IT’S OUR WAY OF GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES. JOIN US! RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day is a Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving our local communities. KW associates in the US and Canada are donating their time on Thursday, May 13, 2010 to renew and energize aspects of their local communities. Help Montclair’s Keller Williams Towne Square office clean up Montclair! WHERE: Glenfield Park & The Glen behind Glenfield Middle School. WHEN: May 13th, 2-5 PM. Gloves and clean-up materials provided. MORE INFO / RSVP: Nancy Chu, 917-992-3098 or nancychu_homes@yahoo.com. KELLER WILLIAMS TOWNE SQUARE REALTY– 973-783-7400 This event generously sponsored by: Mortgage Master Inc., Wayne, NJ Esposito Insurance Group, Nutley, NJ Foundation Title, LLC, Morristown, NJ

In a market where prices have come down, home owners have a lot to gain by appealing their property assessments - especially for owners who may be looking to sell in the next year or two, higher taxes can really deter potential home buyers.  If you are planning on selling your home soon, now is the time to appeal you assessment - the deadline is April 1^st, 2010 to file the appeal - don't miss it!

The best avenue of appeal is hiring a tax appeal attorney, and barring that, hiring a professional appraiser who can testify at your appeals hearing.  Those solutions are all quite pricey, costing at a minimum, $1000.  If you are an intrepid home owner and would like to give it a shot on your own, please note the instructions forwarded to me.

TAX APPEAL INSTRUCTIONS

The form (A-1Petition of Appeal) for an appeal to the County Board of Taxation may be downloaded from the NJACTB site. The link is: http://www.njactb.org/

At the Home/Welcome page, select "Forms" from the list near the top. At the "page not found" page that follows, type "A-1 Petition of Appeal" in the search window at the top right and click on Submit. THE FORM MUST BE PRINTED ON LEGAL SIZED PAPER.

Information needed to fill out the form may be obtained by selecting "Record Search" at the NJACTB Home/Welcome page. Form may be filled out by hand.

1. Select County
2. Select Municipality
3. Type Street address in the "Location" section, i.e. 123 Chestnut

General Information:

Property Class is "2" for 1-4 family residences.

Cite your name & contact information.

Cite attorney name and contact information as "person or attorney to be notified".

Requested Assessment can be any amount, or can be noted "appraisal to be provided", leaving the requested assessment blank.

Reason for Appeal should be "Assessment exceeds market value".

Note "Appraisal to be provided" in the COMPARABLE SALES section.

You will need 3 copies of the completed appeal form

Date and sign as petitioner.

Deliver a copy to the Municipal Tax Assessor office, noting date and name of town as indicated. Date and sign.

Deliver a copy to the Municipal Clerk's office, noting date and name of town as indicated. Date and sign.

Mail (return receipt recommended) a copy with a check in the appropriate amount (see instructions on page 2 downloaded with form) to:

Essex County Board of Taxation

50 S. Clinton Street

East Orange, NJ 07018

The forms must be filed no later than April 1, 2010.  After the filing deadline the County Board will establish hearing dates. Hearings will not begin until May and may continue into August, depending upon the number of appeals received. You and your lawyer will be notified of the hearing date 10-12 days in advance. Hearings are usually scheduled in order of Block #. The appraisal is filed with the town and county 7 days before the hearing.

The eternal question for those of us who are tied to NYC through jobs and general culture is: where do I go if I choose to leave the city?  How do I maintain a short commute to NYC, not only for may daily commute for work, but also to see shows, have dinner and enjoy urban life and all the enriching culture that comes with it still?  We want the best of both worlds - good schools, affordable housing, space to grow our families or to retire in peace...all within a 30 minute drive to the most exciting city in the world (okay, rush hour traffic aside...).  

For those of you looking to make the move, Bloomberg BusinessWeek published a recent article highlighting an often over-looked community, Clark, NJ.  With a population under 14,000 and a median family income just under $100k/year, this is a town that has managed to maintain lower taxes (5k-9k/year), while still having excellent schools, relatively low crime and pollution, lots of green space in relationship to developed space as well as have a fair commute to NYC if you need it.  It doesn't have its own station, but nearby stations do provide train access.  There is a handful of newer construction homes that top almost $1M in home price, but there are also a large number of reasonable starter homes that range between 300k-550k.  These prices, coupled with a lower tax rate, often make for more affordable living, as well as a nice community vibe (town pool, small schools, golf & tennis, parks, etc.).

 Check out the article for more information:  http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/best-affordable-suburbs-in-america-2010 

So, every year when the holidays roll around, I get this panicked feeling - school lets out, and I have a crazed, house-bound toddler who rips apart my entire house because he can't wait for Christmas.  So to kill two birds with one stone, I plan a series of local (and not so local) holiday events that I can slowly dole out to him starting the first weekend of December and going thru the new year.  Here is a cross sample of the events, in case you need some ideas of what to do with your kids before they go stir crazy (by the way, I have included events in nearby by NYC and PA - things that a 2-5 year old can withstand, so no stage shows or anything): 

DICKENS VILLAGE - Maplewood village center - Dec. 12^th & 19th - 1-4pm - wagon ride, book readings, reindeer, petting zoo & holiday songs (my kid loves the tiny houses)

DYKER Lights in Brooklyn - best Mid-Dec. to New Years, 7-9pm (weekends best viewing) - located 11^th-13^th Ave to 83^rd-86^th St - some of the best (gaudiest) light displays  - these folks hire designers, seriously!

NYC HOLIDAY WINDOW/LIGHT/TREE TOUR - Dec. thru New Years - Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Rockerfeller Center, Saks, Bergdorf, Barney's Bloomies, Lincoln Center Tree & Park Avenue (bewteen 48^th-97^th Streets)

TURTLEBACK ZOO Holiday Festival of Lights in West Orange - Dec. 5^th thru Jan. 2^nd - 5-9pm - w/ train & carousel - Adults: $7/Children: $3 - 973-731-5800

 HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW - Schaefer Farms - 1051 Route 523, Flemington, NJ - 908-782-2705 - Thanksgiving to New Years (Mon-Fri 5:30-9pm / Sat-Sun 5:30-10pm) - $12/car (Santa visits 6-8pm on 12/11, 12/12, 12/18, 12/19)

GINGERBREAD CONTEST - Essex County Enviromental Center - 621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland - 973-228-8776 - Dec. 1^st-18^th  (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm / Sat 10am-2pm) - Awards Sat. Dec. 19^th at 9:30am

GINGERBREAD WONDERLAND at FRELINGHUYSEN ARBORETUM - 53 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown/Whippany - 973-326-7601 -  Dec 5^th- 13^th    (10:00a-5:00p daily, Friday until 8:00p) - Arboretum & Haggerty Education Center open 9am-dusk

AMERICA ON WHEELS - 5 North Front Street, Allentown, PA - 610-432-4200 (closed select holidays) - Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm - Adults $7, under 5 free (tix by 4pm) - OKAY, SO THIS ISN'T REALLY A HOLIDAY EVENT, BUT MY SON IS OBSSESSED WITH CARS!  ISN'T YOURS?

KOZIER CHRISTMAS VILLAGE - 782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, PA - 610-488-1110 - Dec. 1st-Jan. 3^rd - Mon-Fri 6-9pm, Sat-Sun 5-9:30pm - Adults $8, under 5 free (6-9 on holiday & eves)

CAMDEN AQUARIUM FISHMAS - 1 Riverside Dr., Camden - 856-365-3300 - Nov. 27^th-Jan. 3^rd - 9:30am-5pm, Adults $19.95, Children (2-12) $15.95 - Santa scuba dives, mascot dance party, Polar Express 4D ride, Rudolph

GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL in NYC - 42^nd bet. Vanderbilt & Lexington - Light show - 11/30 - 1/11 - Main Terminal - 11am-9pm, every half hour on the half hour & Holiday Train Show- 11/25-1/16 - shuttle passage next to station manager's office, Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm - 718-694-1600

CAMDEN CHILDRENS GARDEN Holiday Festival of Lights - 3 Riverside Drive, Camden - 856-365-8733 - Fri. & Sat. 12/11, 12/12, 12/18, 12/19, 12/26, 1/2 - 5:30pm-8pm all Dec. - $6 Adults, $5 ($4 extra for festival of lights) - 4.5 acres along waterfront, 100K lights, Santa, 3Kings, Day, butterfly house, rides, Santa

he Monmouth Museum @ Brookdale Community College - 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738 - 732-747-2266, $7/person or $8 (includes planetarium show) - Tues-Sat. 10am-4:30pm, Sun. 1-5pm (Planetarium Tues-Fri @ 4pm, Sat/Sun @ 1:30pm & 3pm (always call for availability of Wonder Wing & Becker Gallery), model railroad & tree display, Sundays best.

And of course, evey town pretty much has its own First Night Celebration for New Years - check your local town website for details - how much, when and where....

If I have time to compile more events, I will do so and send them out before the holidays are over - promise!

 

With dozens of condos and co-ops on the market in the Montclair area, area realtors are uniting to market them in a new way. Some two dozen agents will participate in the first-ever local "Condo Crawl," from 1 to 4 pm on Sunday, Nov. 1. Sponsored by Baristanet.com, the rain or shine event will present more than 30 units currently on the market in Montclair, Glen Ridge, and Bloomfield. Agents from Coldwell-Banker, Weichert, RE/MAX, Prudential, Stanton, and Zingali Realtors will open the doors to their listings that day.

Roberta Baldwin, a Realtor® at RE/MAX Village Square in Upper Montclair, organized the event, and coordinated sponsorship with local news and current events site, Baristanet.com.  "Agents today are trying to think outside the box to get their listings sold in a difficult market. We believe prospective buyers will appreciate the ease with which they can spend the afternoon seeing what's out there, on their own terms."

Buyers will be able to print out the list of open units by going to www.baristanet.com/crawl or find it in the Star-Ledger's Friday and Saturday Homefinders Section. On event day, "Condo Crawl" signs will identify those units available to be seen.

Included in the Crawl are a range of styles and locations:  Montclair units at the new Commons at Bay St. Station, The Dorchester House, 101 Gates Ave. garden condos and the hi-rise Bellaire House; units at Whitestone Gardens in Bloomfield, and surprises such as a single carriage house condo conversion on Belleville Ave. in Glen Ridge - and many others.

Liz George, editor, Baristanet.com, was excited to partner as a media sponsor for the Condo Crawl. "We've followed developments in the condo market in Montclair and the surrounding areas, so the Crawl offers a great way to experience those unique offerings in person, in an efficient and fun way."

From the organizer Roberta Baldwin's point of view, the "Condo Crawl" definitely makes selling sense. "Open houses are generally too scattered to make an impression on buyers who want to use their time wisely and see the most and best available. But on Nov. 1, in just 3 hours, someone who wants to purchase in our area right now can get a really good idea of what's out there. Grab a coffee and a local newspaper or go to Baristanet to make your plans for Sunday, Nov 1!"

For a complete list of open house condos, please go to www.baristanet.com/crawl

A Senate Committee reached a compromise yesterday to extend the $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers. They also are trying to add a $6500 credit for other primary home purchasers with a raised qualifying income limit to $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for joint taxpayers. Under the Senate panel compromise, buyers must have sales agreements in hand by April 30th and must close by June 30th, 2010.  Let's hope this passes both the Senate and the House!

I was terribly embarrassed to say that my husband and I were late getting the flu shot this year (my son got his early) - we take care of our children, but often not ourselves, thinking that we just don't have to time or the need.  Well, I am getting older and my "supermom" days are over.  I realized that I am no good to anyone - work, my family, friends - unless I am healthy myself.  So last week, we drove from pharmacy to pharmacy, often just missing the last of the available doses in the flu shot clinics held through out Essex County - finally, we landed at one clinic with a 2 hour line, but at least they had it, right? 

And so now, we wait and watch for the next available run of the H1N1 vaccine - we just called the doctor to try get on a waiting list - my doctor isn't doing that, but some are.  We have also been tracking www.findaflushot.com - they seem to be a great resource for information about the flu in general. 

Even just being aware of the symptoms, and how it differs from a standard cold, seems to be important - and I will be the first to admit I had no idea:  

How can you tell if you have a cold, or the H1N1 Flu?  There are a number of symptoms that simply present entirely differently, while others just seem to present at varying levels of severity.  For instance, both cold and flu will result in body & head aches and pains, tiredness and generalized chest discomfort, but in the flu, it is usually more severe.  Each individual will have to make a judgment call from past personal experience as to whether or not these symptoms feel more severe than they have felt with just a common cold.  Luckily, other symptoms occur in flu that usually do NOT occur with a cold, like a fever of 100°F or higher for a few days, along with the awful body chills that often come with the fever.  On the flip side, colds can present symptoms that the flu does NOT, like stuffy/runny nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip and the subsequent sore throat.  Also, both cold and flu may result in coughing, but a cold produces a wet mucus cough, while the flu is usually a dry hacking cough.  Lastly, the flu has a really fast take down - it's the lion taking down the gazelle - one minute you are fine, the next minute you are balled up on the bed shivering like a Chihuahua.  The cold usually announces itself more gradually - it calls ahead and leaves messages about its visit. 

Oh, and what is the difference between H1N1 and the regular flu?  Virtually nothing, apparently!  Although according to one doctor on Medpedia, the preliminary findings of analysis of cases in Mexico, swine flu patients may present with runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and joint pain, too.  Check out the full answer at:  http://www.medpedia.com/questions/279-how-do-the-symptoms-of-h1n1-flu-differ-from-the-common-cold#answer_232

We're all parents here - we know how to prevent the spread of illness - constant hand washing, stay home when sick, cover your mouth when you sneeze, dispose of tissues, etc. - this is not rocket science, just common sense. 

SO...I recently had the pleasure (or pain - depends on your POV) of attending school tours for elementary schools in both Maplewood/South Orange and Glen Ridge, NJ - both great towns with great schools, but also very different.  At my first tour, I found the experience to be chaotic and uninformative - which turned me off to the school immediately.  Oh, what was a mom to do?????

Upon further reflection, I realized that I was a poor advocate for myself - I chose a difficult time of day and an inappropriate tour guide and asked very few useful questions!  So, of course I walked away scratching my head!  So I have a few notes here that I want to share with you regarding school tours - just a few thoughts so that you won't have the same experience.

First, choose your time of day carefully - if you want to see chaos, go at lunchtime - this way you can see how they manage their traffic flow, recess class mixing and how the kids mingle during their downtime.  I was also pleased to see that at some schools, the children were in charge of various lunchtime duties for their class, which was nice.  If you want to see kids in classrooms, then avoid lunch at all costs - this way, you can see more class room dynamic.  In the morning, the kids seemed energetic, but I noted that in all the schools, by 2pm, they were walking zombies - don't let the post lunch energy dump be confused with a lackluster environment - it's probably just end of day.

Next, make sure you get a good tour guide - I got the chance to tour with principals, vice principals, administrators, as well as teachers.  I tended to get the best, most honest feeling answers from the teachers - they ARE the ones down in the trenches.  They had informative things to say about class size, inclusive classrooms, the struggle between teaching kids to learn vs. teaching towards the standardized testing - I really felt like many of the teachers could talk about these issues, while administrators and principals often have clearer descriptions about some of the bigger picture - new curriculum directions, ideas for further school improvements, etc.  Your best bet is to try to get a chance to talk to both teachers and administrators when you tour a school.

Technology is a big part of new teaching initiatives - smart boards, smart tables, computers in every room vs. computers centers...while I love the technology, I am not sure that my kid will learn better with all of this stuff.  I think they will certainly augment his learning experience, but I don't assume that his performance will suffer without these items.  Computers are everywhere, and I think a "typing" class is kind of a joke - I am assuming that kids probably pick that up from usage at home.  I think we shouldn't be stunned by technology as the be all and end all of modern education - I want to see a big, well-organized library full of ACTUAL books and a nice indoor and outdoor space for physical education and recess, full time guidance counselor/social worker and school nurse, art room, music class, and due to the reduced mandated hours for science and social studies (so that schools can increase their time for language arts and mathematics - see previous snarky comment about standardized testing...I despise No Child Left Behind...), let's see that material being integrated into the course work for Language Arts and Mathematics in a more "whole learning" approach. 

Lastly, there are questions that just kind of popped up that were extremely informative - things like:

- How do you handle bullies at school?

- How do you help new students acclimatize?

- What events or programs do you have that increase cultural awareness?

- Do you serve hot and cold lunch and if so, do you use a debit system?

- Do your teachers take initiative (grant writing, sponsorship outreach) in finding resources to fund special arts or science programs (as funding for these programs have been cut nationally)?

This is just a sample of questions - I welcome any and all suggestions for other questions to ask - I think that parents, myself included, can use all the help they can get in navigating, and getting the most of, their local public school system.

It's been a difficult summer here in our household - we've struggled, no doubt as many of you had, with summer illnesses that have wracked our family with doctors visits and prescription antibiotics.  Even a bout with pink eye after a particular raucous birthday party, and a trip and fall that resulted in a lump the size of Texas and an ER visit because it was followed by vomiting and dizziness.  Most of my friends have battled similar issues - upset stomach, coughing and feverish malaise.  And with the healthcare debate raging in our country, I had a few thoughts about how to decrease your healthcare costs...just in case this works for you...

For those of you with healthcare through your work...well, la di da and good for you!  You are the lucky ones, and we are thrilled for you.  For those of us who have had our benefits slashed due to the economy, or who function as independent contractors have had to search out our own healthcare, and with families, the system isn't always kind on your wallet.  After tedious weeks of research, my husband and I discovered that because most insurance companies put a premium on family plans, you may be paying more for a family plan than with individual insurance for each member of your family.  We noted that with Amerihealth, for instance, it was cheaper to buy each of us an individual policy over the family policy, which seems to make more sense once you have more than two children (as the family policy is the same price no matter how many kids you have).  At the same time, because my husband and I were NOT planning on having another child this year, we reduced my maternity care for the year, which saved us a couple of buck - we can always reinstate during the next renewal period if we decide that we want to try for another baby.

Interestingly enough, I have had some difficulty getting our family physicians to not over-prescribe for us.  We don't have the best prescription drug coverage, and I have found myself insisting to our doctors to write us prescriptions that have generic versions in situations where feasible.  So for instance, when I needed a simple amoxicillin based antibiotic, I had to struggle pretty hard to get my doctor to write for a generic amoxicillin, rather than the name brand, which costs $65 as opposed to the $4 at the Target pharmacy!  But persistence pays off and you have to advocate for yourself in these cases.

What else is to be done other than to take advantage of the family buy-one-get-one-free eyeglass deals...and of course, there are free clinics all over NJ for both medical and dental needs - check them out at http://freemedicalcamps.com/vcity.php?stateid=NJ.  Most of these places are primarily for low income residents of the community, and may ask for a donation or charge a small fee.  I know when I was a student, I utilized these services in NYC myself all the time, so I know the value of a free community health clinic. 

Back to the routine of summer life, just as it is ending, right?  Great, only two days left on my antibiotics...let's hope that is the last of the summer bugs to go around...

Local festivities seem to be the place to be this summer, as many of us put the big family trips on hold due to the economy - aside from a family wedding in DC, we don't have much of anything planned.  Of course, this thought sends me into convulsions - "how do I keep my kid from going insane this summer with boredom?  Besides sending them to camp and mini-camp and soccer camp and music class and art class and swim class and joining the town pool and going to gym class (need I go on????), we take advantage of the playgrounds and schedule as many play dates as we can bear to handle (because if you go on them, you have to HOST them, too, right?).  Well, I have some suggestions that I think may offer families some one-off activities and fun day-trips that will keep the summer feeling fun and exciting.  This is the first posting for a blog series this summer all about family fun within a day's drive.

About an hour west of the county on I-78 and I-287 is the town of Flemington, NJ, which has some of the best summer programming events I have ever seen.  Their business association sponsors fun activities from May to August, including a recurring Classic Car Show, which my son is totally nuts for.  Hundreds of classic cars are on display, entered by their owners, many of whom seem to travel around from car show to car show the entire summer - a tight-knit group who seem to know each other well, and who mostly seem pleased to have my toddler gawking at their cars with admiration and wonder.  Last summer, my son and I relaxed with a lovely dinner at a sidewalk café and watched the cars go by. 

The town also hosts a continuing "Music on Main Street" series, as well as a Family Film Night, both of which seem to be very well-attended all summer long.  Oh, and don't forget, they do a have a rather anemic, but fuctional outlet mall (which includes a Mikasa, a Le Creuset, and the [in]famous Flemington Furs, of course), in case you grow weary of the kid focused events and want to get a little somethin' somethin' for yourself.  Ooo, don't miss this really fun store in the Flemington town centre called RED VANILLA - it's a factory direct store with some really cool housewares at really reasonable prices. 

Last but not least, the model train and doll museum are located on Rt. 202 - behold the wonder of NORTHLANDZ!  Well, basically a really well-to-do gentleman by the name of Bruce Williams with a huge passion for model trains overfilled his basement with fantastically intricate scenes and train structures, and eventually, they got a space and display over 8 miles of model train track, thereby creating the model train gallery that is Northlandz.  It is amazing - when my son was 18 months, he spent 2 hours walking through the gallery, which included a doll museum, a dollhouse, as well as a huge pipe organ display.  Of course, afterwards, we also took a short ride on their steam engine replica through their little wooded area off to the side of the property.  It's a day trip that we are planning to definitely do again this summer, as his fascination with trains has only compounded.  http://www.northlandz.com/

For information about the calendar of events in Flemington, check out their website:  http://www.frbanj.com/calendar.html - lots of great events. 

Next blog, I'll be chatting up a few more local events...