Category: Independent News

  • Slithery visitor draws crowd in Middletown Tiny alligator surprises Belford residents on Friday

    By elaine van develde Slithery visitor draws crowd in Middletown Tiny alligator surprises Belford residents on Friday JEFF HUNTLEY Aaron Wells, Middletown animal control officer, gets a grip on a squirming little gator found in the Belford section of Middletown. Middletown residents got a glimpse of suburbia turned swampland Friday morning when a 2-foot-long alligator…

  • In Brief Gethsemane Church offers preschool camp

    In Brief Gethsemane Church offers preschool camp MARIE ORTIZ ON THE FLY — A fly fisherman casts his line in the bay waters off Sandy Hook Saturday. Highlands is in the background. Good News Christian Preschool, a ministry of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Keyport, is offering a Preschool Summer Camp for children ages 3-5. The camp…

  • Locals already miss coffee at Johnnie’s

    Locals already miss coffee at Johnnie’s PAUL DOWD Area residents say they will miss Johnnie’s Cozy Corner, a Matawan Main Street institution since 1940, which closed in May. MATAWAN — Every morning for the past 20 years, Richard Frazier of Aberdeen and his buddies went to Johnnie’s Cozy Corner Restaurant for their morning coffee. "Main…

  • Sing a song

    Sing a song Audience members sing and pray at the Providence Baptist Church’s Cliffwood Community Crusade 2000 held Friday at Paul’s Place — the future site of the Providence Baptist Church in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen. At right, the Rev. Keith Roberson of Providence Baptist, prays with the audience, while below, Yvette Bing (l)…

  • Holmdel OKs new 1.5¢

    Holmdel OKs new 1.5¢ open space referendum By cindy tietjen HOLMDEL — Residents will have the opportunity in November to increase the current 1-cent open space tax to 2.5 cents. The Township Committee voted 4-1 Monday in favor of putting the referendum question on the ballot, with Committeeman Joseph Speranza dissenting. "I don’t want to…

  • Matawan to decide fate of Broad St. school building

    Matawan to decide fate of Broad St. school building MATAWAN — The Borough Council has completed its feasibility study on the old Broad Street high school with the results to be released at the next council meeting on Aug. 2. The study, which is preliminary, was conducted by Borough Engineer Robert Bucco to determine the…

  • Keyport ready to assess ferry plan Borough to hold pubic forum at 7:30 tonight

    By elaine van Develde Keyport ready to assess ferry plan Borough to hold pubic forum at 7:30 tonight Whether or not a ferry will fare well in Keyport will depend on the results of tonight’s public forum. The Borough Council is seeking input at a public meeting scheduled for 7:30 in the Keyport Central School…

  • School officials greet $8.6B funding bill with open arms

    School officials greet $8.6B funding bill with open arms Some still waiting for details on landmark bill Middletown school officials are still pinching themselves. In a decision they think is a dream come true, the governor last week signed into law the Educational Facilities Construct-ion and Financing Act, which wipes out a lot of the…

  • Alligator!

    Sue LeJeune (center) and her daughter Nicole talk about the alligator they found on their property while animal control officer Aaron Wells keeps a good grip on the gator and Middletown Mayor Rosemarie Peters looks on. For the story, see page 4.