Some 250 passengers had to be transferred from a disabled Amtrak train in New Jersey.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole says Train 110 was headed from Washington to Boston when it encountered downed wires in South Brunswick at 6:40 a.m. this morning.
Cole says the incident is under investigation.
New Jersey Transit had to temporarily suspended Northeast Corridor service into New York City at its Trenton, Hamilton and Princeton Junction stations starting at 6:59 a.m.
NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel says commuter service resumed at those stations after the passengers on the Amtrak train were transferred to another train at 7:40 a.m.
A message seeking comment from Amtrak has not been returned.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/dowend_wires_slow_nj_transit_a.html
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Fifty Edison High students seek transfer to J.P. Stevens High
EDISON -- About 50 Edison High School students have asked to transfer across town to J.P. Stevens High in the three weeks since parents learned the school fell short of state academic standards.
It’s a controversial, confusing issue that drew hundreds of parents to a recent meeting with school officials, wondering whether Edison High is performing poorly.
Nearly two dozen students applied to transfer in the first week.
But school officials say the test results are skewed. John DiMuzio, Edison’s acting schools superintendent, said he plans to speak with Congressman Frank Pallone about changing the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines.
“I am very upset about this happening,” DiMuzio said today.
The issue, he said, is that Edison High missed only one of the 41 state testing criteria: language arts for special education students. State education officials say that’s a common area to fail. Nor is it unusual for districts to miss requirements: 29 percent of New Jersey schools did not meet standards last year, said Kathryn Forsyth, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.
Typically, schools that fall short are required to use federal funds to provide extra tutoring. But Edison — the largest district in Middlesex County, with about 14,000 students — is unique because it has two high schools, and one passed the state standards.
DiMuzio said he will ask Pallone to push Congress to eliminate the transfer option and instead provide money for the students who missed the requirements.
Meanwhile, the students who have applied to transfer to Stevens will make the move this year.
But school officials are trying to finalize the students’ schedules before switching them.
None of the students from the failed criteria group has asked to transfer, DiMuzio said.
One fear, officials said, is that there won’t be enough space in Stevens if too many students apply. But as of now, DiMuzio said,the district should be able to accommodate all those who have applied.
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2009/10/50_edison_high_students_seek_t.html
It’s a controversial, confusing issue that drew hundreds of parents to a recent meeting with school officials, wondering whether Edison High is performing poorly.
Under federal guidelines, students are allowed to transfer to Stevens — a school in the more affluent section of town that passed requirements last year — because Edison High did not meet the standards for two years in a row.
But school officials say the test results are skewed. John DiMuzio, Edison’s acting schools superintendent, said he plans to speak with Congressman Frank Pallone about changing the federal No Child Left Behind guidelines.
“I am very upset about this happening,” DiMuzio said today.
The issue, he said, is that Edison High missed only one of the 41 state testing criteria: language arts for special education students. State education officials say that’s a common area to fail. Nor is it unusual for districts to miss requirements: 29 percent of New Jersey schools did not meet standards last year, said Kathryn Forsyth, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.
Typically, schools that fall short are required to use federal funds to provide extra tutoring. But Edison — the largest district in Middlesex County, with about 14,000 students — is unique because it has two high schools, and one passed the state standards.
DiMuzio said he will ask Pallone to push Congress to eliminate the transfer option and instead provide money for the students who missed the requirements.
Meanwhile, the students who have applied to transfer to Stevens will make the move this year.
But school officials are trying to finalize the students’ schedules before switching them.
None of the students from the failed criteria group has asked to transfer, DiMuzio said.
One fear, officials said, is that there won’t be enough space in Stevens if too many students apply. But as of now, DiMuzio said,the district should be able to accommodate all those who have applied.
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2009/10/50_edison_high_students_seek_t.html
Edison zoning board rejects T-Mobile cell tower proposal
The Edison zoning board unanimously rejected T-Mobile’s plan to erect a cell phone antenna site off Elizabeth Avenue — a project residents feared could have disrupted a nearby natural gas pipeline.
About 100 residents packed into Tuesday’s meeting to protest the proposed site, located near a residential North Edison neighborhood by Menlo Park Elementary School.
T-Mobile was planning to tack the antennas onto an existing PSE&G high tension tower to fill a gap in coverage.
But zoning board member Mary Petti said T-Mobile did not prove there was “an actual need” for the site.
Board members also echoed residents’ concern over an equipment shed T-Mobile was asking to build 37 feet from a Texas Eastern gas pipe. Some opponents worried that could lead to a repeat of the famed Durham Woods natural gas explosion, which rocked Edison 16 years ago.
“I was uncomfortable about the proximity to the gas line,” said zoning board member Sal Pizzi. “The benefit didn't outweigh the risk.”
On March 23, 1994, a Texas Eastern gas line exploded near the Durham Woods apartment complex, sending a giant fireball 2,000 feet into the air. The blast injured 100 people, displaced 1,500 residents, destroyed eight buildings and caused $25 million in damage. One woman died of a heart attack.
Zoning board members said they expect T-Mobile to appeal the decision.
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/12/edison_zoning_board_rejects_t-.html
About 100 residents packed into Tuesday’s meeting to protest the proposed site, located near a residential North Edison neighborhood by Menlo Park Elementary School.
T-Mobile was planning to tack the antennas onto an existing PSE&G high tension tower to fill a gap in coverage.
But zoning board member Mary Petti said T-Mobile did not prove there was “an actual need” for the site.
Board members also echoed residents’ concern over an equipment shed T-Mobile was asking to build 37 feet from a Texas Eastern gas pipe. Some opponents worried that could lead to a repeat of the famed Durham Woods natural gas explosion, which rocked Edison 16 years ago.
“I was uncomfortable about the proximity to the gas line,” said zoning board member Sal Pizzi. “The benefit didn't outweigh the risk.”
On March 23, 1994, a Texas Eastern gas line exploded near the Durham Woods apartment complex, sending a giant fireball 2,000 feet into the air. The blast injured 100 people, displaced 1,500 residents, destroyed eight buildings and caused $25 million in damage. One woman died of a heart attack.
Zoning board members said they expect T-Mobile to appeal the decision.
http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/12/edison_zoning_board_rejects_t-.html
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Nearly Eight in 10 Americans Still Believe Buying a Home Makes Good Financial Sense
RISMEDIA, October 15, 2010—Nearly eight out of 10 respondents believe buying a home is a good financial decision, despite ongoing challenges with the economy and housing market. That’s according to the 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey, an annual report released by the National Association of Realtors. The survey, which measures how affordable housing issues affect consumers, also found job security concerns to be the highest in eight years of sampling, with 70% of Americans saying that job layoffs and unemployment are a big problem in their area; eight in 10 cite these issues as a barrier to homeownership.
“The real issue facing the nation’s economy right now is that many Americans can’t find meaningful work to support their families,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of a real estate company in Tucson, Ariz. “While a job recovery is what’s needed right now to get the economy and housing market back on the right track, owning a home continues to be part of the American Dream and one of the best long-term investments in your future.”
Despite economic uncertainty, 68% of those surveyed still believe now is a good time to buy a home; while that number is down from last year (75%), it’s up from 2008 (66%) and 2007 (59%). Lower home prices and record-low mortgage interest rates may be attracting buyers to the housing market—more than one-fourth of renters said they are thinking more about buying a home than they were a year ago. Sixty-three percent of renter respondents said that owning a home is a priority in their future, and nearly 40% said it was one of their highest priorities.
Lower home prices have improved affordability. In fact, the percentage of renters who are worried that the cost of housing is getting so unaffordable that they will never be able to buy a home has decreased steadily since 2007, from 63% to 57%.
Despite improved affordability, 79% of respondents still consider having enough money for down payment and closing costs to be among the biggest obstacles to buying a home. Another obstacle is a lack of confidence in their ability to be approved for a loan, reported by 73% of respondents.
The good news is that Americans are seeing more stability in the real estate market. Nearly seven out of 10 believe that home values have stabilized in their area; the same number expects home sales to remain about the same through the end of the year.
While more than half (51%) say foreclosures are a problem in their area, the rate of foreclosures is also seen as stabilizing; 51% say the rate is about the same as last year. Thirty-six percent of respondents cite the recession, loss of jobs and the poor economy as the main reason for the ongoing foreclosure problem. This has also led to a slight increase in the number of people who believe the federal government should take a more active role overseeing loans and mortgages (44%, up from 43% last year).
While nearly seven out of 10 say it’s harder to sell a home in their area today than it was a year ago, it’s less of a concern from last year when the number was 10 percentage points higher. This is most likely the result of lower home inventories.
The 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey is conducted by American Strategies and Myers Research & Strategic Services for NAR’s Housing Opportunity Program. The telephone survey was among 1,209 adults living in the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
http://blog.njmls.com/2010/10/18/nearly-eight-in-10-americans-still-believe-buying-a-home-makes-good-financial-sense/
“The real issue facing the nation’s economy right now is that many Americans can’t find meaningful work to support their families,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of a real estate company in Tucson, Ariz. “While a job recovery is what’s needed right now to get the economy and housing market back on the right track, owning a home continues to be part of the American Dream and one of the best long-term investments in your future.”
Despite economic uncertainty, 68% of those surveyed still believe now is a good time to buy a home; while that number is down from last year (75%), it’s up from 2008 (66%) and 2007 (59%). Lower home prices and record-low mortgage interest rates may be attracting buyers to the housing market—more than one-fourth of renters said they are thinking more about buying a home than they were a year ago. Sixty-three percent of renter respondents said that owning a home is a priority in their future, and nearly 40% said it was one of their highest priorities.
Lower home prices have improved affordability. In fact, the percentage of renters who are worried that the cost of housing is getting so unaffordable that they will never be able to buy a home has decreased steadily since 2007, from 63% to 57%.
Despite improved affordability, 79% of respondents still consider having enough money for down payment and closing costs to be among the biggest obstacles to buying a home. Another obstacle is a lack of confidence in their ability to be approved for a loan, reported by 73% of respondents.
The good news is that Americans are seeing more stability in the real estate market. Nearly seven out of 10 believe that home values have stabilized in their area; the same number expects home sales to remain about the same through the end of the year.
While more than half (51%) say foreclosures are a problem in their area, the rate of foreclosures is also seen as stabilizing; 51% say the rate is about the same as last year. Thirty-six percent of respondents cite the recession, loss of jobs and the poor economy as the main reason for the ongoing foreclosure problem. This has also led to a slight increase in the number of people who believe the federal government should take a more active role overseeing loans and mortgages (44%, up from 43% last year).
While nearly seven out of 10 say it’s harder to sell a home in their area today than it was a year ago, it’s less of a concern from last year when the number was 10 percentage points higher. This is most likely the result of lower home inventories.
The 2010 National Housing Pulse Survey is conducted by American Strategies and Myers Research & Strategic Services for NAR’s Housing Opportunity Program. The telephone survey was among 1,209 adults living in the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
http://blog.njmls.com/2010/10/18/nearly-eight-in-10-americans-still-believe-buying-a-home-makes-good-financial-sense/
Ten Things That Can Alter the Value of Your Home
Whether you’re buying or selling a home, there are certain features that add value. Knowing what they are can help no matter which side of the negotiation table you’re sitting on. You may be aware of some of these already, but just in case here they are:
10 That Increase a Home’s Value
- An updated kitchen – Solid surface countertops, gleaming stainless appliances, sleek cabinetry, lots of space to prepare food, do homework, and socialize. These are key in today’s modern kitchen.
- Modern bathrooms – Whirlpool tubs, separate showers and baths, water closets, and double sinks are all popular options that give the bathroom more appeal.
- A Master suite – A bedroom isn’t always enough. An enclave to call you own, complete with walk-in-closet, private bath, and even possibly, a sitting area. Not possible? Think about arranging furniture to give the room more definite boundries that distinguish a reading area from a sleeping area.
- Natural flooring materials – Bamboo, wood, and stone can be more appealing than manmade materials such as linoleum.
- Curb appeal – First impressions mean everything. A tidy lawn, clean windows, well-lighted pathways all make a home seem lovingly cared for.
- Light and airy – People like space and light. Taking the clutter out of a room, painting it a neutral shade, and keeping window treatments open can all make a difference.
- Energy efficiency- The type and age of windows, doors, and insulation can all contribute to the pricing of a home.
- Landscaping – Mature trees and plantings make a home look beautiful.
- Storage space – Storage is important both in the home and in the garage or shed. This includes closets, pantries, loft space.
- Basement – A clean, dry basement whether it is finished or unfinished, to be used as living space or storage space.
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