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Ridgewood resident and soprano Kristen Plumley will perform works by Schubert, Strauss, and Arlen with the Ridgewood Concert Band

Ridgewood Concert Band
February 5,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The RCB is pleased to be joined by Ridgewood resident and soprano Kristen Plumley. Described as possessing a “shimmering soprano” (The New York Times) with “sparkle and precision” (The Washington Post),  she enjoys singing everything from opera’s light lyric roles to oratorio to pops classics.

Ms. Plumley will perform works by Schubert, Strauss, and Arlen with the RCB.

The program will include Tan Dun’s “Internet Symphony – Eroica”, which is a four-and-a-half minute micro-symphony that combines multicultural influences and the iconic theme from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”).

Unfamiliar with the melody or want a refresher before next week’s concert?

Take some time to enjoy the above video of the Vienna Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.

Don’t miss out on your final chance to take advantage of discounted tickets through our
Pick 3! Subscription plan.
Click here to attend the remaining three concerts of our 34th season at a 20% discount!
Friday, February 10th
with guest soloist soprano Kristen Plumley
Friday, March 31st
featuring solos from principal musicians of the RCB
Friday, May 12th
bringing together the finest musicians from area high schools (including the winner of the Youth Soloist Competition)
and the RCB
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Are Ridgewood Schools truly a “melting pot” , or is this another Solution Looking for a Problem ?

Dan-Fishbein-10

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff:

Over the past year, we have all become aware of an increase in vocalized negative rhetoric concerning immigrants and foreign-born visitors to the United States. This problematic discourse has led to a corresponding buildup of concern and uncertainty for many, including for some of our own Village students and their families.

I feel that it may be helpful to remind everyone that our Ridgewood schools welcome and embrace children from all over the world, who by federal, state and local law are guaranteed equal access to an education. Our student database shows that we are truly a “melting pot,” with children from the following countries:

Albania Egypt Lebanon South Africa Australia El Salvador Malaysia Spain Bahrain Ethiopia Mexico Sri Lanka Bangladesh France Monaco Sweden Belarus Germany Netherlands Switzerland Belgium Guatemala Northern Mariana Islands Syrian Arab Republic Bermuda Honduras Pakistan Taiwan Bolivia Hong Kong Panama Turkey Brazil India Peru Ukraine Bulgaria Iran Philippines United Arab Emirates Canada Ireland Poland United Kingdom China Israel Puerto Rico United States Costa Rica Italy Romania Uruguay Czech Republic Japan Russian Federation Uzbekistan Denmark Kazakhastan Saudi Arabia Venezuela Dominican Republic Korea Singapore Vietnam

Far beyond our legal and moral responsibilities for educating all children, the Ridgewood Public Schools have a long and proud history of incorporating and celebrating the diverse cultures of our student body into our regular curricular programming. From the annual Asian Festival held at Ridgewood High School each spring, to the International clubs at the middle school level, and down to International Day at our elementary schools, we affirm our respect and admiration for other nationalities in large ways. We are fortunate to have numerous families and community members from other countries who are willing and eager to share their traditions and we are enriched by the numerous opportunities they give us to learn firsthand about other cultures and beliefs.

Through these opportunities, we are also able to teach our children about tolerance and respect for the dignity of every being. Of course, as we are all prone to making mistakes on occasion, we also have a longstanding official policy of zero-tolerance for prejudice and disrespect that is strictly enforced if the need arises.

In sum, long before the recent uptick in negative rhetoric on immigration issues, inclusivity has been a top priority in the administration of our schools. We have worked hard to be inclusive and we will always continue to work even harder to make all students and their families feel welcome and valued in the Ridgewood Public Schools.

I conclude with the meaningful words found at the base of the Statue of Liberty, that wonderful symbol of welcome to visitors and immigrants from afar:

The New Colossus Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! Emma Lazarus (November 2, 1883) 

If you have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to your child’s principal or me.

Sincerely yours,

Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
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Spineless Republicans Weak-kneed on Tax Cuts

Congress

HOUSE GOP’S CORPORATE TAX SCHEME HAS ITS REPUBLICAN SKEPTICS

BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans face opposition to their plan to overhaul the way corporations pay federal taxes from a powerful group of lawmakers – other Republicans.

“I’m not very enthused about it,” said Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the chairman of the Finance Committee and the Senate’s top tax writer.

Another skeptic is John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate.

“The question is, who is going to pay the tax?” Cornyn asked. “Is it going to be our citizens?”

Seeking to overhaul the tax code for the first time in 30 years, the House GOP plan would scrap the 35 percent tax on corporate profits, which is riddled with exemptions, deductions and credits. It would be replaced with something called a “border adjustment tax.”

https://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TAX_OVERHAUL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-02-03-12-06-24

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President Trump’s Signs two executive actions represent the beginning of the end of the Dodd-Frank

Trump Signs 3 Sweeping Executive Orders

President Trump’s Action to Delay Harmful Fiduciary Rule

February 04,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON DC,  Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Ann Wagner (R-MO), who were with President Trump today at the White House, made the following comments regarding the President’s executive action on the Obama Administration’s harmful fiduciary rule:

Chairman Hensarling:  “I was proud to stand next to President Trump in the Oval Office today as he signed two important executive actions that represent the beginning of the end of the Dodd-Frank mistake and the start of a new day that will bring more freedom and economic opportunity to all Americans.

“No unaccountable Washington bureaucrats should get in the way of hardworking Americans and their ability to make financial decisions that work best for their families.  Republicans want to empower Americans to make their own financial decisions, but the Obama administration’s so-called fiduciary rule instead empowered unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats.  That means costs will go up and choices will go down – just like with Obamacare. Republicans believe if you like your retirement planner, you should be able to keep your retirement planner.  If you like your financial adviser, you should be able to keep your financial adviser.

Chairman Wagner:  “Today is a great day for low- and middle-income American families. I applaud President Trump’s executive order to delay the Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule, listening to the concerns of everyday Americans and protecting their ability to access retirement investment advice. This delay will allow the Administration to potentially repeal the rule entirely, and within this time, I will continue working toward a permanent solution in Congress through legislation to help preserve investment choice, access and affordability while ensuring all families are receiving investment advice that is truly in their best interest.”

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Reader says kudos to the Mayor for Actions on AirBnB

Susan

While I have zero interest in letting anyone rent my home, I have enjoyed AirBnB in cities around the world. They are terrific. As for Ridgewood, I seriously doubt our location would attract many tourist types. More likely visitors with work or other commitments in the immediate area. I guess I am too busy with my own life to watch who is parking in someone else’s driveway and in any case I know most of my neighbors well enough to trust their judgment on this, It seems a balanced approach with some regulation is the right response. So kudos to the Mayor for recognizing some compromise may be appropriate.

Another reader says its more generational than ideological but its always easy to blame it on the left when you’re devoid of facts… bottom line is the state will step in, towns will adjust by licensing, taxation and limits… as our council tends to be ahead of the curve I think this will incrementally change over the next few months…. for the better

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New Car park app offers users reward to snitch on people parking illegally

Parking CBD

Car park app offers users £10 reward to snitch on people parking illegally

i-Ticket pays a small commission to users who upload a picture of the vehicle and its registration number

Aatif Sulleyman

A private parking firm has created an app that promises to pay users to report illegally parked cars.

UK Car Park Management’s (UK CPM) i-Ticket app, which is available for free on Google Play and the App Store, pays a £10 commission to users who upload a picture of the vehicle and its registration number.

The company then uses DVLA data to send a £60 fine to the vehicle owner, a fee that rises to £100 if it isn’t paid within two weeks.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/new-car-park-app-pays-users-pay-snitch-10-reward-illegal-parking-vehicles-a7560881.html

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Democrats :The Party of Outrage

booker menendez

Democrats can barely keep up with their problems with Trump, raising some to wonder if their perpetual opposition is undermining a more focused message.

By David Catanese | Senior Politics Writer Feb. 2, 2017, at 5:38 p.m.

In a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that the early theme defining President Donald Trump’s administration was “incompetence leading to chaos.”

“It’s amazing how poorly done so many things have been that have come out of the White House in the first two weeks,” the New York Democrat said.

A few hours later during a CNN town hall, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said Trump’s selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court was bad “if you breathe air, drink water, eat food or take medicine.”

And in the wake of Trump’s abrupt firing of the nation’s acting attorney general, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, a candidate for Democratic Party chairman, rushed so quickly to vilify the president he left out a word in his merciless statement.

“By all accounts, this is looking like failed presidency,” he said.

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-02-02/democrats-permanent-outrage-at-donald-trump

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‘Everything makes them cry and scream’: Kellyanne Conway says Democrats are ‘acting like crybabies’ over Trump nominees

President-Elect Donald J

MAXWELL TANI
Feb 2nd 2017 9:55AM

Kellyanne Conway, President Donald Trump’s top counselor, blasted Senate Democrats on Thursday for attempting to slow down the president’s nominees to top federal posts, including his pick for the US Supreme Court.

Conway expressed frustration on “Fox & Friends” with Democratic opposition to Trump’s supreme court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch, dubbing Senate Democrats “a bunch of crybabies who say that they’re going to oppose Supreme Court nominees before they even know his name.”

“This obstinance and obstruction is the modern Democratic party,” Conway said.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/02/02/everything-makes-them-cry-and-scream-kellyanne-conway-says-dem/21705705/

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10 Fastest Growing Jobs In New Jersey In 2017

graduation

February 2,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to Zippa a career website , New Jersey is, and has been since its founding, a state in change. We’re growing, we’re progressing, we’re constantly on the move, it seems, financially, industrially, technologically, and of course, in the

New Jersey is, and has been since its founding, a state in change. We’re growing, we’re progressing, we’re constantly on the move, it seems, financially, industrially, technologically, and of course, in the

New Jersey is, and has been since its founding, a state in change. We’re growing, we’re progressing, we’re constantly on the move, it seems, financially, industrially, technologically, and of course, in the work force.

Some jobs that were popular fifty or sixty years ago are unheard of these days. Jobs that will be popular in fifty or sixty years — we may not even be able to guess.

But today, what we can guess are which jobs are going to be the most beneficial in one year, or even a few. Because we’ve crunched the data, and we’ve come up with a list of the fastest growing jobs in New Jersey.

Here are the top 10, and below, we’ll show you the top 100:

  1. Home Health Aides
  2. Operations Research Analysts
  3. Physical Therapist Assistants
  4. Physical Therapist Aides
  5. Physical Therapists
  6. Nurse Practitioners
  7. Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
  8. Physician Assistants
  9. Occupational Therapists
  10. Helpers–Electricians

Okay, so really–this is pretty cool. Who would have thought, even twenty years ago, that home health aides and operations research analysts would be so in demand? Not only does this mean we’re progressing in some important areas, but it also means you might just be able to snag yourself a more secure job. (https://www.zippia.com/advice/fastest-growing-jobs-in-new-jersey/)

 

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RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA

village-hall-theridgewoodblog

THE RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL’S

PUBLIC WORKSHOP AGENDA

FEBRUARY 1, 2017

REVISED

1.         7:30 pm – Call to Order – Mayor

2.         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.”

3.         Roll Call – Village Clerk

4.         Flag Salute/Moment of Silence

5.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)

6.         Discussion

  1. Ridgewood Water
  1. Award Professional Services Contract – USEPA Compliance Services for Evaluation of Groundwater Wells
  2. Item Moved to 6.c.5.
  3. Authorize Change Order – Installation of Backup Power at Critical Facilities
  4. Award of Contract – Furnish and Delivering Sodium Hypochlorite – Second Year
  5. Award of Contract – Servicing and Repair of Potable Water Pumping Facilities – Second Yearb.         Parking
  1. Central Business District Non-residential Parkingc.         Budget
  1. Deferred School Tax for 2017
  2. Appropriation Reserve Transfer Resolution
  3. Sewer Fees for Significant Dischargers – Wastewater Collection System
  4. Sustainable Jersey PSE&G Grant
  5. Award Professional Services Contract – Review of HVAC System Operation at Village Hall
  6. Award of Contract – Maintenance of Irrigation Systems – Water Fountains
  7. Graydon Pool – Fees and Improvementsd.         Policy
  1. New Recycling Regulations
  2. Establishment of an International Club 

    7.         Review of February 8, 2017 Regular Public Meeting Agenda

    8.         Manager’s Report

    8.         Council Reports

    9.         Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)

    10.       Resolution to go into Closed Session

    11.       Closed Session

    A. Legal – RCRD, Valley Hospital, Affordable Housing Litigation

    12.       Adjournment

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What you need to know about Colorado judge Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court

Colorado judge Neil Gorsuch,

President Donald J. Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court

Today, President Donald J. Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. The nomination of Judge Gorsuch comes after a selection process marked by an unprecedented level of transparency and involvement by the American voters.

“I am proud to announce the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch for Justice of the Supreme Court,” President Trump said. “This has been the most transparent and most important Supreme Court selection process in the history of our country and I wanted the American people to have a voice in this nomination. Judge Gorsuch has a superb intellect, an unparalleled legal education, and a commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its text. He will make an incredible Justice as soon as the Senate confirms him.”

Judge Gorsuch was born and raised in Colorado. He attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School. After graduating with honors, he received his doctorate from Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar. Judge Gorsuch clerked for Judge David Sentelle of the D.C. Circuit and both Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Following a successful career in private practice, Judge Gorsuch joined the Department of Justice as the Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General. In 2006, President George W. Bush nominated him for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and he was confirmed by voice vote without objection. He has served with distinction, earning a reputation as a brilliant jurist with an outstanding intellect and a clear, incisive writing style, and he is universally respected for his integrity and fairness to all parties.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this nomination,” said Judge Gorsuch. “I look forward to meeting with Senators over the coming weeks as we begin this process.”

The fourth-generation Coloradan and conservative jurist has written against euthanasia and in favor of political term limits

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to announce his pick for the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday night and one of the leading contenders is Judge Neil Gorsuch, a fourth-generation Coloradan and conservative jurist who has written against euthanasia and in favor of political term limits.

For several days, Gorsuch, a justice on the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, has stayed on the short list of nominees expected to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last year. Also there: William Pryor Jr. of the 11th Circuit and Thomas Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit – though Trump could go in a different direction, too.

Gorsuch is considered a top pick for reasons both legal and political.

https://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/30/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court-donald-trump/

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How to fix the Port Authority

Shaft_017Pyxurz

By Post Editorial Board

January 29, 2017

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an $8 billion behemoth plagued by “politicized decision-making, money-losing facilities and declining financial viability,” notes a new Manhattan Institute report that outlines how to fix it.

And thereby end the massive cost overruns, bloated payrolls, regular scandals and general waste that define the modern PA.

Authored by the Reason Foundation’s Robert Poole, a national transportation expert, the 24-page report pushes a total reinvention of the PA’s unsustainable business model, especially the way it finances its system.

Using airports, bridges and tunnels as cash cows to cover ongoing losses at other operations, like the PATH, Poole rightly notes, has meant “mediocre airports, congested and inadequate bridges and tunnels, money-losing seaports, a pathetic bus terminal, and the worst heavy-rail transit system in the nation.” And no cash available to reinvest in fixing or replacing what’s wrong.

Instead, the PA should move to finance projects via public-private partnerships, with public pension funds as key investors.

The agency would no longer own or operate the tunnels, airports, etc., but rather regulate an array of concession companies held accountable via bond covenants and the conditions of their long-term contracts.

Up-front payments for the concessions, along with investments, would provide the revenue for replacement infrastructure.

https://nypost.com/2017/01/29/how-to-fix-the-port-authority/

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You’re Fired :Trump Sacks Acting Attorney General, Sally Yates

The Celebrity Apprentice

January 31,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Trump Administration released the following statement on the appointment of Dana Boente as Acting Attorney General.

The acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States. This order was approved as to form and legality by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel.

Ms. Yates is an Obama Administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration.

It is time to get serious about protecting our country. Calling for tougher vetting for individuals travelling from seven dangerous places is not extreme. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country.

Tonight, President Trump relieved Ms. Yates of her duties and subsequently named Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as Acting Attorney General until Senator Jeff Sessions is finally confirmed by the Senate, where he is being wrongly held up by Democrat senators for strictly political reasons.

“I am honored to serve President Trump in this role until Senator Sessions is confirmed. I will defend and enforce the laws of our country to ensure that our people and our nation are protected,” said Dana Boente, Acting Attorney General.

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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Promises to Hire 10,000 refugees in 5 years in over 75 countries

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz

January 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  in an attempt to exploit a national security issue Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz put out a statement claiming to be supporting refugees by hiring 10,000, in 5 years in over 75 countries. 

NJ GOP Gubernatorial candidate Joseph Rudy Rullo , said ,”Starbucks should focus on helping unemployed Veterans not exploiting National Security issues! ”

On the other hand, it still beats the alleged drug dealer who worked at Starbucks on Ridgewood Avenue for years

Starbucks chairman and ceo sent the following message to all partners (employees) on January 29, 2017


Dear partners,

I write to you today with deep concern, a heavy heart and a resolute promise. Let me begin with the news that is immediately in front of us: we have all been witness to the confusion, surprise and opposition to the Executive Order that President Trump issued on Friday, effectively banning people from several predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, including refugees fleeing wars. I can assure you that our Partner Resources team has been in direct contact with the partners who are impacted by this immigration ban, and we are doing everything possible to support and help them to navigate through this confusing period.

We are living in an unprecedented time, one in which we are witness to the conscience of our country, and the promise of the American Dream, being called into question. These uncertain times call for different measures and communication tools than we have used in the past. Kevin and I are going to accelerate our commitment to communicating with you more frequently, including leveraging new technology platforms moving forward.  I am hearing the alarm you all are sounding that the civility and human rights we have all taken for granted for so long are under attack, and want to use a faster, more immediate form of communication to engage with you on matters that concern us all as partners.

I also want to take this opportunity to announce specific actions we are taking to reinforce our belief in our partners around the world and to ensure you are clear that we will neither stand by, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new Administration’s actions grows with each passing day:

Support for DACA: As I wrote to Senators Graham and Durbin this week, we are enthusiastically behind their work to support “Dreamers” across our country – including those young men and women who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. There are nearly three quarters of a million hardworking people contributing to our communities and our economy because of this program.  At Starbucks, we are proud to call them partners and to help them realize their own American Dream.  We want them to feel welcome and included in our success, which is why we reimburse them for the biennial fee they must pay to stay in the program and why we have offered DACA-related services at our Opportunity Youth hiring fairs.

Hiring Refugees: We have a long history of hiring young people looking for opportunities and a pathway to a new life around the world. This is why we are doubling down on this commitment by working with our equity market employees as well as joint venture and licensed market partners in a concerted effort to welcome and seek opportunities for those fleeing war, violence, persecution and discrimination.  There are more than 65 million citizens of the world recognized as refugees by the United Nations, and we are developing plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business.  And we will start this effort here in the U.S. by making the initial focus of our hiring efforts on those individuals who have served with U.S. troops as interpreters and support personnel in the various countries where our military has asked for such support.

Building Bridges, Not Walls, With Mexico: We have been open for business in Mexico since 2002, and have since opened almost 600 stores in 60 cities across the country, which together employ over 7,000 Mexican partners who proudly wear the green apron. We have sourced coffee from Mexico’s producers and their families for three decades and last fall, we also announced the creation of a farmer support center in Chiapas to help accelerate our collective ability to grow and export some of the world’s finest coffees from this important growing region, while donating more than $2 million to support the livelihood, food security and water quality of coffee producing communities in Oaxaca.  With the support of thousands of Starbucks partners and millions of customers, we have also donated over a million coffee trees to support 70,000 families, and we will be expanding the initiative this year to generate another 4 million tree donations. Coffee is what unites our common heritage, and as I told Alberto Torrado, the leader of our partnership with Alsea in Mexico, we stand ready to help and support our Mexican customers, partners and their families as they navigate what impact proposed trade sanctions, immigration restrictions and taxes might have on their business and their trust of Americans.  But we will continue to invest in this critically important market all the same.

Our Healthcare Commitment to You: Finally, let me restate what we have recently communicated with you about the Affordable Care Act – our commitment remains that if you are benefits eligible, you will always have access to health insurance through Starbucks.  Many of you have expressed concerns that recent government actions may jeopardize your ability to participate in the Affordable Care Act. If the recent Executive Order related to health care remains in place and the Affordable Care Act is repealed causing you to lose your healthcare coverage, you will always have the ability to return and can do so within 30 days of losing that coverage rather than having to wait for an open enrollment period. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Benefits Center at 877-728-9236.

In the face of recent events around the world, let me assure you that we will stay true to our values and do everything we can possibly do to support and invest in every partner’s well-being while taking the actions that are squarely within our ability to control. This is our focus: providing a Third Place of respite for those around the world who seek it, daily.

Starbucks has and will always stand for opportunity – opportunity for our young people who are working to land their first job in the 75 countries where we do business, opportunity for our farmers who care so deeply for the highest of quality coffee we offer to customers all around the globe, and yes, opportunity for those who come to America in search of their own fresh start – whether that is with Starbucks directly, or through our suppliers or our partner companies.

If there is any lesson to be learned over the last year, it’s that your voice and your vote matter more than ever. We are all obligated to ensure our elected officials hear from us individually and collectively. Starbucks is doing its part; we need you to use the collective power of your voices to do the same while respecting the diverse viewpoints of the 90 million customers who visit our stores in more than 25,000 locations around the world.

So, while we seek to understand what the new Administration’s policies mean for us and our business both domestically and around the world, I can assure you that we will do whatever it takes to support you, our partners, to realize your own dreams and achieve your own opportunities. We are in business to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time – whether that neighborhood is in a Red State or a Blue State; a Christian country or a Muslim country; a divided nation or a united nation. That will not change.  You have my word on that.

Onward,

Howard

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RHS Maroon & White Series Continues On Thursday, February 2

RHS_theridgewoodblog
January 30,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, 2016-2017 RHS Maroon & White Series Continues On Thursday, February 2, the Ridgewood High School Department of Fine and Applied Arts will present the third Maroon & White Music Recital and Art Exhibit for the 2016-17 school year. The third of five such events for this year, the concert will be held in the newly renovated RHS Learning Commons beginning at 3:45PM, followed immediately by a reception and gallery opening in the Carroll Art Gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.

The recital will feature four outstanding musicians, presenting a varied program and will begin with a performance by Jacqueline Johnson, a junior soprano vocalist who has performed as a member of the All State Choir, who will perform Tu lo sai by Giuseppe Torelli, Romance by Claude Debussy and The Sky Above the Roof by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Sophomore trombonist Nik Gambardella will continue the program with a performance of the Menuet from Johann Ernst Galliard’s Sonata No. IV. Isaac Peabody, also an All State Choir member in his junior year, will perform Stefano Donaudy’s Spirate pur, spirate, Franz Schubert’s Das Fischermädchen, and Sea Fever by John Ireland. Jonathan Negron, an accomplished All-Bergen County trumpet player in his junior year, will round out the recital by performing Preludio, Aria e Scherzo by Ennio Porrino, a transcription of Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, and Chet Baker’s I Can’t Get Started.

Following the concert, the February Maroon & White Art Exhibit will officially open in the Carroll Art Gallery. The exhibit will include original works by seven highly accomplished students in a variety of media. The work of senior Maxine Earl varies from realistic, abstract and illustration, all relating to her concentration on influenced emotion. Anna Koontz, a junior, experiments with many different media, with an emphasis on markers and oil pastels. Sophia Swanson, sophomore, creates whimsical illustrations and ethereal portraits using pencil, pen, and colored pencil and has experimented with chalk pastel and watercolor paint, while this exhibit’s other sophomore artist Sarah Taggart, specializes in ceramics. Senior Danielle Testa creates artwork that displays emotions and provokes thought using media from colored pencil to paints to photography, and Julia Yoon, junior, uses oil pastel and pencil drawing to express color and texture in her artwork.

The Maroon and White Recital Series began in 1964 as a means of highlighting outstanding Ridgewood High School musicians in a featured solo capacity. Over the past five decades, the series has expanded to include art exhibits as well as a recital featuring only dancers. Musicians and dancers are selected through competitive audition, while artists are chosen after an extensive portfolio revue. Past Maroon & White recitalists include Jonathan Spitz, principal cellist with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Ostling, associate principal flutist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the piano duo of Sarah and Susan Wang, renowned Broadway singer/dancer Ali Stroker, Stephanie Buesser, dancer with Ballet West, New York City choreographer Yael Nachajon, Broadway director Marc Bruni, jazz organist Jared Gold and many others. The list of past artists includes Lauren Roth of Lauren Roth Art, renowned illustrator Kyle McCullough, Giovanni Forlino, whose work can be seen on display at the Getty and Guggenheim museums, plus a host of professional freelance artists who work in a wide variety of visual art related fields.

Upcoming Maroon & White Recital/Exhibits will take place on March 9, April 6 (Dance) and April 27. All recitals are held in the RHS Learning Commons, with the exception of the dance recital, which takes place in the Little Theater. For more information, please contact the RHS Department of Fine and Applied Arts at 201-670-2800 x. 20542.