Category: NEW JERSEY

CNB Hunting/Fishing New Jersey: The Striped Bass Bonus Program

The 2019 Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) closed at 12:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 1, 2020.

Permits issued for 2019 are not valid in 2020.

Applications for the 2020 SBBP are not currently being accepted.

A new application must be submitted for 2020 when available. The

NJ Marine Fisheries Council

will make decisions early in 2020 regarding the future of the 2020 SBBP. The Division will provide information regarding 2020 applications for individual anglers and party/charter boat owners once a decision is announced.

Updated and new information about the SBBP is posted on this webpage and sent to

Marine Fisheries e-mail list

subscribers and media outlets when available.

Reporting of all harvested bonus fish is mandatory.

Submit logbooks to ensure eligibility for 2020.

Effective September 1, 2019, the SBBP regulations were as follows:

One fish per permit 24\” to less than 28\”

September 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019

Please note that

the order of fish harvested did not matter

.

Bonus harvest reporting is mandatory and fish must be reported within 24 hours of harvest via online or by calling 609-748-2074.

New Jersey recreational striped bass regulations in all state waters are as follows:

One fish 28\” to less than 43\” AND one fish 43\” or greater

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

New Jersey is allocated a commercial harvest quota of striped bass under the

Striped Bass Interstate Fisheries Management Plan

as administered by the

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

(ASMFC). Since New Jersey does not allow netting or sale of striped bass, this quota was transferred to the recreational fishing sector resulting in the origin of the SBBP.

The current allocation from ASMFC is 215,912 pounds to be distributed between individual anglers and party/charter boats. Should NJ overshoot this quota in 2019, any overage would be subtracted from the 2020 quota. Although this program does allow for the harvest of an additional striped bass for New Jersey anglers, the Division encourages catch and release whenever possible so this species can prosper for future generations.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife initiated the program in 1990 to allow the harvest of an additional striped bass for New Jersey recreational anglers. Although the program has been modified throughout the years, the main goal of the SBBP is to allow anglers to participate in the management process while enjoying their favorite recreational pastime. It is a popular program and provides valuable data for assessing stock status and fishing trends, making it an integral part of New Jersey\’s striped bass management.

Deckhand Erik Olsen fillets Bonus fish on the

F/V Queen Mary

NJBIA Statement on January 1 Minimum Wage Increase

NJBIA President & CEO Michele N. Siekerka, Esq., issued the following statement today with New Jersey\’s minimum wage set to increase to $11 per hour for most workers on Jan. 1, 2020, the next step toward the phase-in of a $15 minimum wage by Jan. 1, 2024.

\”As New Jersey\’s minimum wage progresses, we continue to see what was always anticipated – businesses making necessary adjustments to afford the cost of their labor.

\”Of course, employers who can afford to pay a $15 an hour minimum wage or more to their workforce, will do so. Other smaller businesses, with their slimmer profit margins impacted by a higher minimum wage and other costly workplace mandates, will need to raise prices or reduce staff, hours or benefits to accommodate these added expenses.

\”Across the country, we are beginning to see some of the unintended consequences of $15 minimum wage increases – whether it\’s the

stalling of entry-level job growth in Seattle

or

restaurants adding surcharges to food bills to offset labor ordinances in California

. New Jersey has an opportunity to mitigate these and other impacts with corrective legislation.

\”NJBIA is supporting bipartisan legislation that provides for the suspension of scheduled minimum wage increases due to an economic downturn, particularly as Standard & Poor\’s has reported that New Jersey is one of 15 states at an elevated risk for fiscal distress during the next recession. As California and New York have each enacted economic off-ramps from their incremental, $15 minimum wage policies, it is purely responsible that New Jersey follows this sensible precedent.

\”NJBIA also continues to support a proposal for tax credits to employers hiring workers under 18 years old, who are now increasingly at risk of not being hired with a higher pay rate. We are also advocating for legislation establishing a task force to study the impact of minimum wage increases on businesses.

\”Expecting smaller businesses to simply continue to incur added expenses without knowing the full ramifications of a $15 minimum wage, particularly during an economic downturn, is not only unfair, but unsustainable.\”

See NJBIA\’s Fast Facts on the Minimum Wage law

here

for more information about the law\’s provisions.

11 Handy Garage Heaters @HomeBNC

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(December 31, 2019)–Looking for a high quality garage heater can be tough, because even though these are specialty devices there are a lot of options out there. That’s why we’ve made things simpler by putting together a list of 11 handy garage heaters that you’ll appreciate. These are all top of the line options and we’re sure that you’ll be more than satisfied with any one of these.

Before we get into the

11 handy garage heaters @homebnc

, there are a few questions people commonly have about these devices that we’d thought we’d take the time to clear up.

What exactly is a garage heater and how are they different from the space heaters that you might use in a home?

Garage heaters are designed to be a little more industrial than a typical space heater you might put in a house. Plus, with these they typically require you to mount them onto something so that air can circulate a certain way.

Space heaters usually come with limited features as well whereas with a garage heater you can find them with a wealth of features. For the most part you could argue that any heater you use to heat up your garage is technically a garage heater, but there are options on the market specifically made for this.

Do you simply plug in these types of heaters once you have one or do they function in some other way?

The majority of these are designed for a person to hardwire them in and not plug them in. On top of this you’ll find that the majority of these tend to be electric options. Not to worry though, there are options available that operate on propane as well as natural gas. Electric options tend to be a little more convenient though because they don’t require any additional fuel in order to operate.

How well do these actually work in order to heat up a garage?

It really will depend on where you live and how cold it gets. These work very well if you have a proper understanding of how large your garage is. The bigger the garage then the more heating capacity you’ll require. On top of this it will help a lot if the garage is properly vented. This will stop heat from escaping, which will mean any unit you purchase won’t have to expand more energy than required.

Some have said that these work best when pointed directly at the area a person is going to be working in. This may be true to a certain extent, but it really does depend on the type you get and what power source it relies on.

Now here are the 11 handy garage heater options for you to check out. Once again these are all premium options:

Comfort Zone CZ220 Fan-Forced Ceiling Mount Heater

Dr. Infrared Heater DR-966

NewAir G56 5600 Watt Electric Heater for the Garage

Dr. Infrared Heater DR-988

NewAir G73 Hardwired Electric Heater for Garages

Homegear 1500W Infrared Electric Portable Space Heater

Mr. Heater F260560 Big Maxx MHU80NG Natural Gas Unit Heater

Dr. Heater DR218 Greenhouse Garage Workshop Infrared Heater

Bio Green PAL 2.0/US Palma BioGreen Basic Electric Fan Heater for Greenhouse

Lasko 675919 Stanley Pro-Ceramic Utility Heater

Mr. Heater 40,000 BTU Propane Heater for Garages

Are you limited to having to pick one of the options above? No, there are other options out there, but why go through the trouble of scouring the internet when you don’t have to. These are top of the line and can all be found through the same trusted and reliable source. Plus, if you have any additional questions regarding any of these then you can use the source in order to get your questions answered.

Wednesday\’s Powerball Jackpot Rolls to $220,000,000

TRENTON (Dec. 30, 2019) – The Powerball jackpot has rolled to $220 million! Although no one won the jackpot in the Dec. 28, drawing, 33,060 New Jersey players took home an estimated $163,291 in prizes ranging from $4 to $200, according to Lottery Acting Executive Director James Carey.

The winning numbers for the Saturday, Dec. 28, drawing were: 20, 23, 39, 59 and 60. The Red Power Ball number was 18. The Multiplier number was 02. The Powerball jackpot rolls to $220,000,000 for the next drawing to be held Wednesday Jan. 1, at 10:59 pm.

Today\’s Mega Millions Jackpot $55,000,000

TRENTON (Dec. 30, 2019) – The Mega Millions jackpot has rolled to $55 million! James Carey,

New Jersey Lottery acting executive director, announced that in the Friday, Dec. 27, drawing, six players matched four of the five white balls drawn making each ticket worth $500. One of those tickets was purchased with the Megaplier option, multiplying the prize to $2,000. Moreover, 17,586 other New Jersey players took home $79,974 in prizes ranging from $2 to $800, according to Carey. The winning numbers for the Friday, Dec. 27, drawing were: 17, 34, 40, 63, and 64. The Gold Mega Ball was 24, and the Megaplier Multiplier was 04.

The next drawing will be held Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 11:00 pm. All New Jersey Lottery Mega Millions tickets must be purchased before 10:45 pm to participate in the drawing. Mega Millions tickets cost just two dollars; by adding the Megaplier option for an extra dollar per play, players can increase their non- jackpot winnings up to five times. Mega Millions tickets are sold in 46 participating jurisdictions. Drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays.

15TH ANNUAL FREE NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATION RETURNS TO KIMMEL CENTER

JANUARY 1, 2020, 10AM–5PM

Celebrate New Year’s Day with FREE family-oriented entertainment all day and

the best view of the Mummer’s parade, free hot chocolate, brunch by Garces events,

prizes & more!

The Kimmel Center is hosting its 15th annual New Year’s Day Celebration, with free family fun all day. Attendees are invited to enjoy giveaways, hot chocolate, games, family-friendly activities, and a birds’ eye view of the Mummers Parade.

Tuesday, January 1, 2020, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Commonwealth Plaza inside the Kimmel Center

300 S Broad St

Philadelphia, PA 19102

The FREE New Year’s celebration includes:

The Kimmel Center’s Resolution Wall, where guests are invited to write their 2020 New Year’s resolutions

A Garces Events FREE hot chocolate lounge with add-on toppings, as well as pop-up hot dog cart and cotton candy

Family-friendly fun including:

Face painting

10-foot-tall puppets Phil & Del Phila

Hula hooping by J-Hoop

Balloon art

Greater Philadelphia Paper Pholders Origami crafters

Organ demonstrations on the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ in Verizon Hall

Ticket giveaways

A “prize” wheel

And more!

Commonwealth Plaza Stage performances, in chronological order:

11:00 a.m. –

PNC Grow Up Great

with the Give & Take jugglers stage show

12:00 p.m. – Liz Filios and The Very Fine Fleas (bluegrass meets indie rock)

1:00 p.m. – Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise ((MC/Poet/Songwriter connects with classically trained Harpist/Guitarist/Pianist)

2:00 p.m. – ILL DOOTS (hip-hop band and collective of artists, educators, and activists)

3:00 p.m. – Hip Hop Fundamentals (world’s only breakdance education company combining academic & social content with the world’s most dynamic dance form, generously sponsored by Red Bull)

3:45 p.m. – Creative Music Program Select Ensembles (high-school aged Big Band Jazz Combo)

4:25 p.m. – ShowStoppers AllStars (high-school aged Broadway-themed review)

Garces Events will host its one-of-a-kind “Broad Street Bash” brunch on the Tier 2 balcony. Guests can enjoy unlimited food and drink from 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., while taking in some of the best views of the Mummers Parade in the city. Enjoy brunch classics such as assorted pastries, muffins and danishes, fresh fruit, and quiche; Garces favorites continue with signature Village Burgers, crispy fries, pizza, and a dessert station featuring assorted cookies, cupcakes, tarts, and brownies.

Garces will offer a cash bar beginning at 3:30 p.m. Tickets for food and drinks (bloody marys included) are available at

www.kimmelcenter.org.

“Broad Street Bash” pricing

Adults: $80

Designated Driver: $50

Kids 12 and under: $25

*Note, Volver will be closed to the public because of a private event.

The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus

Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region’s diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1 million guests per year and includes the

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

, the

Academy of Music

, and the

Merriam Theater

–

representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies:

The Philadelphia Orchestra

,

Opera Philadelphia

,

Pennsylvania Ballet

,

The Philly POPS

,

PHILADANCO

,

The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

,

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society

, and

Curtis Institute of Music

. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region’s most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially-responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region’s young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is our proud sponsor of the Kimmel Center’s 2019-2020 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit

www.kimmelcenter.org

.

Latest Newspaper Apps to Help You Stay on Top of the Latest (and Correct) News

Gloucestercitynews.net (December 31, 2019)–Keeping yourself updated on current affairs is ever so important. Not only does it let you spark a conversation at a gathering, but it also keeps you in tabs with the right information to make decisions in business. Nowadays, many people prefer reading their news on their mobile phones as opposed to newspapers. Personally, it was quite challenging to find an app that provided the news I was most interested in until I came across the link below:

List of Great Apps to Get the Latest News

Let’s explore some of them and identify how newspaper apps can be more useful than it seems.

Become more environmentally friendly by using newspaper apps

Newspapers work great in helping you keep yourself updated on the latest information. It also lets you be aware of the local news in your town too. For some, it has been a lifelong habit to read the newspapers on a Sunday morning while giving their kids a print copy of the comics. However, the cost of purchasing a newspaper has been continuously on the rise, especially because the price of paper has been increasing.

With more demand of online versions of these newspapers, the younger generation prefers to keep their hands clean from the ink emitted through the printed versions of newspapers but also consider it cheaper to keep up with the news through newspaper apps. A simple search online will give you a list of these apps which can be tailored to your interests.

Gather news from all around the world

Given that online or digital media has no geographical boundaries, it has provided easy access for news items to reach other countries in a cost-effective manner. If you have online friends from other countries, they are likely to share their local news to you as well. This way, it makes it much easier and faster to make yourself aware of the breaking news as and when it occurs. With newspaper apps and online newspapers, you can easily stay updated with world news. There are a variety of options from state-wide to country-wide news items that you could subscribe to online.

Additionally, unlike subscribing to print versions of newspapers that are going to create a huge mess in your house, you could subscribe to a countless number of mobile apps that are not going to hinder your physical space.

Motivate your children to stay up to date with current affairs

It’s important that you encourage your children to stay up to date on current affairs given that there are so many events taking place around the world every day. Constantly reading news articles is a great way to be aware of what’s happening locally and around the world too.

It is equally important to ensure that they read newspaper articles that are unbiased too. This is going to help children understand and make meaning of what they read to make their own decisions after having critically evaluated them. Certain newspaper apps also make it interesting for your children to read by structuring it in a manner that encourages to read the news even more. Therefore, look for an app that makes it child-friendly. A simple search through your phone\’s app store will help you find the ones that you are looking for.

Conclusion

Though print media still exists, many people are switching to online mediums of gathering daily news. This is mainly due to its convenience and the fact that it’s more environmentally friendly to do so. Furthermore, the newspaper apps provide a comprehensive and easy-to-use guide to the various sections that you are personally interested in, in a clutter-free manner. Furthermore, you could also encourage your kids to read more news by downloading kid-friendly newspaper apps that make it interesting.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

Deadly New York Harbor Pilot Accident; Coast Guard Responds

SANDY HOOK, New Jersey – The Coast Guard responded with units from the New York Fire Department and New York Police Department Harbor Police to an incident where a Sandy Hook Harbor pilot fell while boarding the merchant vessel Maersk Kensington at 4:30 this morning.

The pilot, who was transported to a hospital on Staten Island by a Sandy Hook pilot vessel, eventually succumbed to injuries received in the fall. The name of the deceased is being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin have been notified.

The Coast Guard has begun an ongoing investigation into the circumstance surrounding the fall.

Do You Need a High School Diploma?

Gloucestercitynews.net (December 30, 2019)–In the United States,

90% of the population

has a high school diploma or higher.

Do you need a high school diploma? To answer that question, let’s break down what exactly a high school diploma does for you. How it can help you and whether or not a high school diploma is truly necessary.

Starting off, we can look at tangibles that can be measured by statistics. Then, we will explore the social impacts of not having a degree.

Work Options

If you don’t have a high school diploma, you’ll have fewer options for work. Many employers require that employees have at least passed high school before they are eligible to be hired.

You can

get a GED

to make up for a lack of a high school diploma. This will open a lot of doors, but without either, you’re going to have trouble finding a job.

Construction jobs and jobs with specific apprenticeships are among the few choices. In general, you will have to elect for a more physical job.

Earning Potential

As a general rule, the higher an education you have the more you make. Those who have at least a high school diploma earn more than those who don’t.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the

average weekly earnings

of someone

without

a high school diploma is $493. If you have a diploma, then your weekly earning potential is bumped up to $678.

The more education you receive, the more you are likely to make. The less you receive, the less money you will be paid. Time and experience can turn those tables a bit in your favor.

Social Status

Many people who do not receive a high school diploma feel awkward about it. Over time it can even become something that you will feel embarrassed about.

Most of this reaction comes from how people treat those who do not have high school diplomas. They can be viewed as less intelligent or lazy even if that is not true.

In some cases, it can even affect your ability to get a spouse or significant other. Working low-level jobs that require a lot of physical exertion will keep you from meeting a lot of people.

If you work hard enough and promote high enough at your job, you can escape this stigma. It will require that you put in years gaining experience and the trust of your employer. Hard work can pay off.

Making It Harder on Yourself

Without a high school diploma, you are

making life harder on yourself

. Very few people have viable options to begin their adult lives without having a high school diploma.

You’ll have to work twice as hard as someone with a high school diploma to obtain the same things in life. Education doesn’t mean intelligence, but it does make things easier.

Having the diploma is like having proof that you are a smart, creative and interesting person. If you don’t have one, you will have to prove all of those things to everyone you work for.

Other Options to High School

The question “Do you need a high school diploma?” can be answered another way. It is possible to get a GED which will function exactly the same as a high school diploma.

The difficulty in receiving your GED is that you won’t have anyone keeping you on task. You will have to motivate yourself and work at your own pace to succeed.

Studying is also something that makes the GED more difficult. If you don’t like studying or think you will have difficulty being motivated to study, you might have difficulty getting your GED.

If you are studying for your GED and want to have a diploma, you might consider a realistic diploma. You should

find out more

about realistic diplomas if you feel that might be a good temporary solution.

Do You Need a High School Diploma?

The short answer is not necessarily. There are options such as the GED and manual labor careers that don’t require a high school diploma.

The main thing that having your diploma will do is give you options. If you don’t want to work in a career field that requires heavy manual labor or equipment operation, you will need a high school diploma.

Not everyone will judge you for not having a high school diploma. You can simply not mention it to your friends and colleagues. Eventually, someone might find out, but perhaps by then, it won’t matter.

If you don’t have a diploma, you will make less throughout your life. While you can earn your way up, you will start at a lower pay scale. This will make it more difficult for you to retire at a reasonable age.

Millions of people graduate every year with high school diplomas. Diplomas have lost some value because so many people have them. The problem is this creates a large majority pool.

The size of this population pool means that employers don’t have to lower standards. They don’t have to give a chance to someone that doesn’t have a diploma. They have plenty of people to choose from as-is.

Without a high school diploma, you could potentially still have a good life. Most of what applies to

not

having a high school diploma also applies to having a high school diploma when compared to higher degrees.

In the end, degrees aren’t the end-all of life, but they help tremendously.

You Need a Diploma

Life is difficult as everyone already knows. Challenges and difficulties will continue to confront you throughout your life. As we choose our paths in life, things can be more or less challenging.

Do you need a high school diploma? Yes. If you want to make things easier for yourself and make it further in life, you will. Having a high school diploma, or even a higher diploma, can open doors that otherwise will have to be forced open by long, hard work.

We hope you found this article helpful. If so, please take a moment to browse our site and find other great reads to inform and entertain you.

CHOP RESEARCHING HAND/ARM DISORDERS & TREATMENTS

PHILADELPHIA PA–Orthopedic clinicians at Children\’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) are actively researching a range of hand and arm disorders and treatments. Orthopedic doctors regularly collaborate with The Center for Applied Genomics at CHOP, one of the world\’s largest genetics research programs and the only center at a pediatric hospital to have large-scale access to state-of-the-art throughput genotyping technology.

Current hand and arm research includes:

Long-term follow-up of gunshot wounds to the hand or upper extremity in children

Pink pulseless hand (prospective study)

Diagnostic utility of MRI scans in pediatric wrist injury

Outcomes of reconstruction of congenital hand anomalies such as syndactyly

Unstable supracondylar humerus fractures: experience with the “suprone” technique

Validation and integrated use of a simulated pediatric distal radius fracture reduction model

Functional outcomes of displaced distal radius fractures in children

Shoulder instability in adolescents

With research, orthopedic leaders at CHOP hope to be able to improve surgical techniques, range of motion and quality of life for children with hand and arm disorders.

For an appointment/referrals with the Hands and Arms Disorder department call

215-590-1527