Category: Independent Opinion

  • Obituaries

    Greater Media Newspapers prints obituaries as a free community service, at no charge to the families of the deceased or to the funeral homes that provide the information. MARY POLLOCK, 62, of Matawan died March 24 at Barbara E. Cheng Memorial Hospice, Edison. Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, she resided in New York City and Queens,…

  • Food and Zoning Board hearings are a bad mix

    Food and Zoning Board hearings are a bad mix I t might seem like a nice idea to some, but we think it’s a silly and a bad idea to let an applicant serve food at a board hearing. The Middletown town square application is certainly a huge drawing card, but what kind of precedent…

  • Guest Column Grace Scher Senior attempts to clear air over center’s dilemma

    Guest Column Grace Scher Senior attempts to clear air over center’s dilemma I am writing in answer to the guest column by Steven Grossman. Everyone has a right to voice his or her opinion; however, his or her opinion should make good sense so the people of our township can understand the whole truth. Naturally,…

  • Don’t try to make township into something it’s not with town square

    The proponents of the town center in Middletown would like us to believe that this development will somehow bring our community closer together. They seem to believe that Middletown lacks a defining character and the town center will be the solution. Nothing could be further from the truth. The town center has been labeled as…

  • Guest Column Jerry Drennan Criticism of Matawan-Aberdeen school board, PTOs misguided

    Guest Column Jerry Drennan Criticism of Matawan-Aberdeen school board, PTOs misguided At first I thought that the Independent had come to my way of thinking. I saw in bold print "What is wrong with the Matawan and Aberdeen school district?" Below that, again in bold print, I saw the name Joseph McAleer. Question asked, question…

  • Proposed town square will provide focal point, unite Middletown

    We’ve enjoyed our 21 years as residents of Middletown because we are offered open space, a quiet place to walk, and a friendly neighborhood. But what has always disappointed us is the feeling that Middletown lacks a sense of community. Middletown is a big place with many sections. Although we have spent more than two…

  • Column regarding schools riddled with inaccuracies

    Column regarding schools riddled with inaccuracies Joseph McAleer’s guest column in the March 20 Independent in my estimation has a number of half-truths, reporting of unsubstantiated rumors, and some very expensive ideas. He talks about tried-and-true solutions to reduce school expenditures. Does he realize the greatly increased busing cost if there would be redistricting or…

  • Time of ‘snoozing and losing’ in Keyport over

    On March 12, the Keyport Borough Council almost unanimously passed the resolution to expand the business improvement district (BID) to encompass the entire town. The officials who voted for the BID demonstrated their leadership, vision and courage in adopting this critical business redevelopment tool. Without the expansion, the town would have remained unfairly divided on…

  • Holmdel’s Strickland will maintain standards in schools

    A Holmdel school board election is coming up April 16. If you don’t usually vote in such elections, you should think of it this way: our property values are tied to the excellence of our schools. That’s what many people move here for. And the schools are now facing a rocky transition, having lost 11…