Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Township files FEMA paperwork by May 1 deadline.
The township would like to plan a special one-time only spring pick-up of brush and yard debris to allow residents to clear their yards of debris left by Hurricane Sandy. The hang-ups, discussed at the last Township Council meeting, are being able to get a reimbursement application filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency by the last eligible day, and whether the Lake Mohawk Country Club, a private neighborhood with its own bylaws and rules, should be included in the townwide effort. If the project was approved, FEMA would reimburse Sparta for 75 percent of the cost. Township Manager David Troust said other Sussex County towns are planning such cleanups. If Sparta was to schedule one, he said, homeowners would be able to get rid …
The $1.2 million ad buy shows road to New Jerseyans' optimism in their state.
In Gov. Chris Christie's first television ad of his 2013 re-election campaign, the governor's leadership style is credited for renewing New Jersey residents' pride in their state after years of overtaxation and too much government spending. "Jersey Proud" shows how bipartisan reforms have helped "to strengthen New Jersey's future," according to the Christie campaign.
Monday, April 29, 2013
New ordinance would set rules for installation of standby generators.
Sparks flew in Sparta last week as the Township Council introduced an ordinance that would set standards for the installation of standby generators on residential lots. The ordinance was drawn up and discussed by the planning board following Hurricane Sandy, when most of the township lost power for about a week. Land-use ordinances are written and approved by the planning board, and sent to the council for review. Once the council approves an ordinance it is sent back to the planning board for final approval. The council can request changes in the ordinance, but the planning board can reject the request. The council last week was acting on a revised land-use ordinance that would allow stand-by generators on residential lots. Deputy Mayor …
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Council has been seeking meeting with cable provider since Hurricane Sandy.
The Sparta Township Council has not been able to secure a firm meeting date from representatives of Service Electric Cable Television Inc. to discuss a 10-day outage that occurred during Hurricane Sandy. Since last fall the township has been trying to meet with cable officials to discuss the service outage and a possible refund for Sparta residents. Following the damaging storm, Sparta residents appeared several times at council meetings to complain about the cable company. On Tuesday, resident Rich Sullivan asked about the issue, saying it seemed to have dropped off the council’s agenda. Councilman Jerry Murphy has said previously that the contract calls for periodic meetings about service. “This is why we wanted a two-year contract,” he…
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Final hearing on a 4.1 percent increase for state's second largest utility.
The sixth and final hearing on a request for a rate increase by the state’s second largest utility company met with a mix of praise and criticism for Jersey Central Power & Light Wednesday at Freehold Township’s Town Hall. JCP&L, fresh off widespread criticism for its handling of superstorm Sandy and the nor’easter that followed, is seeking a 4.1 percent increase in the rates it charges its 1.1 million customers – many of whom were without power for up to two weeks after this winter’s storms. The Morristown-based company is seeking to recoup the $630 million it spent on repairs following Sandy. It has petitioned the state regulatory board — the Board of Public Utilities — which has held hearings throughout JCP&L’s coverage area since the …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Township Council says company has taken actions to improve safety
PSE&G Corp. responded to complaints from Sparta residents and township officials with better communication and steps designed to reduced the impact of the company’s project to build a new power line from Pennsylvania to East Jersey. Neighbors said Tuesday they were still concerned. The Sparta Township Council outlined Tuesday the steps taken after neighbors of an exclusive mountaintop neighborhood complained about the project two weeks ago. The neighborhood, centered on New Star Ridge Road is, near the site where the power company is rebuilding a switching station in adjacent Hopatcong. Supply trucks, construction equipment and workers’ vehicles pass through the neighborhood daily, and residents complained about unsafe conditions. The …
Monday, April 22, 2013
Official: Flights leaving Newark Liberty heading south were re-routed back to Newark because the Washington area traffic control system was overwhelmed.
Air travelers in the U.S. Monday morning were greeted by growing delays throughout the East Coast because of mandated federal budget cuts brought on by the sequester, according to a published report. Flights out of New York and Washington were delayed by more than two hours, an Associated Press report posted by NJ.com said, as the Federal Aviation Administration kept planes on the ground. Air traffic controller furloughs were responsible for the delays, officials said, because there weren’t enough people to monitor busy air corridors. In one example the report cited, the 8 a.m. US Airways shuttle left the gate at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. six minutes early, but didn’t take off until 9:58 a.m. The plane landed at 10:48 a.m…
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Chris Christie invited to spend the day at Camp Pocono trails in exchange for five camperships for New Jersey youths.
New Jersey resident Tony Sparber and founder of Camp Pocono Trails has challenged Gov. Chris Christie to spend a day at his weight loss camp for children to try out the program. Sparber's Pocono property was the focus of MTV's "Fat Camp" and "Return to Fat Camp" where kids spend their summer working to form healthy habits and relationships. “I’m a big supporter of Christie, voted for him for governor and would vote for him for president, but he’s not the best role model, physically for kids in New Jersey and America,” Sparber said. In his invitation letter to the governor, written April 4, Sparber said Camp Pocono Trails can show Christie how to have some fun, end the barbs, get in shape and even encourage New Jersey’s kids to get fitter…
Sunday, April 14, 2013
PSE&G is rebuilding a power station in Hopatcong and Sparta citizens say it is making their neighborhood unsafe.
Residents of a quiet mountaintop neighborhood dumped their frustrations on the Sparta Township Council last week, complaining that their hilly, private streets had become an extension of the nearby construction site where PSE&G is building a new electric transmission line. By Wednesday, their complaints had reached the ears of power company officials, who met with residents that afternoon, said public relations manager George Sous. Sous said the company reached out to its suppliers and contractors on that site to mitigate the intensity of the delivery activity, modify delivery schedules, emphasize hours of operation, and focus on safety. Still, he said, the work at the Hopatcong station is an intense construction project on a tight …
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Assault weapon restriction among gun control measures set to be introduced Monday.
New Jersey would create a new instant criminal background check system for gun buyers, require safety training to obtain a firearms permit and toughen penalties on gun traffickers under legislation announced Friday by state senate Democrats. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Law and Public Safety Chairman Donald Norcross are set to introduce the multi-bill package Monday. "I worked with Majority Leader Weinberg and Law and Public Safety Chairman Norcross, as well as advocates on both sides of the discussion, to compile a package of bills that will serve as a national model on gun safety," Sweeney said in a statement. The "centerpiece" of the legislation would establish the instant background check …
Portmanteau
10:10 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013
Yeah Christie has really turned NJ around. Yeah. Let's put it this way. If you are stupid enough to think that either pull of the lever makes a difference then you are truly blessed with the gift of innocence. more ›