17Dec 2012 by CJ

Superintendent of schools should be ashamed of herself

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
Our local newspaper recently ran a story on the front page headlined, "Superintendent gets $45K bonus". I’ve called the township of Lyndhurst, NJ home for over three decades. In that time I’ve seen some pretty interesting things when it comes to the political and educational forces controlling the town. The items below ranks right up there. I suspect I’m not alone when I say that Lyndhurst’s school superintendent, Tracey Marinelli, should be ashamed of herself - as should the Board of Education who’s supposed to serve the students before lining the pockets of its staff. As the husband of a Bergen County educator, I am not naïve to the workings of a public school system and the strains recently put on it under the leadership of Governor Christie. However, innovative…
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14Dec 2012 by CJ

Sandy Hook Elementary School Victims – our hearts are with you

Information & Education, Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost loved ones at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut today. My wife is a school teacher and I’d be a liar to say that every time I hear the mention of a school shooting, I cringe. I cannot imagine what those who lost someone near and dear to them must be going through – at Christmas time no less. What a truly senseless tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. If the shooter wanted to take his own life, he certainly didn’t have to take anyone else’s in the process. This horrific crime just reinforces why it is so very important to live each and every day to the fullest. When you go home tonight, wrap…
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14Dec 2012 by CJ

Parking ticket – my mistake and lesson learned

Life & Living
The other night, while visiting a friend in the hospital, I decided to park on the street – refusing to pay their $6 parking garage fee. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t notice the bus stop sign near the edge of my back bumper and got a parking ticket. Now it’s been a while since I’ve taken a driver’s ed class, but my wife (the rule keeper in life) assures me that parking in front of a bus stop sign (not a booth) is in fact an offense. And so as you might have guessed, I was greeted with a ticket when I returned to my car. Normally, I would try and argue my way out of it with a well crafted letter – with some success I might add. But…
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14Dec 2012 by CJ

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander

Information & Education, Life & Living
Human beings amuse me at times - okay, many times. And sometimes, I find there's nothing more profound than the old adage, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander". How often have you witnessed a shocked reaction over your disrespectful behavior from either a parent, employer or spouse, and wondered why they were so surprised by your public display? I say this because many times human beings are only emulating what they see and hear from the people they spend a great deal of time with. After all, if your behaviors are regularly deemed “acceptable,” then why wouldn’t they be acceptable for everyone else, right? I’ll tell you why, because many times their actions are NOT acceptable behaviors in society, just for themselves. Funny how they’ll never…
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13Dec 2012 by CJ

Seize those precious moments before you find yourself out of time

Life & Living
I just found out that a dear friend I used to work with and still keep in contact has fallen ill, and ultimately may need treatments in order to combat what ails her. It's during times like these when you realize how those precious moments in life mean so much. It was a phone call you never expect to get, and certainly never want to hear of someone that you care about. But the reality of life is that few of us are spared the trials and tribulations so often associated with our existence here on this earth. You just wish it didn’t have to happen to people who spend most of their lives giving to others, unconditionally, in one way or another. I came across this very timely passage…
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