Archive for March, 2009

EDISON—The township launched a new emergency response radio program last week, directly linking 26 schools, JFK Hospital, Menlo Park Mall and the Job Corps to the police department’s communications center. “Hopefully, these radios never have to be used, but our response will be better and our community is safer because we have them,” said... »

ELIZABETH—Dexter Strickland of Rahway has been named to participate in the 2009 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Game.  Strickland, a point guard for St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, will be a member of the Boy’s East Squad team along with 24 other top national boys’ basketball players in the country.  “What began... »

 Recreational Activities, Health & Fitness Programs, And Educational Events Showcase Youth Month  By Mayor John McCormac Just like kids growing out of their wardrobe, the 2009 Woodbridge Township Youth Month celebration has expanded with more exciting events and programs for kids and young adults than ever before.    This year, our township-wide Youth Month... »

NEWARK—The North Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® will host the 2009 Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure®, the largest series of 5K run/walks in the world, on Sunday, April 26, from 8 a.m. – noon in Essex County Branch Brook Park, Newark.  The race is designed to raise awareness... »

EDISON—Led by math teacher Benjamin Patiak, four students from The Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison took part in a 14-hour mathematical modeling competition on Saturday, March 7.  Christopher Georgevich of Elizabeth, Saheela Ibraheem of Piscataway, Manish Kewalramani of Edison and Sahil Zubair of Scotch Plains competed against students from Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine,... »

CARTERET—The borough will receive $100,000 towards construction of Carteret’s highly anticipated health center, Mayor Dan Reiman and county officials announced last week. The project, which was first announced in 2007, is now through its planning stages, according to Reiman, and with approximately $10.6 million in funding secured to date, a ground-breaking has been scheduled... »

CLARK – Cub Scout Pack 30 and Boy Scout Troop 330 are already planning this year’s annual Earth Week Rahway River clean-up event. The scouts and other volunteers will work together to remove litter and debris from the Rahway River on Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year, the cleanup... »

 by Michael S. Goldberger, film critic   Because in truth there is humor, in “I Love You, Man” there is hilarity. Mining an untapped wealth of philosophy about male friendship, director John Hamburg, who co-wrote the screenplay with Larry Levin, sprinkles his farcical little gem with profundity. He signaled his talent in “Along Came... »

BROOKLYN—From April 4 to May 10, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) celebrates Hanami, the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season, from the first buds to the pink blossoms that fall like enchanted, delicate snow. During Hanami, visitors can track the cherry display using Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s award-winning... »

RAHWAY—Citing increased demands on his private security business, Freeholder Chester Holmes announced he would not seek re-election to a fifth term on the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Holmes, a popular Rahway resident who will have served more than 49 years in the public sector as a former police officer, former Rahway Councilman,... »

Wrestling Team Takes Third—The Middlesex County College wrestling team boasted a great season, finishing third at the national tournament in the Division III category for two-year colleges. The tournament, held in Rochester, MN, was held Feb. 26-28. The squad also finished third in the Garden State Conference Tournament held at Gloucester County College in... »

Soccer Champs—The Thunder soccer team won first place in the junior boys division. Pictured are the winning team with coach Jose Monroy, Jr. and Mayor Richard Gerbounka. (Photo courtesy of the Linden Department of Public Property and Community Services) »

NEW BRUNSWICK—The Middlesex County Clerk’s Office is hosting a passport fair in New Brunswick on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to provide passport information to U.S. citizens and to accept passport applications.   The Middlesex County Clerk’s Office is joining the Department of State in celebrating “Passport Day in the... »

CRANFORD – During the month of April, Union County College offer a free job training course to all Union County residents. All residents over the age of 18 are eligible to participate in this program. The career training course will be available to those who need to support a family, are a recent high... »

Making — and sticking to — a household budget can help you conserve cash and limit your credit needs in tough economic times. There are some traps, however, that can bust your budget quickly, despite your best intentions. The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) offers the following advice to avoid making... »

Vas Collaborators One Admits Guilt… PERTH AMBOY — Jeffrey D. Gumbs, who was a top city administrator under former Mayor Joseph Vas, pleaded guilty Monday to theft, tampering with public records and the misapplication of the city’s property between April 2004 and November 2005. Gumbs, who was the city’s director of human resources and... »

  STATE – Gov. Jon Corzine’s draconian budget proposal has drawn a lot of criticism, but the most controversial component was the plan to eliminate the property tax deduction on the state income tax for most New Jersey residents. Realizing that his budget had little chance of passing with that proposal intact, last week... »

MIDDLESEX COUNTY—A coalition of faith-based and social service agencies kicked off this afternoon a massive food drive to meet escalating demands for emergency food in Middlesex County. The Middlesex County Coalition to Combat Poverty and Hunger is appealing to residents – especially through houses of worship – to donate non-perishable food and personal items.... »

CLARK—Want to learn how you and your family can go “green?”  Temple Beth O’r / Beth Torah, in conjunction with Temple Beth Israel in Scotch Plains and United Synagogue Youth, are bringing together community organizations, local merchants, university professors and other experts for a free to the public environmental fair on Sunday, March 29,... »

EDISON—A literary festival celebrating the work of contemporary immigration writing will be held at Middlesex County College on Saturday, March 28. Admission is free and it is open to the public. “My New Life, My New Poem: A Festival of Contemporary Immigration Writing” features a veritable United Nations of writers specializing in poetry, fiction... »