Category: Independent Opinion

  • J. Michele “Miki” Murphy

    Mrs. Murphy, 58, of Middletown, died Jan. 9, 2009, at home. She was a speech therapist at Harbor School, Eatontown, for more than 20 years. She is survived by her husband of 38 years, Kevin; two sons and one daughter-inlaw, Brian and Kelly of Middletown, and Michael at home; a daughter and son-in-law, Kim Michele…

  • Customer service: a truly radical approach to sales

    Coda • GREG BEAN The results for the 2008 holiday shopping season are almost in from the nation’s major retailers, and it looks like it was worse than anyone could have predicted. Business was so bad at places like KB Toys and Sharper Image that it’s possible those companies won’t survive the coming year. Circuit…

  • Edward L. Soper

    Mr. Soper, of Hazlet, died Jan. 17, 2009, at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel. He resided in Red Bank and the River Plaza section of Middletown before relocating to Hazlet. He served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps, retiring in 1965 after 22 years of service. During retirement, he worked at Red Bank Lumber and Prown’s,…

  • Louis L. Wermann Sr.

    Mr. Wermann, 83, of Hazlet, died Jan. 9, 2009, at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. He was an accountant at AT&T, Newark, retiring in 1984. He was predeceased by his wife, Blanche, in 2002; a son, Louis Jr., in 2005; and a brother, Walter. He is survived by four daughters and sons-in-law, Margaret Ann and…

  • Mat-Ab seeks members for academy boards

    ABERDEEN — Matawan Regional High School is seeking members for advisory boards for three new specialized learning academies that will be introduced for the 2009-10 school year. The new programs are the Bio Medical Academy, Performing Arts Academy and Business Academy. According to the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, an integral part of the academy philosophy…

  • Margaret M. Lovvorn

    Mrs. Lovvorn, 88, of Ocean, died Jan. 8, 2009. She had resided in Newark and Middletown before relocating to Ocean five years ago. She was predeceased by her husband, Herman, in 1995. Surviving are a son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Jennifer Knight of Atlanta; a daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Craig Munson of Ocean Township;…

  • Clifford R. Simpson

    Mr. Simpson, 85, of Shrewsbury Township, died Jan. 10, 2009. He was born and raised at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook. He was employed at the Tinton Falls School District for 35 years, retiring in 1991, commemorated by Mr. Cliff Day at the district’s Atchison School. Prior to that, he signed a professional baseball contract with…

  • BOE hires interim dir. of special services

    Neptune schools chief named to post BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer ABERDEEN — The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District Board of Education hired an interim director of special services at the Jan. 12 workshop session. By a 7-1 vote, Dr. Michael Lake, who served as superintendent of the Neptune Township School District for 18 years,…

  • Eileen Quidore

    Mrs. Quidore, 72, of Hazlet, died Jan. 5, 2009. She had resided in Colts Neck before moving to Hazlet several months ago. She was an underwriter at Prudential Insurance Co., Holmdel, and an office manager for various doctors’ offices. Mrs.Quidore was predeceased by her husband, Robert E. Quidore, in 2008. She is survived by six…