Saturday, May 25, 2013
Ocean City marks the start of Memorial Day Weekend with a kickoff to the summer season.
Ocean City opened the Boardwalk first thing on Friday morning. An hour later, the city reopened the downtown, and at noon the mayor unlocked the ocean. A day of ceremonial ribbon-cuttings and unlockings marked the traditional start of the summer season, and this year the events carried a special message: Ocean City has recovered from Superstorm Sandy and is ready to welcome visitors. The day started with an 8:30 a.m. Boardwalk ribbon-cutting, part of a coordinated event organized by Gov. Chris Christie as a symbolic show to remind people that the Jersey Shore is "stronger than the storm." Superstorm Sandy made a direct hit on New Jersey in October 2012 and left widespread damage to much of the state's shoreline. Shore businesses worked …
Friday, May 24, 2013
Gov. Christie appeared at Seaside Heights boardwalk Friday to promote the Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is officially open for summer, Gov. Chris Christie said as he spent Friday morning in Seaside Heights promoting tourism in New Jersey. Early Friday, Christie appeared on NBC's Today Show, which broadcast its morning news program live from Seaside Heights. The governor later cut a ceremonial ribbon — a Guinness World Record at over five miles long — to officially declare the shore open. "It's an incredible day for New Jersey," Christie said in remarks. "I'm so thrilled that this morning we're here with the whole country welcoming the Jersey Shore back." After being battered by Superstorm Sandy, many businesses on the boardwalk are open and welcoming customers, though others continue to make repairs. Despite some grey …
Gov. Christie appeared at Seaside Heights boardwalk Friday to promote the Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is officially open for summer, Gov. Chris Christie said as he spent Friday morning in Seaside Heights promoting tourism in New Jersey. Early Friday, Christie appeared on NBC's Today Show, which broadcast its morning news program live from Seaside Heights. The governor later cut a ceremonial ribbon — a Guinness World Record at over five miles long — to officially declare the shore open. "It's an incredible day for New Jersey," Christie said in remarks. "I'm so thrilled that this morning we're here with the whole country welcoming the Jersey Shore back." After being battered by Superstorm Sandy, many businesses on the boardwalk are open and welcoming customers, though others continue to make repairs. Despite some grey …
Officer Daniel Gladney is the 2013 Officer of the Year.
Every year, the Lawrence Township Police Department honors police officers and citizens on their outstanding service to the community. On Tuesday May 21, 2013 at 6:30 pm, nine police officers and nine citizens were honored for their heroic acts of bravery. Chief Daniel Posluszny, Mayor Kownacki and members of the Town Council presented the awards to the recipients. The Police Officer of the Year Award is given annually to that officer who embodies a high moral character and demonstrates exemplary performance in all areas of police work, and more importantly, strives to help the community in which he serves to grow and flourish. This officer gives more of himself than asked, and often makes sacrifices to benefit the greater good, …
Detailing rising unemployment and housing costs, annual survey offers bleak assessment of state still reeling from recession.
An annual survey of the wellbeing of children in New Jersey found rising poverty and an increasing inability of families to make ends meet. The 2013 edition of New Jersey Kids Count, released on Wednesday by Advocates for Children of New Jersey, shows the devastating effects of the most recent recession on the state’s youth and their families. Most of the data covers 2011 and 2012 and measures change during the recession and post-recession period in areas of economics, health, education, and safety. “While the rankings shift every year, we see certain trends across many counties, including increasing child poverty, unemployment, and high housing costs,” said Cecilia Zalkind, ACNJ’s executive director. For instance, the data shows more than…
Thursday, May 23, 2013
DEP Commissioner: side scan sonar used to detect sunken debris; Tourism Commissioner: 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 …
Bipartisan plan merges, expands economic incentives, corporate tax breaks.
New Jersey is working on a bipartisan plan to overhaul its always controversial business economic incentive program, this time putting a greater emphasis on attracting jobs to the state, rather than just retaining them. But critics warn that it could lead to spending even more money on a program that some see as a boondoggle for companies that will eventually choose to either stay or relocate based on criteria other than tax breaks. The Assembly passed the New Jersey Economic Opportunity Act, A-3680, on Monday by a 53-6 vote. Designed to merge five different tax-incentive programs into one, the bill has 26 sponsors, six of whom are Republicans. GOP Assembly members cast all six votes against the measure and there were 15 abstentions, by …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Committee is one path for public employees to get around in-state-residency requirement of New Jersey First Act.
For the past two years, the meeting held monthly in a bare Trenton conference room determined the fates of hundreds of New Jersey public employees, including scores of teachers and school administrators. But the process has nothing to do with disciplinary actions or tenure or anything like that. The meetings of the five-member Employee Residency Review Committee are all about where people can live if they want to hold onto their jobs. Under the New Jersey First Act enacted in 2011, all New Jersey public employees must reside in New Jersey. There are a couple of exceptions, and the law grandfathered those who already lived out of state -- as long as they don't move. But it’s pretty unforgiving otherwise, and it takes some fairly …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Zoning board grants conditional use variance for redevelopment of the Mrs. G TV and Appliances property at Route 1 at Bakers Basin Road.
After nearly a year of hearings before the zoning board, the township voted 6-1 last week to grant a conditional use variance for the redevelopment of the Mrs. G TV and Appliances property and adjacent vacant lots along Route 1 at Bakers Basin Road, according to centraljersey.com. The zoning board granted preliminary and final site plan approval for four proposed buildings on the site at the meeting, with final site plan approval for the fifth building to occur a future date once a tenant is found, according to the report. As part of the proposal, existing buildings on the properties – the current Mrs. G showroom, a vacant business, an abandoned diner, and three unoccupied homes – would be demolished. Constructed in their place would be …
Jobless rate drops to 8.7 percent, revenues sufficient to avoid further cuts.
Gov. Chris Christie got a double dose of good news last week, as New Jersey's April unemployment rate dipped below 9 percent for the first time in four years and state revenue collections met his Treasury Department's revised targets. Echoing former President Ronald Reagan, an ebullient Christie declared at a town meeting in Sayreville that "the best social program is a job," and declared that his economic and fiscal policies were responsible for New Jersey's economic, employment, and revenue growth. “Revenues are up, jobs are up and unemployment is down," Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) declared. Treasury's announcement that April's revenues came in just ahead of target takes some of the drama out of Monday's Senate Budget…
Chip Kelly
8:20 pm on Saturday, May 25, 2013
Christie is a complete and utter fraud. more ›