Category: Independent Opinion
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End parkway tolls now before more millions are wasted
It takes a bureaucracy of more than 800 people to collect Garden State Parkway tolls. This total includes a pro-rata share of E-ZPass personnel. Imagine if each state highway had such a bureaucracy. Toll collecting is a 24/7 operation, so the costly toll-collection operation must be in place even at 3 a.m., when traffic is…
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Keyport Friends extend thanks to local musician
The Keyport Friends of the Arts would like to thank Jon Caspi publicly for making his CD-release party held Jan. 29 a benefit performance for our organization. The funds from this benefit will be used to further expand and enhance the creative arts in the Keyport Public Schools. The lead album song, “This Town” —…
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Residents urged to oppose gambling legislation
Back in October, I submitted to this paper an open letter addressed to the state Legislature and parents of school-age children. In that letter I stated Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., D-Middlesex, had introduced Bill A3841 that would allow children to serve food and beverages at gambling events. Within the letter I cited statistics that…
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Our troops have put forth a tremendous effort
Richard Brody Guest Column I would like to share with your readers my recent experience attending the presidential inaugural in Washington, D.C. I was invited along with others from my veterans organization, Veterans of the Vietnam War and The Veterans Coalition, to attend the “Salute to Heroes” veterans ball following the inauguration ceremonies. It was…
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‘KBA’ should really stand for ‘Kiwanis Benefits All’
In the Jan. 11 Independent, Keyport Business Alliance (KBA) advocate Kathy Shaw stated “I never heard of the Kiwanis Club doing a Memorial Day parade, a street festival or a ‘battle of the bands.’” She was absolutely correct in that statement. The 36 members of the Keyport Kiwanis pay their own way and provide hundreds…
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Obituaries
Brian J. Cross Mr. Cross, 63, of Middletown, died Feb. 11 at home. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., he relocated to Middletown 34 years ago. He was a computer programmer at Philips Van Husen, Bridgewater, the past eight years. Mr. Cross is survived by his wife of 24 years, Linda Douglas Cross; four sons and…
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Public must support call for constitutional convention
If the New Jersey Education Association had been around in 1776 would it have campaigned against the Declaration of Independence? Would it have spent its members’ nickels and dimes to defeat the convention that resulted in our federal constitution? The answer to both questions, sadly, is probably so. The New Jersey Education Association has adopted…
