Archive for June, 2011

CLARK -- Clark UNICO President Ralph Bernardo is sworn in by UNICO National President Chris DiMattio at the chapter’s recent installation dinner at Aliperti's in Clark. (Photo courtesy of Clark UNICO) »

CLARK -- The Drama Club of St. Agnes School performed the hit musical Grease this spring. »

Today, every time a consumer swipes a debit card, the business pays a fee of 1 to 3 percent to the bank that issued the card. These fees average 44 cents per transaction -- but on July 21, a new policy will go into effect limiting them to 12 cents for big banks. »

Republicans in Congress are aggressively attacking the Clean Water Act – a landmark 1970 law created the year after Ohio’s horrifically polluted Cuyahoga River spontaneously burst into flame. »

Just a few days after being named recipient of the 2011 “Guardian of Barnegat Bay” award, Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have given towns more options for fighting the main source of pollution choking the bay. »

The militarization of American police—no doubt a blowback effect of the military empire—has become an unfortunate part of American life. In fact, it says something about our reliance on the military that federal agencies having nothing whatsoever to do with national defense now see the need for their own paramilitary units. »

TRENTON – NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) testified before the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee in support of a bill to alter the pensions and health care benefits offered to public employees. »

TRENTON – A measure to make it illegal to possess or sell drugs disguised as “bath salts” cleared a key Assembly panel on Thursday. »

TRENTON – Gov. Chris Christie and legislative leaders from both parties have reached an agreement on public employee health and pension benefits reform. »

STATE -- The state Department of Environmental Protection and the League of Municipalities held a joint series of round tables on brownfields and site remediation this week, but an environmental group notes that the discussions won’t amount to much. »

TRENTON – Fifty-six New Jersey libraries, including the ones in Clark, East Brunswick, Monroe, Piscataway, Rahway and Sayreville, have qualified to be designated as NJWorks Job Seeker Destination Libraries by the New Jersey State Library. »

TRENTON – This week, Gov. Chris Christie approved appointments to the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development’s (CHPRD) Advisory Committee. »

HOPEWELL – Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher unveiled an online data- and image bank describing more than 7,000 vintage photographs produced by the Department of Agriculture to document farming in New Jersey from the late 19th century through the 1970s on Wednesday. Of these, more than 2,000 photos... »

SUMMIT -- The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will present its members show this month to showcase the work of 200 members. »

PARSIPPANY -- Star Trek fans will celebrate 45 years of Star Trek with a weekend of everything "Trek" as Creation Entertainment brings The Official Star Trek Convention: The Celebration of the 45th Anniversary to Parsippany, Friday through Sunday, June 24, 25, and 26. »

SOMERSET – Stellar Award-winning singer Earnest Pugh will perform during a free Raise the Praise concert at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens. »

WOODBRIDGE -- Free health screenings for kids and adults; ‘If the Shoe Fits,’ balance and posture testing, sports injury prevention and safety tips and back-to-school and sports physicals, for a fee, will be available Sunday, July 17, at the YMCA at the Woodbridge Community Center. »

ELIZABETH – Helen Rosales, the Republican candidate for state Senate representing the 20th Legislative District, is holding a barbecue fundraiser on June 25, from 3-9 p.m. at 1069 Applegate Avenue, Elizabeth. »

Dear EarthTalk: What was the nature of the agreement just forged between green groups and the U.S. government for wolf protection in the Northern Rockies? »

TROY, N.Y. -- Shalayah Gaines, a resident of Elizabeth, was among 84 students from Emma Willard who graduated during the school's 197th Commencement Ceremony held on Sunday, May 29. »