Category: Independent Opinion
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Property condemnation for unnamed use irks writer
I have been following your story regarding Hazlet Township’s condemnation of the property at 1736 Union Ave. Let me see if I understand the facts. A family buys land in the township a million years ago (or at least before there was even a Hazlet). To the left of them, people build homes; to the…
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Guest Column Peter McIntyre Regional boards would rein in development
Guest Column Peter McIntyre Regional boards would rein in development The recent stories about the proposed developments in Aberdeen, Marlboro and Old Bridge are a crystal clear example of what is wrong with the home rule type of planning we have in New Jersey. We have town pitted against town. Instead of working together, we…
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For the record —
Commissioners appointed to the Bayshore Regional Sewerage Authority are paid $2,000 a year during their five-year terms. The annual salary was incorrect in an article in last week’s Independent. Ruth Ackerson, Holmdel, was married to the late Jim Ackerson, and Doris Ackerson was married to Jim’s younger brother, the late John Ackerson. Information concerning the…
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Guest Column John Hendrickson Thanks to mediator, MTEA wins yet again
Guest Column John Hendrickson Thanks to mediator, MTEA wins yet again Once again the taxpayers of Middletown have been let down by a mediator. Once again Diane Swaim and the Middletown Township Education Association (MTEA) leadership is celebrating another victory over the Board of Education and the taxpayers of Middletown. After seeing mediator Ronald Riccio’s…
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NJ Transit’s neglect of Matawan a mystery
In recent months there has been a great deal of media coverage devoted to NJ Transit and how eager it is to bring benefits to the communities that host its train stations. I recently read of an extensive effort to restore and renovate historic stations throughout the state. It seems a mystery to me, then,…
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Seniors, center should be able to coexist in harmony
Grace Scher, president of the Cullen Center Seniors Club, is requesting five additional permanent handicapped parking spaces. Presently, we have 30 spaces in our parking lot and four are handicapped spaces. The senior club meets every two weeks and bus transportation from the swim club lot is provided. Can we justify providing more permanent handicapped…
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Mayor represses freedom of speech at meeting
If you’ve never attended a regular monthly meeting of the Middletown Township Committee, you don’t know what you’re missing. You don’t have to go very far from home to witness what amounts to a "made for TV" series. At a recent township meeting, it was difficult to discern whether Mayor Patrick Parkinson thought he was…
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ROBERT F. FLANAGAN, 71, of the New Monmouth section of Middletown died Feb. 4 at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. Born in Newark, he resided in New Monmouth for the past 40 years. He was an independent title searcher in Monmouth and Ocean counties, ret
ROBERT F. FLANAGAN, 71, of the New Monmouth section of Middletown died Feb. 4 at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. Born in Newark, he resided in New Monmouth for the past 40 years. He was an independent title searcher in Monmouth and Ocean counties, retiring in 1995. Prior to that, he was a title searcher…
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Project shows there is no courtesy among Republicans
Regarding the planned road improvements near Garden State Parkway Exit 114, I find certain aspects of this issue most disturbing. As a commuter using the Laurel Avenue/Van Schoick Road route to Garden State Parkway Exit 114 on a daily basis, maybe I am missing something with regard to a traffic problem. Also, why do we…
