RAHWAY—On Thursday, Jan. 22, Rahway High School held its first “Poetry Slam,” showcasing the talents of students enrolled in the creative writing elective taught by English teacher Kimberly Kiefer, as well as several other students. The event drew an audience of more than 100 people, and is the first of more to come. Kiefer... »
Archive for January, 2009
Slavonic Festival Returns At Rahway Church
RAHWAY—The parish family of St. Thomas the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church is busy preparing for their 22nd annual Slavonic Festival on Saturday, Feb. 21. The chefs and cooks are preparing dinner specialties and baking nut and poppy seed rolls each week. The festival features homemade ethnic dishes such as stuffed cabbage, pierogies, kielbasa and... »
Rahway Relics
By Diane Norek Harrison RAHWAY-I received this in an email: “Here is one I don’t remember, the Rahway Clay Pits. I just came upon a picture of (it) them while looking through photo albums around town. Where were the clay pits located and what did it come to be?” If anyone can share what... »
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” – No Place for Crybabies – 1 & ½ popcorns
By Michael S. Goldberger, film critic The great thing about Patrick Tatopoulos’s “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is that you really don’t need to pay attention. Sure, it’s complicated as logarithms, its dramatis personae a hodgepodge of vampires, werewolves and combinations thereof. But if you’re under fifteen you know all about it; over... »
Two Elizabeth Sports Stars To Be Honored By County Baseball Hall Of Fame
MOUNTAINSIDE—The Union County Baseball Association will induct two former Elizabeth sports stars into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame during award ceremonies on Sunday, Feb. 8. The new class of Hall of Fame inductees includes Anthony Candelino of Elizabeth, Ben Candelino of Elizabeth, Dom Guida of Summit, and Bill Howard of Berkeley Heights,... »
The Perth Amboy & Woodbridge Clay Pits
by Diane Norek Harrison PERTH AMBOY-WOODBRIDGE-This is from my own research dated 1884. If anyone has more information on the area clay pits or what is now built on them, please send it for another column. W.H.P. Benton’s clay pits are situated on the low ground west of Perth Amboy road, and the railroad... »
Rahway Track Stars Headed To New York
Rahway Track Stars Headed To New York—The Rahway High School Boys’ Track Team’s 4×400 relay qualified for the prestigious 102nd annual Millrose Games to be held at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 30. This only the second time in school history a team from Rahway has qualified for the Millrose Games—the first and... »
Woodbridge High School To Compete On Cable Quiz Show
WOODBRIDGE—All-star student scholars from Woodbridge High School will challenge Bergen County Academies in the first round of the 12th season of Cablevision’s The Challenge, an academic quiz show designed to test students’ knowledge in a Jeopardy-style format. The first round match-up between Woodbridge High School and Bergen County Academies will air exclusively on News... »
Journey to Washington Carries At-Risk Teenagers Much Further
ELIZABETH—Thirteen youths from Community Access Unlimited (CAU) journeyed beyond their dreams when they attended the presidential inauguration Jan. 20. The at-risk teenagers traveled to Washington, D.C. to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama but left envisioning a brighter future for themselves, as well. »
Elizabeth Dedicates New School
ELIZABETH –– On Tuesday evening, the Elizabeth Board of Education formally dedicated the district’s newly-opened, state-of-the-art Juan Pablo Duarte-José Julián Martí School No. 28. The ceremony was held in the auditorium and was attended by school and district representative, as well as local, county and state dignitaries. The namesakes of School No. 28, Juan... »
County Budget Proposal Includes Tax Increase
ELIZABETH – Union County Manager George Devanney’s $449.3 million 2009 budget proposal includes a 4.95 percent tax increase at a time when many households can ill-afford it. Devanney’s proposal includes some spending and service cuts. He anticipates a $740,000 annual savings from shuttering the unprofitable Oak Ridge Golf Course in Clark. An additional $4.6... »
New Carteret Eagle Scout
CARTERET—Angelo Carbonaro of Boy Scout Troop 88 recently completed his Eagle project which consisted of rebuilding and painting the retaining wall at Father Milos Park in Port Reading. Working with his fellow scouts, leaders and family members, Carbonaro also restored several signs and benches, planted shrubbery, painted the basketball nets, wall and benches. A... »
Girl Escapes Abduction Attempt
PERTH AMBOY – A 9-year-old girl escaped an attempted abduction Saturday morning at St. Mary’s School on Mechanic Street, authorities said. The girl’s mother told police that she dropped off her daughter at the school gymnasium and watched the girl go into the building, police said. The girl walked down the hallway to her... »
Vella Convicted Of Bribing Housing Official
ELIZABETH—A close political associate of Mayor J. Christian Bollwage was convicted of bribing a housing official last week in federal court. Ray Vella, 33, of Elizabeth, owner of Pavel Construction, was found guilty of trading cash payments for more than $650,000 in contracts. The verdict brings to a close a bid-rigging and kickback scandal... »
Two Charged In Perth Amboy Murder
PERTH AMBOY – Two men were charged last week in the fatal stabbing of a 22-year-old man near the Perth Amboy waterfront in June. Fulgencio G. Monasterio of Carteret and Bernaldo Martinez of Perth Amboy were charged with the June 22 murder of Jesus Ramirez, who was stabbed behind a warehouse on High Street.... »
Linden Students Celebrate Chinese New Year
LINDEN—Linden School No. 4 celebrated Chinese New Year as part of the world language Chinese class. All of the second-graders wore red shirts, a special color for the New Year’s celebration. “Red is a lucky color in China,” said Qinying Coleman, the Chinese teacher. »
St. Pat’s Strickland Status Uncertain, Here Come Kyrie
By Jim Whelan When a nationally-ranked high school team loses their top player to injury, the competition usually breathes a sigh of relief. Dexter Strickland did not start his senior year on the right foot at St. Patrick’s High School. Strickland sat out the Celtics’ first game of the season during their... »
Not Even Much Cheaper Gas Drove Us to Drive More
HAMILTON – Mirroring the national trend, New Jersey motorists drove more than 2.3 billion fewer miles from January through November 2008 compared to the same period a year earlier, registering 361 million fewer miles in November alone. Much cheaper gas prices appeared to play no role in the miles traveled decrease. The November 2008... »
Economic Freedom Is The Best Cure For Recession
By Lawrence J. McQuillan As Americans buckle down for what could be a severe recession, many state governments are scrambling to find ways to keep their economies afloat. Unfortunately, when it comes to economic freedom—a major component of a state’s business climate—New Jersey is falling far behind. According to the U.S. Economic Freedom Index,... »
Family Finances: Budget-Stretching Ideas
(NAPSI)-Cutting expenses might be easier than you imagine. A few simple tips and tools can help you get the most out of your money: • Feel the urge to go shopping? First, clean your closets. Separate clothes into piles to keep, donate, or sell on consignment. You may already have something similar to what... »





