Thursday, May 23, 2013
Tourism commissioner says rental market is healthy.
Though immense devastation from Superstorm Sandy remains visible up and down the New Jersey coastline, beaches, boardwalks and even rental homes are ready for the annual influx of summer tourists that will begin this weekend, officials said Thursday at the annual "State of the Shore" event in Belmar. The State of the Shore report is presented by state officials and the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium every year before Memorial Day weekend kicks off, but this year it evolved to mark the unofficial reopening of the Shore area following Sandy. With emergency repairs to state and local infrastructure damaged by the storm now complete, work has started on the state's long term recovery, said Bob Martin, commissioner of the state Department of …
This will be Obama's first visit to Shore since just after Sandy.
President Obama and Gov. Christie will visit the Jersey Shore on Tuesday, according to The Record in Bergen County. This will be Obama's first visit to the area since Oct. 31, just after the storm struck. A full itinerary of the visit was not available. More information can be found here.
Board adds classes to expand offerings for students in response to parents' concerns.
Starting in the fall, Hopatcong High School students will have the chance to take several new or newly reinstated electives. The Board of Education Monday approved the addition of criminal justice/law in courts, and athletic training to the high school curriculum. Other electives will be reinstated, including home economics, print media and public speaking. Board president Clifford Lundin said Monday that the additions were made in response to concerns raised last year by parents who felt that the number of electives at the high school had been diminished. He said the curriculum changes were made possible because the district shifted 4.5 teaching positions from the middle school to the high school. The job shift as possible because of …
School board plans June 24 vote to approve the agreement.
The Board of Education expects to approve at its June 24 meeting a new contract with the Hopatcong Education Association unit that represents teacher aides, custodians and cafeteria workers. Board president Clifford Lundin said Monday that an agreement has been reached, but that the contract language was being reconciled. No details about the agreement were released. In February the board accepted the findings of the state mediator brought in to settle the contract. The two sides reached an agreement in principal in April after more than three years of bitter negotiations. Lundin said the contract has been ratified by the members, now called paraprofessionals, but it is being reviewed by the state School Boards Association. The HEA unit …
Extra trains will run to Manhattan for the holiday.
NJ Transit will have extra trains running to and from New York for Memorial Day weekend. For an advance station-to-station planner click here or for the amended memorial Day schedule click here. NJ Transit Rail service will operate as follows: Friday, May 24 Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 Monday, May 27 For more information, call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555.
You can use this gas price widget to always find the lowest price of the moment. Pro tip: Gas up early this week to save money.
Click here for a full-screen view of the gas price map. If you don't see a map of our local area, click the magnifying glass in the upper right to enter your address. Nationwide, gas prices were predicted to be lower this summer compared to the last three years, but that won't translate into savings at the pump this Memorial Day weekend, experts said. "Motorists this year are facing rising gas prices heading into the Memorial Day holiday," said Michael Green, a AAA spokesman, adding that Memorial Day 2013 would probably be the most expensive since 2011. In past years, prices have declined heading into early summer as oil refineries produced more gasoline to meet expected summer driving demand. This year, though, Midwest refineries haven't …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Group hopes to heighten awareness of 10 sites in need of preservation funding.
A state historic preservation advocacy group released its list of the most endangered New Jersey sites Wednesday, detailing damage, some Superstorm-Sandy related, that has put 10 landmarks at risk for demolition. Properties that were classified as the "most endangered" have architectural and historic integrity with an identified threat and Preservation New Jersey, the organization that compiled the list, felt their inclusion could potentially help legislators realize the importance in preserving them. Included on the list is Morris County's Glen Alpin property in Harding Township. The Gothic Revival mansion is threatened by a need for sustainable use, according to Preservation New Jersey. The Morris Canal Rockaway River Aqueduct, in …
Homeowner had sought an easement for his well which is located on an adjacent, borough-owned lot.
The borough will put up for auction a non-conforming borough-owned lot which contains the well of the adjacent home. Borough Attorney John Ursin said Wednesday the adjacent lot at 2 Wabash Trail is for sale. During the sale process, the homeowner disclosed that his wellhead is actually located one to two feet inside the adjacent property. The homeowner, through Ursin, asked the borough for an easement to allow the new owner to maintain his well. Councilman Michael Francis objected. “I have not met an easement that I like,” Francis said. Councilman Richard Bunce said the well is not the only encroachment issue with the property, citing walls and other structures that extend into the borough’s vacant lot. All are issues the new property …
Hopatcong will play the No. 1 seeded Ramsey team on Thursday.
Hopatcong (9) went on the road to Glen Rock (8) in their opening round game of the NJSIAA softball tournament on Tuesday. Hopatcong’s ace Sam Kufta struck out nine batters, allowed only three hits on the day and only one hit over the last four innings. Hannah Biebeault contributed a pair of runs while Kelsey and Shelby Spaziani each contributed a pair of hits. The Chiefs will now have their hands full as they go up against the No. 1 seeded team in their group, Ramsey. Ramsey is 22-4 on the season and will be expecting to advance to the finals. Hopatcong will be on the road against Ramsey on Thursday. Follow @PatchSportsNJ on twitter for real time local sports updates and information.
Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? Here are new ideas for keeping your costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.
Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbecue experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party. Here's their tips on how to save money on your Memorial Day feast. 1. Start with a marinade. This means planning ahead — say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbeque America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled rib eye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbecue grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade, perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce, but …
recallbethmason
8:23 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
sorry bob martin but i have no respect for anything you say or do as you were the idiot who approved the monarch project to built in Hoboken NJ. do you remember the project bob? two 12 story towers to be built on a platform over the hudson river...you know the area that is considered by FEMA to be to dangerous to build on because of superstorm sandy severely flooded the area! nice going schmuck… more ›