Monday, May 14, 2012
With visions of 1994 dancing in metropolitan fans' heads, who do you think will win?
It isn't always pretty. In fact, it rarely is. When the two top ice hockey squads in the New York-New Jersey metro area lace them up, it's always a spectacle. But it's never more so than when the matchups come in the playoffs. Of course, we're talking about the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers (sorry Islanders fans, but the '80s are behind us). The two NHL teams begin their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series Monday night (8; NBC Sports Network) for the right to head to the Stanley Cup Finals. Of course, most fans remember the last time these two faced each other for that right. It was 1994. For Rangers fans, it was the precursor to a fantastic Stanley Cup championship victory over the Vancouver Canucks and the end of …
Polls focus on November as most give challengers in the few primary contests little chance of victory.
Last week brought a number of polls affirming the fickle nature of New Jersey’s electorate and a reminder, despite any lack of enthusiasm, that there is an election in less than a month. Our votes don’t count again this year in presidential balloting as the primary was moved back to June—holding a separate president-only primary in February 2008 cost the state an extra $12 million. Most people don’t seem to care. It’s impossible to imagine anyone but Mitt Romney would have won the Republican primary here, anyway. With everyone else out of the GOP primary, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Public Mind Poll looked ahead to November. It found New Jerseyans giving President Obama a 50 percent approval rating and a 14-point lead over Romney. …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Debate over the three no votes on the budget continues.
Republican Councilman Don Links sent the following letter to Madison Patch saying he was "dismayed" by Democratic council candidate and former Councilwoman Astri Baillie's response to a previous letter sent by Links and Councilman Rob Catalanello saying they voted no on the budget because budget goals weren't met, and raising issues with borough spending while Baillie was on the council. Baillie and her running mate Ben Wolkowitz originally questioned why Links, Catalanello and Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto voted no, saying they had ample time to reach consensus. Baillie's response appears in a Madison Eagle story about the exchange, where she is quoted as saying Links' and Catalanello's letter was an "unseemly partisan attack" on …
A state legislative committee approved a bill this week that would bar the practice.
Can an employer force you to reveal your Facebook or other social media password as a condition for getting hired or keeping your job? That issue began to get some attention in March after a statistician in New York reported that during an interview with a potential employer, the woman interviewing him had searched for his Facebook and, upon discovering that it was private, asked him for the password. The statistician, Justin Bassett refused and left the interview, according to the Associated Press. But the story brought to light other instances where employers have sought similar access to social media accounts, and have led several states to consider legislation to ban the practice. California's assembly voted Thursday to approve such …
Friday, May 4, 2012
In response to release by Democratic candidates, they say they faced other challenges.
The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Borough Councilmen Don Links and Rob Catalanello in response to one submitted by Democratic candidates Astri Baillie and Ben Wolkowitz, which questioned no votes on the budget by the two and Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto. We voted for the introduction of the budget to advance the budget process. The decision was based on the agreement from the Mayor and Borough Administration that we would find adequate savings to accomplish our goals: We voted against the final budget because these goals were not met. For details, please refer to Ms. Tsukamoto’s letter to the editor printed in the May 3, 2012, Madison Eagle. From inception, residents were cautioned that this budget process would be…
Thursday, May 3, 2012
"Budget deliberations began about eight months ago. Shouldn’t they have found common ground by now?" Astri Baillie and Ben Wolkowitz ask in a prepared statement.
The following release submitted by Democratic Borough Council candidates Astri Baillie and Ben Wolkowitz questions the no votes on the budget by Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto and Councilmen Don Links and Rob Catalanello. A response by Links and Catalanello was subsequently sent. In a joint press release on the Madison Borough Council budget vote of 3-3, Astri Baillie and Ben Wolkowitz, candidates for Madison Borough Council, state: “We support the Mayor’s action of breaking the tie vote on the budget at the Council meeting of April 23, but we found the no votes of Council members Tsukomoto, Links and Catalanello disturbing. Budget deliberations began about eight months ago. Shouldn’t they have found common ground by now? Moreover, …
Monday, April 30, 2012
Margaret Nordstrom said to be under consideration for number two spot
They ought to rename the New Jersey Highlands Council the Morris County Freeholder Re-Employment Bureau. The latest rumor is that former freeholder Margaret Nordstrom of Long Valley is in line to become deputy director of the Highlands Council. That spot is open because Tom Borden resigned as a matter of conscience last month when the council ousted Eileen Swan as director in a political move. No one is confirming the rumor yet. Nordstrom did tell The Observer Tribune last month that she is looking for a job within, or with the help of, the administration of Gov. Chris Christie, who lives in Morris. Earlier this year, the state appellate court tossed Nordstrom off the freeholder board, reversing a superior court judge’s earlier order, …
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Light rain didn't deter families or Easter Bunny, Peter Daniele writes.
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Thursday, April 26
Peter Daniele, vice president of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, thanks families, businesses and officials who helped make this year's Easter Fun Fest "a great success," in the following letter. On behalf of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, I would like to thank all of the families who came downtown on Saturday, March 31, to celebrate Easter with all the businesses. Our fifth Easter Fun Fest was a great success thanks to your participation. The morning began with cool temperatures and some light rain, however, that did not discourage the events of the day. Families came and enjoyed exchanging greetings and spending time with the Easter Bunny while collecting Easter eggs around town. Families got to take a chance to win a bicycle supplied …
Monday, April 23, 2012
By the way, there's a nice pension boost in it for Feyl, too.
The appointment of Gene Feyl as executive director of the New Jersey Highlands Council last Thursday accomplished several goals—most of them political, but with a nice personal perk for Feyl. It took Feyl out of contention for another term as a Morris County freeholder, allowing him to land safely—and cozily, with a $116,000 salary almost five times larger than he gets now—without having to worry about a messy primary fight with the conservative team opposing the incumbent Republicans in June. And talk about cozy! Were Feyl to lose a Republican primary fight in June and leave office at the end of the year, he would retire with a maximum annual pension of about $13,300, according to the Retirement Estimate calculation tool on the state …
Monday, April 16, 2012
Most in New Jersey lost that right, but 10 Morris County municipalities are still holding April school elections.
This is a column about how important it is for everyone to go out to the polls tomorrow to vote for candidates for school boards and to vote on local school budgets. But it’s not very relevant for the vast majority of adults in New Jersey because most people will not get the chance to pick candidates or accept or reject the proposed tax bill for their local schools. In Morris County, only 10 municipalities will hold school elections tomorrow, and because some of those towns are in regional districts, it means only eight budgets are up for a vote. (In Patch-covered towns, votes will be held in the School District of the Chathams, the Morris School District, and Mendham Township — that's it). The bill that Gov. Chris Christie signed at the …
Brendan Kuty
1:24 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
NOPE. I'm sticking with Rangers in four. more ›