|
May 8, 2008 2:20 pm
Flow from spring to summer with weekly gentle flowing yoga classes at the Celf Center. The five week session of yoga classes begins Tuesday May 13th at 10am.
Certified Yoga Instructor Laura Fagan combines the breath work of Hatha with the continuity of movement to create an incredibly fluid practice designed to promote peace of mind and ease of practice. Laura Fagan is the owner of Yoga For You in Lafayette, NJ. Fagan is a AFAA certified Hatha Yoga instructor, Personal Fitness trainer and certified Soma Veda Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner. Call Laura Fagan at 973-224-1619 or lpfagan@earthlink.net for details on Yoga Flow classes and Thai Yoga Massage Sessions.
Dress in comfortable layers and bring your own yoga supplies: sticky mat, props, blanket, etc. The Celf Center is a Healing Arts Center located at Silver Lake and Kerr's Corner Roads. Celf Center offers Shiatsu Shin Tai, Craniosacral and Reflexology Bodywork. Call the Celf Center at 973.202-9075 for all other upcoming classes and workshops.
May 5, 2008 8:37 am Consistent with The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the average increase of the prices is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Here's what the new pricing will be:
- First-Class Mail letter 1 oz. = .42¢ (current price = .41¢)
- First-Class Mail letter 2 oz. = .59¢ (current price = .58¢)
- Postcard = .27¢ (current price = .26¢)
- Certified Mail = $2.70 (current price = $2.65)
- First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico 1 oz. = .72¢ (current price = .69¢)
- First-Class Mail International to all other countries 1 oz. = .94¢ (current price = .90¢)
April 23, 2008 8:20 am
Pay-for-police picks on little towns
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
tgraber@sjnewsco.com
TRENTON -- Legislators are fighting Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal to charge rural towns for state police coverage, saying that it would unfairly impact small communities.
Corzine has proposed that towns with either part-time or no local police departments pay a collective $20.5 million of the $80 million it costs for the service.
Eleven Cumberland towns get state police help.
Local lawmakers said it would be unfair to require small towns to pay for the minimal coverage they receive without charging municipalities with their own departments for state police backup, special task forces or extra police coverage provided to cities such as Camden and Newark.
"State police officers aren't just watching the streets of small towns," said Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd Dist. "If the governor wants municipalities to bolster the state police budget, he should have all 566 communities contribute."
Sweeney was one of several members of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee to express opposition to the proposal Monday as Attorney General Anne Milgram testified before the panel on the Law and Public Safety Department's $1.1 billion budget.
"Every community benefits from the work of the state police," said Sen. Steven Oroho, R-Hunterdon/Morris/Sussex. "Why make small towns pay for one kind of benefit, while not requiring larger communities to pay for the state police services they receive?"
Eighty-nine towns receive either full- or part-time state police coverage.
The state has floated the idea of requiring those towns to pay for the protection in past budget seasons.
Those who support the proposal say the initial charge of the state police to protect rural areas has become skewed, since many of the towns receiving coverage have grown substantially and are no longer considered rural.
"The question we are debating ... is whether or not we should be asking for some small contribution," Milgram said.
But legislators say if towns no longer meet the standard required for rural police coverage, the state should re-apply the test to determine which municipalities should be covered.
"This has come up off and on for 20 years," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-3rd Dist. "What is the test for towns not to be considered rural?"
Attorney General's Office Spokesman David Wald said the Department of Treasury is currently determining a formula for charging the covered municipalities for the service.
And the proposal has left municipalities with little choice but to begin weighing their options.
"For some reason, someone has established the idea that we are getting something for nothing," said Mayor Donald Asay, of Mannington, whose township is patrolled by the state police. "No one wants to look at all the other items in the budget that go to specific groups."
Asay said that the Riverline in Camden is paid for by state tax dollars, as is a light rail line in Hudson and Bergen County that most people in Salem County don't even know exists, yet Salem County residents contribute to it.
He added that Mannington happens to be one of the lucky towns that benefit from having a few NJ Transit buses come through each day, but the service is much better utilized in other counties across the state.
"No one is suggesting that we should be charging only those towns that use NJ Transit," Asay said. "State police coverage is one of the few services rural municipalities get for the money they send to Trenton."
Mayor Pete Voros of Pittsgrove said any payment a municipality gives toward its state police coverage should be based on the coverage it receives.
"I am in favor of it if they divide it across the board. For instance, we do not utilize the marine division of the state police in Pittsgrove and should not have to pay for that service," Voros said.
He estimated that paying for state police coverage could cost Pittsgrove up to $1 million annually.
"If you are going to cut the pie, be fair -- we should pay for what we use. They say, Hey, Pittsgrove doesn't pay for police,' but that is not true. We pay for it through our income taxes," Voros said.
South Harrison Township Mayor Charles Tyson said the township would most likely elect to expand its own police department, currently staffed by six full-time officers, rather than pay for the coverage.
"We would rather go to 24-hour protection with our own force," Tyson said. "I know the residents here would prefer that."
Officers are on duty in the township 17 to 18 hours per day.
South Harrison Township Police Chief Warren Mabey said the department will expand its coverage to 20 hours per day starting next month.
But he said providing 24-hour coverage would take an additional three officers.
Tyson pointed out, though, that both options would create a burden on the township.
And Third District legislators, who represent South Harrison and 18 other townships that receive state police coverage, said they will continue to fight the issue.
"Why would (the state) decide to target these small communities?" said Sweeney. "The state police was created for rural policing."
April 15, 2008 9:51 am
Sunday, April 13, 2008 trenton times
BY J.B. KASPER
OUTDOORS
In the last two weeks I got several e-mails and phone calls from readers asking about the closures of state parks and some of the cuts and how they will affect the outdoors and sportsmen.
One recent call had to do with the kids fishing derby that is held by the city of Trenton in August. Seems the Division of Fish and Wildlife is no longer stocking lakes and ponds for the kids fishing derbies. This has been common knowledge for several months, and I did a couple of columns on this a while back.
What is interesting is that some of the cuts and things that are being forced upon the public are starting to take on a pattern.
First, the reason for cutting the kids fishing derbies had nothing to do with the state budget.
The derbies were cut because the Division did not have the personnel to staff the Charles O'Hayford Fish Hatchery, which supplied the fish for the derbies.
The truth is the Division had the money to hire the people under a $300,000 grant from the Federal Government under the Aid to Fisheries Restoration program. The Governor would not let the Division hire the personnel because he had a hiring freeze on state departments, even though the money had nothing to do with the state budget. So the Division had to turn the money back the Feds and the big losers were the kids. I'm sure you have heard the story of the Grinch who stole Christmas. Well, now we have the governor who stole the kids fishing contests.
I recently attended an outdoor writers meeting with the Division of Fish & Wildlife and it was explained that the Division has had to shut down the education programs at the Pequest Trout Hatchery, once again because of a lack of staffing. At a time when we need to get people, and in particular kids, into the outdoors and away from the TVs, video games and the couch potato sports, what does the governor do? Through his hiring freeze he forces the Division to cut the very programs that help get people into the outdoors.
But wait, it gets better. Now the governor is threatening to close down nine state parks, cut services to three others and severely curtail services and operating hours of all state parks.
Slated to be closed at the start of the new fiscal year in July are:
Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Monmouth County -- visitor center, restrooms, closed. 
Stephens State Park, Warren County -- camping area closed. 
High Point State Park, Sussex County -- swimming, camping, interpretive center, office, closed. Trail access limited.
Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest), Burlington County -- camping, group picnic area, Indian King Tavern, office, closed. Trail access limited.
Round Valley Recreation Area, Hunterdon County -- swimming, camping, Wallace House, office, closed.
Parvin State Park, Salem County -- swimming, camping, interpretive center, office, closed.
Jenny Jump State Forest, Warren County -- camping and office, closed. Trail access limited.
Worthington State Forest, Warren County -- Camping and office, closed. Trail access limited.
Fort Mott State Park, Salem County -- Hancock House, historic sites, office, closed. Access to ferry service, open.
Three state parks would be partially closed:
Ringwood State Park, Bergen and Passaic counties -- Shepherd Lake swimming area closed; Ringwood Manor, reduced hours. State Botanical Gardens and Skylands Manor, open.
D&R Canal State Park, central New Jersey -- Bulls Island Recreation Area closed to campers. Rockingham Historic Site and towpath, open.
Washington Crossing State Park -- Mercer and Hunterdon counties. Reduced hours at Clark House, Johnson Ferry House and the museum.
In addition, winter hours at all remaining parks would be reduced. All but Liberty and Island Beach state parks would be closed Mondays and Tuesdays from Nov. 1 through March 31.
Think about it, once again the governor is shutting down access to the outdoor recreation that the state parks provide.
When a reporter asked if the closures would mean that no one could use or enter the parks, Lisa Jackson of the DEP said if it's closed, you can't use it. If this means no one will be allowed to use the parks, what about the limited hunts that are held in some of the parks that are used to control the exploding deer populations? Will boat ramps at parks like Worthington and the D & R Canal State Park (Bulls Island Access and Byram Access) be closed to boaters and fishermen? Will access to streams and lakes on those state parks be cut off to fishermen?
With gas at $3-plus a gallon, more and more people are looking for things to do closer to home to save money. The tougher the economy gets, the more the working man will need to have swimming, camping and other outdoor activities close to home.
Let's face it, at a time when the governor should be keeping open and promoting the state parks as a way to enjoy the outdoors and save money, he does just the opposite.
People use the state parks to swim, camp, fish and participate in other outdoor activities because it is less expensive than many of the alternatives, especially for larger families and those that are struggling to make ends meet. A person can camp at a state park for a week for what it would cost them to get a motel or hotel room for a night. In hard times that can mean the difference between going on a vacation with the family and not going for many hard-working people.
One Times reader e-mailed me and said how disgusted he was about the closings and made a very astute comment at the end of his e-mail. He simply said, "aren't the Wall Street money men responsible for many of the economic problems we are now facing, and did not the governor work and make his fortune on Wall Street?" My answer was, yes he did, and I guess he is taking a Wall Street-approach to the state parks and the outdoors. I just hope sportsmen and people who use the outdoors remember the governor's Wall Street-approach to state parks come next election.
__________________
NJ ANGLERS: CALL YOU LEGISLATORS: Support bills S366 and A1519! Get the pots off the reefs!
April 12, 2008 5:29 pm
The township committee proposed an ordinance that would require all solar panels to be placed in backyards and be partially hidden.
Committeeman Dick Mach said the planning board has been working on the ordinance for two years in response to solar panels such as the ones at Ridge and Valley Charter School, which are in plain view from Route 94. The school's solar panels and others currently in town would be grandfathered from the ordinance's rules. There are at least two other Route 94 businesses with solar panels.
Continue reading 'Solar panel proposal would limit placement' April 9, 2008 8:15 am
The township recreation committee will try again tonight to get the township committee's approval to start work on a 62-acre park.
The township committee has twice turned down proposals to create fields on the former Gorab property on Route 94 between Vail and Farm Meadows roads.
Advertisement
Mayor Steve Lance questions whether the fields are needed and whether the township can afford the park. The township already owns 12 fields, and the new park will cost several million dollars, he said.
Continue reading 'Board Renews Park Pleas' April 4, 2008 9:18 am
By CHRISTINA TATU
ctatu@njherald.com
BLAIRSTOWN—By the time firefighters arrived at the Wilson residence on Wednesday evening, the black smoke was so thick they couldn't tell where the fire was coming from.
More than 70 firefighters and 10 tankers spent seven hours fighting the fire at the two-story cobblestone house of Michael and Diane Wilson at 20 Cedar Lake Road in Blairstown — from 7 p.m. until the last truck left at 2:30 Thursday morning.
The home, which sits atop a large hill, is bordered by state land and required two full tanker squads to shuttle water to the scene.
Blairstown Fire Chief Bill Weinbercht said the thick, billowing smoke made it difficult for firefighters to douse the blaze.
"When we arrived, it was full of smoke, and we couldn't tell where it was burning from," said Weinbercht.
One of the Wilsons' three sons reportedly was home at the time the blaze started, and he called the Blairstown Fire Department after he noticed smoke inside the house. No one was injured.
The blaze quickly engulfed the roof of the home on Wednesday night, and when firefighters arrived on scene the flames already were reaching into the sky, with black smoke pouring from the upstairs windows. About 15 fire trucks and emergency service vehicles filled the road leading up to the house.
Part of the roof collapsed before 10 p.m. By morning, much of the rest of the house had collapsed, said a state fire marshal at the scene on Thursday.
Firefighters still were trying to determine Thursday how the fire started. Weinbercht, several Blairstown firefighters and a state fire marshal were digging through the charred remains of the home with shovels, trying to locate where the fire started.
"We believe it started in the walls and traveled to the attic, where it quickly spread, but we aren't sure of a cause yet," Weinbercht said.
According to firefighters on scene, Michael and Diane Wilson and their two other sons were not at home at the time of the fire.
The Wilson family was at the property on Thursday talking with investigators. Diane Wilson walked around the property, inspecting damage at the back of the house, which was collapsed almost entirely. The only thing left standing, besides the cobblestone facade, was the brick chimney. Where the roof used to be, there were only some charred support beams.
The family did not want to comment on the fire.
Weinbercht said the Wilsons are "devastated" by the loss.
"Emotions are really strong here right now," Weinbercht said. "Fires like this are a shame, but what can you do? You have to do the best that you can. I would like to thank everyone who responded last night."
Blairstown firefighters were assisted by several other fire companies, including Allamuchy, Hope, Independence, Hackettstown, Knowlton, Fredon, Swartswood and others from Sussex and Hunterdon counties.
Neighbors said the Wilsons have lived on the property for at least six years.
"Diane came over just this morning. She's in absolute shock," said Pat Brunner, who lives across the street from the Wilsons.
Brunner said that she and her husband, Ed, left to visit a niece across town at 6:30 p.m., just half an hour before the fire erupted. The couple said they didn't notice any smoke coming from the Wilson property when they left. Pat said that later that evening she received a phone call from her daughter that there was a large fire in the neighborhood.
The Brunners rushed home, and got there around 9 p.m.
"There were so many fire trucks here, we had to park at the bottom of the street near (Blairstown Animal Hospital) and walk up because there was no way to get through," Ed said.
On Thursday afternoon, the Wilson's two horses grazed peacefully at the front of the property. Brunner said the horses were not injured during the fire, and the family dog also was safe.
Because Cedar Lake doesn't have its own water system, firefighters had to call in at least two squads of tankers. On Wednesday night, the tankers parked about a mile from the Wilson home at the Shell Gas Station on Route 94 to refill their water tanks from the Paulinskill River, which runs behind the station.
Brunner said the Wilson's property is bordered by the former Green Acres, an 80-acre, state-owned piece of property that was once a horse farm.
"It's a shame, because I know they've been working so hard to renovate that house and keep the property nice," Brunner said.
March 27, 2008 9:40 am
This former steel city is remodeling itself into a high-tech player. Manufacturing giant Bethlehem Steel, once one of the largest steel producers in the U.S., employed as many as 167,000 people in its heyday. By the mid-`80s that number had plummeted to 35,000 as the cost of doing business and competition from foreign producers took their toll. The company shut down its Bethlehem plant in 1995 and closed for good in 2003.
The town has since transitioned to a tech-based economy, nurtured by the presence of major hospitals and colleges. The state aggressively courts new businesses via programs like Ben Franklin Technology Partners, which helps start-ups find funding and qualified staff. Meanwhile, the old Bethlehem Steel property is being converted into a luxury entertainment complex that will feature shopping, dining, a hotel and casino.
March 26, 2008 8:40 am
As the old saying goes, "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work." And thousands of freshwater anglers in New Jersey can't be wrong. Many of these anglers live for the opening day of trout season as the state Division of Fish and Wildlife stocks about 100 streams and 80 lakes and ponds with about 600,000 fish each year. It's a tradition that goes back almost a century. On Tuesday morning, trout raised at the state's Pequest Trout Hatchery in Warren County were driven all over the state. Opening day is April 5 at 8 a.m.The state is making it easier this year to drum up business. The fishing license and trout stamp can still be purchased at bait and tackle shops and sporting good stores, but a sudden fishing trip can just be a few computer clicks away now. The license and stamp can now be purchased online at www.njfishandwildlife.com. That Web site also tells anglers everything they need to know about where and how to catch a trout. The fee, $22.50 for the license and $10.50 for a trout stamp for New Jersey residents - a combined $54 for nonresidents - helps fund the stocking program. It is also paid for by a federal excise tax on fishing equipment.
March 22, 2008 8:35 am
Warren County's population increase of 306 people during the same time period, 0.3 percent, was the seventh-largest rate in New Jersey. Warren had about 109,737 residents in July 2007, ranking it 19th out of 21 in population in the Garden State, the Census estimates.
| 
RSS Feed