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This Independence Day, Keep the Pageantry but Add Some Principle

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John York / July 01, 2016

While America’s birthday has always been “solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other” as John Adams anticipated, these revelries were once paired with other traditions that kept the cause for celebration front of mind.

Independence Day orations, often lasting an hour or more, were once delivered in town squares and fraternal halls across the country. Politicians like Daniel Webster and Charles Sumner, activists like William Lloyd Garrison, prominent local attorneys, even defeated Native American warriors gave speeches that were well attended and widely disseminated thereafter.

These speeches delved deeply into the principles expressed in our declaration, often summarizing the major works of the Enlightenment that shaped our founders’ view of government.

An 1824 oration delivered by a local reverend to a gathering of New York City firemen referenced Hume, Voltaire, Paine, Bolingbroke, Shaftsbury, Locke, and Bacon all in the space of about two minutes.

Patriotic toasts were also common during the 19th century. After the day’s festivities concluded, revelers would raise their glasses for 13 toasts, one for each of the original states.

The topics of these toasts were wide ranging. Participants drank to everything from “the American Revolution: founded upon principle, its origin the source of lasting happiness to millions left unborn” to “kingcraft, on its last legs on the Western continent.”

Dramatic readings of the Declaration of Independence were also a staple of Fourth of July celebrations in most cities and towns around the country. These readings took place before the day’s parade kicked off, preceding the evening’s fireworks, or any point in between. Like the oration, the reading of the declaration was often conducted by a town notable, but occasionally the honor was bestowed upon a local young person.

Some of these traditions have faded completely. While fraternal organizations like the Knights of Columbus and the Elks still hold Fourth of July cookouts in many towns, few begin with the once-customary 13 patriotic toasts.

Others still exist if in much diminished form. For instance, today presidents still typically give a short oration on the Fourth of July though these speeches are not widely watched or read. Nor do they deserve to be. Typically the president takes a moment to thank members of the military for their service, praises the founding generation for their courage, and wraps things up before the flies get to the potato salad.

At least one tradition of the past is making a comeback. This Independence Day, towns like Gadsden, Alabama; Dover, Delaware; and Bell Buckle, Tennessee will hold recitations of the declaration in town squares and local parks.

This is a good sign. Americans should work to ground pageantry in principle. True, attending an hour-long lecture on Enlightenment philosophy might be a little much to ask.

Instead, read the Declaration of Independence just as the first fireworks ignite overhead. Give a toast to those who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to our new nation. Say a short prayer to the God who granted our founding generation one of the most improbable victories in military history.

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Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital Reminds Us that Cats and Dogs are Often Afraid of Fireworks

Ridgewood Firefighter rescues cat
file photo by Boyd Loving
July 4,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in it recent news letter the Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital says July 4th is the most stressful holiday for pets.

 They remind us that your dog or cat could be afraid of fireworks and as well as thunderstorms. Play with your pet and reassure him/her all day. Keep your pets inside at night with an available place to hide to get away from the noise. Human companionship is ideal, Pets should never be taken to the site of fireworks or left outdoors.Keep windows, blinds, and curtains closed. Even if your pet can’t hear fireworks, visual stimulation is just as frightening to some. Keep the temperature comfortable and distract your pet from the noise. Play music or put on the TV to distract from the noise of fireworks. There are even CDs especially for anxious cats and dogs.

Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital goes on to say “A little love and advanced thought goes a long way to help your pet through the celebrations. If none of these suggestions works and your pet is terrified, simply comfort him as best you can, go back to number one, and be prepared for next year.”

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Time for Valley Hospital of Ridgewood to Pay Property Taxes Like Everyone else

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July 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to state Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia Ridgewood now has 90 days to clear way for Valley Hospital expansion . The local reactions were swift.

CRR ‘s Pete Mckenna  said , “I think this decision should have a chilling impact on municipalities across the state.  If this decision is upheld it would indicate that localities have no say in controlling land-use within their borders if a hospital is involved.”

Ridgewood Attorney John Hersperger said ,” What was perhaps most disappointing was Judge’s remark (paraphrased) from the bench, in which she described that last decade of Valley’s applications as a “saga” for Valley, but just “history” for Ridgewood.  Clearly, the judge saw the Village as the bad guys in this case .  Honestly, after 60 or so public hearings and all the time and stress that residents endured, it was most painful to hear that kind of comment from a presiding Judge of this County.”

Councilmen Jeff Voigt said at the Village REORG, “Valley Hospital needs to be a better neighbor and come up with solutions that actually make sense for our neighbors in the surrounding Valley area.”

Which brings us once again back to the question of Valley Hospital being assessed property taxes.

In June of 2015 a tax court judge ruled that Morristown Medical Center should pay property taxes on virtually all of its 40-acre property in town.Tax Court Judge Vito Bianco ruled that the hospital failed to meet the legal test that it operated as a non-profit, charitable organization for the tax years 2006 through 2008. Only the auditorium, fitness center and the visitors’ garage should not be assessed for property taxes, he said.

The ruling noted that President and CEO Joseph Trunfio, who recently retired, made more than $5 million in 2005 and other executives made well more than $500,000 a year during the period under review.

Bianco ruled that the hospital failed to establish the “reasonableness” of the salaries it paid to executives. By comparing hospital executive salaries only to those of its peer group hospitals creates a “wholly self-serving” justification for its executive salaries.

Bianco went on , “Non-profit hospitals have changed significantly, however, from their early origins as charitable alms houses providing free basic medical treatment to the infirm poor,” he wrote. “Today they are sophisticated centers of medical care, and in some cases, education, providing a litany of medical services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.”

Furthermore Bianco’s ruling said,” the medical center failed in its legal burden to show where its non-profit activity ends and where it for-profit activity with physician groups begins.

“The hospital had intermingled interests with other for-profit operations as well, he said, saying it failed to draw a clear line between those operations.”

Clearly Valley Hospital would meet all the court litmus tests to be required to pay property taxes in Ridgewood.

Superior Court Judge Lisa Perez Friscia, told the Bergen Record , “the council ordinance must be consistent with April Planning Board approvals allowing the hospital to nearly double in size, from 565,000 square feet to 961,000.

If the judges ruling holds the hospital should be paying taxes on the new assessed value of the hospital after construction .
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Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned Holocaust survivor, dies at 87

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned Holocaust survivor, dies at 87

Author and human rights activist made perpetuating the memory of the Shoah his life’s work.
By Ronen Shnidman Jul 02, 2016

Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, prolific author and outspoken activist Elie Wiesel died Saturday at the age of 87. Wiesel was perhaps best known for his major role in promoting Holocaust education, and for perpetuating the memory of the Holocaust in the post-World War II era with his memoir “Night,” based on his experience as a teenager in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel was born on September 30, 1928 in the Romanian town of Sighet, to Sarah and Shlomo Wiesel. His maternal grandfather, Dodye Feig, was a member of the Vishnitz Hasidic sect; his strong influence over Wiesel was seen later in some of his writings. Wiesel received a traditional religious education while growing up in Sighet; many years later, in 2002, he returned to his hometown to dedicate the Elie Weisel Memorial House at the site of his childhood home.

The Wiesel family’s lives were seriously disrupted in 1940, when Hungary annexed Sighet and all the Jews in town were forced to move into one of two ghettoes. In May 1944, the Nazis, with Hungary’s agreement, deported the Jewish community of Sighet to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The teenage Wiesel was sent with his father Shlomo to the Buna Werke labor camp, a sub-camp of Auschwitz III-Monowitz, where they were forced to work for eight months before being transferred to a series of other concentration camps near the war’s end.

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Who woulda thunk it: Tesla crash highlights real problem behind self-driving cars

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By Douglas Rushkoff

Updated 8:06 PM ET, Fri July 1, 2016

CNN)We think of automobiles as American as baseball, apple pie, and hotdogs – or at least that’s what the car advertisers have gotten us to believe.

But as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation into a fatal self-driving car accident should remind us, the automobile’s centrality to the American way of life was an expensive and political battle with nearly uncountable human casualties.

https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/01/opinions/tesla-self-driving-car-fatality-rushkoff/

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Ridgewood Councilmen Jeff Voigt : It is important that in these solutions we do what is best for our Village

Jeff Voigt Ridgewood Council

Councilmen Jeff Voigt speech full text:

Village Council speech:

First, thank you for your vote of confidence during the recent election. I am humbled by that confidence and committed to working towards solutions that are in the best interests of the Village.

Most especially, I would like to thank my campaign team: Sergio Alegre, Chad Chadwick, Wendy Dockray, Carol and Kevin Mattessich, Bill McCabe and Ann Spalckhaver. They are a great group of people who care deeply about Ridgewood. I would also like to thank many of you in the audience for your help during my campaign. It was a blast to work with you and I look forward to doing so moving forward.

We have a number of issues facing us over the coming years – a few of them 800 pound gorillas that are all too obvious. The solutions to these issues actually lie within this room with those who have influence over our Village – and I am talking most specifically about those in the audience. I sincerely hope this energizes you as; you are going to be asked to help in solving these issues. This also includes those with opposing views as; we need your inputs and help in this. They say that listening to, understanding, and incorporating opposing views and differences of opinion make for better decisions. I could not agree more. Let’s work together.

It is important that in these solutions we do what is best for our Village. These solutions can result in making our Village more user friendly, accessible, attractive to others, affordable and; a better place to live for us all. We as a community can do this if we keep this this in mind – namely in doing what is best for our Village.

Let’s also try and figure out solutions through less expensive and time consuming means such as compromise – meaning opposing sides sit down with each other and give to get and; in turn win in the end.

My goals over the coming 4 years are to work with you in solving these issues for the betterment of the Village and its residents. In touring our Village infrastructure with Roberta Sonenfeld, our Village Manager, I was struck by the fact we have a number of under-utilized assets that we can take advantage of for increased revenue generation – potentially marketing these services to other municipalities/businesses. These additional $$$ can be used for numerous initiatives, including lowering our taxes. We are going to look at maximizing these assets to increase our revenue streams with the committees I will be working on.

Job one, however, and I believe as well for my colleagues on the dais, is to solve our parking issue downtown, with a focus on a re-alignment of parking spaces and streets, a smaller Hudson St garage, and with innovative pricing – while simultaneously making our downtown more accessible, user friendly, and safer.

With innovative pricing, the parking utility can be a more significant revenue and surplus generator for the Village – helping to defray other costs. Let’s also re-think high density housing downtown in a way that makes sense, fits with, and actually enhances the character of our Village. Additionally, Valley Hospital needs to be a better neighbor and come up with solutions that actually make sense for our neighbors in the surrounding Valley area. Having relevant expertise in the field of healthcare, I am confident Valley can work towards this and in turn thrive in this rapidly evolving healthcare market. With these and other initiatives, I plan to reach out to all relevant constituencies whether they be developers, Valley, the chamber of commerce, and the residents to keep the dialogue going in order to work towards viable solutions.

Not surprisingly, some of these issues have been hotly contested with the outgoing council majority – Mayor Paul Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli, and Councilwoman Gwen Hauck. I have to thank them for teeing up a number of them. It can safely be said that there was never a dull moment in

Village Hall with you on the council. One of my concerns is that future council meetings may not be as entertaining as they have been in the recent past.

Interestingly, by your making us keenly aware of these issues it may make the path towards resolution easier. Let’s use any momentum that has been gained through this process in putting some of these issues to bed.

I look forward to working with the residents and various boards and committees on these and other initiatives. We have many committed, smart, and talentedcitizens on our boards and committees and in our Village who can help in figuring out how to make this a better place to live. This is what I am actually looking forward to most – in working with you to accomplish this. My commitment is to work hand and hand with you and; in ensuring those who do the work, get the credit and recognition.

I also look forward to working with the new council – Susan Knudsen, Bernie Walsh, Ramon Hache, and Mike Sedon. You the residents have voted in 5 independently minded people and now the fun begins.

They say what you put into something is what you get out of it. I wholeheartedly agree. This is going to be my second full time job and I am confident it will be time well spent and extremely gratifying.

Lastly, I would like to thank my family – my wife Patty and my children, Ryan, Kevin, and Emily. We have lived here for over 23 years and call Ridgewood home. It is a great place to raise a family and live the rest of your life in. Patty and I plan on doing so and in calling many of you our friends and neighbors over the coming years.

Let’s all work towards making Ridgewood an even better place to live than it

already is.

Thank you.

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Rep. Garrett to Chair Yellen: why does the Fed favor Wall Street over Main Street?

House Budget Panel Holds Hearing to Receive Views on Fiscal 2012
July 1,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In case you missed it, earlier this week Rep. Scott Garrett asked Fed Chair Janet Yellen why the Fed of pursues policies that help the rich at the expense of the poor. Garrett schooled Fed Chair Yellen on the damaging impact her policies have had on the middle class in this country . Garret said the net effect of Fed and administration policy has been to widen income inequality.

In this clip Garrett turns the Fed’s own language against itself and details how Fed policies have hurt African America’s and other  minority groups , as well as the middle class  .

 Watch the clip and let me know your thoughts.
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New Jersey Transit Ends Audio Recording on Light Rail

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June 30,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood bog

Ridgewood NJ, Looks like New Jersey Transit will no longer be listen to riders conversations on certain lines. New Jersey’s transit agency announced Wednesday it’s ending its use of audio surveillance systems on some of its trains.

Audio and video recording have been in use on New Jersey Transit’s River Line between Trenton and Camden, and had said it was planning to use the system on light rail trains in Newark and in Hudson County.

In a carefully worded statement NJT said , “Following a careful internal review that involved weighing security benefits, operational necessities and evolving industry practices, NJ Transit has decided to remove the audio recording feature from light rail vehicles,” it said in an email. “Customer safety remains our top priority and it was determined that removing the audio recording feature would not in any way compromise that standard.”

Objections and skepticism were raised by many rail rider groups and civil liberties advocates over privacy issues ,including this blog.

While no evidence has so far been presented that NJT was listening to conversations on the Main Line or the Bergen Line’s that service Ridgewood ,local commuters felt it was a bit invasive .

“Not only was NJ Transit collecting countless hours of train conversations, but the agency irresponsibly failed to put policies in place to prevent misuse of the recordings or to protect passengers’ privacy,” the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said in a statement. “State agencies should think twice before dismissing New Jerseyans’ privacy rights so easily.”

After news leaked out of the audio surveillance in April, Interim Executive Director Dennis Martin defended its use and said the agency was using whatever tools at its disposal to “deter criminal activity” and keep passengers safe, citing global terror attacks.

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2016’s Most Patriotic States – WalletHub Study

uncle_sam_old_school_theridgewoodblog

June 30,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

 

Ridgewood NJ, With the Fourth of July just days away, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its list of 2016’s Most Patriotic States as a follow-up to its recent look at the Best & Worst Fourth of July Destinations.

To identify the country’s patriotic hotspots, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 12 key metrics such as military engagement, voting habits and civic education.

Top 20 Most Patriotic States
1 Virginia 11 North Carolina
2 Alaska 12 Vermont
3 South Carolina 13 Idaho
4 Colorado 14 Wyoming
5 Georgia 15 Maine
6 Hawaii 16 Mississippi
7 Montana 17 New Mexico
8 Alabama 18 Wisconsin
9 Washington 19 Missouri
10 New Hampshire 20 South Dakota

Key Stats

  • Red states are more patriotic, with an average ranking of 22.5, compared with 28.3 for blue states (1 = Best).
  • Alaska has the highest number of veterans per 1,000 residents, 100.8, which is two times higher than in New York, the state with the lowest, 45.5.
  • Georgia has the highest percentage of residents who enlisted in the military (non-prior service), 0.063%, which is three times higher than in North Dakota, the state with the lowest, 0.022%.
  • Minnesota has the highest percentage of residents who voted in the 2012 presidential election, 74.37%, which is two times higher than in Arizona, the state with the lowest, 37.98%.
  • Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 45.2%, which is three times higher than in Louisiana, the state with the lowest, 18.2%.
  • Vermont has the highest number of Americorps volunteers per 100,000 residents, 58.91, which is eight times higher than in Virginia, the state with the lowest, 7.42.

For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-patriotic-states/13680/

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2016 Chief Michael Feeney Jr. Ridgewood Police Academy Class #3

Ridgewood Police Chief Michael Feeney Jr

all photos courtesy of the Ridgewood Police Department
June 30,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department has announced the 3rd annual Chief Michael Feeney, Jr. Police Academy scheduled from Thursday June 23rd to Friday July 1st. The academy is open to Ridgewood Residents entering 6th 7th and 8th grades in the fall of 2016.

For only a small fee is $50 per student the Academy which includes two shirts per student a baseball hat a string bag and transportation to our field trip.

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Sgt.Lembo finds out the bad guy can’t get away from the K-9

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Lt.Paul Acakios talking to the students about the day in the life of an inmate.

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This year’s academy features demonstrations from The Ridgewood Police Department, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K-9 and Bomb Squad, Police Motorcycles, Ridgewood Emergency Services, FBI, Ridgewood Fire Department, Helicopter landing as well as demonstrations from various other agencies. A field trip to the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Complex in Mahwah is also scheduled.

The height of the seven-day Chief Michael Feeney Junior Police Academy may have come on Wednesday when bomb squad members blew up a watermelon.

According to the Ridgewood Police, “The Junior Police Academy has proven to be a valuable experience for all involved and has provided a vital link between the Police Department and the youth of Ridgewood. Further, the Junior Police Academy has afforded students a deeper understanding of the Police function as well as an increased ability to see what the Police and the community can do to serve the Village. The overwhelming success of our Junior Police Academy class has far exceeded the expectations of everyone involved. This program attracts a highly motivated group of recruits, and the Instructors thoroughly enjoy their interaction with these young people. We look forward to another great class.”

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Quinnipiac Poll Puts Trump and Clinton too close to call

Trump_hat_boarder-theridgewoodblog

June 29, 2016

“Democrat Hillary Clinton has 42 percent to Republican Donald Trump’s 40 percent – too close to call – as American voters say neither candidate would be a good president and that the campaign has increased hatred and prejudice in the nation, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today.

This compares to results of a June 1 national poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN- uh-pe-ack) University, showing Clinton edging Trump 45 – 41 percent.

When third party candidates are added to today’s survey, Clinton gets 39 percent with Trump at 37 percent. Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson gets 8 percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein gets 4 percent.

“The 2016 election has increased the level of hatred and prejudice in the U.S.,” 61 percent of American voters say. Another 34 percent say it has had no impact. Of that 61 percent, 67 percent blame the Trump campaign and 16 percent blame the Clinton campaign.

“It would be difficult to imagine a less flattering from-the-gut reaction to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

“This is where we are. Voters find themselves in the middle of a mean-spirited, scorched earth campaign between two candidates they don’t like. And they don’t think either candidate would be a good president.”

American voters are deeply divided along gender, racial, age and party lines. Women back Clinton 50 – 33 percent while men back Trump 47 – 34 percent.

White voters back Trump 47 – 34 percent. Black voters back Clinton 91 – 1 percent and Hispanic voters back her 50 – 33 percent. Voters 18 to 34 years old go Democratic 48 – 23 percent, while voters over 65 years old go Republican 51 – 35 percent.

Democrats go to Clinton 89 – 3 percent, as Republicans go to Trump 84 – 6 percent. Independent voters are divided with 36 percent for Trump and 34 percent for Clinton.

Both top candidates get negative favorability ratings, 34 – 57 percent for Trump and 37 – 57 percent for Clinton.

Trump will not be a good president, American voters say 58 – 35 percent.

Clinton will not be a good president, voters say 53 – 43 percent.

American voters say 58 – 33 percent that Clinton is better prepared to be president than Trump; 53 – 33 percent that she is more intelligent and 46 – 37 percent that she has higher moral standards. But voters say 45 – 37 percent that Trump is more honest and trustworthy and 49 – 43 percent that he is a stronger leader.

Looking at who would best handle important issues, American voters say:

52 – 40 percent that Trump would be better creating jobs;
50 – 45 percent that Clinton would be better handling immigration;
52 – 39 percent that Trump would be more effective handling ISIS;
51 – 42 percent that Clinton would better respond to an international crisis;
46 percent would trust Clinton more on sending U.S. troops overseas, while 44 percent would trust Trump more;
54 – 35 percent would trust Clinton more to make the right decisions regarding nuclear weapons;
46 – 43 percent that Clinton would do a better job getting things done in Washington.

“The matchup numbers say ‘tie’ and Trump is perceived as a job creator. But Clinton is seen as better prepared for the top job, better in an international crisis, managing immigration, making Washington functional, and keeping the nuclear codes under lock and key,” Malloy said.

From June 21 – 27, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,610 registered voters nationwide with a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research. Visit https://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling or www.facebook.com/quinnipiacpoll Call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll.”

https://www.qu.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2363

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Why Don’t Feminist Fight For Muslim Women

free speech
Jun 27, 2016
Presented by

AYAAN HIRSI ALI

Are women oppressed in Muslim countries? What about in Islamic enclaves in the West? Are these places violating or fulfilling the Quran and Islamic law? Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an author and activist who was raised a devout Muslim, describes the human rights crisis of our time, asks why feminists in the West don’t seem to care, and explains why immigration to the West from the Middle East means this issue matters more than ever.

https://www.prageru.com/courses/political-science/why-dont-feminists-fight-muslim-women

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Fox News Eric Bolling will be Signing his New Book at Bookends in Ridgewood

Wake Up America_Book Jacket

June 28,2016

the bstaff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The book signing for Wake Up America by Eric Bolling will take place at Bookends Bookstore (211 East Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ  07450) onWednesday, June 29, 2016 at 7:30PM EST.

The event is on Bookends’ homepage.  If readers are unable to attend, they have the option to purchase a signed copy: https://www.book-ends.com/

If a summary is able to be included on the event listing, it is below:

Rising Fox News Channel star Eric Bolling knows first-hand what makes America great. Brought up in a struggling blue-collar family in Chicago, his parents showed him that hard work and firm values can get you far in life. Those values drove him to become a national success as a Fox News Channel personality and co-host of the highly rated show The Five. As Bolling posits in his new book WAKE UP AMERICA: The Nine Virtues that Made Our Nation Great – and Why We Need Them More Than Ever, those strong values, virtues he once saw in America, are now under a tremendous attack by leftist politicians, cultural elites, media, and self-proclaimed educators who have forgotten what made our country strong.  Bolling delivers much-needed celebration of our nation’s founding values, urging U.S. citizens to preserve and protect our country’s present and future.

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Kremlin Gets Flashback of Soviet Collapse in Brexit Fallout

Berlin-Wall_2866607b

by Ilya Arkhipov

The upheaval in the U.K. after its Brexit referendum in favor of leaving the European Union has similarities to the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman.

While it’s “unreasonable to draw direct parallels,” it’s obvious that the U.K. is going through a “turbulent, confusing and unpredictable period,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call Monday. Russia “has gone through the collapse of the Soviet Union and many generations clearly remember the period of the Soviet collapse, that period of uncertainty.”

Russia’s recalling the trauma of the end of the Soviet Union as the U.K. wrestles with the consequences of becoming the first member state to choose to leave the EU, casting a shadow over the bloc’s future existence. The USSR was dissolved in December 1991, more than 18 months after Lithuania led the Baltic republics in declaring independence. The Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia joined the EU in 2004 and all three have since adopted the euro as their currency. Putin called the Soviet collapse “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th century in 2005.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-27/kremlin-says-brexit-turmoil-reminiscent-of-soviet-union-collapse

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Ridgewood’s Valley and Mount Sinai Partner to Provide Comprehensive Cancer Care in Northern New Jersey

Valley Hospital theridgewoodblog.net 131
June 27,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Valley Health System is pleased to partner with Mount Sinai Health System to offer state-of-the-art, comprehensive cancer care in northern New Jersey. This partnership will enable Valley to provide enhanced inpatient and outpatient cancer services by offering access to an expanded roster of clinical trials and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned experts in the field of cancer care, and the development of new programs and services.

In December 2015, Valley and Mount Sinai announced plans to join forces on clinical programs, research, and educational offerings. The oncology alliance is one of the first such collaborations between the two organizations. Mount Sinai and Valley will work together to enhance patient care both at Valley’s Blumenthal Cancer Center in Paramus and the main campus inRidgewood by:

Establishing new clinical programs and services
Enhancing existing programs and services through access to and coordination with Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned cancer experts
Expanding access to clinical trials
Initiating research programs to advance education and medical science
Establishing clinical information system linkages that will enhance quality, continuity, and evaluation of care
Collaborating in the development of a clinically integrated physician network for the delivery of high-quality, cost-efficient care.

“We are proud to partner with Valley Health System to offer cancer care services,” said Steven Burakoff, M.D., The Lillian and Henry Stratton Professor of Medicine, Professor of Oncological Sciences, and Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center. “We recognize the high quality of cancer care that Valley Health System has traditionally provided, and see many opportunities to offer patients in northern New Jersey the foremost in cancer care through this partnership.”

Arthur Klein, M.D., President of the Mount Sinai Health Network, said of the alliance, “The clinical and academic affiliation between the Valley Health System and the Mount Sinai Health System will lead to better coordinated, higher quality health care in many arenas across our tri-state Metropolitan region.”

New York City-based Mount Sinai comprises seven hospitals and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Valley Health System, headquartered in Ridgewood, New Jersey, includes The Valley Hospital, Valley Home Care, and Valley Medical Group.

“This relationship with Mount Sinai will benefit our community by offering access to an expanded roster of clinical trials, programs, and services for patients diagnosed with cancer,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of Valley Health System and The Valley Hospital. “We look forward to working with Mount Sinai to bring world-class cancer care to the residents of northernNew Jersey.”

According to Robert Korst, M.D., Medical Director of Valley’s Blumenthal Cancer Center, among the first Mount Sinai clinical trials that Valley patients will have access to include new treatments and treatment protocols for cutaneous malignancies, including melanoma and other skin cancers; genitourinary malignancies, including prostate and kidney cancers; and hematologic cancers and serious blood disorders, including leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndromes. Some treatment protocols will include bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapeutic vaccines.

“Many of these new treatments are at the vanguard of cancer care today,” Dr. Korst says. “We are very excited that our patients will experience expanded access to these treatments and to Mount Sinai’s physician network – all integrated within the personalized high-quality cancer care that they receive at Valley and from their Valley physicians and cancer specialists. Our Valley cancer experts also look forward to expanded clinical research opportunities with their colleagues at Mount Sinai.”

Several renowned Mount Sinai cancer experts are expected to begin collaborating with Valley’s cancer care team, including:

Philip Friedlander, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Dermatology
Luis M. Isola, M.D., Director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, Gerald J. Friedman Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Pediatrics
Sundar Jagannath, M.D., Director of the Multiple Myeloma Program and Professor of Medicine,Hematology and Medical Oncology
William K. Oh, M.D., Chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Ezra M. Greenspan M.D., Professor in Clinical Care Therapeutics, Associate Director of Clinical Research, and Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Urology

An important aspect of this Valley-Mount Sinai partnership is the opportunity for prospective multidisciplinary videoconferences, during which cancer care experts at both hospitals will discuss patient cases with a goal toward determining optimal treatment, follow-up, and management of individual patients. Physicians, researchers, nurses, social workers, and other members of the cancer care teams at both cancer facilities will participate in these videoconferences.

“Our relationship with Mount Sinai also enables our physicians and other members of the cancer care team to reach Mount Sinaiproviders easily for consultations on specific patient cases and for combined educational opportunities, which will allow them to learn from each other,” notes Thomas Rakowski, M.D., Director of Medical Oncology at Valley.

The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has awarded Valley’s Cancer Program a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation Gold Level, the highest level of recognition and one attained by only 30 percent of cancer centers in the U.S. It has also been honored by the Commission with a prestigious 2015 Outstanding Achievement Award. Valley is the only hospital in northern New Jersey and one of only two in New Jersey to receive this award in 2015. Other recognitions include a Women’s Choice Award(r) as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care and six Gold Seals for cancer care from The Joint Commission.

Valley’s cancer care services include:

Diagnostic pathology, mammography, MRI, CT scan, PET scan, and ultrasound
Medical, surgical, and interventional oncology
Radiation oncology and Gamma Knife Center
Chemotherapy and infusion therapy
Clinical trials
Specialized management of breast, lung, GI, gynecologic, urologic and hematologic cancers
Pain management services
Outpatient and Inpatient Palliative care services for patients needing symptom management
Integrative health services, including massage and exercise classes
Social work services
Nutrition counseling
Genetic counseling
Support groups
Educational programs
Free annual screenings
Home care and hospice services

For more information, please visit www.valleyhealthcancercenter.com.

About Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is an integrated health system committed to providing distinguished care, conducting transformative research and advancing biomedical education. Structured around seven member hospital campuses and a single medical school, the Health System has an extensive ambulatory network and a range of inpatient and outpatient services – from community-based facilities to tertiary and quaternary care.

The System includes approximately 7,000 primary and specialty care physicians; 12 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 140 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. Physicians are affiliated with the renowned Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, which is ranked among the highest in the nation in National Institutes of Health funding per investigator. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 hospitals in Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, and Gastroenterology, and is in the top 25 in five other specialties in the 2015-2016 “Best Hospitals” issue of U.S. News & World Report. Mount Sinai’s Kravis Children’s Hospital also is ranked in seven out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology, while Mount Sinai Beth Israel is ranked regionally.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Valley Health System

Valley Health System is a regional healthcare system that employs close to 5,000 people and serves more than 500,000 residents in northern New Jersey and southern New York. It includes The Valley Hospital, a 451-bed, not-for-profit, regional acute-care hospital that has been consistently recognized for quality care and patient satisfaction; Valley Home Care, a home care and hospice agency; and Valley Medical Group, a multispecialty group practice of more than 200 doctors and advanced practice professionals representing over 40 medical and surgical specialties who practice at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, Valley’s Cancer Center in Paramus, eight urgent and primary care centers in New Jersey and New York and many community-based physician practices throughout the region.