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Welcome to the Local News
April, 2008 - Dateline: Manalapan - We're keeping space open for you on our local news pages. Do you have a local event that needs posting? A community "happening" you'd like to tell us about. We may eventually automate the process, but for now, email the details and photos of your event, story, happening to us HERE and we'll do our best to post it in a timely manner for your neighbors to see. Of course stories will be posted at the discretion of the editorial staff.
Springsteen to help raise money for historic Jersey Shore theater
RED BANK, N.J. - Bruce Springsteen plans to raise some money for restoration of the historic Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.
Springsteen is scheduled to hold a May 7th benefit at the theater, which was built in 1926 to showcase movies and vaudeville.
Restoration and renovation work is expected to start this summer.
Springsteen grew up in nearby Freehold and lives in Monmouth County.
The theater was renamed after native son and jazz great William "Count" Basie in 1984.
Monmouth to launch TV show
FREEHOLD - Monmouth County is hitting the airwaves with a monthly television program designed to bring the county's many governmental services directly to residents.
"Monmouth in Focus" is a televised companion to the county newsletter of the same name. It is hosted by Cynthia Scott, a former News 12 New Jersey reporter now employed by the county, and will be airing on local access channels throughout Monmouth County.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to bring the county's services directly into the living rooms of our residents," Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said.
"We have seen activity on the county's Web site increasing and the newsletter that was mailed last summer was very well received. The television program will cap an aggressive effort to better communicate with residents about county services," Burry said.
The show is a half-hour program with two 12-minute segments. Each segment features a different aspect of county government. Shows have already been produced about the county budget, the library system, parks and a general overview of the functions of county government. Future shows will feature the reclamation center, social services and economic development, to name a few.
"Television is a great medium to get the county's message out," said William K. Heine, director of the county's Department of Public Information. "There are many good government programs available in Monmouth County, and it is incumbent upon us to make residents aware of them. The TV show will bolster communications efforts that have seen improvements to the county Web site, the county newsletter, the county directory and in the department's news releases."
"Monmouth in Focus" is produced at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, by students who are enrolled in the television production classes.
reprinted from - GMNEWS
THE VERDICT: HANG UP
Don't Fall for Jury Duty Scam
The phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam.
Jury scams have been around for years, but have seen a resurgence in recent months. Communities in more than a dozen states have issued public warnings about cold calls from people claiming to be court officials seeking personal information. As a rule, court officers never ask for confidential information over the phone; they generally correspond with prospective jurors via mail.
The scam's bold simplicity may be what makes it so effective. Facing the unexpected threat of arrest, victims are caught off guard and may be quick to part with some information to defuse the situation.
"They get you scared first," says a special agent in the Minneapolis field office who has heard the complaints. "They get people saying, 'Oh my gosh! I'm not a criminal. What's going on?'" That's when the scammer dangles a solution-a fine, payable by credit card, that will clear up the problem.
With enough information, scammers can assume your identity and empty your bank accounts.
"It seems like a very simple scam," the agent adds. The trick is putting people on the defensive, then reeling them back in with the promise of a clean slate. "It's kind of ingenious. It's social engineering."
In recent months, communities in Florida, New York, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Hampshire reported scams or posted warnings or press releases on their local websites. In August, the federal court system issued a warning on the scam and urged people to call their local District Court office if they receive suspicious calls. In September, the FBI issued a press release about jury scams and suggested victims also contact their local FBI field office.
In March, USA.gov, the federal government’s information website, posted details about jury scams in their Frequently Asked Questions area. The site reported scores of queries on the subject from website visitors and callers seeking information.
The jury scam is a simple variation of the identity-theft ploys that have proliferated in recent years as personal information and good credit have become thieves' preferred prey, particularly on the Internet. Scammers might tap your information to make a purchase on your credit card, but could just as easily sell your information to the highest bidder on the Internet's black market.
Protecting yourself is the key: Never give out personal information when you receive an unsolicited phone call.
When railroads crisscrossed Monmouth County
A brief history in photographs of riding the rails
BY LINDA DeNICOLA Correspondent Greater Media News
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARCADIA PUBLISHING The Blue Comet, a steam locomotive that has a special place in local railroad lore, is featured in "Railroads of Monmouth County," which surveys railroad history beginning with the county's first railroad built in 1853.
You don't have to be a railroad enthusiast to appreciate "Railroads of Monmouth County."
With a modicum of imagination and romanticism, readers are ready to ride the rails along with Tom Gallo and William B. Longo, the editors of the train lore book that is part of the "Images of Rail" series published by Arcadia Publishing, South Carolina.
The book spotlights many never-beforeseen images of trains like the Blue Comet, CentralNew Jersey's (CNJ)most fondly remembered train.
The 123-page book includes notations from former railroad employees regarding their experiences working for the railroads and contains images from at least 10 photographers that have never been assembled before. In addition, it provides important dates for those who wish to indulge in further research.
Gallo and Longo have spent a lifetime experiencing the railroad world. They both grew up near railroad tracks and both work forNJ Transit. They have joined together to write the book and have compiled more than 200 vintage photographs that tell of Monmouth County's past through the life of its railroad system, including people, tracks, services, supplies and journeys.
The authors dedicate the book to George Lester Whitfield, who for 45 years worked for the Central Railroad of New Jersey, retiring in 1885 as trainmaster.
"His collection represented the changes from steam-era industrialized America to today's modern-day world and was offered to us by his family," they write.
Click here for the rest of the story at Greater Media Site
Click here to order
- Paperback book $9.95
Printed: 99 pages, 6" x 9", perfect binding, black and white interior ink
Description:
Author and photographer Kevin Woyce takes you on a guided tour of Jersey shore history--from the distant past of pirates and shipwrecks, through the Golden Years of your favorite summer resorts, the Roaring 20s, the Space Age 50s, and right up to today. Find our how some of our shore towns got their unusual names; why there is an elephant-shaped building in Margate; who the guy with the grin was in Asbury Park; and much more! Illustrated throughout with original black and white photographs of Jersey shore lighthouses, boardwalks, and historic landmarks--including a special Photo Essay section on Jersey Shore Architecture. Kevin Woyce lives in Lyndhurst, NJ; a lifelong resident of the Garden State, he has been taking photographs at the shore for more than a dozen years
NJDOT awards $3 million in municipal Bikeways grants
click above for original source: WALKBIKEJERSEY
(Trenton) - Commissioner Kris Kolluri today announced that the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will award $3 million in grants for bicycle compatible transportation projects throughout the state. The funds will be allocated through NJDOT’s Fiscal Year 2008 Bikeways program.
“The Bikeways grant program can help improve quality of life by reducing congestion, improving air qualityand encouraging residents to exercise in New Jersey’s communities,” said Commissioner Kolluri.
“The program illustrates NJDOT’s commitment to partner with towns to create 1,000 miles of dedicated bikeways statewide.”
The Bikeways program awards grants to municipalities to help increase the number of bicycle trips and improve bicycle safety in the state of New Jersey. NJDOT provides funds for local projects that will result in the creation of new, independent bicycle facilities. NJDOT encourages municipalities to apply for funding for bikeways that are physically separated from vehicular traffic by an open space or barrier.
All municipalities and counties are eligible to apply for Bikeway funds. Bikeways program funding is provided by the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.
Monmouth County Share:
Atlantic Highlands, $300,000
GOTTA SING! GOTTA ACT! GOTTA DANCE!
New Theatre Company in Asbury Park
Offers Classes for kids and Adults
For more information call 732-775-0635 or visit www.ReVisionTheatre.org.
Manalapan - Spring Leaf Collection
The spring leaf collection will take place during the weeks of April 21st and May 5th. Please place bagged leaves at the curb, not in the street, on the morning of the FIRST day of each collection to insure you will not miss either of the collections. Bagged leaves containing twigs, grass, brush, weeds or garbage will not be collected. If you did not have bagged leaves at the curb in time for the collection, you may bring them to the Public Works yard at 207 Route 522.
All leaves must be placed in biodegradable compost bags.
These bags can be purchased at the Public Works Department on Mondays – Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The bags are sold in bundles of 5 for a cost of $2.00. You can also purchase these bags from local retailers.
NO leaves will be collected that are not contained in these biodegradable bags.
Bagged leaves containing twigs, grass, brush, weeds or other debris will not be collected.
Trucks on southern Parkwayirk motorist |
Times have changed and so have traffic patterns. The Garden State Parkway is no longer a quiet, winding road where traffic increases south of the Raritan River bridge when the summer comes. Today, residents of Ocean and Monmouth counties pile on the Parkway to get to work and others go and come to Atlantic City. So, because of this heavier traffic, some wonder if the rules should change. Why are trucks still permitted on the southern half of the Garden State Parkway? I understand that, originally, they were permitted due to the lesser amount of traffic that traveled that section of the Parkway, compared to the northern section. The southern half of the Parkway, with the possible exception of south of Atlantic City, is now a heavy traffic route. The danger these trucks pose is great. Perhaps there are statistics that can back that up. Even so, it's accidents that are waiting to happen. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority needs to be challenged on the reasons why trucks are not permitted on the northern section but are permitted on the southern section. These trucks speed and carry loads that sometimes leak from their beds. I've had two windshields damaged by small objects emitted from these trucks. This is not a State Police issue, it's a policy issue that can only be changed by the Authority. FRANK LECCESSE, Colts Neck Let's be frank here. We all know that big trucks make driving uncomfortable for many drivers. The New Jersey Turnpike long ago added car-only lanes to help alleviate those fears. But the reason trucks have been allowed on the southern end of the Parkway had little to do with it being a road less traveled. The only other way for trucks to make their way around central and south Jersey is Route 9, so the Parkway is needed so that goods can get delivered. Also, in order to get towns to sign on to the Parkway idea back in the 1950s, the Highway Authority had to offer towns a way to get the trucks off the local roads, except when they were making local deliveries. More than that, the lanes south of the Raritan River bridge were wider than those north of Monmouth County, because there was more room available during construction. Commercial trucks with a registered weight of more than 7,000 pounds (3.18 tons) are not allowed to use the northern parts of the Parkway. All trucks must exit at Exit 105, just past the Asbury Park toll barrier. From Tinton Falls to the southern end of the Parkway at Cape May, trucks are allowed, but must pay additional tolls. Buses are allowed for the entire length of the Parkway. What you may have noticed is that the lanes aren't as wide as they once were in parts of Ocean and Monmouth counties. From milepost 82 north to milepost 94, there are six 11-foot-wide lanes (three in each direction), with a wide landscaped median and grass shoulders. This section formerly had 12-foot-wide lanes; the shoulders were converted into additional travel lanes. Approximately 75,000 vehicles travel this section each day. From milepost 94 north to milepost 98, there are now eight 11-foot-wide lanes, and from milepost 98 north to milepost 105, there are 10 11-foot-wide lanes. The tighter lanes and the lack of shoulders may make things seem worse than they were, and it makes police enforcement difficult. There is little pavement for cars that are pulled over, meaning cars need to stop on the grass. That causes rubbernecking, slows traffic and can cause even more accidents. State Police try to keep the trucks and buses in line. The Commercial Vehicle Inspection Unit checks buses and trucks at the Herbertsville inspection area in Wall and at other selected locations on the Parkway. These inspections attempt to ensure that buses and other commercial vehicles using the Parkway are in a safe operating condition. While there are no plans to stop trucks from using the Parkway, Gov. Corzine's proposed toll hike might do the trick. The increase in cost for trucking firms may make them return to Route 9 and other county roads to make their way north and south. What the impact of that will be on local traffic from Stafford to Tinton Falls is anyone's guess. E-mail onroads@aol.com or write to Joe Adelizzi, c/o the Asbury Park Press, 3601 Highway 66, Box 1550, Neptune, NJ 07754 or fax Joe at (732) 643-4014. Please include your name, town and phone number.
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OLD BRIDGE - Meditation involves quieting the mind and bringing oneself to a place of peace and serenity, where outside thoughts and distractions can melt away.
Members of Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America, an Indian spiritual movement, are willing to try the ancient practice in close proximity to a place known for making a ruckus.
The group has an application before the Old Bridge Zoning Board of Adjustment to build a spiritual center, complete with prayer hall and residences, directly neighboring Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Pension Road.
"It's just ironic," saidMichael Napp, an owner of Raceway Park. "You could say there could be a better place for this. I look at it like, you could not find a worse place."
The association purchased the 19.5- acre site at Pension and Englishtown roads last January, in hopes to build the 18,240-square-foot prayer hall, along with 16 residential units and eight units of dormitory style accommodations for visitors. If built, the center would be the group's first headquarters outside of India.
"[Meditation and prayer] does require a quiet and serene environment, yes," said Rahul Gupta, who represented the group at a Dec. 6 zoning board hearing. "Obviously, we were quite concerned, being right across the street from Raceway Park ... but we feel we can overcome the noise generated there."
Gupta said the woods on the property would help to provide a buffer from the noise, and buildings there would be constructed in a way that would block out some of the outside sounds.
Michael Leckstein, a Little Silverbased attorney representing Raceway Park, cross-examined Gupta after testimony was presented, questioning various aspects of the project. Napp said he is opposed to the group bringing its headquarters there because of the numerous noise complaints his racing facility has gotten over the years.
"We've been on the ugly end of noise complaints for over 30 years," Napp said. "Historically, we know that people move in next door, spend some time there and realize it wasn't what they bargained for."
According to Napp, Raceway Park has gone as far as having new homeowners in the area sign documents stating that they would not lodge noise complaints against the facility, but residents have tried to draft petitions against them anyway. Over the years, the track's owners have had to devise bigger and better noise barriers to combat the complaints.
Though Raceway Park has what Leckstein referred to as "18 loud racing days" per year, and there are regulations as to what types of racing can take place at certain hours of the day, Napp said the facility has some type of racing going on 365 days a year.
Homeowners Gabriela and James Sorge have lived in the shadow of Raceway Park for 24 years.Also opposed to the Dayalbagh Radhasoami Satsang project, they stressed the level of noise coming from the facility.
"They rock my house," James said. "Motocross runs every day."
Though the Sorges said they have no complaints about Raceway Park since they went into the rural neighborhood aware of it, the idea of having residential development behind their property is not something they expected or wanted.
"It's our way of life, and that would change it," Gabriela said.
In his testimony, Gupta said the buildings would take up only a fraction of the property, and would be constructed in such a way as to blend with the environment. The style of the structures would also align itself with the group's tenets of simplicity and humility, he said.
The Sorges also said they do not think the group should be allowed tax-exempt status for the 24 residents slated to live there. Churches are given such status as a rule, but the residential aspect of this group's application raises questions for some.
"I've lived here 25 years, and I've got to pay taxes," James Sorge said. "That's not right. How many churches run every day without 24 people on-site? I think it's just a way to get out of paying taxes."
Although the question of taxes will not be addressed until the group's next hearing, scheduled for Feb.7, the group's attorney, New Brunswick-based David Himelman, mentioned a possible payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement with the township.
"My client's position is that they don't want to become a burden on the community," Himelman later told Greater Media Newspapers.
Gupta explained that volunteering plays an integral role in the group's spiritual beliefs and practices, thereby requiring a core group of members to reside at the site and take part in daily activities.
"I can't emphasize strongly enough how important this is in our faith," Gupta said. "They're not there just to perform these tasks for logistical reasons. This concept of volunteerism is actually at the same level as the worship."
Members residing on-site would take part in an austere lifestyle, with their day beginning at 4:30 a.m. for meditation, and continuing with various structured activities until 9 p.m. Religious services for about 40 attendees would take place twice daily, Gupta said, with a weekly service drawing between 100 and 150 church members on Saturday evenings.
Education also plays a large role in the group's practices, with classes in such areas as arts and crafts, vocational, distance learning, physical education, music, dance, language, culture and theology, Gupta said. Resident members would serve as teachers and mentors for the classes, which would also be open to the general public.
"Our organization is by no means closed off to the community at large," Gupta said.
According to Gupta, the group will attempt to create a model community in order to live by example, as opposed to actively going out into the world seeking to convert individuals to subscribe to their beliefs.
The majority of residents would be retired individuals, as their lifestyle lends itself to the ability to perform volunteer duties, Gupta said, adding that there would be a few families. Most residents would not hold outside jobs, and would be required to pay a nominal licensing fee in order to live there. Gupta said the fee would only be enough to allow the church to break even, with no profit involved.
Upon being questioned, Gupta said there could be a few public school students brought to the district by the project.
Residents would live on the site on a permanent basis, having made a commitment to the work of the church, Gupta said.
"The volunteers who would be living here are carefully chosen," Gupta said. "You have a group of committed members who are united in a single purpose."
About 400 group members from throughout the tri-state area come together for an annual gathering, which usually takes place on a holiday weekend, Gupta said. Attendees normally stay at the homes of other local members, and if the project is built, some would stay onsite at the dormitory-style facility.
The group is seeking a use variance for the residential density of the project, as well as variances for the building heights and the number of parking spaces proposed.
Plans call for a main entrance off Pension Road, and a second access point at Old Bridge-Englishtown Road.
In order to move forward with the project, the group would also need approvals from Middlesex County, which owns both Pension and Englishtown roads. There are also wetlands issues to be resolved with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
An engineer, traffic consultant, planner and other professionals are expected to provide testimony for the application at the Feb. 7 meeting.
Napp and his attorney will be there to make their case, as well.
"This project will be the closest project in the history of any racetrack in the country," Napp said. "If it results in a lawsuit, taxpayers end up paying for it."