Tuesday, May 21, 2013
County report says historic oak tree is a safety risk
An online petition seeking to halt a plan to chop down a centuries-old oak tree at Cedar Lane and Palisade Avenue has gained about two dozen signatures since it was launched Monday. The petition was formed following a report that county officials were set to remove the oak by Memorial Day because of a tree expert's report citing safety concerns. "We, concerned residents and former residents, demand that the demolition be halted and postponed while outside, independent tree specialists are brought in to offer their opinions on the tree's health and likelihood that it poses a threat to the community's safety," the petition, posted on change.org, states. Jeanne Baratta, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan's chief of staff, told Patch on …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Federal government had the program closed last year after higher-than-anticipated death rates and reports of kidney failure, according to northjersey.com
A year after the federal government shut it down, Hackensack University Medical Center has reopened its kidney transplant center. Medicare shut the kidney center down last year after higher-than-anticipated rates of death and kidney failure. According to a report on northjersey.com, the hospital has brought aboard a new head of surgery, additional surgeons, and upgraded its evaluation systems to spot potential problems. Some staff will also have backgrounds in cardiology and endocrinology, the report noted. Per the report, the first-year survival rate for patients who received a transplant between Jan. 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011 was 90.5 percent, under the 96 percent rate expected. Hackensack University Medical Center is the only hospital …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
HUMC-Pascack Valley CEO Chad Melton wants the hospital to increase bed counts within the next few years, according to northjersey.com. Melton said he doesn't think Bergen competitors will "lose volume" as a result.
With Valley Hospital struggling to modernize its own facilities through a controversial expansion project, a major competitor announced it too has visions of expansion – and it's not even open for business yet. According to a Sunday report on northjersey.com, Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley is optimistic its new facility will drum up enough business to quickly expand. Pascack Valley Hospital declared bankrupcy in 2007 and has been dormant since. “If we truly have the volume here and the support we think, within the next three years we’ll be looking to add inpatient rooms,” Chad Melton, chief executive of the 128-bed hospital, told the news website. HUMC-Pascack Valley, scheduled to open June 1, is the first for-…
Friday, May 17, 2013
Tree expert’s report points to safety hazard from Cedar Lane oak.
A centuries old oak tree in Teaneck that residents have long fought to preserve will be chopped down after a tree expert determined the oak presented a "real hazard to people and property," a county official confirmed Friday. The tree, which is maintained by the county, is set to be removed by Memorial Day, said Jeanne Baratta, chief of staff at the Bergen County Executive's Office. County officials briefed various Teaneck stakeholders on the situation earlier Friday. "The county did a lot of due diligence on this," Baratta said. "This is a safety issue. The tree has severe decay." Baratta said the tree is largely hollow, attracting termites and officials are concerned it could come down in a major storm. An initial review suggested the …
Cleanups planned around Teaneck Saturday and Sunday
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, May 17
Teaneck will host its "Clean and Green" clean-up event Saturday and Sunday at various locations around the township. Full details are available in the poster above.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
New Jersey's only female governor spoke at the Bergen County Women's Republican Club's 90th anniversary celebration.
Former Gov. Christie Todd Whitman urged attendees at the Bergen County Women's Republican Club's 90th anniversary celebration Wednesday to vote for minorities, women and Gov. Chris Christie. "We need people with different life experiences, with different ways of thinking, to be at that [decision-making] table," Whitman said during her keynote address at Seasons in Washington Township. Whitman, New Jersey's first and only female governor, said she supported more women and citizens from minority groups running for office and also voiced support for Governor Christie in his run for re-election against Democrat Sen. Barbara Buono. Whitman pointed to Christie’s willingness to work across party lines. "We really can set the pace for the nation…
Public works crews to plant trees in township park
- GOVERNMENT
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Thursday, May 16
The following announcement was submitted by the Shade Tree Advisory Board: Teaneck will be celebrating its Arbor Day on Sunday, May 19 from noon to 1 p.m. at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park (behind the police station). The Teaneck Shade Tree Advisory Board has arranged for two Eastern Red Cedars to be planted by the DPW. There will be nature crafts for children and free tree seedlings to take home. Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin and Township Engineer Chuck McKearnin will be speaking, as well as Shade Tree Advisory Board Chair, Roby Langert. Street parking is available on Merrison Street, also in the municipal complex parking lot.
The state urges customers to consult the database before buying a car
The State Motor Vehicle Commission and Division of Consumer Affairs are urging all customers to consult their database of flood and salvage-titled vehicles before purchasing a car. That database now provides information on 31,000 such vehicles, the State MVC announced on Wednesday. It isn't illegal to sell vehicles with flood or salvaged titles. However, there are specific requirements that ensure potential purchasers are aware of the status of such vehicles, according to the MVC. “Damage sustained by vehicles must be disclosed to prospective buyers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We will hold car dealers accountable for violating our Consumer Fraud Act if they fail to make such disclosures.” The database was established in …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Christie administration wants $164 million in affordable-housing funds to help balance state budget
Municipalities have won yet another reprieve from having to give more than $164 million in affordable-housing funds to New Jersey. A state appeals court panel late Monday issued a temporary injunction to stop the state from taking the money to help balance its budget. The Appellate Division of Superior Court issued a stayof the state Council on Affordable Housing’s attempt to seize municipal affordable housing trust fund money that has gone unspent for more than four years. Judge Jose L. Fuentes, who signed the order, set oral arguments for June 5 in Newark. Read more at NJSpotlight.com NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Housing advocates address funding gap in post-hurricane aid for displaced tenants
New Jersey renters affected by Hurricane Sandy are faring far worse than their homeowner counterparts. That’s the conclusion of a report released yesterday by the Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC), a public interest organization devoted to protecting the housing rights of the state’s poor. Citing an already prohibitive vacancy rate and accusing Governor Chris Christie’s administration of “exclud(ing) many low-income renters from rebuilding” by allocating fewer federal dollars to renters than to homeowners, the organization warns that the market and the governor’s policies could force renters to permanently move out of their communities or even leave the state. With approximately half of displaced renters being African-American or Hispanic, …
Jeanette L
12:07 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
One thing that is always forgotten is, what insurance company will be paying for the more expensive private rooms? Especially after Obamacare comes into fruition next year? Will only the wealthy be able to afford the expensive insurance that will be needed to stay in a private room? The largest reason in our country for bankruptcies is paying for the high cost of medical care. What happens to the… more ›