Category: Independent Opinion

  • Gene Merritt

    Mr. Merritt, 66, of the Lincroft section of Middletown, died Feb. 22, 2008, at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. A member of Typographical Union No. 6, he was a printer for 46 years. He was predeceased by a brother, Wesley; and a granddaughter, Sarah Merritt. Mr. Merritt is survived by his wife of 45 years,…

  • Susan Yannibelli

    Mrs. Yannibelli, 50, of Middletown, died March 7, 2008, at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. She was employed at Town and Country Inn, Keyport. She is survived by a son, Joseph of Middletown; her mother, Evelyn Fitzgerald of Keansburg; four brothers, Michael Lawless, and Edward and Dennis Fitzgerald, all of Keansburg, and David Fitzgerald of…

  • Ravine Drive students race to California and back

    Students log miles for characters by reading books BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Top to bottom:Astudent logs her progress in “The Great Reading Race,” a literacy program for students in grades K – 3 at Ravine Drive School in Matawan. On March 7, a crew for New Jersey Network’s…

  • Substitute teacher pleads guilty

    MANALAPAN- An incident that surprised students and staff members at the Pine Brook School, Pease Road, in December resulted in a guilty plea being entered in state Superior Court on Feb. 25. According to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Mary Kaminski, 54, of Middletown, admitted to having endangered the welfare of…

  • State forcing Middletown to urbanize

    In a recent letter about the development at Harmony Road and Route 35, the writer suggested that a moratorium be put on all development in the township. Unfortunately, this would be illegal and unconstitutional. What is more disheartening is that 20 percent of the units being built are lowincome housing which is the driving force…

  • Coda

    Singing ‘Danny Boy’ will ruin your St. Paddy’s Day GREG BEAN Growing up in a solidly Scots-Irish family meant St. Paddy’s Day was pretty special. We never celebrated Robbie Burns Day on Jan. 25 to honor our Scots side, because that involves haggis if you’re a traditionalist. And let me tell you, no thinking individual…

  • Young Dems leader decries label

    In its Feb. 20 edition, in the letters section of the newspaper, the Independent printed a letter by Middletown resident Lois Whittom. The letter was titled “Dems imposing socialism on Middletown.” Mrs. Whittom directly called me a “socialist” because I am advocating for housing that is affordable for young people in Middletown. I do not…

  • Resident proposes buying open space for Middletown

    Iwould like to see Middletown declare a moratorium on building. The latest assault on our town is the destruction of acres of trees on Harmony Road. For what? More condos. Don’t we already have an excess of them, to say nothing about the inventory of houses? How will they market these new monstrosities? Views! Look…

  • Local officials not to blame for high taxes in Middletown

    Municipalities around the Garden State are preparing their budgets for the next fiscal year. Efficient local governments are doing all they can to keep local property taxes down, but unfortunately Trenton politicians are making that task difficult. A prime example of the situation is Middletown. Despite the fact it is run efficiently and doing everything…