The Personal Injury Attorney in North Bergen, NJ, You Can Trust

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HACKENSACK — Martin Rojas Ortiz, 16, has seen firsthand the dangers of teenage drug and alcohol use.

“This close friend of mine had a bright future when he was young. He was a great athlete, person, friend, and great in school,” said Ortiz, a junior at Hackensack High School. “Because of drugs he took the wrong path and can’t fulfill that talent. But he still has time to change what he is going through.”

He was inspired by that experience to write a song, called “Bruno,” depicting his friend’s struggle with drug abuse.

Ortiz’s song was named the winner of the 21^st annual Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs music competition on May 7.

For his original song, sung in both English and Spanish, Ortiz won a $5,000 music contract with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and will perform the piece across the state at events over the next year.

Ortiz wrote and composed the song, and he played the instruments and sang the lyrics himself. He then recorded, mixed and mastered the song in his home on his computer.

Ortiz moved to the U.S. from Colombia, where his friend lives, about two years ago. He began learning music production and guitar from a teacher in his former country, and still takes lessons with him virtually.

He was encouraged to enter the contest by his music director at Hackensack High School.

“Both of my parents are musicians, so I’ve been singing and playing instruments since I was a child,” Ortiz said.

The annual contest is open to any New Jersey high school student, and the song must carry a message of substance abuse prevention with original lyrics and music, said Angelo Valente, the executive director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.

“We continue to be amazed by the talent that’s out there from the young people that submit their songs,” he said. “They have such powerful messages. A lot of messages are from personal experiences — their family, community, classmates — It’s really a great vehicle to get young people to focus on these issues.”

This year, there were 14 finalists from eight counties in the state, with the winner announced during a concert on May 7. The concert was previously a live event but shifted to a virtual model after COVID, Valente said. The winner was decided by thousands of votes online over five weeks leading up to the concert, along with a panel of judges, representing people working in law enforcement and drug prevention.

Ortiz’s song stood out because of the way it spoke to young people's experiences and how drugs could derail a promising future, Valente said.

“This young man he sings about had everything going for him, and as a result of them using, everything changed,” he said. “But there’s a message of hope that a person in the throes of dependence and addiction still has the ability to turn their life around.”

Ortiz plans to pursue a degree in sound engineering and music production after high school at Drexel University or Berklee College of Music in Boston. His music is available on streaming platforms for listening under the name M de Roma. To hear the song “Bruno,” visit shoutdowndrugs.com/contestants/profile/425.

“I hope people like the song,” he said. “I hope it warns people and encourages them to be cautious with vices. Don’t let it ruin your potential.”

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BERGEN COUNTY — The Bergen County Clerk's office has joined a new technology partnership to digitize its property records and deeds and to eliminate fraud, prevent hacks and increase efficiency.

The Clerk's Office has signed a five-year contract with Hoboken-based company Balcony, a leader in blockchain-based land record management.

The platform will create a tamper-proof, fully digitized, searchable chain of titles across 70 municipalities, minimize deed processing time, reduce the risk of fraud, prevent administrative errors and protect against ransomware attacks, said Balcony officials.

Blockchain is a digital database that serves as a secure, public ledger for recording and verifying transactions. Balcony Technology, a data intelligence and land record management company, will leverage its blockchain and AI platform to work with municipalities

Bergen County Clerk John Hogan said he began to learn about blockchain technology in 2019, while serving on Gov. Phil Murphy's blockchain task force.

After working with Balcony in a pilot program, Hogan agreed to the five-year contract to strengthen the county's property records to eliminate fraud, prevent hacks and increase efficiency.

The agreement marks the largest blockchain initiative in the United States, CEO and founder of Balcony Dan Silverman said at Bergen County Plaza on May 28.

"Blockchain-based public records system is not just a technology upgrade," Silverman said. "This is a paradigm shift in the way we think about protecting the ownership of our most valuable assets."

The partnership will digitize and bring 370,000 property deeds on-chain, representing approximately $240 billion in real estate value.

Over the course of the contract, a modernized interface will be available to Bergen County residents with a "Zillow-type feel of the 21st century," Silverman said. Residents will be able to access and track the history of their property from its creation until the present from home.

Hogan said that since first becoming clerk, his office has been at the forefront of utilizing technology and bringing the office up to date.

"I have been determined to keep this office on the forefront of technology and not get stuck in the status quo," Hogan said. "This is the next step to improve the lives of the people of Bergen County."

The $100,000 a year contract will be paid from the clerk's office "trust fund" of fees and not from the county's budget.

"We are setting the stage for modernizing real estate data infrastructure," Hogan said. "We are laying the foundation. This won't be completed today, tomorrow or next week. We're laying the foundation for long-term automation."

"For generations, the deeds and property records to your homes have been stored in fragile and vulnerable to ransomware and fraud" systems, Silverman said. "Bergen County is setting the example that other counties across the country will follow."

Silverman said fraud and ransomware are on the rise, especially with artificial intelligence that can create fraudulent documents in seconds. Hoboken, where the company is based, was the victim of a $2 million ransomware attack this year, he said.

Hogan said fraud and fraud attempts have been on the rise, especially this year. The clerk's office has had sovereign citizens try to turn in fraudulent deeds, trying to claim land. The Clerk's office is trained to identify fraudulent documents, and with "this system, people won't even think of trying now," Hogan said.

Avalanche, the blockchain provider behind Balcony, will build "tamperproof, cryptographically authenticated records that cannot be altered or faked," Silverman said.

The distributed ledger technology will demonstrate a clear, traceable chain of titles to ensure full transparency of the history of ownership, which has never been done before, Silverman said.

"By tokenizing property and deeds, laying a foundation for asset ownership, fraud becomes obsolete," he said. "This is more than a contract, it's a commitment to the people of Bergen County, to the integrity of our government records and the belief that government can and must evolve."

The New Jersey Highlands Council awarded Ringwood a $35,000 Tourism Expansion Grant, the borough announced on Monday. Going forward, the town will use this grant to "enhance the borough's tourism initiatives."

The New Jersey Highlands Council is a 15-member appointed body that is tasked with the implementation of the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004, which "safeguards the New Jersey Highlands from excessive development and environmental degradation."

The Highlands Council uses funding from the Highlands Regional Master Plan (RMP) Implementation Fund to award multiple Tourism Expansion Grants.

The RMP, which provides framework for implementing the Highlands Act at the local level, includes a series of goals and strategies to strengthen the region's economy. In 2022, the council released the New Jersey Highlands Regional Economic Sustainability Plan to "further refine those goals." According to a resolution that was read and adopted by the Highlands Council during its April 17 meeting, several proposed actions in the plan focus on the potential for increased tourism in towns and counties around the Highlands.

"With these goals in mind and utilizing funding from the RMP Implementation Fund, the Highlands Council is offering grants to government entities, nonprofit organizations, and/or destination marketing organizations (DMOs) for implementation initiatives that serve to enhance and increase tourism in the Highlands," reads the resolution.

In Ringwood, the grant will support three key projects:

"We are excited to receive this grant to further our ongoing tourism efforts," said Borough Manager Scott Heck. "This funding will allow us to highlight the natural assets of our community and encourage visitors to hike and bike our trails, dine and shop at our local establishments, and enjoy the cultural arts that Ringwood has to offer."

The maximum award amount for individual applicants is $35,000, according to the resolution. The grant is renewable for future years, subject to funding availability. Projects will be reviewed annually by the Budget and Finance Committee to determine status, effectiveness, overall implementation and management of the award.

"Ringwood is committed to leveraging this grant to create memorable experiences for visitors and residents alike," reads the borough's announcement. "By highlighting the borough's natural beauty, local businesses and cultural arts, Ringwood aims to become a premier destination for outdoor enthusiasts and art lovers."

For more information about Ringwood's tourism initiatives and upcoming events, visit www.ringwoodnj.net