Thieves Target Chase Bank Customers

Passaic, NJ- Many of us rely heavily on modern technology, to operate within our daily lives. A new scam targeting users of Chase Bank “Text Alerts”, has some Chase customers worried.

Chase Bank offers their customers the option of receiving banking alerts to their cellular phones via text messages. Alerts contain information such as bank withdrawals, bank deposits, and the such.

The Scam: Customers have been receiving text messages stating that due to security implications, their account has temporarily been suspended. In the text message it has the number for Chase, so you can call and reactivate your account. The number which is listed, does not belong to Chase Bank.

When you call the number, a “customer representative” asks you for several forms of identification, to prove its you are the account holder. Once this information has been given, identity theft scamers now have access to your bank account, as well as several other options.

If you think you’ve become a victim of identity theft or fraud, act immediately to minimize the damage to your personal funds and financial accounts, as well as your reputation. Here’s a list  of some actions that you should take right away:

1. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report the situation ( http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/ )
2. By telephone toll-free at 1-877-ID THEFT (877-438-4338) or TDD at 202-326-2502, or
3. By mail to Consumer Response Center, FTC, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.

You may also need to contact other agencies for other types of identity theft:

1. Your local office of the Postal Inspection Service if you suspect that an identity thief has submitted a change-of-address form with the Post Office to redirect your mail, or has used the mail to commit frauds involving your identity;( https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ )
2. The Social Security Administration if you suspect that your Social Security number is being fraudulently used (call 800-269-0271 to report the fraud); ( http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html )
3. The Internal Revenue Service if you suspect the improper use of identification information in connection with tax violations (call 1-800-829-0433 to report the violations).( http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=186436,00.html )

(News Source: PCJN Exclusive)

Paterson, Clifton see surge in robberies

Paterson and Clifton police are continuing to see a surge in robberies, including a half dozen since Friday — two in broad daylight and two at gunpoint.

The victims — three men, a juvenile and two women — were not seriously injured in any of the incidents, police said. It’s unknown if any of the robberies are connected.

In Clifton, a 53-year-old woman was walking on Main Avenue near Park Slope when someone ran up from behind and snatched her purse around 11:15 a.m. Monday, Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said. The robber, described as a young black man wearing a black jacket, black hat and dark pants, fled on foot, police said. The purse contained less than $20 and numerous credit cards.

About a half-hour later, a 12-year-old boy was grabbed from behind and asked if he’d ever been robbed before as he walked passed a used car lot at Lexington Avenue and Van Riper Avenue. The robber, described as an adult Hispanic man in his early 20s, wearing all black clothing, took $5 and a cellphone from the juvenile, who ran to a friend’s house and called police.

“We’ve had a significant amount of robberies this month,” said Rowan, adding that middle-aged men and women had been targets in a string of recent strong-arm robberies. “It’s particularly troublesome when an adult is robbing a kid,” he said.

In Paterson, a waitress on her way home from work around 7 p.m. Friday was robbed of her purse after a brief struggle with a robber on Maryland Avenue, where she was punched in the face, said Lt. Anthony Traina. The robber, a man described as 5 feet 8, dark skin, in his late 20s, wearing dark colored clothes with a hood, fled on foot. The purse, which did not contain any money, was later recovered, said Traina.

Around 11:30 p.m. that evening, a 21-year-old man walking from his girlfriend’s house was robbed by three men in dark clothing, who approached him and told him to get on the ground at 12th Avenue and East 16th Street, Traina said. The victim said one of the men pointed a gun to his head and pistol-whipped him before robbing him of $20, said Traina.

On Sunday, another 21-year-old man was robbed on Governor Street by two men wearing ski masks, who brandished a gun, police said. The men fled with a wallet, which had $20, said Traina.

Shortly after midnight on Monday, a 24-year-old man was robbed by two men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, on Harrison Street and Graham Avenue, said Traina. The robbers got away with $23 and a cellphone, police said. NorthJersey

Clifton Police Officer Was Injured When Route 19 Turns Into A Car Skating Rank

Clifton New Jersey- – Clifton Police got several reports at about 6:45 Pm of several cars spinning out of control near the Broad Street exit on Rt 19. The Clifton officers got on scene and advised their dispatcher that they should call the State to come salt the Highway due to the Highway being like an Ice Skating Rank. Moments after the officer advised the dispatcher of the condition of the Highway another passenger car skid right in to one of the Police cruisers. The police officers car was pushed about 30 feet forward all-though their was very little damage to the vehicles. The Officer was taken to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Passaic by Clifton Fire Dept E.M.S. No one else was reported to have any injuries. The Route 19 Highway was closed down by the Passaic County Sherrifs Dept. untill the salt trucks come to salt the Highway and is safe.P.C.J.N was the first to report this story.

Men’s mikvaot pose health hazard

Dozens of men’s mikvaot (ritual baths) across the nation are a potential health hazard due to poor accessibility, United Hatzalah of Israel, the haredi rapid-response first aid organization, has warned “If, God forbid, there is a major crisis in a mikve, such as a gas explosion, poisoned water or a collapsed roof, I don’t want to think of the consequences,” Hatzalah spokesman Yerach Toker said on Wednesday. Hatzalah volunteers, he said, had routinely run into serious obstacles that slow down first aid crews when responding to emergencies that take place inside men’s mikvaot. The most common emergencies are heart attacks, drownings and slipping accidents, Toker said. Also, the steamy, humid environment occasionally causes dizziness and even a temporary loss of consciousness. Hatzalah crews complain that after arriving on the scene they are often delayed many minutes at the entrance to the mikve by barriers that prevent non-members from getting inside. The most common obstacles are pay-activated or card-activated turnstiles and doors. “Just a few weeks ago a Hatzalah crew was called to evacuate a man from a mikve who complained of chest pains,” Toker said. “But the volunteers were held up close to half an hour. Fearing that he had suffered a heart attack, the man was prevented from walking. But since the only available exit was via a turnstile, it was impossible to remove the man. “An emergency door was blocked by a closet filled with towels and clothes. But even after the things blocking the door were moved, it was impossible to open the locked door. It took another 10 minutes until someone with a key showed up.” Rabbi Menachem Blumenthal, head of the Jerusalem Religious Council’s mikvaot division, who is responsible for 27 men’s mikvaot, said the problems facing first aid organizations were not new. “We are aware of the difficulties in getting in and out of mikvaot that are governed by electronic turnstiles,” he said. “But an adequate solution is provided as long as there is a caretaker with a key to the emergency door on the premises during opening hours.” Blumenthal said while it was commonly believed that hassidim and Sephardim are the primary users of men’s mikvaot, more Lithuanian haredi men have begun using them. Immersing oneself in a mikve before Shaharit (morning prayers) is considered an act of added sanctity and preparation. Streams of Judaism more aware of Kabbala (the mystical, esoteric aspects of Judaism) emphasize the purification process undergone by immersing in a mikve. Jpost.com

N.Y.C. Traffic Alert

N.Y.C. has suspended alternate side parking for tomorrow due to Snow removal. Don’t forget you still have to pay the meter’s. Also tomorrow is a grid lock alert day. Have a wonderful and safe day tomorrow.

77 police officers hurt in Paris riots

AP VILLIERS-LE-BEL, France – Rampaging youths rioted overnight in Paris’ suburbs, hurling Molotov cocktails and setting fire to dozens of cars. At least 77 officers were injured and officers were fired at, a senior police union official said Tuesday.The violence was more intense than during three weeks of rioting in 2005, said the official, Patrice Ribeiro. Police were shot at and are facing “genuine urban guerillas with conventional weapons and hunting weapons,” Ribeiro said.

Some officers were hit by shotgun pellets, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said. She said there were six serious injuries, “people who notably were struck in the face and close to the eyes.”

The riots were triggered by the deaths of two teens killed in a crash with a police patrol car on Sunday in Villiers-le-Bel, a town of public housing blocks home to a mix of Arab, black and white residents in Paris’ northern suburbs.

Residents claimed that officers left the crash scene without helping the teens, whose motorbike collided with the car. Officials cast doubt on the claim, but the internal police oversight agency was investigating.

Youths first rioted Sunday and again overnight Monday to Tuesday, when the violence apparently got worse.

Police barricades were set on fire and youths threw stones and Molotov cocktails at officers, who retaliated with tear gas and rubber bullets. In Villiers-le-Bel and surrounding areas, youths set fire to 36 vehicles, the area’s prefecture said.

Youths were seen firing buckshot at police and reporters. A police union official said a round from a hunting rifle pierced the body armor of one officer who suffered a serious shoulder wound.

Among the buildings targeted by the youths was a library, which was set afire.

In Sunday’s violence, eight people were arrested and 20 police officers were injured — including the town’s police chief, who was attacked in the face when he tried to negotiate with the rioters, police said. One firefighter also was injured.

Residents drew parallels to the 2005 riots, which were prompted by the deaths of two teens electrocuted in a power substation while hiding from police in a suburb northeast of Paris.

A recent study by the state auditor’s office indicated that money poured into poor French suburbs in recent decades had done little to solve problems vividly exposed by the 2005 riots, including discrimination, unemployment and alienation from mainstream society.

___

Recalled Toys still on store shelves in New Jersey

 NEWARK – Investigators from the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs have found toys which were recalled for potential lead contamination on sale in nine stores in New Jersey following statewide inspections conducted within the past week, Attorney General Anne Milgram and Acting Consumer Affairs Director Larry DeMarzo announced today.

Division investigators, working in conjunction with staff from consumer affairs offices in Camden, Cumberland, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Passaic and Union counties, checked whether recalled toys were available for purchase at 160 stores across New Jersey. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has sole authority to order the recall of toys.Consumers who believe a store is selling a voluntarily recalled toy without having public notice posted can call the Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846 (toll-free within New Jersey) or at 973-504-6200

Families of kidnapped Israeli soldiers united in their cause

Shlomo Goldwasser’s voice trembles with a father’s anguish as he talks of his missing son.

“There is no school in the world to teach you what to do when your son is kidnapped,” he says.

 “We’re not the army. We have no weapons. There are no tools in my hand. The only thing we have is our story and I’m using it and going everywhere that I can to raise my voice so people can hear.”

Fifteen months ago, on July 12, 2006, Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, a just-married 31-year-old environmental engineer, had only a few hours left in his month-long tour of duty as an Israeli army reservist when his Humvee was attacked with anti-tank rockets by a squad of Hezbollah guerrillas who had slipped into Israel from Lebanon.

Three Israeli soldiers were killed in the initial attack and Sergeant Goldwasser and another army reservist, Sergeant Eldad Regev, 26, were captured.

Both the Israeli soldiers are believed to have been seriously injured before their Hezbollah attackers kidnapped them and retreated into Lebanon.

When an Israeli tank tried to pursue the Hezbollah guerrillas across the border, it was blown up by a roadside bomb, killing another four Israelis.

Gloating over their assault, Hezbollah spokesmen admitted to holding the two Israeli reservists and said they were taken in order to secure the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel.

But rather than trigger negotiations, the abductions prompted an immediate retaliation from Israel and ignited a 34-day war with Hezbollah that left hundreds dead and injured, thousands homeless and the Middle East boiling with tension.

When the fighting finally ended, with United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 1701 ordering a UN-supervised ceasefire, the world body demanded the “unconditional release of prisoners.”
Udi Goldwasser’s family is still waiting to hear what happened to him.

“We know nothing,” says Mr. Goldwasser, a 60-year-old shipping contractor. “There is no information at all about their condition or anything. No one has visited them, not the Red Cross or any other humanitarian organization. Till now there is no information whatsoever. They don’t let them contact anyone. They isolate them and until now we know nothing about our sons.”

But rather than worry and wait, the Goldwasser and Regev families have joined forces with the relatives of yet another Israeli soldier, 20-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit, who was seized by Hamas and spirited into Gaza just 18 days before the Hezbollah raids that captured Sgt. Goldwasser and Sgt. Regev, to tour the world campaigning for their sons’ release.

“We’ve become one big family,” says Omri Avni, Sgt. Goldwasser’s father-in-law. “It’s quite amazing. It took us a few hours to get organized, But within 48 hours from the abduction of Ehud and Eldad, the three families were together and we’ve been together ever since. We found it very, very effective. You can do more. You can share your work every day. You share your hope. It doesn’t fall on just one man.”

The relatives have launched rallies, distributed petitions, met with world leaders, staged protests and conducted video news conferences all around the globe trying to remind people of their sons’ plight.

They recently staged an International Day of Solidarity with video-linked rallies in 70 cities around the world to mark the 500th day of Cpl. Shalit’s captivity.

Jewish synagogues worldwide have been asked to recite a special prayer for the soldiers’ release and pictures of the three abducted men now hang in Rabin Park in Paris.

Last week, a dozen Arab Israelis joined Cpl. Shalit’s father, Noam Shalit, in a rally for the release of the kidnapped men in the Arab village of Kfar Kassem, at which they pleaded for the kidnappers “to act like human beings” and release the young men.

Mr. Goldwasser, Mr. Avni and Zvi Regev, Sgt. Regev’s father, are in Canada this week to promote their sons’ cause and meet with Members of Parliament in Ottawa. They will speak tonight at the Shaarei Shomayin Congregation at 470 Glencairn Ave. in Toronto

“We can’t lose hope,” Mr. Goldwasser says. “We are travelling all over the world trying to get the fulfilment of UN Resolution 1701. That is a demand to free our sons, unconditionally. We know that they are alive and we want them home.” National Post

2nd car jacking with child in it in New Jersey in 1 day

Camden N.J A 2-year-old girl was recovered unharmed early this evening after she apparently slept through a carjacking and its aftermath in Camden, police said.

The child was still sleeping when her mother’s Toyota Camry was found abandoned 40 minutes later about a half-mile away, police said. The mother, although upset, also was not harmed during the theft, which came several hours after a a gunman carjacked a BMW in Newark this morning and drove away before noticing a three-month-old in the back seat. That child also was unharmed when the thief abandoned the vehicle.

In Camden, the car was forcibly taken at about 4:30 p.m. when the unidentified mother stopped to talk with someone at Mount Ephraim Avenue and Pine Street, police said. No weapon was used during the theft, police said.

The car was recovered shortly after 5 p.m. at 7th and Mount Vernon streets. No one was in custody several hours after the carjacking, police said. NJ.com

Man Lights Cigarette and Catches His Oxygen Tube on Fire

LAKE CARMEL, N.Y. (AP)  — A man hooked to an oxygen tank in his Putnam County home seriously burned his face when he tried to light a cigarette. 

Kent Police say 65-year-old Frank Covone of Lake Carmel is in the Westchester Medical Center burn unit following the
1 p.m. accident at his home on Cottage Road yesterday.

Police Sgt. Ronald Yeager says Covone needs oxygen to breath. He had a tube in his nose when he decided to smoke. The match exploded the oxygen tube.

Yeager says a health aide in the house saw a flash and heard Covone call out. She called 911.

Police Covone’s chair was burned but Lake Carmel firefighters prevented serious damage to the house.

School children will not be able to visit United Nations

Manhattan, NY – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg says he won’t let city school children visit the United Nations building if it doesn’t fix fire safety hazards by March.

“If the United Nations does not adhere to these deadlines, the city will be forced to direct the cessation of all public school visits to the United Nations,” Bloomberg wrote in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The 17-acre compound, has fewer than 20 percent of 866 violations found by city fire officials fixed.
Alicia Barcena, the U.N. undersecretary-general for administration and management, said “We are using money from savings and other budgets,” Barcena said. “We need New York City to feel safe, and we are going to do the best we can.”

Vosizneias.com

Help With Winter Heating Bills Begins; Eligible NJ Residents are Urged to Apply for Assistance

 Cool weather is finally arriving and the heating season has begun. An important energy assistance program is available effective today to help low-income residents pay their heating bills, and all eligible residents are urged to apply. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is federally funded and administered by DCA through select community-based organizations.

The NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and PSE&G, the state’s largest utility, are partnering to get the word out and to encourage residents to fill out an application.

“Fewer than half the eligible families in NJ applied for energy assistance last year,” said Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G president and COO. “PSE&G and the state are working with community leaders and social service agencies state-wide to ensure that individuals learn about and take advantage of this valuable program.”

Applications and assistance will be available at PSE&G Customer Service Centers at various locations around the state. In addition, information about the assistance programs is being posted on bus shelters in Jersey City, Newark, and in Camden County.

“Thanks to Governor Corzine’s leadership and with the continued support of PSE&G, LIHEAP will be run more effectively and efficiently this year,” said DCA Acting Commissioner Joseph Doria. “We urge people to visit their local community action agency or community based organization, or log on to DCA’s website to determine eligibility and get an application.”

The LIHEAP season begins today. Applications may be submitted until March 31. Individuals are urged to apply as soon as possible, as it takes approximately 4-6 weeks to process a properly completed application. The average LIHEAP grant is approximately $400.

A second energy assistance program, the Universal Service Fund (USF), also is available to the low-income community. When consumers apply for LIHEAP, they automatically are applying at the same time for USF. Eligibility for USF is based on income and energy use.

The chart below provides maximum monthly income guideline levels for both LIHEAP and USF.

LIHEAP & USF Maximum Monthly Gross Income Levels for the                          Period of 10/1/07 to 9/30/08

Maximum Gross                      Maximum Gross     Household Size       Monthly Income    Household Size   Monthly Income           1                 $1,489               7              $4,534           2                 $1,997               8              $5,042           3                 $2,504               9              $5,549           4                 $3,012              10              $6,057           5                 $3,519              11              $6,564           6                 $4,027              12              $6,770

Please Note: To determine eligibility for household sizes greater than 12,                      add $135 for each additional member.

The following PSE&G Customer Service Centers will have representatives from community-based organizations (on days and times specified) available to help customers complete the LIHEAP/USF applications:

    Bergen County     Bergen County CAP at PSE&G Hackensack Customer Service Center     214 Hudson Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601     Monday - Thursday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Essex County     La Casa de Don Pedro at PSE&G Newark Customer Service Center     80 Park Plaza, Newark, NJ 07102     Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

LaCasa de Don Pedro at PSE&G West Orange Customer Service Center     59 Main Street, West Orange, NJ 07052     Wednesday & Friday 9 am - 4:00 pm

Hudson County     P.A.C.O. at PSE&G Jersey City Customer Service Center     3 PATH Plaza, Jersey City, NJ 07306     Monday - Thursday 9 am - 4 pm starting November 5

Middlesex County     Puerto Rican Action Board at PSE&G New Brunswick Customer Service Center     1 Penn Plaza, Albany & French Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901     Fridays, 10 am - 4 pm

Passaic County     UPO at PSE&G Passaic Customer Service Center     651 Main Avenue, Passaic, NJ 07055     Monday - Thursday, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm

Applications for LIHEAP and USF are available at all of PSE&G’s 16 Customer Service Centers. Locations and hours are listed on customer bills. More information can be found by calling the utility at 1-800-510-3102 or visiting www.pseg.com/billpaymentassistance.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Department of Community Affairs. For more information from DCA, please call 609-633-6200, or log on to http://www.nj.gov/dca/dcr/wap/index.shtml.

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three- quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).

SOURCE PSE&G

Hide Your Electronics In The Car

Thieves are targeting cars with visible valuables such as laptops and GPS systems. Investigators urge residents to keep valuables out of sight and always lock your car.

Flash Flood Watch In Effect

Passaic New Jersey
…FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT THROUGH 4pm Friday
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND
SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS…IN
NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…BERGEN…EASTERN PASSAIC…ESSEX…
HUDSON…UNION AND WESTERN PASSAIC. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
BRONX…KINGS (BROOKLYN)…NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)…QUEENS AND
RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND).   P.C.J.N advises all readers to leave extra time for travel in the morning. And as always drive cautiously.

DOT plans revamp at Routes 3 and 21 in 2009

Rutherford, NJ – Since January, Bob Shafer has had at least 20 close calls with incoming traffic where the Route 21 north ramp meets Route 3 east just before the bridge connecting Clifton and Rutherford.

“It’s a tragedy waiting to happen,” Shafer, a borough resident who uses the thoroughfare several times a day, said recently. “Some day, somebody is going to get killed there.”

Meanwhile, the state Department of Transportation plans to address how vehicles merge from Route 21 north onto Route 3 as part of the Passaic River Crossing Project, scheduled to begin in 2009, said agency spokesman Tim Greeley.

The project, now in the design phase with an estimated construction cost of $140 million, includes replacing the bridge over the Passaic River with a new one

“These lanes will be physically separated from the Route 3 mainline traffic and the length of the acceleration lane onto Route 3 eastbound will be significantly increased and brought up to the current standard,” Greeley said. “These improvements will both reduce congestion and improve safety.”

Car In Flames on Route 21 in Clifton, Possible Drunk Driver Involved.

File Photo of a Car Fire

Clifton, NJ – A car with three Jewish teenagers from Fair Lawn got a flat tire on Route 21 right under the Route 3 underpass. They put on their blinkers, got out of their car, and were attempting to change the tire, when the car was rear ended by another vehicle traveling at a very high rate of speed. Their car was thrown, and reportedly rolled over from the force of the collision.The boy who was actually jacking up the car was thrown and lost consciousness. The two other boys who were helping with the car were also injured.The car began to smoke, and the boys, with great difficulty, got away from the car moments before it burst into flames, that reportedly went as high as the Route 3 overpass that was above it.Hatzolah, Clifton EMS, Clifton Fire Department, N.J. State police, and MONOC ALS all responded.The police reportedly asked driver of the car that crashed into the stopped car if he had had anything to drink, to which he allegedly replied, “not much, just a few beers.”Hatzolah transported the three teenagers, one with serious injuries, to Hackensack Hospital, while Clifton EMS transported the driver of the car to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. [PCJN Staff]Safety Note: if your tire blows out on the highway, please try to drive slowly on the rim to a safe location to change it. Changing tires in the middle of a busy highway can be deadly.

New Device Aims To Stop Deaths of Children Left in Hot Cars

Your car has a sensor that tells you when you’ve left the headlights on or the keys in the ignition. It probably has another reminding you and your passengers to buckle your seat belts, and still another that sounds when the door is ajar. Some cars even to tell you when the tires need inflating.But so far, there’s no standard equipment to tell you that you’ve left a child in the back seat of a hot car. [AP]

A company called BabyAlert aims to change this with their new product called “The Child Minder® system.” This system alerts the driver when he or she walks 10 feet away from the car with a baby still strapped in the car seat.

According to popular news blog The Yeshiva World, this product is now available at a special price of $49 for the Frum Olam, with additional discounts possibly available for Bnei Yeshiva. Please call 732-905-0654 for additional details. [PCJN Staff]

Corzine missed out on a chance to save lives

The people in charge of improving traffic safety in New Jersey were shaking their heads and wringing their hands in public Friday because too many of us don’t perform a simple task that saves lives and prevents injury.

We don’t buckle up enough.

Last year, 216 of the unbuckled met their untimely ends on Garden State roads. According to national averages, about 100 would have survived if they were belted, said Pam Fischer, director of the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

“Why don’t people use the obvious tools necessary to save their own lives?” Fischer asked during a Friday press event she organized to publicize the results of last spring’s Click It or Ticket blitz.

It’s a great question, and it was asked in the right place — the Cheesequake Rest Area of the Garden State Parkway. The parkway was the scene of 29 recent traffic-related fatalities, said state police Capt. Kevin Burke, and 19 of the victims weren’t wearing their seat belt.

The police response to chronic statistics like these is generally spot enforcement. Cops from 496 departments handed out 58,170 seat belt summonses during the last Click It or Ticket crusade.

That’s a record, it turns out, but even Burke seemed to question whether the campaign was doing much good. He cited a van driver who was given three seat belt tickets within four days near the same parkway location.

“Law enforcement can’t do it alone,” the obviously frustrated captain told the small group of reporters who gathered for Fischer’s event. “We need your help to get the word out.”

No, not really.

What Burke, Fischer and the other traffic officers and safety advocates who attended this annual event need is the governor.

Jon Corzine was a no-show.

In case anyone has forgotten, the governor was nearly killed when his chauffeured utility vehicle crashed on the parkway on April 12. The governor is still undergoing therapy to heal his broken body.

Still, in the hours following this near-tragedy, he became the ideal spokesman for the seat belt crusade that consumer activist Ralph Nader began in the 1960s. While still on crutches, he even recorded an effective public service announcement that encourages people to belt up.

“I should be dead,” he said on the PSA. “I have to live with my mistake. You don’t. Buckle up.”

In the ensuing months, Garden State seat belt use rose to a record 91.4 percent, according to a New Jersey Institute of Technology survey.

“Why isn’t the governor here?” Fischer was asked Friday.

“We asked him to be here, but his schedule was just too tight,” she answered.

Corzine’s office didn’t release his Friday schedule, nor did a spokeswoman return calls, but it begs this question: What’s more important than trying to save a couple of hundred lives a year?

Yeah, I know: Governors are busy, and functionaries are more than capable of handling news conferences on chronic issues that rarely draw protesters.

But I also know that when this governor appears on crutches to talk about initiatives for saving people, the kind of crippling pain and disability that he had to endure, lots of reporters show up, and people listen.

Dangerous Flaw Found In Protective Playground Mats.

New York, NY – You may not realize it, but at your favorite local playground there may be an unlikely hidden danger that can send your children to the emergency room: rubber mats designed to actually protect children when they fall.

While the mats can cushion a fall, they become incredibly dangerous on hot days when the blistering sun causes the mats’ temperatures to rise to nightmarish levels.

To give you an idea as to just how much hotter these mats become, CBS 2 used today’s temperatures as an example. Outside at the playground, the temperature was 86 degrees, while the temperature of the concrete pavement read 100 degrees. Take a few steps back on the mat, however, and the temperature climbs to an astounding 134 degrees.

Any contact with the surface that’s over 120 degrees can burn the skin in a matter of minutes. Once you approach 140 degrees it can be a matter of seconds,” says Dr. Adam Vella of Mt. Sinai Hospital. “You have to be aware of the temperature of the surface.” [wcbstv]

Passaic Police Check I.D.

Three Passaic police officers, as well as a sgt. paid a surprise visit to a bar at 35 Broadway in order to do a spot check for underage patrons. The police officers asked everyone inside the bar to show ID, in order to verify that everyone in the bar was at least 21 years of age. A job well done by the Passaic Police Dept.

Welcome to our new site.

Today is our first day. Welcome. This site will have up to the minute news of importance to the Passaic and Clifton Jewish Community.