State Sen. Nick Scutari (D-Union) will be unveiling long-awaited legislation to regulate and tax marijuana in New Jersey on Monday, he announced today.
The proposal has no chance while Gov. Chris Christie remains in office. But with the Republican’s term ending in January, and all the major Democratic candidatesfor governor this year in favor of legalization, Scutari’s plan is likely to serve as an important blueprint for the next administration if a Democrat wins office. The leading Republican candidates — Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno — have said they favor decriminalizing but not fully legalizing the drug.
Ridgewood NJ, Spring has traditionally been known as the time to clean house and get a fresh and clean start. I like to include the body in spring cleaning as well.
It’s the season we should feel like eating light detoxifying food that will uplift our energy. Eating more nutrient-packed raw plant based vegan meals that clean the body from the fat that was accumulated during the winter time is what we should be doing.
I would like to inspire you to cook tasty and healthy meals at home on a daily basis. My goal is to explain the principles of detox cooking and will demonstrate how to cook 5 different dishes that are all delicious, nutritious and that anyone can easily prepare at home.
At the end of the class you will eat the dishes that were prepared and I will provide a print out with all the recipes.
Class will be held on Wednesday May 17, 2017
Place: Allergy Free and More
555 Goffle Road
Ridgewood, NJ
Time :6:30 -8:30
Price per person $45.00
Preregistration required.
Space limited
Ridgewood NJ, despite dire predictions and storm warnings NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) says a coastal storm system will bring unsettled weather across the Tri-State into Sunday. Expect periodic moderate to heavy rains .
Seems rather subdued given the over hyped predictions of a Nor-ester .
Weather Summary for the Local Tri-State Region National Weather Service New York NY 420 AM EDT Sat May 13 2017
A coastal storm system will bring unsettled weather across the Tri-State into Sunday. Rain will continue to overspread the area through the day, becoming moderate to locally heavy at times this afternoon and evening. The rain will gradually taper off from west to east overnight. Temperatures today will be well below normal in the lower to middle 50s.
Mostly cloudy conditions are forecast on Sunday with temperatures warming into the 60s for most locations. Cooler temperatures in the 50s are expected across eastern Long Island and southeastern Connecticut. A few showers are possible, mainly in the afternoon and evening.
Ridgewood NJ, yes its true Starbucks is opening a second location in downtown Ridgewood, around the corner from its first coffee shop in the village on Ridgewood Avenue and you will not even have to park.
The new convenience Starbucks drive thru will eliminate the need for parking in Ridgewood’s central business district .
Located at the former Fleet Bank property ,next to TD Bank on Franklin Avenue the drive-through only location, will be unlike the Starbucks at 193 E. Ridgewood Avenue, which is a more traditional Starbucks .
The Starbucks coffee and go location will be the third food operation to attempt to make a go of the Fleet drive-through kiosk on Franklin Avenue. After the Fleet drive-through closed following the ’04 merger with Bank of America, a drive-through convenience store opened on the site in ’06 and was later was replaced by a short-lived drive-through coffee shop.
Observers see the new coffee and go location as a positive attempt to circumvent to peak period parking issues in the CBD , but concerns about possible added traffic congestion remain.
Back to Basics Boot Camp!
Get inspired to let your inner child kick start the summer season!
Ages 16+
• Introduction to POUND(TM) (cardio jam session)
• Strength Training
• Retro Reset Challenge (varying fitness stations)
Let your younger self come to life as we sweat, jump, climb, and run!
Reawaken your thirst for strength with varying fitness stations.
Monday’s: 6:30pm – 8:00pm on May 15 – June 12
Wednesday’s: 9:30am – 11:00am on May 17 – June 7
*Be prepared for indoor & outdoor workouts!
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED
FREE: Triangle Members
$75: Program/Swim Member or Registered Participant
$20: per class rate
Register TODAY online, at the Y or contact Judy, 201.444.5600 x330 [email protected]
Ridgewood NJ, the Village budget was up loaded on April 27th after it was approved by the state on New Jersey . The tax hike over last year is about .04% ,hardly massive. The previous administration increased the budget 1.6% , this Village council is looking for an increase of 2%.
The council made an effort to balance many competing issues and expenses with an eye on investing in the future of the Village as opposed to the previous administration which used emergency funds to pay for current non emergency expenses .
The Mayor and Council continued their on going battle with the Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) which continues its ill informed agenda driven attacks on the Village Council.
The mayor explained the parking pass rate increase , and the overall allocation of parking. There has been an attempt to push use of less utilized parking through a lower rate and get employees off the street with discounted parking .The parking rate increase of $1000 was proposed by the from the Financial Advisories Committee , but the Council raised the rate to $750.It was important to balance commuters with shoppers with CBD employees.
The recent letter published in the media by former Village manager mirrored a letter that was sent to the Village council by the FAC.
In response to the Ridgewood News letter to the editor written by Roberta Sonenfeld: Residents should be cautious relying on the content due to errors, omissions and misrepresentations.
• Sonenfeld’s suggestion that the process wasn’t transparent is remarkable! The process followed is the same she was required to follow as former Village Manager. AS REQUIRED BY LAW, once the budget is introduced it must be reviewed by the Village auditor and afterwards, again as required by law, must be submitted to the State in THEIR BUDGET FORMAT for review with the completion of a check list and all required documentation. This process is no different than any other year – even during those years she was village manager. When the budget is advertised, it advises the public to contact the Village CFO with the appropriate phone number and extension. No phone calls have been received to date.• Sonenfeld’s feigned surprise about the use of “rainy day” funds is curious since Sonenfeld utilized the surplus over and over again. She need only review her use of $3.032mil in 2015 and $3.3mil in 2016. The 2017 use of surplus, at approximately 10% more, is well within the amounts stipulated by the guidelines of the resolution recommended by Sonenfeld and adopted by Village Council last year for the utilization of “rainy day” reserves.
• Sonenfeld writes, “the budget proposes $7.4 million in authorized general debt for 2017 – an 88 percent increase over last year.” If she had provided the actual 2016 amount of $6.021 million ( authorized general debt) readers would have recognized her math error…. The increase of 21% NOT 88% – the difference is for possible property acquisition. Remember this is not incurred debt, IT IS AUTHORIZED BUT NOT ISSUED
• Too other many errors, omissions and misrepresentations to list!!! The Mayor says you can email if you have any questions: [email protected]
While the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is on the retreat in some parts of the Middle East, its reach in the Western world remains a serious threat.
A recent arrest in New Jersey shows just how vigilant the U.S. must remain.
Gregory Lepsky was arrested on Feb. 21 for attempting to provide material support to a known terrorist organization. He intended to build and detonate a pressure cooker bomb at an undetermined location in the Manhattan area of New York City.
This is the 95th Islamist-inspired terror plot or attack within the U.S. since 2001, and the second confirmed plot of 2017.
A 20-year-old native of New Jersey, Lepsky was initially arrested after a family member reported he was threating to kill the family dog. Lepsky was taken into custody at the family residence, after which he threatened to kill his mother who was not present.
During a lawful search of Lepsky’s room, local police discovered a bubble-wrapped pressure cooker and a book titled “Martyrdom in Jihad Versus Suicide Bombing.” Police also found the family dog—wounded, but alive.
Over the next several days, Lepsky confessed to police that he was working for ISIS, that he had communicated with ISIS through Facebook, and that he had planned to detonate a pressure cooker bomb at an area of mass gathering in New York City.
Through Facebook, Lapsky noted his aspiration to die as a martyr after converting to Islam. He also noted his affinity for ISIS through a number of direct text and Facebook messages.
During an investigation of Lepsky’s phone and internet search history, the FBI found approximately 3,340 internet searches for material relating to ISIS, terrorist attacks, beheadings, and bomb-making material between Jan. 14 and Feb. 4.
Lepsky’s terror plot is part of an ongoing trend of ISIS-inspired domestic terrorism. His is the 84th such plot or attack on U.S. soil that has had a homegrown element. Indeed, ISIS remains the most significant inspirer of Islamist-inspired domestic terror, and was behind many of the 29 other plots or attacks seen in 2015 and 2016.
While ISIS is losing ground in the Middle East, it remains a powerful and insidious force in the area of homegrown terror. The U.S. must remain vigilant in the face of extremists who seek to undermine free, prosperous societies such as our own.
TRENTON NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino today announced two new initiatives to fight public corruption, including a reward program offering up to $25,000 for tips from the public, as well as a program that offers lower-level defendants in a corruption scheme the potential to avoid prosecution if they reveal the crime to the Attorney General’s Office so more culpable defendants can be prosecuted.
New Jersey has tough anti-corruption laws that provide mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment and parole ineligibility for people who commit crimes that touch upon their public office or employment. The Attorney General’s Office has utilized these laws in recent years to prosecute major cases involving elected officials, government employees and companies receiving public funds. A critical challenge, however, is securing the initial leads that allow such crimes to be uncovered and prosecuted. The new programs are designed to encourage those with information on corruption to come forward.
“It’s a troubling reality that along with the many public officials and employees who carry out their duties with integrity, there are some who abuse their authority and corruptly exploit their positions for personal gain,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We know these bad actors are out there, and we’re casting a wide net to catch them with these two new programs. For members of the public who have personal knowledge of corruption and are fed up with it, we’re offering an added motivation for them to turn their anger into action.”
“Our whistleblower program strategically allows secondary players in corruption schemes to come clean and avoid prosecution,” Porrino added. “Whether we’re talking about a skilled public worker assigned to act as a personal handyman for his boss, or a contractor asked to pay bribes to a local code inspector, or a corporate employee pressured by executives to make illegal political contributions, we’re offering a way out of such predicaments for those who come forward first and are less culpable.”
“These new programs offer strong incentives for people to come forward confidentially and help us root out public corruption, whether they’re tipsters from the public seeking a reward, or public workers or others seeking to extricate themselves from a corrupt scheme,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “By offering the programs for a limited time, we’re looking for swift results, and we will vigorously pursue every lead.”
“By implementing the Anti-Corruption Reward and Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Programs for a relatively short time frame, we are hoping for quick and decisive action by anyone with knowledge of public corruption by elected officials and government employees,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The goal of the initiatives is to encourage those to come forward with information that will eventually lead to the prosecution of anyone who engages in these corruption schemes.”
Attorney General Porrino announced the following programs to promote reporting of corruption cases:
Anti-Corruption Reward Program
The Attorney General’s Office is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for tips from the public leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. The reward program will be funded by the Attorney General’s Office using criminal forfeiture funds.
Individuals applying for this reward must provide information about a crime that has not previously been revealed to law enforcement and they must not have participated in the crime.
The reward limit for any case is $25,000. In most cases, only the person who first reports the crime will receive the reward. However, where two or more people provide different information that is material to successfully prosecuting the case, the reward may be apportioned.
The reward is not available to government employees who learn of the crime in the course of their employment if they have an official duty to report such crimes.
Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program
This program encourages eligible individuals or corporations to self-report their involvement in criminal activity, in return, in appropriate cases, for an agreement by the Attorney General’s Office to waive prosecution of the whistleblower.
Individuals interested in participating in the program can choose initially to report information anonymously and/or through an attorney to determine whether they are a likely candidate for waiver of prosecution under the program. They can then decide whether to proceed with the formal application.
The program is restricted to lower-level participants in a crime who provide information that enables the Attorney General’s Office to charge higher-level defendants. The whistleblower must provide truthful and complete information and must cooperate as required by investigators.
An individual will not be eligible for the program if he or she is an elected official, had a controlling role in the criminal scheme, or enlisted another party to participate in the scheme.
The whistleblower may be subject to forfeiture of public employment depending on the circumstances.
Corporations may apply for the Whistleblower Program only where the criminal activity at issue was committed by employees of the corporation, without the knowledge, acquiescence or participation of the high-level employees, officers, directors or shareholders seeking waiver of prosecution for the corporation, and only where the corporation took prompt action to terminate the illegal activity or report it to law enforcement once it was discovered.
The programs are intended to encourage individuals who have information on public corruption to come forward promptly, so they will be open for a limited time. Both programs will expire on Aug. 1, 2017.
The Attorney General’s Office will keep the identities of applicants to the programs confidential to the fullest extent possible, subject to any statute, rule of court, or judicial decision to the contrary which may require disclosure to certain parties, including, in certain circumstances, a criminal defendant. Applicants to each program may be interviewed by detectives at the discretion of the Division of Criminal Justice. The applicant may also be required to give his or her verbal statement under oath and sign a written memorialization of his or her statement.
Additional information about the two programs can be found posted with this press release on the Attorney General’s Office website: www.njpublicsafety.com.
Individuals may report information and apply for the Anti-Corruption Reward Program or Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program by one of the following methods:
Call the DCJ hotline 866-TIPS-4CJ to speak with corruption detectives 24 hours/7 days a week;
Visit www.njdcj.org to submit an online report;
Write directly to DCJ at the following address:
New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Criminal Justice
25 Market Street
P.O. Box 085
Trenton, NJ 08625-0085
Attention: Anti-Corruption Reward Program OR Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program.
Everyone should have equal rights. Nice statement. Is Citizen’s Park going to look like the front of the United Nations building? It is physically impossible to fly all the flags that will demand equal rights. Flying one flag that is neither national nor state will lead to an overwhelming demand by all groups–sports, college, Women’s rights, etc.etc.. The council is opening up a hornet’s nest. No matter how we feel about any specific group’s “rights”, all groups are free to fly any flag at their home, but we should not use public spaces for such flags. It is one thing if a specific group is celebrating a specific day at Citizens. Then a special flag “might” lead to consideration for that day only. Even then, that will lead to multi requests by other groups for “Their day”. The council should not yield to the demands of a single group (of any kind) without seriously considering future consequences.
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING
MAY 10, 2017
8:00 P.M.
Call to Order – Mayor
Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act
Roll Call – Village Clerk
Flag Salute and Moment of Silence
Acceptance of Financial Reports
Approval of Minutes
Proclamations
National Cancer Survivors Day
Emergency Medical Services Week
Proclaim May as Mental Health Month
Proclaim May as Older Americans Month
Proclaim June as Gay Pride Month
Proclaim June 2nd as National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Comments from the Public (Not to exceed 3 minutes per person – 40 minutes in total)
Scoping Hearing – Green Acres Diversion on South
Broad Street
Adoption of Ordinance 3592 – Establish a CAP Bank
2017 Budget Hearing
Overview of 2017 Budget
Village Council’s Comments
Public Hearing on 2017 Budget
Resolution 17-126 Adopt 2017 Budget
Village Manager’s Report
Village Council Reports
ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION – RIDGEWOOD WATER-NONE
ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING – RIDGEWOOD WATER-NONE
RESOLUTIONS – RIDGEWOOD WATER
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION, NUMBERED 17-127, WILL BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE THE RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THE RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
17-127 Award Professional Services Contract – Engineering Services for Suez Corrosion Control (NTE $15,000) – Awards a Professional Services Contract to Mott MacDonald, 111 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ
ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION
3599 – Amend Chapter 260 – Trees and Shrubs – Establishes rules and regulations for the planting and removal of trees on both public and private properties
3600 – Amend Chapter 212 – Parks and Recreation Areas – Prohibition of Dogs Off-Leash in Certain Parks – Prohibits dogs who are off-leash in both the Irene Habernickel Family Park and the Schedler Park Property
ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING
3593 – General Capital Ordinance ($6,241,000)
3594 – Water Utility Capital Ordinance ($5,745,500) 3595 – Parking Utility Capital Ordinance ($210,000)
3596 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Parking Restrictions – Bogert Avenue and Cambridge Road
3597 – Amend Chapter 265 – Vehicles and Traffic – Parking Restrictions – Pomander Walk
3598 – Construction of Handicapped Ramp at Irene Habernickel Family Park ($70,000)
RESOLUTIONS
THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS, NUMBERED 17-128 THROUGH
17-139 ARE TO BE ADOPTED BY A CONSENT AGENDA, WITH ONE VOTE BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL. THERE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION BESIDE EACH RESOLUTION TO BE CONSIDERED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. EACH RESOLUTION WILL BE READ BY TITLE ONLY:
17-128 Title 59 Approval- Replacement of Firehouse Roof – Approves the plans and specifications for Roof Replacement at the Main Fire House, 201 East Glen Avenue in the Village of Ridgewood prepared by the Engineering Division, pursuant to Title 59
17-129 Award Contract – Replacement of Firehouse Roof (NTE $126,760) – Awards a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, NDP Construction, LLC, 200 White Road, Suite 207, Little Silver, NJ
17-130 Title 59 Approval – School Bus Transportation Services – Approves the plans and specifications for School Bus Transportation Services prepared by the Parks and Recreation Department, pursuant to Title 59
17-131 Award Contract – Rebid of School Bus Transportation Services – Day Camp (NTE $21,000) – Awards a contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Durham School Services, 248 Goffle Road, Hawthorne, NJ
17-132 Award Contract Under County Contract – Rock Salt (NTE $56.86/ton) – Awards a contract under County Contract to Mid-American Salt, LLC, 4528 Hillegas Road, Fort Wayne, IN
17-133 Authorize Additional Funding for Special Attorney for RCRD Lawsuit (NTE $15,000) – Awards an additional $15,000 for the Special Attorney in the RCRD Lawsuit, Peter Scandariato of Eastwood, Scandariato, & Steinberg, 336 President Street, Saddle Brook, NJ
17-134 Authorize Application – Designate Graydon Park – Historic Designation – Authorizing application to Historic Preservation Office of the State of New Jersey to add Graydon Park to the State and National Registers of Historic Places
17-135 Authorize Shared Services Agreement – Borrowing of County Equipment (Bergen County) – Authorizes a Shared Services agreement with Bergen County for the sharing of emergency and non-emergency equipment
17-136 Suspension of Ordinance for Certain Illuminated Signs – Suspends the ordinance for certain illuminated signs in the Central Business District until December 31, 2017
17-137 Approve Encroachment Agreement – The Office Restaurant – 32-34 Chestnut Street – Approves an Encroachment Agreement for a canopy over the doorway of The Office Restaurant which extends over the Village’s sidewalk and is minor in nature. Also authorizes the Mayor and Village Manager to sign the Encroachment Agreement.
17-138 Authorize Addition of World War I Ridgewood Resident Veteran Killed in Action to Memorial Plaque – Authorizes the addition of the name of Anthonie J. Wendels, a Ridgewood resident, who was an Army Veteran killed in action in World War I, to the plaque at Memorial Park at Van Neste Square. Also authorizes the Village to pay the cost of doing so.
17-139 Recognize the Designated Public Forum Space in Memorial Park at Van Nest Square – Display of the Gay Pride Flag – Designating the Public Forum space in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square, resolving to display the Gay Pride Flag for all of June 2017 in recognition of Gay Pride Month.
Comments from the Public (Not to Exceed 5 minutes per person)
Resolution to go into Closed Session
Closed Session
A. Legal – COAH, Valley Hospital
B. Personnel – Appointments to Boards and Committees; Appointments of Professionals
C. Contract Negotiations – Consideration of Purchase of Property 24. Adjournment
Allendale NJ, The White House announced Tuesday afternoon that FBI Director James Comey was fired. Comey the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) , and served from 2013 until his dismissal by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017.
Comey tenure had come under pressure by both Clinton supporters ,claiming his actions cost her the election and Trump supporters finding the continued “Russian Collusion” investigation given the confirmation that “there was no evidence of Russian Collusion with the Trump Administration” was purely politically motivated . In recent testimony Comey seemed a bit out of his depth and over his head .
“Today, President Donald J. Trump informed FBI Director James Comey that he has been terminated and removed from office,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement. “President Trump acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.”
According to Wikipedia James Comey was Born in Yonkers, New York, but Comey grew up in Allendale, New Jersey, the son of Joan and J. Brien Comey. His father worked in corporate real estate and his mother was a computer consultant and homemaker. Comey is of Irish heritage. He attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. Comey graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1982, majoring in chemistry and religion. His senior thesis analyzed the liberal theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and the conservative televangelist Jerry Falwell, emphasizing their common belief in public action. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.
Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber Twice Admits Fooling Stupid Americans
As we described yesterday, there are some concerning policy elements of the House-passed American Health Care Act, which the Senate would be wise to explore and rectify over the coming weeks. The bill — and that’s all it is at this point: a work in progress — repeals and alters significant portions of the Democratic Party’s failing experiment in “affordability.” But based on rhetoric from elected Democrats and the Left generally, one might assume that Obamacare was called the “Pre-existing Conditions Coverage Act” (side-stepping the whole “choice and affordability” fairy tale they peddled), and that the Republican bill obliterates those protections. The proposed law would be a “death warrant” for sick women and children, they shriek, casting Obamacare opponents as the moral equivalent of accessories to murder. This is demagogic, hyperbolic, inaccurate nonsense. To review the actual facts, even under an exceedingly unlikely scenario in which the Senate passed the House bill without making a single alteration, people with pre-existing conditions are offered several layers of protection:
Ridgewood NJ, Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools comments on the Ridgewood Board of Education $105 million budget :
Spring is a time of abundance, with buckets of rain, sprouts of new foliage and flowers and pollen, and oh yes, the realities of tax returns and in the case of school districts, budgets. Each year the Ridgewood Board of Education works hard to develop a budget for the following school year that provides for our exceptional instructional and co-curricular programs, as well as the maintenance and operations of our facilities. The budget for the 2017-18 school year, which was approved on May 1 by the Board of Education, allots approximately $105 million to maintain our excellent staff, uphold our rigorous academic offerings, and support new initiatives. Next year’s budget will allow us to add new staff, maintain and upgrade instructional technology equipment, implement a new K-5 Science curriculum and other new or revised courses at the middle and high school levels, launch full-day Kindergarten and undertake a variety of renovation projects around the district. The numbers tell the story. The excellence of our academic, athletic, arts and social/emotional programs in our elementary, middle and high schools is regularly proven by the consistent high reach that our students achieve in nationally recognized programs and tests. Statistics from Ridgewood High School – high ranking by US News and World Report – exemplify how we excel as a district. Our students perform very well on all measures, having for example, seven finalists, nine semi-finalists and 70 commended students in the National Merit Scholarship program over the last two years. In the SAT and ACT, our class of 2016 performed at a very high level. SAT ACT RHS 1759 26 NJ 1520 23.1 USA 1490 21 On the AP exams, over 80 percent of our students scored 3 or higher and 134 students were named AP Scholars by the College Boards. Over 95 percent of our Class of 2016 pursued a college or university education this past fall, with 84 percent of their chosen schools classified as competitive, more competitive, or most competitive. And while academics are extremely important, excellence requires breadth in programming. We also provide a very full range of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs that includes fantastic fine and performing arts programs, 29 very successful sports programs and over 100 clubs and activities. Excellence has a price. Simply stated, our ability to offer the variety and depth of services and programs and make an impact in our students’ lives requires a budget of $105 million dollars. The standard of excellence for Ridgewood students is a costly endeavor, yet an excellent investment in their future. In fact, the State of New Jersey has determined that the 2016-2017 per-pupil cost of a Ridgewood education is $15,119, which is a relatively low per-pupil expenditure when compared to our neighboring districts and others across the state. Let’s take a look:
Bergen Academies: 27,852 Northern Valley — Old Tappan / Demarest:19,964 Princeton: 19,964 Ramapo/Indian Hills: 19,479 Teaneck: 9,922 Tenafly: 17,049 State of New Jersey: 15,714 We couldn’t do it without you. Especially as the majority of the budget is funded by our resident taxpayers, you might want to know that next year’s cost to homeowners is an additional yearly increase of $11 per $100,000 assessed home value. As a reference point, the average assessed Ridgewood home of $696,093 will see a tax increase of $76.56. It is important for me to say thank you for your continued support of our schools, programs and students. The Ridgewood community is a critical partner in our mission of excellence, from the budget that you support through taxes, to the co-curricular and extra-curricular programs that cannot exist without the additional funds that you regularly raise through parent organizations such as HSAs, Booster clubs, individuals and organizations. We are also particularly fortunate and grateful to our large organizational donors such as The Foundation and The Valley Hospital, hose large gifts supplement the budget and help ensure our ability to enhance our schools and the educational experience of every Ridgewood student. We want to hear from you. It’s great that I often receive emails or phone calls from residents who have questions, suggestions and, yes, even criticisms on day-to-day and larger issues affecting the Ridgewood Public Schools. I always welcome that one-on-one dialogue. This year, we are also seeking more formal feedback from our parents and guardians, who’ll be e-mailed our biennial satisfaction survey on May 8. We do this survey every two years to gather data on how we are doing in our schools and as a district. Our last survey in 2015 received a 35.6% response rate, and while this number is very good, we want to beat it this year. Please know that your input is important and valued, so I do hope you will take a few minutes to complete the survey when it arrives in your inbox. Soon the rains will stop, the flowers will be in full bloom and we’ll be relaxing in our yards and enjoying the green spaces in our beautiful village. However, the grass isn’t growing under our feet! We are already planning for the 2017-2018 school year, when will welcome the inaugural full-day kindergarten class… the future RHS Class of 2030! Ouch… that number hurts! As always, please feel free to contact me with your questions or concerns
Pinnacle Foods Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes, Frozen Waffles & Frozen French Toast Slices Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
May 8,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
PARSIPPANY NJ, Pinnacle Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling all “Best By” dates of Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes, Frozen Waffles & Frozen French Toast Slices distributed nationally in the United States and one product into Mexico because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported. The products are being recalled as a precautionary measure given the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority. Pinnacle Foods initiated the recall after testing indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the plant environment. We are working in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on this recall.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
All affected distributors and retail and food service customers are being notified and the affected products are being removed from store shelves.
This announcement applies only to the Aunt Jemima frozen products listed below and does not include any Aunt Jemima dry mixes and syrups.
All ‘Best By’ dates of the following products are included in this recall:
17 Retail ProductsPKG UPC
AUNT JEMIMA LIL GRIDDLERS BLUEBERRY 14.5oz019600054603
AUNT JEMIMA MINI PANCAKES 14.5oz019600054801
AUNT JEMIMA FRENCH TOAST 12.5oz019600057703
AUNT JEMIMA CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST 12.5oz019600058908
AUNT JEMIMA WHOLE GRAIN FRENCH TOAST 12.5oz019600059684
AUNT JEMIMA BUTTERMILK PANCAKE LOW FAT 14.5oz 019600061007
AUNT JEMIMA HOMESTYLE WAFFLE 17.18oz019600062004
AUNT JEMIMA BUTTERMILK WAFFLE 17.18oz019600062103
AUNT JEMIMA BLUEBERRY WAFFLE 17.18oz019600062202
AUNT JEMIMA LOW FAT WAFFLE 17.18oz019600062301
AUNT JEMIMA BLUEBERRY PANCAKE 14.8oz019600064701
AUNT JEMIMA OATMEAL PANCAKE 14.8oz019600064909
AUNT JEMIMA WHOLE GRAIN PANCAKE 14.5oz019600066408
AUNT JEMIMA BUTTERMILK PANCAKE 14.8oz019600068204
AUNT JEMIMA HOMESTYLE PANCAKE 14.8oz019600069102
AUNT JEMIMA 60CT CLUB PANCAKES PREMIUM019600435907
AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE MEXICO 60CT0196004359212 additional items are being recalled in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Product PKG UPC
AUNT JEMIMA FRENCH TOAST & SAUSAGE 5.5oz 051000063915
HUNGRY MAN SELECTS CHICKEN & WAFFLES 8/16oz 658276202903
No other Aunt Jemima branded or Hungry Man branded products or any other products produced by Pinnacle Foods are included within this recall.
Consumers should not consume these products. Affected product may be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Pinnacle Foods at 1-888-299-7646.
Consumer Contact:
Pinnacle Foods Consumer Care
1-888-299-7646
Hours: Daily between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Rivervale NJ, I have been on the front lines fighting for the legislature to do its job and provide a legislative solution to recent Court opinions on affordable housing in the State. Even the NJ Supreme Court agrees that the legislature should do something, anything, on this issue.
As a result of recent court opinions, I drafted bills to stop the costly litigations currently taking place in every municipality so that all interested parties, including the NJ League of Municipalities, the Executive Director of the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Executive Director of Fair Share Housing, professional planners and members of the legislature can sit together and develop a better way to ensure affordability in this State for all people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender. The current plan to have over 280,000 new affordable units or 1.5 million additional total units in a state that is already the most densely populated with a population growth rate of less than 0.3 percent, along with being one of the States that most people are fleeing, is irrational at best.
My bills have received support from Democratic mayors and councils, Republican mayors and councils and communities that are split between political parties. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, this is one of the most important issues affecting every community in the State and if we, as legislators refuse to address it, we do not deserve to be legislators.
Unfortunately, many times elected officials are unwilling to step up to the plate to address the more difficult issues for fear of the backlash. It is exceptionally unfortunate that in today’s political climate, the immediate “go to” for those who disagree on an issue is to insinuate the other person is a racist or a bigot or a whole host of other items. Today I found myself just in that place. As a result of my trying to bring all parties to the table to properly address an incredibly complicated and difficult topic, the head of the Bergen County NAACP, provided a letter to the Bergen Record today accusing me of “fear mongering”, “trying to advance my political profile” and alleging that I am affirmatively trying to keep minorities out of our communities. Anyone who knows me knows how totally off base his letter is with respect to how I operate or what I believe. I have reached out to the State NAACP President to request a sit down to openly discuss this issue. If we want our State to succeed we better start having the tough conversations now, while we still can. Wanting to figure out a better way to govern this State is a quality we want in everyone who represents us.
Please call your Mayors and your legislators and ask them to protect our State from ridiculous affordable housing court mandates (which may result in over 1.5 MILLION new units of housing in NJ) by supporting A-4666 and A-4667 to stop the Court actions and study the issue while we still can. If you don’t see your town below ask your elected officials why they aren’t fighting for your community.
Here is a current list of towns that have passed resolutions in support of my legislation to provide relief to our communities in the fight against the threat of over 1.5 MILLION new units of housing in NJ. If you don’t see your town on here ASK WHY. Many of our NJ residents are unaware that their communities will be forced to DOUBLE their housing population in just the next 9 years, destroying all existing housing prices.
Closter
Demarest
Dumont
Emerson
Franklin Lakes
Harrington Park
Haworth
Hillsdale
Mahwah
Montvale
Norwood
Old Tappan
Park Ridge
River Vale
Upper Saddle River
Westwood
Woodcliff Lake
Bloomingdale
Wanaque
Wayne
Saddle Brook
Fair Lawn
Oradell
Rochelle Park
Hackensack
Lincoln Park
