCCIC brings together analysts and engineers to promote statewide awareness of cyber threats and widespread adoption of best practices.
“Our mission is to help make NJ more resilient to cyber attacks. We encourage all NJ residents and businesses to reach out to the NJCCIC for advice, to subscribe to our alerts, and to report incidents via our website – www.cyber.nj.gov,” said Michael Geraghty, Director of the NJCCIC.
“The statistics compiled present a sobering picture of the challenges that face us when it comes to cyber security,” said Sharon Joyce, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “We urge citizens to use the resources available through the Division of Consumer Affairs in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from identity theft and other forms of cybercrime. In addition, the Division remains committed to protecting consumers from those companies that fail to safeguard or improperly gather personal information.”
The information released by the Attorney General’s Office and the State Police details data breaches in New Jersey occurring in 2016. Data breaches involve the unauthorized access to personal information, which may include a person’s first and last name linked with a social security number, driver’s license number, or account, debit, or credit card number. Under New Jersey law, any business that operates in New Jersey or any public entity that compiles or maintains computerized records that include personal information must disclose any breach of security to customers who are New Jersey residents and whose personal information was or believed to have been accessed by an unauthorized person.
The business sectors most often involved with breaches include finance/banking, health services followed by business services and retail trade. Other areas include education, restaurant, industrial/manufacturing, hotels, non-profits, non-medical insurance, and telecommunications, among others.
The methods used to breach security were led by phishing, a form of fraud in which the attacker tries to learn information such as login credentials or account information by masquerading as a reputable entity or person in email, instant message or other communication channels, and hacking. Website malware, employee incident, unauthorized email access and ransomware were also utilized.
The Division of Consumer Affairs offers the following Tips to Consumers:
Avoid clicking on e-mail links or attachments from unknown individuals, financial institutions, computer services or government agencies. To check out the message, go to the sender’s legitimate public website, and use the contact information provided.
Adjust device privacy settings to control sharing of data between applications, software and address books.
Choose a strong password containing letters, numbers and symbols. If a website offers two-factor authentication security, use it.
To protect your device from unauthorized access and malware software, install security software, often available from your internet provider, and ensure that firewall and anti-virus protections are updated continually.
Before disposing of any electronic device, wipe the hard drive using specialized software that will overwrite your information; or donate the device to a certified recycling facility that follows government standards for the destruction of data.
Avoid free Wi-Fi, especially for health, financial, and other personal transactions.
Before giving up your personal information to win a contest or participate in a survey, read the “Terms and Conditions” and “Privacy Policy” within the website or app. These sections should clearly lay out how the website will use and share your information.
Under federal law, consumers can get three free credit reports per year through www.annualcreditreport.com. New Jersey law entitles consumers to an additional three free credit reports annually – one from each of the national credit reporting agencies. Scrupulous checking of credit reports, bank and credit card statements, and subscription services can catch identity theft at its earliest stages.
Parents can report concerns about websites directed to children to the Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Parents should take advantage of parental control software offered by their internet service provider, adjust browser settings to limit children’s access, and review history logs to monitor usage.
I complained about these and other barriers several years ago at a council meeting. Several sets of them are fastened to the sidewalks in violation of the ordinance allowing them. In my opinion the ordinance should be rewritten to require them to be similar to the ones in front of the Tappas restaurant by Wilsey Square, a light metal frame with cloth filler and that they be removed in winter when the outdoor seating isn’t available. The restaurant , Steel Wheels, at the train station also has barriers blocking the sidewalks aimed at pedestrians. That setup makes me feel like I am trespassing although I am on public property. I understand the rationale of allowing outdoor seating and don’t disagree with the concept but I feel it’s current application interferes too much with the publics ability to walk around the business district.
Please note that the area in front of “It’s Greek to Me” appears to be a no parking area as shown by the yellow line so although I don’t like those barriers, I think singling them out is more about the owners politics. The ones on West Ridgewood Ave. by the pizza/Italian restaurant are basically the same. Also note the white latticework barriers are screwed down to the sidewalk, which is specifically prohibited.
Marin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg on 31 October 1517 and started a revolution !
It started on All Saints’ Eve, 1517, when Luther publicly objected to the way preacher Johann Tetzel was selling indulgences. These were documents prepared by the church and bought by individuals either for themselves or on behalf of the dead that would release them from punishment due to their sins. As Tetzel preached, “Once the coin into the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs!”
Luther questioned the church’s trafficking in indulgences and called for a public debate of 95 theses he had written. Instead, his 95 Theses spread across Germany as a call to reform, and the issue quickly became not indulgences but the authority of the church: Did the pope have the right to issue indulgences?
Events quickly accelerated. At a public debate in Leipzig in 1519, when Luther declared that “a simple layman armed with the Scriptures” was superior to both pope and councils without them, he was threatened with excommunication.
Luther replied to the threat with his three most important treatises: The Address to the Christian Nobility, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and On the Freedom of a Christian. In the first, he argued that all Christians were priests, and he urged rulers to take up the cause of church reform. In the second, he reduced the seven sacraments to two (baptism and the Lord’s Supper). In the third, he told Christians they were free from the law (especially church laws) but bound in love to their neighbors.
October 29,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, When you post today on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll likely reach thousands of folks very quickly. You’ll share a great idea or thought that could change the lives of many people.
Five hundred years ago, when you wanted to share your ideas, you posted them on the Church door. Martin Luther did just that, and probably didn’t have a clue that his post would turn the Church or his life upside down much less that his post would be celebrated for years to come.
This October 29, 2017 marks the 500th year since Martin Luther made his famous post. Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ridgewood has planned a full day of special activities to mark this anniversary. Please join us at 155 Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood.
A communion worship service will be offered at 10:45 AM. A brunch is being offered at noon (Please sign up on our website, www.bethlehemchurch.live, so we can sure to have enough food). A festival worship is offered at 1:30 PM with the collaboration of the Ars Música Chorale directed by world renowned organist James Kennerley. A reception will follow for all to meet and greet the Chorale and the Bethlehem Congregation.
You don’t have to be Lutheran to attend, nor do you need to wear your Sunday best! This is an opportunity to hear great music, exhilarating organ selections from Mr. Kennerley and getting to hear about Jesus.
More information and the brunch registration may be found at www.bethlehemchurch.live. You may also call the church office at 201-444-3600 (ext. 200) with any questions.
Come Celebrate the post that changed the world! Sun, October 29, 2017 Time: 1:30 PM Location: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
