Archive for November, 2011

TRENTON – The Senate Transportation Committee approved legislation sponsored by state Senators Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union) and Jeff Van Drew (Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic) aimed at reducing wait times at Motor Vehicle Commission sites. »

TRENTON – Legislation that would allow retailers to offer rebates and promotions for purchasing gasoline was approved Monday by a Senate panel. »

CLARK-Jacquelena Grigoli’s kindergarten class at Valley Road School in Clark recently learned about pizza making as part of a larger learning project. Under the direction of her supervisor, Janeen Allmendinger, and her principal, Joseph Beltramba, Grigoli initiated a Thanks-Sharing project, where children invited into class things or people for which they are thankful. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: Nearly 50 countries that trade in high-priced Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna agreed Saturday to transform an archaic paper-based method for tracking fish into a digitalized system that officials say will make it harder for fleets to smuggle plundered bluefin into market. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: For the last three presidential elections, mega bundler Rudy Boschwitz has helped raise millions of dollars for Republicans running for the White House. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: One of the reasons why Congress has been largely unable to make the American health care system more efficient and equitable is because of the stranglehold lobbyists for special interests have on the institution. »

From The Center for Public Integrity: On her website, Rep. Diane Black asks constituents to join advisory panels in her Tennessee district. “I believe the best ideas to solve our nation’s problems will come from people like you,” Black writes, “not Washington bureaucrats and special interest groups.” »

Investigative Report From New Jersey Watchdog (reprinted with permission of NewJerseyWatchdog.org): Forty-four of New Jersey’s top county cops are double-dipping from public coffers, pocketing millions in pension cash on top of their regular salaries. »

Investigative Report by Mark Lagerkvist, reprinted with permission from New Jersey Watchdog.org: One of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s key advisers has received three golden parachutes from taxpayers during the past nine years. »

CLARK -- The Clark Public Library was one of five recipients of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) Book Award Collection. The collection was awarded based on a competitive grant process. »

Nothing aches like having to watch the suffering of a newborn child. The pain as a parent, as a sibling, even as an attending physician, defies description. When something simple can be done that averts that kind of suffering, it needs to occur. »

Reaching your 70th birthday is cause for celebration. But thanks to our quirky tax code, a potentially more important milestone arrives six months later. IRS rules say that you must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your IRAs and other tax-deferred retirement accounts beginning in the year you reach age 70 ½. »

ROSELLE – Last month, the Roselle Board of Education unanimously appointed Dr. Kevin West as the district’s new Superintendent of Schools. »

CLARK -- Valley Road School kindergarten students from Mrs. Sakowski's class are using iPads in a new way to learn basic skills. Mrs. Wilkinson was working with these students on matching items with the same beginning sound. »

CLARK – The Clark Township Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. tonight at 315 Westfield Avenue, Clark. »

RAHWAY -- Everyone is all smiles after cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of The Cardiovascular Lab at Robert Wood Johnson Rahway. The Nov. 10 event marked the re-opening of the cardiac catheterization program begun in 1997. »

RAHWAY -- Are you smarter than a third grader? That was the question students from Laura Lopez’s third grade class at Franklin Elementary School in Rahway intended to answer when they invited parents and relatives to compete in a fun game show-style challenge. »

TRENTON – Today, Assembly committees will consider legislation intended to help create jobs and economic development, help families pay for college, improve coastal evacuations, help residents combat mold that can occur after flooding, improve fire safety in new homes and protect against abuse of common cold and cough medicines. »

CLARK - Help check out hunger this holiday season with donations to a food drive being sponsored by the Union County public libraries. »

Dear EarthTalk: How clear (or not) are the links between the rising incidents of cancers around the world and the prevalence of synthetic chemicals in modern society? -- Alberto Buono, Lee, MA »