Teaneck Progress

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T09:51:00.002-05:00

Due to an increase in the volume of commercial spam and cyberbullying, we've been forced to turn on comment moderation. We apologize for any inconvenience. We wish everyone a happy and safe New Year.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T17:06:00.002-05:00

From the rest of us...

How to Assess Alternate Fire Department Options

2009-12-22T13:34:00.005-05:00

As a follow-up to the last thread, here’s how I think the town should weigh possible the options for restructuring the Fire Department. If the town was unwilling to pay a consultant to do the work, it could be done in-house or by a committee of volunteers, although the quality of the final product might not be as reliable:

Prepare a Comparative Financial Analysis. How much does it cost per capita? What are the components of the Fire Department budget? How do Teaneck’s per capita costs compare with other localities with paid Departments? How much is spent per capita in towns with volunteer departments?
Conduct Background Research on Options. Identify possible models and configurations for restructuring the Fire Department. Identify other comparable communities that have made the switch from paid to volunteer or hybrid systems. Interview municipal staff involved with these transitions. What issues and pitfalls did they confront? How much money was saved by the transition? What type of costs were incurred in the transition process? How long did it take? Can they provide any advice for a community contemplating making the switch?
Identify the Range of Options. For each restructuring option, describe how it would work – how many volunteers would be needed for each option, how many paid staff would remain, how many personnel would be required to be available at Fire Stations at any given time, what would be the chain of command? How would volunteers be alerted of Fires? How would equipment be maintained? How would training be executed? How would new volunteers be recruited?
Prepare Comparative Budgets. Prepare complete budgets for each option including costs for paid personnel, payments for volunteers as appropriate, training, recruitment, fundraising as needed, cost of equipment, etc.
Identify Potential Impacts. Identify impacts that may arise from alternate approaches such as: the potential adverse impact on recruiting for the TVAC, the possible need to consolidate facilities, the impact on response times and risks of property damage, personal injury or fatality, the potential impact on homeowner insurance costs and the cost of liability insurance for the town.
Lay Out the Transition Process and Issues. For each options, lay out the expected transition process, likely timing and identify issues and costs that may arise in transitioning from one system to another.

The conclusion of the report should contain a clear and easy to understand matrix identifying all possible options and comparing them to the status quo. The conclusion should laying out the risks and opportunities and quantify the short and long term costs and potential savings under each option, so that Teaneck’s taxpayers may make a reasonable assessment as to whether to change in the way we handle fire protection.

2009-12-18T23:46:00.000-05:00

North Jersey.com is running a story about a $900,000 Federal grant to hire as many as 6 new firefighters.

Mayor Kevie Feit joined Deputy Mayor Lizette Parker and Councilwomen Barbara Toffler and Monica Honis on Tuesday in supporting the application, saying there is little downside to exploring the option.

Councilmen Adam Gussen, Mohammed Hameeduddin and Elie Katz voted to forgo applying for the money, citing concern that the town would end up on the hook for decades' worth of salaries and benefits for the firefighters once the grant money is expended.

These are exactly the kinds of quick fix remedies that get Teaneck stuck with added expenditures for the long haul. While there may very well be great grants out there that we SHOULD be exploring, I have to wonder how worthwhile it would be to continue funding (with no limit in sight) salaries, pensions, health care and related costs associated with a job that the majority of this State seems just fine getting for free from volunteers.

More on 554 Queen Anne Road...

2009-12-18T10:42:00.004-05:00

Time for a fresh thread on this topic so we can avoid scrolling-related repetitive strain injuries.

Here's a link to today's Record article about the case:

Teaneck zoning board continues hearing on application for Orthodiox Jewish house of worship

Let's continue to keep this discussion non-personal and on-point.

The definition of "is"

2009-12-16T21:50:00.005-05:00

I'm sure those who were not present at tonight's Board of Adjustment meeting are interested in hearing from those who were there.

I was able to attend for about an hour during which time I heard Board members questioning Robert Erlich, the representative from Etz Chaim. My impression was that Erlich was designated as their spokesman because he has a singular talent for answering questions in a oblique Clintonesque manner that provided non-answers that had answer-like qualities.

A great deal of attention was paid to the question of parking. Erlich made the highly dubious suggestion that the group would meet their off street parking requirements through the use of several parking lots more than four blocks away including the municipal parking lot in DeGraw which is at least a half a mile away.

The key question that members of the Board and the public were trying to tease out was how this building be used if the variance was granted, as the congregation grows and how a more intensive use of the property might impact the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhood. Frustratingly, Mr. Erlich scrupulously avoided answering any question about future growth plans for the congregation.

I left at about 9 and would love to hear from those who stayed later.

Showtime

2009-12-16T09:35:00.003-05:00

Whether or not you have have a dog in this fight, it's showtime tonight at 7 at BF.

Here's an excerpt from a comment in yesterday's thread by "Hopeful" that I appreciated:

"It appears that there are many here who believe the end justifies the means.

...I live close enough to the shul that I have followed this debate very closely (hopefully with an open mind) for the last two years. I have listened to both sides and I keep coming to the same conclusion. No matter how much everyone tries to deny it, it does matter that the originial usage of the addition was misrepresented. Zoning laws do matter. If the variances are approved it will set a terrible precedence. What's to stop others from using the same chicanery in order to circumvent our zoning laws? Why have zoning laws at all?

I am not Orthodox (or Jewish for that matter) but recognize that Teaneck is an increasingly Orthodox town and accept that the fabric of my neighborhood is changing. But that is another matter that does not have a place in this debate. So my issue is not with the fact that there is a shul going up in my neighborhood but whether we as a community find these deceitful measures acceptable and if we do, will we continue to find it acceptable in the future?...it does matter that this is a religious institution that behaved unethically. As a religious institution they should be held to a higher standard. What hope do we have as a society if we turn a blind eye to these types of transgressions - especially from our religious leaders? What kind of example does this set for out children?

Here's a link to an article about the controversy in today's Record:

Teaneck zoning board to hear petition for Orthodox Jewish house of worship

Board of Adjustment Meeting for Toras Chesed Property

2009-12-14T15:06:00.007-05:00

At 7 PM on December 16th, the Board of Adjustment will meet to discuss 554 Queen Anne Road at the auditorium of Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Here's an excerpt from an email that I recieved about the meeting from people who believe that this group is setting a dangerous precedent of disregarding zoning laws:

"The addition to this residential site was built under the premise that it would be used as a “Family Room”. The synagogue using this site as a place of worship has finally acknowledged that although their original application was for a “Family Room”, indeed a congregation has been established. They have requested several variances in order to comply with regulations that may have an effect on neighboring blocks.

Our town has rules for all groups who wish to establish places of worship.

Join your neighbors who support the rule of law in this, and in all such situations.
Ask our representatives to insure that all groups applying for the establishment of places of worship follow the law.

Detailed information available here.

If the Board of Adjustment approves this application, a precedent will be established to bypass our town’s rules and procedures.

YOUR VOICE IS IMPORTANT!"

I think the town is going to have to capitulate to this group to avoid a lawsuit. Once this group wins, others will probably follow and the character of our residential neighborhoods will eventually change. For some, the change is acceptable, or even welcome. For others it is unacceptable. I am in the latter camp.

TEANECK POLICE INFORMATION: Acts of Vandalism

2009-12-13T00:32:00.001-05:00

The Teaneck Police Department is currently investigating a series of incidents (8) of vandalism to vehicles and houses over the past month. An unknown person(s) have been shooting out car windows and shooting at house windows using a BB gun type weapon. These acts have been occurring during the late night/early morning hours (11pm-3am) throughout the Township. At this time we believe the incidents are random acts. There has been a report of a car fleeing the area of the last incident but no description was available. There have been no reported descriptions of any suspects, so far. At this time we ask the Teaneck Community to be on the look out for any suspicious activity that might lead the identification and arrest of these persons. If you have any information we ask that you call the Teaneck Police Department Detective Bureau at 201-837-2565 or email me at mfalvey@teaneckpolice.org. A cash reward from Crimestoppers is available also for information leading to an arrest in this case up to $1,000. Of course if you see something suspicious, please call 911 immediately.

LT. Michael Falvey #205

Teaneck Smells Like Roses (Relative to our Peers)

2009-12-01T22:02:00.006-05:00

Here's an excerpt from an article in today's Record about a NJ State investigative report on municipal employee perks. Teaneck is specifically cited in the report for putting measures into place to reign in the perks.

Scathing N.J. report details millions of taxpayer dollars spent on municipal employee perks

[Excerpt] Hundreds of North Jersey municipal employees are guaranteed paid time off — at taxpayers’ expense — to go Christmas shopping, attend weddings, and even donate blood, according to a scathing report released Tuesday by the State Commission of Investigation.

The 108-page report examined a cross-section of local government contracts and policies across the state, finding that tens of millions in taxpayer dollars are being wasted to fund luxurious benefits for municipal employees.

Among North Jersey’s biggest offenders are Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners, which each doled out massive lump-sum cash payouts for unused sick time and personal and vacation leave. Several other towns, including Englewood and Paterson, were cited for shelling out “exceptional perks,” such as paid days off — in addition to regularly allotted vacation and personal time — for getting married or donating blood.

[snip snip]

The state also highlighted towns that had put in place cost-saving measures. Teaneck imposed a sliding scale of caps on sick leave redemptions for various classes of municipal employees.

No employee hired after September 1989 can carry over more than two years’ worth of unused vacation time, and employees are not permitted to cash in on unused leave while actively employed. In 2002, the city discontinued the practice of awarding two extra days off per year to the police and fire chiefs.

“It shows the way Teaneck has tried to conduct business, trying to get the services that the residents are looking for while stretching the tax dollar as far as we can,” said Mayor Kevie Feit.

Video of Corey Booker's Lecture

2009-11-30T16:18:00.003-05:00

Here's a link to the video of Corey Booker's lecture at Congregation Rinat Yisael on November 22nd. It's a terrific talk.

Learning the Metric System

2009-11-24T20:15:00.003-05:00

As well, when the TEDC was asked for evidence of its impact on business in town, Council was told that small businesses do not keep records of increases and decreases in business!! Council wisely discontinued funding.

Having attended the council meeting where this issue was raised, I must sadly vouch for much of what appears in the first sentence quoted above from a previous thread. The TEDC discussion that evening was almost immediately followed by a discussion of TVAC funding, in which a calculation of dollars contributed divided by number of runs was used as a metric. In contrast, no metrics were provided for TEDC spending, even though -- as Esther accurately noted -- there are many metrics that could have, and should have, been available for the Council's use.

I don't know if sentence two is correct. While the Council didn't know this year if the subsidy to TEDC was a justifiable expenditure, the same doubt existed last year and for the past dozen years. The same way we may well have unknowingly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Greenhouse, we may well have done the same on the TEDC, wasting another few hundred thousand over the past dozen years. I don't know for sure, but then again no one does. No one set any metrics and no one monitored the results over time.

While I'm glad that councilmembers are newly discovering the benefits of metrics, it seems to be applied too rarely to the Council's own expenditures. We flushed some $4 million down the toilet on the Cedar Lane Streetscape, a project that appears to have had not a single measurable statistic. We spent double to triple the cost on building (and rebuilding) the headquarters for the Teaneck Police department, including the cost of terraforming Mount Teaneck and then paying to take that down.

We spent the grotesquely obscene amount of $24,000 per year for a website that didn't work too well, and shafted Holy Name Hospital by stiffing them with the bill for a dysfunctional site where we didn't even own our own data. Now we're paying far less money for a far crappier web site that manages to be even worse than the old one. Sure, our crap per dollar ratio is far higher, but that seems to hardly be much of an accomplishment.

We Americans may not take much to the metric system (other than two-liter bottles of soda), but we desperately need to start learning how to use measurable standards to determine if we our Council should go ahead with particular projects. And we need to look back and see if the estimates made up front actually fit the actual numbers down the road.

This is a metric system Teaneck desperately needs to learn.

Alan Sohn

Mayor Cory Booker to speak in Teaneck on Black-Jewish relations

2009-11-19T18:10:00.002-05:00

From the Record:

Mayor of Newark Cory A. Booker will be at Congregation Rinat Yisrael, 389 W. Englewood Ave., Teaneck, addressing: "The Future of Black-Jewish Relations" Sunday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m. The program will be moderated by Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher.

Booker is an electrifying speaker and a nationally acclaimed leader. He became mayor of New Jersey's largest city in 2006. Elected with a clear mandate for change, his administration has been working to realize a positive vision for the city - that of setting a national standard for urban transformation by marshaling resources to achieve security, economic abundance and an environment that is nurturing and empowering for individuals and families.

Read the rest here.

Where's My Stuff?

2009-11-15T11:20:00.003-05:00

Here's a thread to discuss the new, improved Stop and Shop. My random observations:

First, the new logo is a vast improvement over the old one. This may not matter to everybody, but it matters to me.

I think the layout of the store appears more streamlined and less cluttered. The produce department appears to be larger, although it may be an optical illusion.

Initially, I was not happy that they moved everything around but now I think that it's good to shake things up a bit. Being forced to relearn the floorplan of the store may help me to think outside the box about dinner options.

Alas, the cheese department is still lousy.

The most interesting change was the addition of handheld devices to "check-out" as you go. When you get to the cashier, you just pay and you're out the door. I think it's neat, although I wonder how many shoppers might be tempted to commit fraud with these devices.

I'd be interested in other persepctives.

Same Old Same Old

2009-11-13T12:43:00.005-05:00

You may recall that in 2006 the Council retained C3 Company to develop a web site for the town. After the site was rolled out, folks complained 1) that the cost was too much, at $72,000, although, the cost was passed on to Holy Name Hospital, 2) that there was not enough transparency in the selection process, 3) the the web developer was a crony of County political boss Ferriero, 4) the town had no local control over content, in fact after the contract ith C3 was severed, all content was encrypted so the Town has to start over from scratch and 5) that the site was poorly designed and difficult to navigate.

Last year, the town severed ties with C3 and hired independent consultant, Patrick McGilloway to develop a new site for $9,600. At that time, there were a number of discussions on this and other blogs about flaws in the vetting process and questions about how much it costs to develop and maintain a decent township web site.

Roll the clock forward and we're stuck with a sloppy dysfunctional website and a non-responsive contractor. It would appear that in the town's zeal to save money, they entered into a contract without thoroughly vetting the contractor and without thinking about how to negotiate a scope of services that will accommodate not just initial website development, but ongoing maintenance and staff training.

Here's a link to an article from this week's Suburbanite about the current status of this perpetual controversy:

New Web site, same problems

When it was unveiled in March, the township's new Web site was heralded as both cheaper and greatly improved over the previous Web site. But eight months later, the current Web site is haunted by some of the same problems as the discarded one.

At Monday's council meeting, Township Manager William Broughton said he is unable to move forward with phase two of the Web site's development because Patrick McGilloway, the contractor, does not return phone calls and is otherwise difficult to deal with.

"There has been a problem getting the contractor to live up to the obligations and goals of the contract. I am at my wit's end with this individual," Broughton told the council.

McGilloway, whom Broughton identified as a one-person operation, contracted to set up the Web site for a total of $9,600.

Councilwoman Barbara Toffler, who first brought McGilloway to the council's attention after seeing his work on the Montclair Web site, suggested that she join Broughton and township attorney Stanly Turitz in a meeting with McGilloway to redefine the scope of work. Toffler noted that the $9,600 fee was very low.

"I don't think he understood what he was undertaking to do for $9,600," Toffler said.

But Councilman Adam Gussen said that he was not in favor of such a meeting.

"We have a contractor who agrees to do a particular work for a particular dollar amount. Hold the contractor to the contract," he said.

See the rest here.

2009 Teaneck International Film Festival

2009-11-07T18:51:00.044-05:00

Friday, November 20th - Sunday, November 22nd
TIFF Website

Tickets for all programs are available at Brier Rose Books, 450 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, after 12 Noon, Tuesdays through Sundays.

Updates:
Anne Meara will be joining us for the opening night screening of "When the Evening Comes." She'll participate in the talkback following the screening. And congratulations to the filmmakers - "When the Evening Comes" just won a Spirit of Independents award from the Ft. Lauderdale Intl. Film Festival.
Meet Yuta Silverman at "Arranged" Screening, 11/22
Yuta Silverman, on whose experiences the film "Arranged" is loosely based, will participate in a Q&A with Rabbi Lawrence Zierler, following the 10 a.m. screening of "Arranged" at the Jewish Center of Teaneck, 10 a.m. on November 22. The screening is sponsored by the Jewish Center of Teaneck.

All About the Films
Note: Films are in English unless otherwise noted. Many films are unrated; parental caution is advised for certain films, as indicated.

$9.99
Director: Tatia Rosenthal
Screenplay and short story by Etgar Keret
Runtime: 78 minutes
Rated R for language and brief puppet sexuality and nudity
A New Jersey premiere
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer Have you ever wondered “What is the meaning of life? Why do we exist? The answer to this vexing question is now within your reach! You'll find it in a small yet amazing booklet, which will explain, in easy to follow, simple terms your reason for being! The booklet, printed on the finest paper, contains illuminating, exquisite colour pictures, and could be yours for a mere $9.99.” This is the ad that alters the life of the unemployed 28-year-old who still lives at home, Dave Peck. In his struggle to share his find with the world, Dave’s surreal path crosses with those of his unusual neighbors: an old man and his disgruntled guardian angel; a magician in debt; a bewitching woman who likes her men extra smooth; a broken-hearted man who befriends a group of hard partying two-inch tall students; and a little boy who sets his piggy bank free. Their stories are woven together, examining the post-modern meaning of hope. This remarkable film has received critical praise for its “gorgeous moments of animated surrealism and smart moments of emotional truth.” Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter said, “There’s something undeniably hypnotic and bewitching about $9.99, which may be the most unusual movie of 2008.” The film features the voices of Geoffrey Rush and Anthony LaPaglia.

Afghan Star
Director Havana Marking
Runtime: 87 minutes
Screening sponsored by WOW (Wise Older Women)
In Dari, Pashto and English
A New Jersey premiere
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
In Afghanistan you risk your life to sing. After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture has returned to the country - and since 2005, millions are tuning in to Tolo TV’s wildly popular American Idol-style series Afghan Star. Like its Western predecessors, the show features ordinary people competing for a cash prize and record deal. More surprisingly, the contest is open to everyone across the country despite gender, ethnicity or age. Two thousand people audition, including three extremely brave women. And when viewers vote for their favorites via cell phone, it is, for many, their first encounter with the democratic process. Winner of the Directing and Audience Awards in Sundance’s 2009 World Documentary competition, Havana Marking’s timely and moving film follows the dramatic stories of four young finalists - two men and two women - as they hazard everything to become the nation’s favorite performer. By observing the Afghani people's relationship to its pop culture, Afghan Star is the perfect window into a country’s tenuous, ongoing struggle for modernity. What Americans consider frivolous entertainment is downright revolutionary - and more human - in this troubled part of the world.

Against the Current
Director: Peter Callahan
Writer: Peter Callahan
Runtime: 87 minutes
A New Jersey premiere
IMDb - Trailer
Paul Thompson (Joseph Fiennes) is a successful, married 30-something financial writer and a happy, expectant father. But when tragedy strikes, Paul’s world is turned upside down. Five years later, he decides to fulfill his dream by swimming the entire length of the lower Hudson River – all 150 miles of it. He enlists the aid of his best friend Jeff (Justin Kirk) and Liz (Elizabeth Reaser), a woman he meets at a bar, to come along. All three are doing some soul-searching and looking for meaning in their lives. At once tragic and humorous, the film is a compelling and uncompromising exploration of grief, loss and the right to determine one’s own fate, as well as the limits and responsibilities of friendship. The film was shot in sequence along the Hudson River, which serves almost as much as a fourth character, as well as stunning backdrop. Joseph Fiennes did his own swimming for the film. Also notable: a brief cameo by Mary Tyler Moore.

Arranged
Director: Diane Crespo & Stefan C. Schaefer
Writer: Stefan C. Schaefer
Runtime: 90 minutes
Meet Yuta Silverman at the screening
Screening sponsored by Jewish Center of Teaneck

Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
Two young women - one an Orthodox Jew, the other Muslim - meet and become friends as first-year teachers at a public school in Brooklyn. Over the course of the year they learn they share much in common, not least of which is that they are both going through arranged marriages. The story is based loosely on the experiences of Yuta Silverman, an Orthodox Jewish woman from Borough Park, Brooklyn. The film was shot in 17 days on location in Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights and at the Jewish Education Center in Elizabeth, NJ, where Yuta's father is an administrator. Sweet, touching and often funny, the film was praised in New York magazine as a “surprisingly winning indie drama ... the understated, natural performances by leads Zoe Lister-Jones and Francis Benhamou lend the film a sense of intimacy that serves it well."

Azur & Asmar
Director: Michel Ocelot
Writer: Michel Ocelot
Runtime: 99 minutes
Hosted by Bob McGrath
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
Azur and Asmar is the story of two boys raised as brothers. Blonde, blue-eyed, white skinned Azur and black-haired, brown-eyed, dark-skinned Asmar are lovingly cared for by Asmar's gentle mother, who tells them magical stories of her faraway homeland and of beautiful, imprisoned Fairy Djinn waiting to be set free. Time passes, and one day Azur's father, the master of the house, provokes a brutal separation. Azur is sent away to study, while Asmar and his mother are driven out, homeless and penniless. Years later, as a young adult, Azur remains haunted by memories of the sunny land of his nanny, and sets sail south across the high seas to find the country of his dreams. Azur's nanny has become a wealthy merchant and Asmar has grown into a dashing horseman. Reunited but now as adversaries, the two brothers set off on a dangerous quest to find and free the Fairy of the Djinns. Empire Magazine said of this beautiful animated film: “Quite simply, it’s a visual masterpiece that combines cut-outs with CGI and the mesmeric beauty of Islamic art to create a magical world, in which scarlet lions with blue claws and birds with rainbow wings stand between Azur and Asmar, as they try to rescue the Djinn Fairy from her crystal cell.”

Gotta Dance
Director: Dori Berinstein
Writers: Dori Berinstein & Adam Zucker
Runtime: 93 minutes
Screening sponsored by Classic Residence by Hyatt
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
Several members of the NETSational Seniors dancers will be on hand following the screening to answer questions and demonstrate some of their signature moves.

Who says you can’t hip-hop if you’re 80-years-old? Who says your days as an athlete are long gone? Who says you can’t shake things up and light up a jam-packed sports arena with your hot moves and cool attitude? Just because you’re a card-carrying member of AARP, do you have to give up on your dreams? No. You don’t. Absolutely not. GOTTA DANCE chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets, first-ever, senior hip-hop dance team, 12 women and 1 man, all dance team newbies, from auditions through to center court stardom. As smooth dance moves are perfected and performed in front of thousands, aging myths and misperceptions are pulverized. Despite swollen ankles, exhausting rehearsals, personality clashes and seemingly impossible dance steps, the NETSational Senior’s go for it, spreading joy, inspiration and cool dance moves as they hip-hop their way into the hearts of Nets fans and beyond.

Karma Calling
Director: Sarba Das
Writers Sarba Das & Sarthak Das
Runtime: 90 minutes In English and Hindi
Screening sponsored by New Jersey South Asian Independent CineFest
Director Sarba Das will participate in a Q&A following the screening
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
The Audience Award Winner at the recent Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival, posits that when karma calls, you can’t hang up. What happens when a bunch of hapless Hindus from Hoboken get mixed up with an underworld don with connections to an Indian call center? And what happens when a good Jersey girl falls for a smooth operator thousands of miles away? For one thing, the phone keeps ringing. The Raj family is deep in denial about its creeping credit card debt, dodging collection notices and phone calls. When eldest daughter Sonal finally picks up the phone, she meets a call center operator like no other, Rob Roy. Little does she know that he’s oceans away. Her brother Shyam, a college drop out, is too busy dreaming of becoming the next Dr. Dre (peddling his hip-hop album Hapa Means Weed in Japanese) to notice the bills piling up. But romance is in the air for him too, in the form of Radha, a village girl from India, arriving in America to marry a Dollar Store mogul. As for the youngest daughter Jamuna, well, she just wants a Bat Mitzvah. Narrated by award-winning actor Tony Sirico (aka “Paulie Walnuts” of The Sopranos), the film is a snapshot of our hyper-globalized world through the eyes of a Garden state family just trying to get by. It’s a quintessential American tale about unlikely alliances, outsourcing, and outwitting. And at its heart, it is the story of a family learning to live together.

Kid Flix Mix 2009 (Short Films)
The Best of the New York International Children’s Film Festival
Animation - Recommended for ages 3 to 8
Runtime: 65 minutes
Hosted by Bob McGrath of Sesame Street
The world renowned New York International Children’s Film Festival presents this kaleidoscopic collection of the best animated short films from around the world, for ages 3 to 8. The program features musical and narrative works from Sweden, France, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, and offers a spectacular array of traditional, CGI, collage, and stop motion animation styles. Program is in English.

7 Days of the Week Animation, McBride/Cowles, USA, 3 min
Knuffle Bunny Animation, Mo Willems, USA, 8 min
Breaking the Mould Animation, Manley/Paulli, UK, 1 min
The Bridge on the River Zzzeee Animation, Thomas Szabo, France, 5 min
Dinosaur Song Animation, Christian Robinson, USA, 3 min
Hedgehug Animation, Dan Pinto, USA, 5 min
Horsie Animation, Sarah Wahl, Finland, 2 min
The New Species Animation, Evalds Lacis, Latvia, 10 min
No Monkey Animation, Harry Flosser, Germany, 4 min
Sooner or Later Animation, Jadwiga Krystyna Kowalska, 5 min
Spot and Splodge in Snowstorm Animation, Geffenblad, Sweden, 8 min
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Animation, Konstantin Bronzit, USA, 10 min

… and more!

Pressure Cooker
Directors: Jennifer Grausman & Mark Becker
Runtime: 99 minutes
Screening sponsored by Whole Foods Market
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
In this compelling documentary, three seniors at Philadelphia's Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in the kitchen of Wilma Stephenson. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson's hilariously blunt boot-camp method of teaching Culinary Arts is validated by years of scholarship success. Against the backdrop of the row homes of working-class Philadelphia, she has helped countless students reach the top culinary schools in the country. And under her fierce direction, the usual distractions of high school are swept aside as Erica, Dudley and Fatoumata prepare to achieve beyond what anyone else expects of them.

Prince of Broadway
Director: Sean Baker
Writers: Sean Baker & Darren Dean
Runtime: 100 minutes
A New Jersey premiere
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
This film tells the story of Lucky and Levon, two men whose lives converge in the underbelly of New York's wholesale fashion district. Lucky, an illegal immigrant from Ghana, makes ends meet by soliciting shoppers on the street with knock-off brand merchandise. Levon, an Armenian-Lebanese immigrant, operates an illegal storefront with a concealed back room where counterfeit goods are showcased to interested shoppers. Lucky's world is suddenly turned upside down when a child is thrust into his life by a woman who insists the toddler is his son. While Lucky copes with his new domestic dilemma, Levon struggles to save a marriage that is falling apart. The seedy side of the wholesale district is revealed through a journey that continually confronts the interplay between what is fake and what is real. The film – written after extensive discussions and improvisations with members of the subculture it depicts – is as much a brutal drama as it is a tender comedy. It is fast-paced and gritty, peppered liberally with street language. Definitely not for children.

Treeless Mountain
Director So Yong Kim
Writer: So Yong Kim
Runtime: 89 minutes
IMDb - Trailer
When their mother needs to leave in order to find their estranged father, six-year-old Jin and her younger sister, Bin, are left to live with their Big Aunt for the summer. With only a small piggy bank and their mother’s promise to return when it is full, the two young girls are forced to acclimate to changes in their family life. Counting the days, and the coins, the two bright-eyed young girls eagerly anticipate their mother’s homecoming. But when the bank fills up, and with their mother still not back, Big Aunt decides that she can no longer tend to the children. Taken to live on their grandparent’s farm, it is here that Jin comes to learn the importance of family bonds in this beautiful, meditative, and thought-provoking film. Variety’s Robert Koehler said of Kim’s film: “drawing out beautifully natural performances from her child actors, Kim has a distinct way of letting her camera observe her characters with kind thoughtfulness, allowing for a quiet mood to wash over the scenes.”

When the Evening Comes
Director: Craig Geraghty
Writer: Leo Marinello
Starring Philip Bosco and Anne Meara
Runtime: 74 minutes
Opening night kickoff party & film
Discussion with director Craig Geraghty and actor Philip Bosco and Anne Meara to follow the screening
The screening will benefit the Villa Marie Claire Hospice
IMDb
Charlie Corrado is pushing forty and still lives with his grandparents, Martin and Marion Corrado. Charlie is a “successful” Manhattan attorney, who also works in his grandfather's florist in College Point, where he will always be known as Martin's “delivery boy.” Marion envisions her grandson as a second chance to right the wrongs she made with Charlie's mother. Marion also recognizes a parallel between Charlie’s relationship with his girlfriend, Katharine, and her own marriage to Martin, and Marion does not like what she sees. When Charlie is forced to deal with the inevitable realities of the adult world, his life takes unexpected turns, and Charlie takes his turn at life. Philip Bosco and Anne Meara are outstanding as the long-married grandparents.

Youssou N’dour: I Bring What I Love
Director & producer: Chai Vasarhelyi
Run time: 102 minutes
Film sponsored by Bergen County Links
Rated PG
Q&A with Chai Vasarhelyi will follow the screening
Official Site - IMDb - Trailer
This is an uplifting, music-driven journey into the power of one man’s voice to inspire millions. The film unfolds an extraordinary moment in the life of Youssou N’dour - the best selling and influential African pop artist. The Grammy Award winning cultural ambassador has long been renowned for bringing people of diverse nations and backgrounds together through his collaborations with such musical superstars as Bono, Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel –and for rousing global audiences with his honey-like voice, electrifying rhythms and impossibly catchy melodies. But when he releases his most daringly personal and spiritual album yet, N’dour instead rocks his Muslim fans in Africa. Now, even as he garners accolades in the West, N’dour must brave controversy and rejection at home as he sets out to win his audience back Director Chai Vasarhelyi tracks N’dour’s emotional journey over two years – filming his ever-shifting life in Africa, Europe, and America. The portrait is not just of an incomparable musician turning his spiritual quest into art, but also that of a brave new world in which pop culture now has equal power to incite fury and invite new connections.

IT'S ELECTION DAY

2009-11-03T08:58:00.007-05:00

For those of you that have ditched the house line, chucked the mailings and fast-forwarded through the seemingly endless array of negative ads, I wanted to remind you that it's election day.

Make sure you get out there and VOTE!

Looks like challenger Chris Christie has beaten Gov. Corzine.
(numbers updated)
According to the NYTimes in Bergen County:
46% voted for Christie
49% voted for Corzine
5% voted for Daggett

Veteran's Day Observance

2009-11-02T09:19:00.003-05:00

The following is from Lenny Hennig (via Karin). I don't have all the facts so I can't comment on what's going on here. Perhaps someone from inside the "beltway" can explain what's going on.

WHAT IS GOING ON IN TEANECK MAYOR FEIT??
*****************************************

Please join the members of the Teaneck Veterans of Foreign Wars #1429 and the Veterans of American Legion #128 as we march this coming Veterans Day, November 11, 2009. We will depart from the American Legion / VFW Post (650 American Legion Drive, Teaneck) and travel East on Cedar Lane to the Memorial Monument located on the Municipal Green.

The purpose of this march is to call attention to Mayor Feit and the Teaneck Town Council’s lack of Veteran’s Day observance this year. As of Thursday, October 29th, no plans had been set forth by Mayor Feit and Council to acknowledge the sacrifices of the men and women who proudly serve this country.

Each year, myself, and many residents and families residing in Teaneck, attend the Veteran’s Day ceremony to pay tribute to, honor, and respect these men and women who dedicate their lives to protect our Nation. For Raphael Baez and Steven David (two Teaneck veterans who just returned from Iraq), Veteran’s Day 2009 will not exist in Teaneck. If we left it up to Mayor Feit and some council members, these two men would have to travel to another town to observe Veteran’s Day. Is that how Mayor Feit and some of the Teaneck Council feel these service men should be thanked and welcomed home? As Commander of the Teaneck Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1429, I feel it is a sad day for the citizens of the Township of Teaneck, a place my family has called home for 32 years.

It was also apparent that July 4, 2009 was not important to observe this year either. Without asking for any input from their own Patriotic Observance Advisory Board, they cut the much needed funding for the successful operation of Teaneck’s very popular, Fourth of July festivities. There were also plans at one point to change the date of the July 4th town celebrations to July 3rd. It is important to note that just Lou Tiboldo (Patriotic Observance Advisory Board Chairman) began planning the 2009 July 4th parade the same way he had done for the past thirty-five years; one year in advance.

In addition to the above mentioned reasons, Mayor Feit’s lack of attendance at this past Memorial Day ceremony and his recent forced resignation of Lou Tiboldo as Patriotic Observance chairman (after thirty-five years of dedicated service to Teaneck), shows Teaneck that certain time-honored traditions, and countless years of service by Teaneck residents, are no longer valued by the leaders of the Teaneck community.

Once again, I ask that you join in our support as we continue to honor and pay respect to the men, women, and events that have made America “the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave”.

November 11, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.- American Legion/VFW Post, 650 American Legion Drive (across the street from Stop and Shop)

We pause for a message from the TPD

2009-10-28T14:04:00.002-04:00

Due directly to community involvement, the Teaneck Police Department has made an arrest in a recent case involving persons soliciting for magazines subscriptions. These incidents have occurred (throughout the Township) where, persons going door to door soliciting for magazines, have attempted to commit burglaries to homes. Although an arrest has been made, we ask that all residents of Teaneck be alert for any suspicious activity and immediately call 911 if someone comes to your door selling magazine subscriptions. Solicitors in Teaneck must have a permit issued by the Township and these persons did not have the required permits. If you have any questions or information we ask that you call the Teaneck Police Department Burglary Unit at 201-837-8759 or email at: mfalvey@teaneckpolice.org

Guess they didn't see how many gun owners we have in Teaneck. Have you had door to door salespeople come around? If so, when and in what areas of town?

Shared Services: A Pipe Dream?

2009-10-27T13:11:00.002-04:00

Reader Henry Frisch suggested that I post a link to this relevent article about the prospects for merging municipal services written by his son Avi for New Jersey Newsroom. The following is the first half of the article. You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Majority of New Jerseyans support school and municipal mergers, but don't bet the house

As many know (though some vehemently deny for various reasons), New Jersey has an inordinate number of municipalities, each providing its own set of services replicating those of all the others with absolutely no economies of scale.

This Jersey system of political economy is generally perceived to be anything but cost-effective. New Jersey taxpayers certainly pay for redundant services, many of which could be provided more cheaply if done on a broader basis, say, of a county.

Interestingly, the consolidation of services is broadly popular as a theoretical proposition. As noted recently in a Quinnipiac poll, New Jerseyans support school district and municipal mergers by a margin of 65-28 percent. The devil, however, is, as always, in the details.

One major area of concern is public education, which is far and away the largest single expense for most New Jersey municipalities. The legislature spent time on reform of educational districts in 2006, when it met in special session to deal with property tax reform.
Little appears to have been accomplished, though the legislature did attempt to create a pilot program to study countywide school districts. Local opposition derailed the pilot project, however.

As it happens, current law allows for merger of school districts, but the school boards of each district and a majority of voters in each municipality must vote to approve any merger.

Currently, there is neither an incentive for individual school boards to vote themselves out of existence, nor a sufficient framework for large-scale mergers of school districts (essentially, the law allows individual districts to negotiate mergers that would then be subject to voter approval in each municipality, but no system for countywide or truly regional districts).

While the procedure for any merger is technically simple, the logistics would be a nightmare, what with all sorts of entrenched interests fighting every move along the way.

More here.

Something for Everyone

2009-10-23T19:37:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday, October 28th at about 1:45, members of the Westboro Baptist Church will arrive in Teaneck to picket the offices of the Jewish Standard at 1086 Teaneck Road.

For those who don't know, these are the folks who brings signs that read "God Hates Fags" to the funerals of U.S. soldiers killed in action.

They also apparently don't think highly of Jews. Their visit to Teaneck will be part of two day anti-semitic junket through New Jersey making stops in New Brunswick, Elizabeth, West Orange, Hoboken and Paramus. Here's the webpage listing their upcoming itinerary (warning: the page contains ugly rhetoric. View at your own risk.)

Below is a music video produced by the Westboro Baptist Church that is both scary and hysterically funny at the same time.

I'm not sure what type of response is appropriate. Suggestions?

Update: Here's a link to the detailed Wikipedia description of these folks. Also here's an amusing parody: the Eastboro Baptist Church

Walking and Biking Around Town

2009-10-22T11:26:00.007-04:00

Teaneck is a great pedestrian town. We've got sidewalks almost everywhere and retail and recreational destinations within walking distances from all neighborhoods.

It's not a terrific bicycling town though. Aside from the problem of traffic and aggressive drivers, Teaneck's bicycling limitations are largely attributable to topography, a factor that is difficult to overcome. North/south trips are a breeze while east/west trips can be arduous even for people in superb physical condition like myself.

(wait for laughter to subside)

The reason I bring this up is that Environmental Commission is seeking community input on pedestrian and bicycle needs and safety. Here's what they have to say:

"Attention - those who walk, run or bike around town, whether to shuls, schools or stores, or just for fun, exercise or commuting:

The Township of Teaneck resolved, at its meeting on Oct 13, to direct the Environmental Commission to serve as a Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force in consultation with several other township boards. The goal is to improve current bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and develop a bicycle and pedestrian plan for the township, utilizing available state aid.

Any resident with ideas to be included in this plan and/or suggestions for improvement of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including preferred walking, running or bicycling routes, is encouraged to communicate with the Environmental Commission via the following email address set up for this purpose - TEANECKBP@gmail.com

All relevant suggestions will be given serious consideration.

Harry R. Kissileff, Ph.D.
Chairman, Teaneck Environmental Commission"

The fine line between electioneering and .... oh, who are they kidding?

2009-10-17T21:18:00.000-04:00

So, I'm taking a walk around the vicinity of Lowell School and noticed a new sign out front.

According to the NJ School Development Authority, Lowell Elementary has 4 SDA Grants.

One of them, entitled "Renovations to existing facility" is listed as completed and the three others, "Wide Area Network Upgrade", "Partial roof replacement" and "Roof replacement" are listed as Executed.

What then could have prompted a new sign showing up all of a sudden? Oh yea - we have an election coming up!!!

or should we just
make that -->

Will the sign be there on election day, so everyone can see Corzine's name before voting?

Does the President coming to town sway your vote at all?

2009-10-15T15:18:00.003-04:00

From CBS News:

Apparently, one Presidential visit may not give Corzine the oomph he needs to get his message to the voters, so according to Rutgers:

[T]he University will see a presidential visit next week before the state’s November gubernatorial election.
Former President Bill Clinton will announce his support Tuesday for Gov. Jon S. Corzine at a campaign event at the University

2009 GUBERNATORIAL RACES: N.J. Gov. Jon Corzine's campaign announced yesterday that President Obama will return to New Jersey to campaign on behalf of Corzine's struggling re-election campaign. Mr. Obama will attend a rally next Wednesday at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck.

Meantime, "The surging campaign of third-party candidate Chris Daggett has turned the New Jersey governor's race into a dead-heat and left Republicans divided over the seriousness of the threat he poses to GOP nominee Chris Christie," reports Politico's Jonathan Martin.

"Daggett, a centrist independent who is currently drawing support in the low double-digits in a series of polls, has been the apparent beneficiary of Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine’s self-funded advertising onslaught against Christie. The result has left the Republican grappling with a two-headed Hydra that could enable a narrow plurality win for the deeply unpopular incumbent.

"Christie, who had been running a traditional anti-incumbent campaign against Corzine, must now reckon with a perennial question faced by candidates who are imperiled by a lesser-known, third-party contender: To attack Daggett is to elevate him, effectively acknowledging that he’s a serious candidate and offering him free publicity. But ignoring him could amount to disregarding the most serious threat to Christie’s campaign, leaving Daggett to siphon away a significant amount of voters who are intent on registering their opposition to Corzine."

A Message from FAB

2009-10-09T09:59:00.001-04:00

Community Meeting – Join Your Friends and Neighbors

OCTOBER 15, 2009

Share your thoughts on raising revenues and cutting costs in preparation for the new budget year.

The Teaneck Financial Advisory Board (FAB)

will hold a meeting on

Thursday, October 15, 2009

7:30 PM

The Rodda Center, 250 Colonial Court

Residents will meet to discuss their ideas on how Teaneck can decrease expenditures and/or increase revenue.

All ideas welcome!!

Discuss the town's financial future and your wallet.

Have you say to help us help ourselves.

For questions, please call 201-837-1600 and press 0

Sponsored by The Financial Advisory Board with approval from

The Teaneck Township Council