Thursday, May 2, 2013
Sussex surrogate urges passage of legislation that clarifies existing law on vehicle lamps.
To the Editor: On Monday, April 29, the NJ State Assembly by a vote of 76-0 passed bipartisan legislation which I proposed when I was a member of the Assembly. The bill, A-354, was proposed at the request of members of our local police departments and requires that all lamps and lighting devices on motor vehicles be kept in working order. It clarifies existing law and became necessary as a result of a 2009 court case. In that case, the defendant moved to suppress evidence on the grounds that the police officer did not have sufficient cause for initiating the stop because the driver had the minimum number of operating stop lights required by the current law. Bill A-354 is currently co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose and …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Hopatcong man said he had to find out about trash pick-up himself, even though it's not his responsibility.
Dear Editor, This past Friday – March 8, 2013 – was our neighborhood’s regularly scheduled day for garbage collection, but as you are aware, there was a snow storm that disrupted service. Even though the storm ended shortly after noon, there was no collection, nor was there any on Saturday, and apparently we won’t get any today (Monday) either. I think everyone expected no collection on Friday, but with no notification either via the web site or the Borough’s emergency notification system, no one knew what to do, so garbage has remained at the curb all weekend and remains there this morning. The web site says to get emergency notification, we have to sign up for it, and that if we have any questions or concerns regarding garbage collection…
Sunday, December 30, 2012
U.S. needs a genuine third party to deal with this and other issues.
Looking back from this point, the last year seems to have been filled with misery and grief: the Newtown mass shooting that killed 20 children, Superstorm Sandy and the devastation she brought, the Aurora theater shooting. Locally, there have teen suicides that touched several communities. Longtime businesses have shut their doors or announced their closings. Many in red Northwest Jersey probably viewed the re-election of President Barack Obama as bad news, as well. So perhaps it is appropriate that the nation spends the last hours of 2012 teetering on the edge of the so-called "fiscal cliff." Part of what led us to the cliff was well-intentioned: A bill designed to reduce the federal deficit. The other main problem was beneficial to …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hopatcong resident Michele Guttenberger submits a letter to the editor.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The following is a letter to the editor submitted from Hopatcong resident Michele Guttenberger in response to the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn.: THE PRESERVE LAND TRUST SPORTS CLUB OF HOPATCONG, BYRAM AREA SPONSORS FIREARMS SCHOOLS TO OUR YOUTH &ENDORSES THE OPPOSITION OF GUN CONTROL LAWS The President has stated we have failed as a nation to pass laws to protect our children from this violence such as the tragedy at the Newtown Conn. elementary school. This statement made me think about this issue in context of my own neighborhood community since Newtown is a rural suburban area that shares some similarities. Like Hopatcong, it is a rural bedroom community connected to the NY metro region too. When you examine the powerful influential …
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Is murder of 26 people, most of them children, enough to make Washington take notice?
Bullet-proof glass in every window. Armed guards monitoring X-ray machines at the sole entrance. Snipers on the rooftop keeping watch over the playground. Is this the future of elementary schools in New Jersey and the nation? It’s hard to imagine everything school officials would have to do to make children completely safe, after the horrific slaughter Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. There is one thing that this nation must do: Congress must pass and the president must sign laws putting much greater controls on guns, preferably to include an Australia-style firearms buy back. Information about the senseless murder of 20 first-graders and six staff members at the school is still incomplete, with new details seeming …
Sunday, December 2, 2012
NJ needs to adopt rules to ensure everyone can vote more easily if another disaster hits.
All the ballots have finally been counted in New Jersey. Once they are certified by the state canvassers on Friday, New Jersey can finally close the book on this difficult election. Or can it? The constitutional litigation clinic of Rutgers Newark Law School is poking into the votes, asking for information about the processing of special balloting New Jersey Secretary of State Kim Guadagno ordered to help those displaced by Superstorm Sandy. Remember, thousands were homeless, either literally because their houses were destroyed or left uninhabitable, or by choice because they had left cold, dark buildings to stay with family or friends or at a hotel. Even some polling places were without power and so had to be moved. Guadagno ordered the …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Politicians have to make tough—perhaps expensive—decisions and need to start taking action.
It’s been three weeks since Superstorm Sandy blew through New Jersey, and past time to begin figuring out how to minimize losses the next time. Some solutions involve building; some, doing the opposite. Just as the attacks of Sept. 11 brought talk of rebuilding, there have been vows to restore the shore back to Oct. 28, 2012, as if nothing had happened. That would be a huge and costly mistake. It is not politically correct to say that at least some of what was destroyed should not be rebuilt. But it’s the truth. Barrier islands are aptly named. They are supposed to serve as barriers for the shoreline. When a major storm like Sandy or Irene hits, they will take the brunt of it and provide some measure of protection for the mainland. They …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Borough resident says she is sick of the 'finger pointing and mayor bashing' through Sandy's aftermath, and said residents should focus on the bigger problems.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Below is a letter to the editor from Hopatcong resident Jean Burk-Ujvary on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Burk-Ujvary offers her thoughts and response to the "finger pointing and Mayor bashing" during Sandy's aftermath, and says she believes officials and JCP&L did the best they could in response to the storm. "Below is what I wanted to respond to all the finger pointers and name calling people out there but of course it is way too long. We have a much bigger problem in our town, State, and Coast than a few weeks with no power. I am a 20-year resident and love where I live and I love our Lake. People need to stop complaining and start doing! Just the way I think. I agree that name calling and finger pointing is silly at this time. What has …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Hopatcong resident says leadership and communication lacking from borough officials.
- OPINION
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Sunday, November 11, 2012
Below is an email from Hopatcong resident Philip Crosson Jr., the Chatham Borough police chief, to Hopatcong Mayor Sylvia Petillo on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 1:36 p.m. Crosson said the entire Hopatcong governing body and business administrator were copied on the email. As of Sunday at 2 p.m., Crosson has not received a response. UPDATE: Crosson spoke on Sunday afternoon with Officer Robert Haffner, Hopatcong's OEM coordinator. Crosson on Monday said: "I did speak with Officer Haffner yesterday afternoon and he did update me on some of the efforts the Borough used to attempt to contact residents. Some of us who did not have access to the internet were unable to receive the updates via the web and felt that the town should have delivered some …
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Republican congressman applauds constituent's efforts that helped get him re-elected.
- OPINION
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
I am writing to thank the voters of the 11th Congressional District for supporting my re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. I am pleased now to represent many new constituents in Essex, Passaic and Sussex Counties in January. My heart goes out to those who are in need and to so many who were able to vote Tuesday and keep their community and America strong, despite incredible obstacles. Our focus in Congress continues to be jobs and the economy, getting people back to work, government “out of their way,” lowering taxes, and creating a climate where small businesses can survive and flourish. That effort needs to be bipartisan. I am grateful to the voters of the new 11th Congressional District who have allowed me to continue …
Michele Guttenberger
10:42 am on Friday, May 10, 2013
It seems to me our Sussex County officials are always trying to impose more police enforcement penalties on its citizens. Now in hard economic times when car owners have a hard time maintaining all the secondary bells and whistles on their car they will be faced with the fear of getting another type of motor vehicle ticket. By the way, what is the status of your Full Disclosure Ultrasound Act No … more ›