Category: Independent News

  • Mat-Ab school board settles on budget cuts

    BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG Staff Writer The Matawan-Aberdeen Board of Education agreed to $887,500 in budget cuts at Monday’s meeting. The cuts were recommended by the Aberdeen Township and Matawan Borough councils to revise the budget, which was defeated by voters in April. The councils had to agree on the financial figure and adopt the same…

  • Five teachers request hearings over job losses

    BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG Staff Writer HOLMDEL — Five teachers unsuccessfully decided to take matters into their own hands after the school district opted not to renew their contracts. The teachers were unsatisfied with the reasons their contracts were not being renewed, and requested Donaldson hearings, said Kathy Hodecker, president of the HTEA (Holmdel Township Education…

  • Megan’s Law activist warns parents of risks

    Says kids must learn to protect themselves from sexual predators BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG Staff Writer FILE PHOTO Maureen Kanka speaks with a woman following a lecture she gave last year. HAZLET — Eleven years ago, Maureen Kanka experienced what is arguably every parent’s worst nightmare. Her 7-year-old daughter, Megan Nicole Kanka, was violently raped and…

  • Area parents favor pedophile restrictions

    BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG Staff Writer Many parents will do anything they can to protect their kids from falling victim to the hands of convicted sex offenders. Parents aren’t standing alone in the matter. The state is also fighting for children’s safety by trying to restrict pedophiles from living within 500 feet of schools, parks or…

  • JCP&L inspections begin this week

    Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), Morristown, announced it will conduct a statewide thermographic inspection cycle of its distribution system the week of May 16. The inspection will start in JCP&L’s central region, which includes Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties, with the entire inspection to be completed by October. Employees from Hot Spot Inc. will…

  • United in Memory: 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt

    Exhibit will be at Brookdale CC May 20-22 BY GLORIA STRAVELLI Staff Writer BY GLORIA STRAVELLIStaff Writer The United in Memory: 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt, created in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, stretches a quarter-mile when laid end to end. Created as much for healing as for remembering, a…

  • County plans to purchase 800 acres of open space

    FREEHOLD — The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has introduced a bond ordinance for 12 county parkland acquisition projects. The bond ordinance, a $31.5 million commitment, will be used to add about 800 acres to existing county open space, parks and recreation areas. The Monmouth County Park System currently manages 13,215 acres. The county has…

  • In memory

    World War II veterans Frank Weber and Ronald Kowalsky, Middletown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2179, arrange a wreath Friday during a memorial service at town hall to honor police officers who died during the last year. Middletown Police Chief Robert Oches spoke at the service. To Oches’ left is Mayor Thomas Hall. Relatives of…

  • ‘Miracle of miracles’

    Holocaust survivor recounts life story to youths at BCC forum BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer BY KAREN E. BOWESStaff Writer There were two lines: One to be gassed, one not to be gassed. Gerard Blumenthal was on the line to be gassed. Like the others ahead of him, mostly elderly women and sick men,…