RHS Principal Jack Lorenz is one of the most highly regarded persons in Ridgewood

RHS Principal Jack Lorenz is one of the most highly regarded persons in Ridgewood


The BOE refuses to buy out his contract for the remainder of the year. Not surprising. Ever think his demand was a tactic to put the BOE on notice and back them off, all the while starting a conversation in Ridgewood about the way he has been treated by Cottage Place.

Let's face facts folks, besides a few malcontents, Jack Lorenz is one of the most highly regarded persons in Ridgewood. The educrats at Cottage Place and the BOE fear and are jealous the public's regard for him.

If the BOE had wanted to keep Jack here, they would never have let Fishbein write the negative, petty and vindictive job evaluation which precipitated Jack's request to leave. If they really valued his leadership, the BOE and their educrats wouldn't be working overtime to make his life miserable.

If we were smart, we would fire Fishbein, Botsford, DiSimone and Gary Hall, and hire Jack to run our district. But Shelia would never hear of it, Jack isn't progressive enough for her social engineering ideology.

Ridgewood PBA Charity Dinner for Haley Tyrrell

Ridgewood PBA Charity Dinner for Haley Tyrrell 

The Ridgewood P.B.A. (Local #20), which is comprised solely of members of the Ridgewood Police Dept. will be hosting a charity dinner to benefit one of our residents and her family.  Haley Tyrrell is a student at Ben Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood.  Haley has been battling a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.  During this time, she has gone through many treatments and medical procedures, including the amputation of her right leg.  Unfortunately, medical insurance does not cover the cost of advanced prosthetics which a young, growing person will need for the rest of her life.  This dinner will be held in hopes of raising money for Haley and her family.

The Dinner will be held at The Estate at Florentine Gardens on Thursday, October 13, 2011.  Ticket's are $75 and include a cocktail hour, dinner, and a premium open bar.  There will be plenty of door prizes, a 50/50, and more.  Entertainment will be provided by local band HAWK which includes members of the "Dad's Night Band".

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the police department's front desk (2nd floor of village hall) at 131 N. Maple Avenue., by emailing ridgewoodpba@gmail.com, or calling 201-638-2946.

Monetary donations, door prize donations, and table sponsorships are greatly appreciated.  A table sponsorship is $250 and the business or family name of the sponsor will be displayed at a table showing support.

Checks payable to "Ridgewood P.B.A. Charity"

Parks & Recreation Department - Athletics and Facilities

Parks & Recreation Department - Athletics and Facilities


FIELD CLOSURES? 
Call 201-670-5565 after 2 pm, option 6, for a recording on current field closures. 

Please click on the following links for organizational sport information:

Ridgewood Soccer Association
Maroons Soccer Club
Ridgewood Baseball / Softball Association
Ridgewood Lacrosse Association
Ridgewood Roller Hockey
Ridgewood Jr. Wrestling
Ridgewood Junior Football
Ridgewood Hoops
Ridgewood Biddy Basketball
Adult Softball
40 + Soccer


Athletic Fields and Recreational Facilities Use Policy
This policy has been developed by the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board with input from the Ridgewood Sports Council and its members, the Parks and Recreation Department staff, Ridgewood High School (RHS) Athletic Director, RHS Coaches Association and its members, Board of Education staff, Ridgewood Community School (RCS) staff, additional regular field and facility users and the public.

This policy has been adopted by the Village Council and by the Board of Education as a uniform policy governing use and users of municipal and school recreational facilities. This policy is subject to ordinances of the Village of Ridgewood, Policies and Procedures of the Board of Education (in particular 3515.2 and 3515.3) and the laws of the State of New Jersey.

The policy is a comprehensive re-evaluation and re-statement of a policy originally adopted in the early 1980's and modified in part over the years. Current demand for use and availability of programs has more than doubled. This revision was undertaken in 2005 in order to establish additional guidelines as well as to memorialize current practices.

Athletic Fields and Recreational Facilities Use Policy

Spring Field Schedule

Athletic Fields and Recreational Facilities Permit

For updated field closure information, please call 201-670-5565, after 2 pm. Press option 6.

Ridgewood retiree Hans-Jurgen Lehman Cleaning trash when no one else will

Ridgewood retiree Hans-Jurgen Lehman Cleaning trash when no one else will

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
By JOHN CICHOWSKI
ROAD WARRIOR COLUMNIST

This column is usually inspired by gripes, and Hurricane Irene brought enough to fill millions of trash bags, but Hans-Jurgen Lehman is not one to complain. The Ridgewood retiree is a doer.

So, on the day Irene left us, he dodged floods and fallen trees to address an earlier complaint cited here two weeks ago — piles of chronic debris that Paramus, two commercial landlords, dozens of shop owners and two state agencies had ignored on a Route 4 pedestrian bridge.

"I never walk there, but it was time someone cleaned up the mess," Hans explained.

But something unexpected happened while he was loading decaying food, empty water bottles and broken glass into bags on the Paramus Place side of the bridge, near Kohl's department store: Wyckoff reader Rosemarie Zimmerer, her son, Eric, and his friend, Morgan Williams, were performing the same task on the Bergen Town Center side across from Century 21.

Their meeting on the span was unplanned. All four were simply responding to this column. And neither Hans, who once ran the Bergen County community service program, nor Rosemarie and the two Bergen Catholic High School juniors expected any reward for stuffing seven trash bags with heavy debris.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/129356678_Citizens_tackle_job_of_cleaning_Rte__4_span.html

FEMA Disaster Assistance

FEMA Disaster Assistance

On Wednesday, August 31, President Obama declared a state of emergency for New Jersey, freeing up federal funds and resources to assist New Jersey in dealing with Hurricane Irene and the recovery efforts. Bergen, Passaic, Warren and Sussex Counties have all been named official disaster areas and are eligible for both individual and public assistance.  This means aid is now available for individuals, small businesses, localities and non-profits.


If you would like to apply for this assistance, please read the information below about the qualifications and apply directly to FEMA using the phone numbers or websites provided. Please pass this information along to anyone who might need it.


This has been a difficult time for many New Jersey families, and I once again ask everyone to help your neighbors and friends by lending a helping hand as the rebuilding process begins. I have faith in the will-power and strength that has always defined the Garden State. 


Thank you and God bless.
Sincerely,


Scott Garrett

Aid for Families and Individuals

Individual and Household Programs (IHP)

Individual assistance can be provided to eligible individuals and households who are uninsured, or under-insured, and suffered losses due to disaster damage.  By law, the amount of individual assistance a person or household can receive is capped and may not cover losses to the extent that a flood insurance policy would.  IHP is not intended to restore damaged property to the condition it was in prior to the disaster; IHP home repair may only provide enough money, up to the limits, to return a house or item to service.  IHP is not intended to cover businesses; they must seek loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) prior to seeking IHP assistance.  With each case, the disaster victim must register for assistance to establish eligibility.  FEMA (or the providing agency) will verify eligibility and need before assistance is offered.

For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Temporary Housing, Rental and Mortgage Assistance

FEMA’s Temporary Housing Assistance and Rental Assistance programs ensure that people whose homes are damaged by disaster have a safe place to live until repairs can be completed.  These programs are designed to provide funds for expenses that are not covered by insurance and are available only to homeowners and renters who are legal residents of the United States and who were displaced by the disaster.  Also available is Mortgage and Rental Assistance (MRA), which provides a check to pay the rent or mortgage to prevent eviction or foreclosure.

For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Individual and Family Grants

The Individual and Family Grant Program (IFG) provides funds for the necessary expenses and serious needs of disaster victims that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of disaster assistance (including low interest loans from the Small Business Administration).  Applicants will be tested for a loan first.  To obtain assistance for housing and personal property, applicants may be required to apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a disaster loan.  If the SBA determines the applicant ineligible for a loan, or if the loan amount is insufficient, the applicant is referred to the IFG program.  Among the needs that can be met through the IFG Program are housing, personal property, medical, dental, funeral, transportation and required flood insurance premiums.

For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov

Aid for Small Businesses

Small Business Administration Disaster Loans

The Small Business Administration (SBA) can provide three types of disaster loans to qualified homeowners and businesses: Home Disaster Loans to homeowners and renters, Business Physical Disaster Loans to business owners to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, which provide capital to small businesses and to small agricultural cooperatives to assist them through the disaster recovery period.  For many individuals, the SBA Disaster Loan program is the primary form of disaster assistance.  Other FEMA programs for individuals include: Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Legal Services, Tax Relief Considerations and Crises Counseling.

For more information about the above programs, please call 1-800-659-2955 or visit http://www.sba.gov/content/business-physical-disaster-loans

Aid for Localities and Nonprofits

Public Assistance – Reimbursement to Municipalities & Private Nonprofits

FEMA Public Assistance funds the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a public facility or portion of the infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed by a disaster.  Certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations may also receive assistance.  Eligible private nonprofits include educational, utility, emergency, medical, rehabilitation, and temporary or permanent custodial care facilities (including those for the aged and disabled), and other private nonprofit facilities that provide essential services of a governmental nature to the general public.

Projects fall into the following categories: Debris Removal, Emergency Protective Measures, Road Systems and Bridges, Water Control Facilities, Public Buildings and Contents, Public Utilities, and Parks and Recreation.

For insurable structures within Special Flood Hazard Areas, primarily buildings, assistance from FEMA is reduced by the amount of insurance settlement that could have been obtained under a standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy.

FEMA reviews and approves the project applications and obligates the federal share of the costs (75 percent) to the state. The state then disburses funds to local applicants.  For small projects, payment of the federal share of the estimate is made upon approval of the project and no further accounting to FEMA is required.  For large projects, payment is made on the basis of actual costs determined after the project is completed, although interim payments may be made as necessary.

For more information about the above programs, please call: 1-609-963-6900

Decals for cars with young drivers widely opposed

Decals for cars with young drivers widely opposed

When Samantha Nichols drove a car for the first time Thursday, she complied with the state law requiring red decals on the car’s license plates to show that a new driver was behind the wheel.

Nichols, an Egg Harbor Township High School student, said she will follow the decal law, but she expects that she is a rarity among teenagers. She said her cousins and most of her friends have permits or probationary licenses, and they do not use the decals required as part of its graduated driver license, or GDL, program.

A recent Garden State Parkway fatal accident has drawn attention to the GDL law, which also limits new drivers in the number of passengers allowed and the hours when they can drive. Four Mainland Regional High School football players were killed in the Aug. 20 crash of an SUV driven by a 17-year-old. There were seven passengers in the car. Driver Casey Brenner’s restricted license allowed only one other passenger unless a parent also was present.

Fifteen months after New Jersey started requiring license-plate decals as part of its graduated driver license program, the stickers remain enormously unpopular. Interviews with teenagers and parents, as well as an informal survey by a Bergen County assemblyman, show overwhelming opposition to that part of the law.  (Froonjian, Press of Atlantic City)

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/decals-for-cars-with-young-drivers-widely-opposed/article_bbdaedb4-d906-11e0-9c29-001cc4c03286.html

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce : Multi-Chamber Networking Event

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce : Multi-Chamber Networking Event

Wed, September 14, 2011 - Wed, September 14, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Blend, 17 Chestnut Street
Cost: $10 per person

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce invites all ICC Chamber members and business networkers to the FALL PM networking event. We expect members from many chambers to attend, along with other business people. Mr. Tom Bracken, president of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce, has accepted an invitation to present and talk about NJ's small businesses. This will be the year's biggest, and most informative Networking event in the County. Don't miss out, please RSVP with your Chamber by Sept. 9, 2011.

New Jersey labor organization touts endorsement of Republicans in 24th District

New Jersey labor organization touts endorsement of Republicans in 24^th District

The four unions that contributed to the re-election campaign of Republican Sen. Steve Oroho were silent as to their reasons last month.

Now, an endorsement from a 108-year-old state trade organization sheds light on reasons for their financial support.

The New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council on Friday endorsed Oroho and his Republican partners in the 24th Legislative District, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, for re-election.

The council is comprised of 125 local unions, 15 affiliated international unions and 13 county councils.

"Our member-unions have unanimously endorsed a strong roster of legislative candidates who have demonstrated an understanding of labor's needs and a willingness to work with us in reforming fiscal policies and enacting a pro-worker agenda for New Jersey," William Mullen, president of the council, said in a statement.  (Molnar, The Express-Times)

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2011/09/senator_steve_oroho_receives_e.html

Union Leader declares war of GOP

Union Leader declares war of GOP 

Hoffa Threatens GOP At Obama Event: "Take These Son Of Bitches Out"

Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa had some profane, combative words for Republicans while warming up the crowd for President Obama in Detroit, Michigan on Monday.

"We got to keep an eye on the battle that we face: The war on workers. And you see it everywhere, it is the Tea Party. And you know, there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what? They've got a war, they got a war with us and there's only going to be one winner. It's going to be the workers of Michigan, and America. We're going to win that war," Jimmy Hoffa said to a heavily union crowd.

"President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong," Hoffa added.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/09/05/jimmy_hoffa_at_obama_event_on_gop_lets_take_these_son_of_bitches_out.html

Newark Star-Ledger supports public worker job cuts

Newark Star-Ledger supports public worker job cuts

For the first time since World War II, the U.S. economy gained no jobs for the month of August. Zero.

Here in New Jersey, since Gov. Christie took office, state agencies and local New Jersey governments have lost about 30,000 jobs. But the Newark Star-Ledger believes that readjustment had to happen.

The Ledger reports that between December 2000 and December 2007, New Jersey’s private sector added a mere 7,700 jobs, while the public sector gained 60,000.

Former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine began shrinking state government and benefits, and Christie signed reforms that contained salaries and benefits locally for most public employees.

The director of Rutgers Economic Advisery Service says the state’s economy is being held back by job losses in the public sector. According to NorthJersey.com, James Hughes, dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in New Brunswick, said state finances can’t improve until public sector job losses stop.  (Holt, New Jersey Newsroom)

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-newspaper-supports-public-worker-job-cuts

RHS Principal Jack Lorenz asks BOE to Buy out Contract

RHS Principal Jack Lorenz asks BOE to Buy out Contract 
PJ Blogger and the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ - So it looks like the cat finally got out of the bag ,Jack's Lorenz's attorney has asked the BOE to buy him out of his contract. With his wife and children moving to Alabama its was only a matter of time before this bomb would be drooped.

Jack is a first class educator  with experience in many high end competitive districts around the US , so it seemed only a matter of time before he would grow tired of the comedy of errors that has become our BOE .

Lets face it, Jack was just too popular and respected by parents and BOE members took exception  after all a good education too often gets in the way of social engineering .

Maybe this will be a wake up call  for people to stop patting themselves in the back and we get back to the very difficult job of preparing children for the very competitive economic environment that they are going to find themselves in. one day after all , "Tradition of Excellence" used to be more than just words .

Village Council Meetings

Village Council Meetings 

09/07/11 7:30PM Village Council Work Session
09/13/11 7:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Meeting
09/13/11 7:00PM Village Council - Special Public Meeting - Valley Expansion
09/14/11 8:00PM Village Council Public Meeting N/A N/A
09/19/11 7:00PM Village Council Special Public Meeting - Valley Expansion
09/20/11 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting

Flood Warning

Flood Warning
FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY
438 AM EDT WED SEP 7 2011

...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN NEW JERSEY...

  PASSAIC RIVER AT MILLINGTON AFFECTING MORRIS AND SOMERSET COUNTIES
  NORTH BRANCH RARITAN RIVER AT RARITAN AFFECTING SOMERSET COUNTY
  RARITAN RIVER AT MANVILLE AFFECTING MIDDLESEX AND SOMERSET COUNTIES
  RARITAN RIVER AT BOUND BROOK AFFECTING MIDDLESEX AND SOMERSET COUNTIES
  ROCKAWAY RIVER AT BOONTON ABOVE THE RESERVOIR AFFECTING MORRIS COUNTY
...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN NEW JERSEY...
  MILLSTONE RIVER AT BLACKWELLS MILLS AFFECTING SOMERSET COUNTY
  PASSAIC RIVER AT CHATHAM AFFECTING MORRIS AND SOMERSET COUNTIES
  PASSAIC RIVER AT PINE BROOK AFFECTING ESSEX...MORRIS AND PASSAIC
  COUNTIES
  PASSAIC RIVER AT LITTLE FALLS AFFECTING ESSEX AND PASSAIC COUNTIES
  PEQUANNOCK RIVER BELOW MACOPIN DAM AFFECTING MORRIS AND PASSAIC
  COUNTIES
  RAMAPO RIVER AT POMPTON LAKES AFFECTING BERGEN...MORRIS AND PASSAIC
  COUNTIES
  ROCKAWAY RIVER AT BOONTON BELOW THE RESERVOIR AFFECTING MORRIS COUNTY

  WANAQUE RIVER AT WANAQUE DAM AFFECTING PASSAIC COUNTY

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SAFETY MESSAGE...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED AREAS. THE
WATER MAY BE DEEPER THAN YOU THINK.

Vote No to Global Banking Settlement: Urge NJ Attorney General to Reject Bank Settlement

Vote No to Global Banking Settlement: Urge NJ Attorney General to Reject Bank Settlement

NJ may be owed $87 million filing fees; $6.8 billion transfer taxes; $3.6 billion Quiet Title Costs

The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition met with senior members of the NJ Attorney General's office, urging them not to join the proposed settlement with nation's largest banks. The settlement is being considered by most state Attorneys General.

Because the evidence for massive destruction of the chain of title in residential mortgages is so compelling and costly to remedy, the State must not rush headlong into a quick settlement with banks, lenders, originators, or MBS pool sponsors that provides these players immunity. The State instead needs to act to protect the property rights of its citizens who are struggling to pay their mortgages, and whose title has been compromised through no fault of their own. The State also needs to reclaim potentially substantial filing fees and transfer taxes that were evaded.

Published reports estimate New Jersey's share of the $20 billion settlement to be in the $50 million range, which is miniscule compared to the damage wrought.

We urge New Jersey AG Dow to follow the example set by Massachusetts's AG Martha Coakley and refuse any settlement until a forensic audit of mortgages in the State is conducted to obtain full extent of the economic damage to the State and home-owners.

The fraud is so deep and the scope is so wide that waivers for criminal and civil charges are unacceptable.

We are calling for AG Dow, New Jersey's Chief Law Enforcement Officer, to restore the rule of law and hold the banking executives who are defrauding investors, home-owners and the state accountable.

John O'Brien, Registrar of Deeds for Southern Essex District Registry, had a forensic audit conducted by McDonnell Analytics to measure the number of unrecorded assignments. The results were startling. Three-quarters (75%) of the assignments were never recorded, breaking the chain of title - and depriving the county clerk of millions of dollars in lost fees.

Bergen County's housing market is mature and broadly similar to that of Essex County in Massachusetts, so we have estimated the lost revenue and the cost to reassert clear title based on their forensic audit results.

We calculated the amounts owed based on the US Census data for total dwelling units (DUs), percent owner occupied, and median values for both New Jersey and Bergen County.

We further applied the national average of 68% for owner-occupied homes mortgaged, the Southern Essex Co MA figure of 75% missing assignments, and an assumed two assignments per mortgage missing (or not recorded) based on the typical standard for securitization.

We also assumed that assignments were one page (average $36/each statewide, and $43/each for Bergen County).

The transfer tax is calculated on the median value statewide and for Bergen, using the state's formula, and the tax owed depends on the assignments not recorded.

                       New Jersey     Bergen

Dwelling Units                           3,526,453           351,463

owner occupied                          2,366,250          238,292

median value                              $356,800         $482,400

% mortgaged 68%                      1,618,515          162,992

% missing assignments 75%       1,213,886          122,244

no of assignments missing                      2                   2     *see explanation above

filing fees owed                         $87,157,031      $10,512,963

quiet title cost                       $3,641,658,693    $366,731,256

transfer tax                                       $2,800              $4,006

transfer tax owed                   $6,797,762,894    $979,416,940

Please call Attorney General Paula Dow 609-292-4925 to :

* reject settlement and

* urge New Jersey AG Dow to follow the example set by Massachusetts's Attorney General, Martha Coakley, and refuse any settlement until a forensic audit of mortgages in the State is conducted to obtain full extent of the economic damage to the State and home-owners.

When connected, hit #1 and be directed to the Attorney General's assistant, live response.

You should tell them....."Vote No to Global Banking Settlement".

 

September 12th VOTE The Best Pizza in Ridgewood 2011

September 12th, VOTE The Best Pizza in Ridgewood 2011 : submit your favorite pizza spot

the Ridgewood blog is looking for nominations for the 2011 best Pizza in Ridgewood, New Jersey.Please submit your favorite pizza spot to: onlyonesmallvoice@gmail.com

put "Best Pizza in Ridgewood " in the subject line or leave a comment on the "Best Pizza" post on the Ridgewood Blog

Pizza fusion (2010 Winner)

A Mano (2009 Winner)

Puzo's (2008 Winner)

Due to the hotly contested nature of the contest and technical problems with the voting reviews will be published of all the participants over the next several months by our secret judging panel.Lets see if they come to the same conclusions as the voters. 


2010 participants and Votes :

A Mano (2009 Winner) (22%) 24 Franklin Ave, in Ridgewood ,NJ 201.493.2000

Renato's Pizza (8%) 36 S Maple Ave,Ridgewood, NJ (201) 652-3554

Puzo's (2008 Winner) (5%) 16 W Ridgewood Ave,Ridgewood, NJ (201) 445-3332

Brooklyn Pizza (6%) 15 Oak St,Ridgewood, NJ (201) 493-7600

Sicilian Sun (by popular demand) (4%) 604 N Maple Ave,Ho Ho Kus, NJ (201) 444-3494

La Bella Pizza (4%) 102 N Maple Ave, Rdgewood, NJ (201) 652-0444

Roma Pizza (1%) 88 Godwin Ave, Ridgewood, NJ (201) 389-6810

Pizza Fusion (42%) 33 Godwin Ave,Ridgewood, NJ (201) 445-9010

Ridgewood Pizza (3%) 37 Godwin Ave, Ridgewood, NJ (201) 444-1055 

Gallup: Uninsured Have Increased Under Obama and Since Obamacare Was Enacted

Gallup: Uninsured Have Increased Under Obama and Since Obamacare Was Enacted
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
By Terence P. Jeffrey

(CNSNews.com) - The percentage of American adults who lack health insurance coverage has not only increased during the presidency of Barack Obama, but it has continued to increase since Obama signed his signature piece of legislation last year mandating that by 2014 every American carry health insurance, according to a Gallup survey released today.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/gallup-uninsured-have-increased-under-ob

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Presents the 18th Annual Car Show.

Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce Presents the 18th Annual Car Show.

Memorial Park at Van Neste Square and E. Ridgewood Ave. on September 9th from 6-9:30pm for a fun filled night. Enjoy music by "Take 4". Trophies will be awarded at 8:30pm. This event is free and open to the public.

photo by P Goodman


For more info contact: info@ridgewoodchamber.com, 201-445-2600 or visit
Fri, September 09, 2011 Time: 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Location: Memorial Park at Van Neste Square/E. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ
Event Description

This event is always fun for anyone who loves cars of all ages.

FREE to the public.

You can view more photos from last years show here:
http://www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/2010show/ridgewoodsept10/

THE RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION : the Stetson Ball

THE RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION : the Stetson Ball

The favor of your reply is requested by September 16, 201
Tickets : http://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/pdf/RSVP%20Gala83111.pdf

Information : http://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/pdf/8-31Stetson%20Ball%20Website%20Invitation%205x7%203.pdf

Back to School: College Presidents ,Leadership(?) at a Very high Price

Back to School: College Presidents ,Leadership(?)  at a Very high Price

Most presidents of state and tri-county public colleges haven’t received raises over the past few years, according to a Courier-Post analysis of contracts, amendments and continuing employment agreements.

But lawmakers and taxpayer advocates think that’s insignificant given the high values of presidents’ salaries, benefits and bonuses.

“Presidents and boards of trustees have created an artificial market, whereby presidents compare their compensation packages to each other,” says Jerry Cantrell, president of the New Jersey Taxpayers Alliance and the Common Sense Institute.

“Presidents say, ‘I want what they got,’ and the upward cycle continues.”

While state aid to his institution decreased 10.5 percent this past year, NJIT president Robert Altenkirch received a $20,000 raise, a $56,000 retention bonus and $85,000 housing allowance.  (Rosen, Gannett)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110906/NEWS02/309060016/Leadership-price?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|State

New Jersey’s public labor unions endorse lawmakers who oppose pension and benefits changes

New Jersey’s public labor unions endorse lawmakers who oppose pension and benefits changes

This year’s battle in the Legislature to change the state’s handling of pensions and benefits for public-sector workers is shaping up to be a major issue in November, as public unions choose to back lawmakers who voted against the changes, and notably snub some who supported them.

Those endorsements — and non-endorsements alike — confer a degree of financial and get-out-the-vote support for candidates they favor, said Daniel J. Douglas, director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Richard Stockton College in Galloway Township.

Union members can be recruited to knock on doors, drive voters to the polls, and recruit family and friends to help favored candidates.

“Those candidates who are used to that support will have to find a new way to” fill the gap created by the absence, Douglas said.  (Harper, Press of Atlantic City)

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic/new-jersey-s-public-labor-unions-endorse-lawmakers-who-oppose/article_873d52ce-d82d-11e0-980d-001cc4c002e0.html

NJ businesses band together to boost natural gas

NJ businesses band together to boost natural gas

Worried that New Jersey's access to natural gas supplies could be jeopardized by lobbying from environmentalists opposed to increased use of fossil fuels, a band of big business groups have organized a coalition to promote the use of the fuel.

Called Natural Gas for New Jersey, the coalition already secured a win when Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a bill last month that would have imposed a ban on a controversial method of drilling for natural gas in New Jersey, a step they argued would allow the state to tap plentiful and relatively cheap supplies of the fuel in the region.

More importantly, the creation of the coalition gives the Christie administration powerful backing in its plans to rely more on natural gas to meet New Jersey's energy needs and to try and drive down steep electricity bills for both residents and businesses.  (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0905/2028/

Ridgewood September 11th Remembrance Ceremony - 10th Anniversary

Ridgewood September 11th Remembrance Ceremony - 10th Anniversary

The Village of Ridgewood will hold a Ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Rock in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square on Sunday, September 11th at 7:30PM. The Ceremony will be held to remember and honor the memory of the twelve residents who were lost in the World Trade Center tragedy in 2001.

During the month of September you are invited to visit the exhibit of "Portraits" of each resident lost. The display depicts the individuals, their family and events of 2001. The "Portrait" exhibit provides a place to reflect and will be on display in the Belcher Auditorium of the Ridgewood Public Library.

Back to School: NJ Schools face change as year begins; focus placed on 10 issues

Back to School: NJ Schools face change as year begins; focus placed on 10 issues

Acting New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf recently reorganized the state Department of Education around four priorities for education reform: Academics, Performance, Talent, and Innovation.

The DOE will devote its resources to identifying what students should learn, how to prove they learned it, who will teach it to them, and how it will be taught. But those are not the only priorities facing students and staff as they head back to school.

Here's a list of 10 education issues likely to get a lot of attention in the schoolhouse and the Statehouse during the 2011-12 school year… (D’Amico, Press of Atlantic City)

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/education/schools-face-change-as-year-begins-focus-placed-on-issues/article_247292a8-d814-11e0-a389-001cc4c002e0.html

Back to School: Halting bullies is new priority

Back to School: Halting bullies is new priority

Students returning to school this week will be greeted with stronger anti-bullying messages, as districts statewide begin to comply with a new law aimed at protecting children from bullies.

Several North Jersey school districts updated their harassment, intimidation and bullying policies this summer, and have started training teachers and administrators on the new legislation. Guest speakers have also been lined up to talk to students, and some staff will take workshops in coming weeks on how to investigate complaints of harassment, intimidation and bullying.

The new legislation, which went into effect last week, calls for tougher penalties to be doled out to students discovered to be bullying, and also makes school administrators more accountable if they do not investigate complaints.  (Alvarado, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/129283053_Halting_bullies_is_new_priority.html

Back to School : What’s hot, what to watch

Back to School : What’s hot, what to watch

It’s not called "silly season" for nothing, since the next two months leading up to the New Jersey’s legislative elections will surely be more about rhetoric than substance when it comes to public policy.

Education will be no exception, with key votes on topics like tenure reform and charter schools likely to wait until at least November 9, the day after the election.

But with stakeholders and policy-makers returning this week from their summer breaks, and schools opening across the state, that’s not to say there won't be plenty of drama centered on education in the next few months. 

Here are a few places to keep an eye on…(Mooney NJ Spotlight)

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0905/2146/

Back to school

Under the Sea ,9th Annual Mary Therese Rose Fundraising Dinner

Under the Sea ,9th Annual Mary Therese Rose Fundraising Dinner
Sunday, October 23, 2011
4 pm to 8 pm
Sheraton Crossroads, Mahwah

It’s an undersea Calypso party at the 9th Annual Mary Therese Rose Fundraising Dinner.  Ease into the evening with the sounds of the Caribbean during the hors d’oeuvre and cocktail hour. Then enjoy dinner and featured artists, The Tropical Beat Steel Drum Band. Cool down at the end of the evening with our delicious ice cream sundae dessert bar!  Kids can make their own music video and learn what is really under the sea from our guest marine biologist at the touch tank in this year’s kids’ room, open from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.  Wear your best beach cabana-wear and we’ll see you on October 23rd for some cool times Under the Sea!

This year's entertainment is an authentic Steel Drum band, and has played for the Trinidad and Tobago Division of Tourism.  Accompanying the band will be Limbo and Stilt dancers to entertain and dance with the crowd.  This year's event is Beach and Cabana wear mandatory.  You may also dress up as a sea creature.  Little Mermaid, Saving Nemo and Sponge Bob Square Pants characters will be in attendance.

The Mary Therese Rose Fund was established to provide therapeutic care and fun to the special needs population cared for at the Kireker Center for Child Development, an outpatient facility of the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.  In addition to assisting families with unreimbursed medical expenses, the fund also allows these children to enjoy the fun experienced by those in their age group.  Therapeutic horseback riding, dancing, music, art, yoga are only a few of the activities offered through the fund to these children.

Each year The Mary Therese Rose Fund helps families pay for needed equipment like orthotics, braces, and standers. It also funds activities such as horseback riding that are therapeutic and brighten the lives of these special kids. It is the goal of The Mary Therese
Rose Fund to help these special children reclaim some of the simple joys of childhood denied them by their disabilities.

Your tax-deductible contribution will benefit local special needs kids through the Mary Therese Rose Fund.  Reserve your tickets for this special event by calling Jack Crilly at
201-394-5940 or e-mailing jackcrilly@hotmail.com,  $160 per Adult $80 per Child, $1200 per Table Of 10

Contact Jack Crilly at jackcrilly@hotmail.com or at 201-394-5940 with any questions.  For more information on the Mary Therese Rose Fund, go to www.marythereserose.org.

California Employment at Record Low

California Employment at Record Low
By Christopher Palmeri - Sep 4, 2011 2:45 AM ET

The percentage of working-age Californians with jobs has fallen to a record low, and employment may not return to pre-recession levels until the second half of the decade, according to a research group.

Just 55.4 percent of working-age Californians, defined as those 16 or older, had a job in July, down from 56.2 percent a year earlier and the lowest level since 1976, the Sacramento- based California Budget Project said in a report released late yesterday.

California’s 12 percent unemployment rate in July, the nation’s second-highest after Nevada, compared with 9.1 percent nationwide. The most-populous state lost 1.4 million jobs during the recession that began three years ago, and has gained back only 226,800, or about 17 percent, according to the report.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-04/california-employment-level-sinks-to-record-low-as-fewer-women-find-jobs.html

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE IAN LINKER ISSUES LABOR DAY STATEMENT PRAISING THE AMERICAN WORKER AND RIGHT-TO-WORK STATES

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE IAN LINKER ISSUES LABOR DAY STATEMENT PRAISING THE AMERICAN WORKER AND RIGHT-TO-WORK STATES

(Ridgewood, NJ): On Labor Day, conservative Republican U.S. Senate candidate from New Jersey Ian Linker issued the following statement:

We should celebrate all American workers this Labor Day, like every Labor Day, and remember the millions of Americans that are out of work this year. We should also recognize and praise the 22 right-to-work states that exercised their right under the Taft-Hartley Act and preserve for their individual workers the freedom to decide whether or not to join a union and the freedom to decide whether or not to pay union dues - the essence of American freedom. These states preserve workplace freedoms for American workers that unions and their political allies would gladly deprive from their workers. As freedom loving Americans, we should celebrate freedom for all of our workers and our people and oppose any group that organizes in opposition to our founding principles.

A Jobless Labor Day

A Jobless Labor Day
the Heritage Foundation


For 14 million unemployed Americans and their families, this Labor Day will not be a happy one. Instead of enjoying a day off of work, they're suffering a disturbing trend under the Obama economy: Jobs are not being created, the unemployment rate has not improved, and the economy is at a near standstill. Even worse, the labor market's stall might be turning into a decline.

And today, in Detroit—which in July had the highest unemployment rate of any metropolitan area in the country—President Obama is due to stand with labor presidents including the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka, Teamsters' James P. Hoffa, and the UAW's Bob King to tout his bailout of the auto industry and his yet-to-be-disclosed plan to turn the economy around.

The Big Labor backdrop is ironic but not surprising. The union movement has helped lead to the staggering loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States, and the demands it has made on employers and governments help create the very conditions leading to the tragic unemployment in Detroit and across the country. But they are strong political allies of the President—having spent $1.1 billion on politics and lobbying in the last election cycle—and they continue to hold a prominent seat at the table.

It follows, then, that President Obama continues to put the institutional interests of unions ahead of America's economic well-being. In a new paper, Heritage's Rea Hederman and James Sherk explain that the latest example comes from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which issued several rulings recently undermining employer and employee rights: snap elections, restricting secret ballot elections, and a new rule that allows unions to cherry-pick which workers get to vote on unionizing. All these rules are designed to facilitate organizing companies whose workers are unenthusiastic about unions.

Private-sector workers have a right to unionize, of course. Management gets the union it deserves. But unionization has economic costs, as Sherk and Hederman write:
Unions make businesses less competitive and discourage investment. This reduces job growth. Studies show that jobs fall by 5–10 percent at newly organized firms. Going forward, employment grows by three to four percentage points more slowly at unionized businesses than at otherwise identical non-union companies.

The result can be felt in places like the Motor City as unionized manufacturing employment plummets. Since 2005, GM shed half of its unionized workforce. Nationwide, unionized manufacturing employment fell by 80 percent between 1977 and 2010, while non-union manufacturing employment decreased by 6 percent over that same time period. Unions are feeling the effects, with membership falling by over 600,000 workers in 2010 alone. If workers are happy without a union, the government should not foist one on them.

Sherk explains why unions are on the decline:
Union membership has fallen because traditional collective bargaining does not appeal to most workers. Polls show that only one in 10 non-union workers wants to organize. This makes sense: in the competitive private sector, unions can do little to raise their members’ pay. Additionally, most workers like their jobs and believe they are on the same side as their employers.

Fortunately, Big Labor doesn’t have to be the only game in town. Workers want a say in their workplace, but they're becoming increasingly aware of unions' limitations. Private-sector unions have little power to raise their members' wages, while employers have learned that respecting their employees makes good business sense. That is why large majorities of workers say they are satisfied with their jobs and their bosses.

Unions, though, aren't going to go down without a fight. That's why they're lobbying the Obama Administration to protect their interests. Unfortunately, the President is obliging, whether it's by changing the rules of the game to make unionization easier, preventing private employers from locating in right-to-work states—as the NLRB is doing with Boeing case in South Carolina—or pushing for more government spending on infrastructure projects that employ primarily union members (while leaving the rest of the economy in the lurch).

Meanwhile, Americans are suffering from the President's decision to satisfy unions before reducing unemployment, all while there are more signs of a declining labor market than there are of a recovery. There are things Congress and the President can and should do to improve the business climate, such as repealing Obamacare, opening the door to domestic energy production, preventing harmful regulations, passing pending free trade agreements, and reining in the NLRB. Labor Day 2012 can be brighter than today, but Congress and the President must choose the right path to help get us there.

http://blog.heritage.org/2011/09/05/morning-bell-a-jobless-labor-day/

Where would you rather be playing ball yesterday? Maple or Vets?

Where would you rather be playing ball yesterday? Maple or Vets?

                                           Maple field photo by M

                                          Vets field photo by M

Strangers in Our Homeland

Strangers in Our Homeland
By Floyd and Mary Beth Brown September 2, 2011

Summer is a time of strong memories. Memories of sunshine, lemonade and bicycles flood our minds. Summertime is the season when our youth is so close we can almost reach out and touch it. This summer we have been extra reflective, the marriage of our first child and the contemplation of our parents mortality have only heightened our introspection. Because it is so integral to our lives, much of our analysis has focused on America and her changes.

Change is not always negative, but as we review the changes of the last decade, we are simply aghast at what has happened. It's like comparing before and after snapshots of a person addicted to methamphetamines, and the picture isn't pretty. Hence, today we often feel like strangers in our homeland.

The social upheaval of the past decade has been beyond monumental, and it has resulted in a broken America, with a high number of dysfunctional and lost people. Like a colony of termites stealthily destroying the wooden beams of a house, Liberalism has devastated the social fabric and consensus that made America the preeminent country in the world.

First, the rule of law is a fading memory. Obama and the radicals he has surrounded himself with in the White House think less about following the law than they do achieving political objectives. A liberal outcome is first and foremost on their minds above America's laws. Three examples are the treatment of GM bondholders, the ongoing war in Libya and the Obama stealth amnesty for illegal aliens.

In the case of GM, the bondholders who had primary liens on the physical assets of General Motors were illegally striped of their legal rights in the Obama takeover of the company. Obama's primary objective was to protect the United Auto Workers, a major contributor to his campaign. The UAW was essentially transferred the monies that should have been paid to bondholders in the reorganization. The stock the bondholders should have had went to the Union in the form of shares for healthcare.

Next is the ongoing Obama war in Libya. The Obama administration has ignored the legal requirements of the War Powers Act. We never liked the War Powers Act or Gadhafi, but the act is still law and Obama's failure to follow either the US Constitution or statue in this crisis is a flagrant disregard for the rule of law.

Finally, Obama's latest act, to use his power to overrule both immigration statues and court orders to suspend the deportation of illegal immigrants, amounts to the outrageous violation of the law.

If George W. Bush had been involved in any of these illegal acts, impeachment hearings would be in full swing with live C-Span coverage available for you to watch in your home. Because of the weakness of Republican leadership in the US Congress, Obama flaunts the law with impunity.

The debt ceiling legislation is a perversion of the US Constitution with the Republicans in Congress actually transferring the power of the purse from themselves to the executive against both tradition and the Constitutional framework developed by the founders to divide power. Now Obama will be able to unilaterally increase the debt by over 2 trillion dollars without as much as a whimper of opposition. If you are a sucker who actually believes the so-called "super committee" will reduce spending, we imagine you still believe Obama has the best interests of the country at heart.

As youngsters, we lived in an America that protected children from abortion. In those halcyon days we would never have contemplated the act of sodomy as somehow proper, even if characterized as a monogamous same sex marriage.

In our youth, which now seem like a distant memory, Christian virtue was actually lauded. You were taught to look up to people who believed in the difference between right and wrong. Instead, today the social disorder has degenerated to the point where Rap stars leading flash mobs are considered community heroes.

We are strangers in this homeland, yet we never give up hope. Before the America that we love becomes even more foreign, the breaks must be applied to the runaway liberalism that is destroying America from the inside out.

The lower level of Village Hall,will be under renovation until the end of the year

The lower level of Village Hall,will be under renovation until the end of the year

Due to recent flooding of the lower level of Village Hall, the area will be under renovation until the end of the year. Village Hall is open for business Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 4:30PM. The Reception Desk has been relocated to the 3rd Floor. While the parking lot is open, the best entrance to Village Hall is through the N. Maple Avenue entrance.

Architect Receives Award for “Flood-Proof” Village Hall Design (11/28/2007)


Ridgewood-based Poskanzer Skott Architects received a 2007 New Jersey Golden Trowel award last week for its work on renovating Ridgewood’s Village Hall. The awards are given annually by the International Masonry Institute. 


Firm principal Barry Poskanzer began working with Ridgewood officials to design a flood-proof renovation and building expansion shortly after Village Hall was damaged during 1999’s Tropical Storm Floyd.

http://www.theridgewoodblog.net/2007/11/architect-receives-award-for-flood.html

A bad year for big labor

A bad year for big labor
Last Updated: 10:41 PM, September 4, 2011
Posted: 9:46 PM, September 4, 2011

Today America observes Labor Day, as it has every year since 1894.

The holiday was ostensibly meant to pay a tribute to the “strength and esprit de corps of trade and labor organizations” -- but the subtext has always been about unions flexing their political muscle.

Atrophied muscle, to be sure -- even in New York City, long a “union town,” membership has been in steady decline -- but muscle nonetheless.

Such vitality as does persist in the movement resides in public-sector unions -- whose relatively generous wages and benefits are funded by tax dollars.

In New York, for example, there is an astounding 57 percentage-point gap between private- and public-sector unionization rates, according to a new report by CUNY researchers. While fewer than 14 percent of private-sector workers in the city are unionized -- itself twice the national rate -- fully 71 percent of public employees in the city and state are union members.

Still, even the powerful public-sector unions like AFSCME and the various state and national teachers unions are finding their members hard to keep in line.

Consider that membership in the Colorado Association of Public Employees has declined 70 percent since 2001, when that state required public-sector unions to have annual votes reauthorizing dues collection.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/bad_year_for_big_labor_Xo6BnXu7dsUBOveoZXIedN#ixzz1X4lcSeK5

Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount

Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: September 4, 2011

The United States Postal Service has long lived on the financial edge, but it has never been as close to the precipice as it is today: the agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress takes emergency action to stabilize its finances.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/business/in-internet-age-postal-service-struggles-to-stay-solvent-and-relevant.html?_r=1

Back to School : Bullying , Empower the child and teach him how to stand up for himself

Back to School : Bullying , Empower the child and teach him how to stand up for himself

Why are they targeting the "different" person?

In all cases, bullies only "pick on" those who they perceive to be "weak" (for whatever reason). This perceived weakness is not always necessarily physical.

Regardless, a bully will not "pick on" someone who they don't think they can dominate (again not necessarily a physical thing).

By not empowering the "bullied" child to be independent and stand up for himself, you are doing the child a disservice and enforcing the bully's conjecture that the child can be pushed around.

This is not a simplification. It is a reality. The solution is simple... empower the child and teach him how to stand up for himself. The specifics of how you address this in all of the different bullying scenarios may be complex, but the problem and the desired end goal are simple - make the bully be responsible for the consequences of his actions and teach the bullied child how to defend himself.

Bullies are bullies in any time period. Tactics and tools may change, but the underlying causes and solutions remain the same.

The History of Labor Day

The History of Labor Day

   Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

Flash Flood Watch

FLOOD WATCH

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
423 AM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...INCREASING THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN...

NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-
NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-
SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-
EASTERN PASSAIC-HUDSON-WESTERN BERGEN-EASTERN BERGEN-
WESTERN ESSEX-EASTERN ESSEX-WESTERN UNION-EASTERN UNION-ORANGE-
PUTNAM-ROCKLAND-NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-
NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-
KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-
SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHERN QUEENS-
NORTHERN NASSAU-SOUTHERN QUEENS-SOUTHERN NASSAU-
423 AM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM NOON EDT TODAY THROUGH
TUESDAY MORNING...

 

Rep Scott Garrett : Irene's Aftermath

Rep Scott Garrett : Irene's Aftermath


This past weekend, Hurricane Irene ripped through the 5th District with unrelenting force, leading to some of the worst flooding I’ve ever seen in North Jersey.  Over the past few days, I have met with FEMA and visited towns and communities all across our district to survey the damage and lend a helping hand to victims.  From Hillsdale to Stillwater, many homes and business are still under water and will be for days to come.  The cleanup will not be easy and our rebuilding efforts will take some time, but during these difficult times the great people of North Jersey have demonstrated their steadfastness and resolve.

I want you all to know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that FEMA and the federal government provide all the necessary support to help 5th District residents recover from this disaster.  On Wednesday, I joined the rest of the New Jersey delegation in sending a letter to President Obama expressing our full support for Governor Christie’s request for an expedited declaration of a major disaster for the entire State of New Jersey, which will free up funding for individual aid for home construction and financial assistance for flood victims.

Those who were spared from the damage have already demonstrated a generous outpouring of support to the victims.  In order to manage this support in an efficient way, disaster recovery experts have identified some very easy ways to help, whether you are looking to volunteer or send donations:

Donate through a trusted organization – At the national level, many faith- and community-based organizations are trusted ways to donate to disaster survivors.  In addition, each state has its own list of voluntary organizations active in disasters.

Cash is the most efficient method of donating – Cash offers voluntary agencies the most flexibility in obtaining the resources most in need and funnels money into the local economy.  Remember, donated goods such as used clothing, household items and perishable foodstuffs require helping agencies to redirect valuable resources away from providing services to sort, package, transport, and distribute items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.

Be wary of scams and fraud – Unfortunately, disasters often bring out criminals who prey on the needs of disaster survivors, or the generosity of those looking to help, by offering fraudulent services related to disaster relief.  If you suspect anyone of fraudulent actives, please call FEMA’s toll-free Disaster Fraud Helpline at 866-720-5721, or your local law enforcement officials.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have been affected by this terrible tragedy.  Understand that you are not alone in this time of need.  As always, if there is any assistance that my staff and I can provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,
Scott Garrett

Pimco's El-Erian: US Economy Is 'Grim and Scary'

Pimco's El-Erian: US Economy Is 'Grim and Scary'

Friday, 02 Sep 2011 01:00 PM

By David A. Patten

Following Friday’s report that zero jobs were generated in the month of August, Pimco investment firm CEO Mohamed El-Erian called the condition of the U.S. economy “grim and scary.”

Speaking to Bloomberg Television’s Betty Liu, El-Erian estimated the chance of another recession as at least one-in-three, and possibly as high as one-in-two.

“The downside risk is increasing,” El-Erian, whose company manages a portfolio of over $1 trillion, told Bloomberg. “Now, there is going to be even more attention on what President Obama will say on Thursday. It's a critical speech."

http://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Pimco-El-Erian-US-Economy/2011/09/02/id/409598?s=al&promo_code=CF96-1

Kurt & Brenda Warner,Emmitt Smith and Jennie Finch at BOOKENDS

Kurt & Brenda Warner Tuesday, September 6th @ 4:00pm
Former Arizona Cardinals Quarterback, Kurt Warner, and his wife, Brenda Warner, will sign the new book:  One Call Away.  Books available Sept. 6th

Emmitt Smith Tuesday, September 6th @ 6:00pm
Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame Running Back and Dancing with the Stars Champion, Emmit Smith, will sign his new book:  Game On.  Books available Sept. 1st

Jennie Finch Wednesday, Sept. 7th @ 7:00pm
USA Olympic Softball Pitcher, Jennie Finch, will sign her new book:  Throw Like a Girl
Books Available Aug. 29th

Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.Please call the store for details.
 
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ  07450   201-445-0726

State reviews Hackensack University Medical Center’s application to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood,

State reviews Hackensack University Medical Center’s application to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood,

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The state Health Department is asking questions about Hackensack University Medical Center’s application to reopen Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood, including whether a new hospital is needed.

Senior staff members reviewed Hackensack’s 2-inch-thick application for "completeness" and fired back two dozen questions.

One asks Hackensack officials whether anyone has died as a result of the increased travel time from Pascack Valley and Northern Valley towns to emergency rooms at other North Jersey hospitals, and if so, to provide proof that the travel time was a factor.

"Document how many patients have expired as a result of the additional travel times to the other area hospitals," the question says. "Document that it was the additional minutes that led directly to preventable mortality."

http://www.northjersey.com/news/129205858_State_reviews_hospital_bid.html

Mount Carmel's choir conquers Italy

Mount Carmel's choir conquers Italy

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2011  
BY GLORIA GEANNETTE
MANAGING EDITOR
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Choir members from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Ridgewood have just fulfilled what for many had been a lifelong musical and spiritual dream when they sang at a Vatican Mass in July. And it wasn't just any Mass - they actually sang a Sunday Mass at the second most important of St. Peter's 29 altars, in an area not normally open to tourists.

The dream trip started with two choir members, Clare Jordan and Margaret Mullen, who thought a "road trip" to Italy would be just the thing for their group. They had both been to Italy before and wanted to share the food, sights and culture with their choir friends. Their thought was to give guest performances in two churches - one in Florence and one in Venice - with plenty of sightseeing in between.

At first, that seemed enough of a trip, but then Director of Music Peter Sicko decided to write a letter to the Vatican requesting the opportunity to sing at a Mass. With help from Msgr. Ronald Rozniak (Father Ron), Sicko composed what must have been a compelling letter, because the request was approved.

"We had asked for a relatively minor Mass on a Saturday evening," recalled Sicko, who is still overwhelmed by what they actually accomplished. Along with Connie Arcilla, the choir's conductor, he worked hard to prepare the group for their once-in-a-lifetime performance.

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/127571093_Mount_Carmel_s_choir_conquers_Italy.html

More North Jersey schools imposing strict academic standards on student athletes

More North Jersey schools imposing strict academic standards on student athletes

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011
BY ANDREA ALEXANDER
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Teaneck students will soon be required to meet a higher bar in the classroom if they want to compete on the field.

By the 2014-15 school year, they will be required to maintain a 2.5 grade-point average — typically somewhere between a C plus and B minus — to play sports under a new policy that gradually raises the eligibility standard.

When school starts this week, students will have to maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA to participate in sports. In the 2012-13 school year students will have to maintain a 2.3 GPA. Under the district's previous policy, students were required to have a 2.0 GPA during the previous marking period to play sports.

The new policy may set the strictest eligibility standard in North Jersey.

Most school districts, including Wayne, Ridgewood, Bergenfield and Paramus, follow the minimum requirement set by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. The NJSIAA requires that students stay on target to have the necessary number of credits to graduate set by state regulations. Under the NJSIAA standard, a student could be passing classes with a D average and be eligible to play sports.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/129205863_LOCAL_ISSUE__High_school_student_athletes.html