Rutgers football tickets!

Click on the headline to get Rutgers football tickets. This program has really become something in the last few years and Head Coach Greg Schiano deserves a lot of credit.

Caption: A shot of the goal post during the Jets' home opener at the Meadowlands.

Acting Hazlet superintendent message about arrest

Click on the headline. The APP published a message from the acting superintendent of the Hazlet school board about the arrest of a teacher on child pornography charge.

Monmouth County Open Space Grant deadline Sept. 19

For Immediate Release:

September 11, 2007

$2 million is available for land

purchases and park improvements

FREEHOLD – The deadline is rapidly approaching for municipalities to apply for the 2007 Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Grant Program. This competitive grant program makes $2 million available for local open space purchases and park improvement projects.

The deadline for filing an application is 4 p.m. Sept. 19.

“I encourage all of our municipalities to submit their plans for open space acquisitions or park improvements,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County Park System. “This is a wonderful opportunity for towns to participate in a program that shares the costs of improving their local parks or acquiring more open space.”

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders is soliciting applications in this fifth year of the program. All 53 Monmouth County municipalities are eligible to apply for funding awards. Applications were mailed to all Monmouth County municipalities in the spring. The grants are administered by the Monmouth County Park System and funded through the Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund. Last year, 24 towns submitted requests for grants seeking a total of $2.7 million, of which the Board of Chosen Freeholders approved 14 applications and awarded $2 million in grants.

The deadline for submitting a grant application is 4 p.m. Sept. 19, and only complete applications will be considered for funding. Awards will be announced in December.

“Quality parks and open space contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by all Monmouth County residents,” Freeholder Burry said. “I hope we are able to acquire additional open space and expand recreation facilities throughout the county.”

Further information on the grant program can be found at the Monmouth County Park System’s Web site at www.monmouthcountyparks.com

Passeggio covers bridge issue for Courier this week

The Courier's Alyssa Passeggio is reporting on what is happening with the Highlands Bridge in the upcoming edition of the newspaper. Alyssa has really gone to the next level in covering the bridge issue and deserves a lot of credit for her work on that storyline.

GM pens article about Hazlet mobile home fire

Greater Media's Dan Newman wrote a thorough piece about a terrible fire in Hazlet. The nature of the incident was tragic. The loss of this family is horrible. And Mr. Newman did the worst part of his job in a very professional way. Click on the headline and go there.

Here we are again...9/11

Well, it is Sept. 11th. No one has to be reminded about what today is. It was a terrible day those years ago, and the days have gotten better. Those who were lost should not be forgotten, and I do not think they have been.

I think this is a very difficult day to quantify, and I think it means something to each individual. For me, it was a very tough time that had a lot of humanity mixed in with the terrible nature of the events. When 9/11 happened, people paused from their routines and the day-to-day and were forced to examine their lives and the world around them.

'Community' took on new meaning, or maybe an old meaning. I wish everyone the comfort they need today. For Americans, and especially people in our area, I don't think there will ever be a problem with remembering 9/11...the harder chore would be forgetting.

Are liberals and conservatives hard-wired differently?

This is an interesting piece about a study involving the way "conservatives" and "liberals" think. It was published by AP on Yahoo News! Click on the headline and go there.

Giants Stadium Parking: Worst on the planet earth

Is there really actual 'parking' at Giants Stadium? Yes and no. There is some parking at Giants Stadium, but really most of it is in Lyndhurst, New Jersey (5 miles away!). I can't count parking a town away (even if it does include a shuttle) as actual parking at the stadium.

I can understand commuting to work, or even school. But I don't think that commuting from a parking lot to a game is a concept that is universally OK. Thankfully, as a New England Patriots fan, this is not a problem that I will have to personally encounter except a few times a year. And it is a shame: But there should be parking in any stadium that hosts a National Football League team.

Pats beat Jets; fans not happy with Pennington

The whole story is not the 38-14 win by the New England Patriots over the NY Jets today. At the game, Jets fans had a lot of angst in their heart about the Jets' starting quarterback, Chad "the oft injured" Pennington.

Jets fans were walking away from their home opener by the beginning of the 4th Quarter. They had booed their starter (from at least from the 300 level) and a guy on the bottom of the escalator was trying to give away his #10 Chad Pennington Jets jersey. More than anything else, it was sad.

At the outset of the game, there was so much hope in the air it was fun (even if it was the Jets). But as the 4th Quarter ticked by, the Jets fan in the seat next to me asked me, "Why do I come here?"

I responded that the Jets are a great franchise and they could rally today. He insisted that was the worst kind of advice: "I'm getting sympathy from a Pats fan. That's too much." Sorry for being upbeat. But at that point they were only down by two touchdowns and anything can happen.

I stuck around until the final whistle, headed to the parking deck, and had a pretty smooth ride out (a lot of people were already gone). You know, it's early in the season: Pennington can be one of the greats. And, really, all the Jets dealt with today was one loss to a very strong division rival that was expected to win anyway. There are 15 more chances to get to the playoffs and, really, the Jets are a great team.

On the way out, a Jets fan said, "Oh yeah, here's a Pats fan, that must be hard: They beat everyone! What about Manning and the Colts? How did they do with them?" I said back, "Not as well last time as they will next time."

You know, a little bit of that from Jets fans might make the season a little more fun. Hey, it's a game; a great game, but a game. But, I will say, maybe a quarterback controversy wouldn't be out of line in Jetville.

Wall departs as Keansburg town manager

The Keansburg Borough Council last night accepted the resignation of Borough Manager Terence Wall. Wall, a former Holmdel committeeman, who had served as the manager since February 2005, said on Saturday, "I want to thank the Keansburg Borough Council and the residents of the town for allowing me to serve here. I am very grateful and glad to have had this opportunity."

Wall said he is leaving his position to explore other opportunities. During his tenure in the borough, he was known to have begun substantial work on the town's redevelopment, and the desalination process. Wall had a clear public safety priority, though he also oversaw the largest road construction project in the borough in recent years. Wall will be staying on for the near future, as a consultant to the town during the transition.

The acting borough manager is Thomas Cusick, who serves as the borough clerk. Read more about this in the upcoming edition of The Courier.

Rutgers placement in national polls

Rutgers football has placed 16 on the USA Today poll for college football, and 15 on the AP poll. Click on the headline and go there.

FYI: Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano: Incredible work!

Bean, GM come up with strong government series

Greg Bean at Greater Media has a good editorial, wherein he discusses an editorial idea that is probably the best governmental piece I have heard of for a long time. He's talking about a fresh take on governmental reporting that has not been done in recent times in this area, and that staff and Greg deserve a lot of credit for coming up with that and putting it out there.

Usually in local government reporting on the local level everything has been done before. Well, I don't think this has. There is real value here for readers.

Click on the headline and go there.

Brookdale art show focuses on 9/11 attack

In Freehold Township, there is an art show from Brookdale Community College that focuses on the 9/11 attacks, six years later. They always put on a good show there. Click on the headline and go to the APP article.

Burn victim survives boat fire in Leonardo

Story and photos by ALYSSA PASSEGGIO

The burn victim of the boat fire in Leonardo State Marina, Middletown, was pulled to safety by a “good Samaritan” on Wednesday, Sept. 5, according to Andy Spears, the public information officer for the Middletown Township Fire Department.

According to Spears, the 48-year-old man had first- and second-degree burns over 25 percent of his body when he was flown to St. Barnabas Burn Center in Livingston, Spears said.

Middletown dispatchers received a phone call about a boat fire with possible injuries around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. Community Fire Company and Brevent Park Company responded to the fire, as well as all Middletown first aid squads, he said.

The Bayliner 26-foot Cabin Cruiser boat suffered “major damage” to its interior living portion, according to Spears. The boat was in the dock and surrounded by other vessels when the fire was discovered, but no other boats were damaged.

An investigation is being handled by the State Police Marina Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Middletown fire marshal and possibly the Monmouth County fire marshal, Spears said.

Corzine bans dual-office holding...sorta

Gov. Jon Corzine has banned dual-office holding by officials in New Jersey. A significant "but" to that though is his grandfathering of existing office holders who hold more than one office -- and there is no good cause for that.

Dual-office holding should either be permissible to all or not allowed for all. This grandfathering nonsense is just that. Click on the headline and go to the APP article.

McGreevey in the spotlight...again

I was in the Upper West Side as media descended upon the General Theological Seminary, in Manhattan. "Gay American" and former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey started classes at General, in the wake of a letter this weekend to the NY Post. Long story short: McGreevey inserted himself into the ex-Sen. Craig debacle.

As a New Jerseyan, I have to ask: Will McGreevey ever go away and stop haunting politics? As a person, I do not have an opinion of him. But as a public figure/former state official: Worst governor in the history of the state, and big shady guy.

It is politicians like McGreevey that turned this state over to people like former Sen. John Lynch. Why McGreevey is news is beyond me, but maybe one day (like "John from Cinncinati" on HBO) he will just go away.

Star-Ledger's Donohue posts good article

Joe Donohue is probably the single-most credible journalist in New Jersey today, in my opinion. He has posted a campaign piece on NJ.com that is worth reading.

Keansburg Council holds meeting on Wed.

There are some rumors going on about Keansburg, where it involves Borough Manager Terence Wall. I know there is a Wednesday Borough Council meeting, where it is being opined that there may be some discussion relating to the manager.

In my experience in the borough, rumors abound and often without result. Generally, Keansburg politics is highly charged. In this case, there was some issue about communication during a recent vacation by Mr. Wall. What level of discussion will be involved at the meeting is strictly speculative at this point, and I haven't heard any word one way or the other.

APP columnist talks about GOP and 'Moral High Ground'

This isn't exactly local, but the sentiments translate. Click on the headline and go to today's APP.

APP pens story about Highlands resident

Great story about a Highlands resident in the APP today. Click on the headline and go there.