Somerset County announces...

by Somerset Reporter

Thursday November 20, 2008, 4:54 PM

Talmadge Avenue Bridge Reconstruction over the Middle Brook:

The temporary bridge is in place and East Main St. in Bridgewater and Talmadge Ave in Bound Brook are now open. Also Tea St. in Bound Brook is open between Talmadge Ave. and Union Ave. (Route 28).

SWAT Standoff takes place in Hillsborough

by Somerset Reporter

Thursday November 20, 2008, 12:46 PM

SOMERVILLE- Hillsborough resident, Richard A. Cooper, was taken into custody following an approximate two-and-a-half hour standoff with police.

According to documentation from the Somerset County Prosecutor's office, at approximately 2:54 a.m. Hillsborough Police received a 911 phone call advising them that the fifty-five year old was in his home, located on Robin Road, armed with a hunting knife.

When Hillsborough Police Officers arrived, they surrounded the outer perimeter of Cooper's apartment building at which time Cooper came out of his apartment. The police officers told Cooper to surrender but, he yelled an expletive comment at the officers and barricaded himself inside his apartment.

Continue reading "SWAT Standoff takes place in Hillsborough" »

Youth Employment & Training Program Proposals sought from Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders

by Marin Barrett/Somerset Reporter

Thursday November 20, 2008, 12:12 PM

SOMERSET COUNTY - The Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders has announced the availability of funding for agencies to provide Employment and Training Programs for Youth in Hunterdon and Somerset counties for 2009.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) may be printed off the Somerset County Web site. Go to www.co.somerset.nj.us and click on Bids/RFPs from the top of the homepage.

You must return an original proposal, ten copies and a CD- ROM containing the proposal in MS Word for Windows in a sealed envelope by noon Friday, Dec. 5 to the Somerset County

Continue reading "Youth Employment & Training Program Proposals sought from Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders" »

Matheny's Arts Access program celebrates 15 years

by Somerset Reporter

Thursday November 20, 2008, 9:28 AM

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE -- The Matheny Medical and Educational Center's Art Access Program began 15 years ago with a question: "Can people with disabilities create fine art?"

Anyone who attended Full Circle 2008, the 15th anniversary celebration of Arts Access, held Saturday, Nov. 15 in Matheny's Robert Schonhorn Arts Center, knows the answer to that question.

In the auditorium, following an art reception in the gallery, Lyn Sanders, director of Arts Access, introduced a presentation that included dramatic interpretations of poetry, wheelchair dance performances, a multimedia collaboration between an Arts Access artist and an able-bodied dance company and a preview of a documentary being produced by P3 Entertainment that very clearly demonstrated the art facilitation process.

Continue reading "Matheny's Arts Access program celebrates 15 years" »

Nominations sought for Outstanding Women Awards

by Marin Barrett/Somerset Reporter

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 11:58 AM

SOMERVILLE - The Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women is seeking nominations for its 2009 Outstanding Women in Somerset County awards program.
Nominees must be women who reside or work in Somerset County.

Categories include: arts/entertainment, business/management, education, entrepreneur, government/public service, hometown hero, information technology, journalism/media, law, medicine/health services, social services and volunteerism.

Nominations should cite the ways the nominee has demonstrated outstanding performance or dedication in her job or community.

Continue reading "Nominations sought for Outstanding Women Awards" »

Garden State sees lowest gas prices since March 29, 2005

by Marin Barrett

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 11:48 AM

NEW JERSEY - According to AAA Mid-Atlantic Garden State motorists are paying the cheapest per-gallon price for regular serve gasoline since March 29, 2005.

The state average dropped below $2 per gallon overnight, and stands today at $1.97, which is more than $2 cheaper than the $4 peak New Jersey reached on July 8.

"Prices could fall farther after Thanksgiving," David Weinstein spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

Here are various prices over the last year:

Continue reading "Garden State sees lowest gas prices since March 29, 2005" »

Somerset County to recognize Manville teacher as Volunteer of the Year

by Marin Barrett/Somerset Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 2:19 PM

SOMERVILLE -- The Somerset County Board of Freeholders will recognize Art Lisciandro of Basking Ridge as Volunteer of the Year at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7 during the freeholders' meeting being held in the freeholders' meeting room at 20 Grove St.

Lisciandro is being honored for receiving the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse "Volunteer of the Year" award for Somerset County.

"Somerset County is proud of the time and effort Mr. Lisciandro devotes to educating county youth in his professional and personal life," said Freeholder Director Peter S. Palmer. "Such dedication cannot be quantified, but the results last a lifetime."

Continue reading "Somerset County to recognize Manville teacher as Volunteer of the Year" »

Somerset County Senior Housing Map and List Available from Planning Board

by href="mailto:mresnick@njnpublishing.com">Marin Barrett/Somerset Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 2:02 PM

SOMERSET COUNTY - An updated, comprehensive listing of senior housing options in Somerset County is now available on the county Planning Board's web site.

Go to www.co.somerset.nj.us/planweb, then click on Learn About at the top of the Planning homepage. The listing and map can be viewed from this page and also are available as a printable PDF file.

The map and list feature 83 senior housing locations throughout the county, including: continuing-care retirement communities; residential health-care, long-term care and sub-acute care facilities; shared-living residences; low and moderate-income and independent-living senior housing; market-rate senior apartments; assisted-living facilities and active-adult retirement communities, which may include market-rate and low or moderate-income units.

Continue reading "Somerset County Senior Housing Map and List Available from Planning Board" »

Temple Beth El's annual Michael D. Fink Memorial Lecture to feature a "SuperJew in the Secular World" with New Jersey 101.5's Judi Franco

by Somerset Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 12:23 PM

SOMERSET - How to be a "SuperJew in the Secular World"--that's the topic of radio personality Judi Franco's free talk at Temple Beth El 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Franco and her co-host, Dennis Malloy, bring humor and human interest to millions of listeners in the Garden State and beyond on the Dennis and Judi Show on radio station New Jersey 101.5 every weekday, and now she will bring that same humor to a live audience as the speaker in Temple Beth El's annual Dr. Michael D. Fink Memorial Lecture series.

Franco started her career as a child actress in San Francisco, training at the highly regarded Circle Star Theatre and doing extensive theater work in the Bay Area.

Continue reading "Temple Beth El's annual Michael D. Fink Memorial Lecture to feature a "SuperJew in the Secular World" with New Jersey 101.5's Judi Franco " »

Bridgewater-Raritan High School robotics team helps keep Somerset County green

by Somerset Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 10:08 AM

BRIDGEWATER -- Far from the gym where their high-tech robots usually battle, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School robotics team stood ankle deep in mud, sending sparks into the sky with their grindwheel, and wrestling the rusted remains of a car out of the muck on the Middlebrook Trail off Tullo Farm Road in Bridgewater.

"This is just another of our ongoing environmental and recycling activities," said David Kleszyk, senior captain of the team.

Sunday's mission was to extract a rusted car from the mud and weeds on the Middlebrook Trail and tow it to a recycling facility in Hillsborough. Not an easy task, since the abandoned car was almost a quarter mile down a trail in the woods.

Continue reading "Bridgewater-Raritan High School robotics team helps keep Somerset County green" »

New Jersey Department of Transportation shifts lanes on Route 28 in Bound Brook

by Marin Barrett

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 9:54 AM

Bound Brook - The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced a traffic shift on Route 28 over Green Brook bridge in Bound Brook.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, the department of transportation will open an additional travel lane on Route 28 eastbound, while shifting traffic to the southern portion of the roadway.

Currently, Route 28 consists of one lane in each direction. This scheduled shift will open two lanes of traffic on Route 28 eastbound, while maintaining one lane of westbound traffic.

Continue reading "New Jersey Department of Transportation shifts lanes on Route 28 in Bound Brook" »

Post a comment | View comments (0)

See more in Local news, Top news

New Jersey Department of Transportation reopens Thompson Avenue over Route 22 in Bridgewater

by Marin Barrett

Monday November 17, 2008, 6:00 PM

BRIDGEWATER- The New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri re-opened Thompson Avenue northbound over Route 22 in Bridgewater, today.

Thompson Avenue was re-opened to two-way traffic after a $1.4 million replacement of the deteriorated bridge deck was completed.

Single-lane closures may take place on Route 22 through December 2008 in order to paint the bridge and remove the temporary construction shielding.

Continue reading "New Jersey Department of Transportation reopens Thompson Avenue over Route 22 in Bridgewater" »

Somerville's Immaculata Marching Band wins National Championship

by Claire Krantz, Kristyn Lyncheski and Allison Rommel/Students at Immaculata High School, Somerville

Monday November 17, 2008, 12:13 PM

The Immaculata Spartan Marching Band recently received first place in Group VI at the United States Scholastic Band Association (USSBA) National Championship competition. It was held at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The band was the only school in New Jersey to place first.

They also won best music, best effect, best visual, best color guard and best percussion.
The Spartan Marching Band, in addition to winning nationals, traveled last month to Union High School for the State Championship competition.

The Marching Unit performed a spectacular show and won first place. They were crowned Group VI Open New Jersey State Champions.

Continue reading "Somerville's Immaculata Marching Band wins National Championship" »

Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition hosts seventh annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner and Award Ceremony

by Marin Barrett/Somerset Reporter

Sunday November 16, 2008, 5:19 PM

SOMERSET COUNTY -- Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition will be holding its seventh annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner and Award Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21 at the Somerset Hills YMCA.

The diversity award recognizes individuals, corporation(s) and organizations who embrace the principles of the diversity -- which promotes tolerance and understanding in the entire community-- and whose courageous actions have embodied the values of civility, tolerance, diversity and cooperation in the advancement of public dialogue and public policy on divisive issues.

The 2008 award winners are: education, Kathleen S. Feigley, executive director, Kangaroo Kids School, Branchburg; government, Hon. Sue Pai Yang, Compensation Judge, Bridgewater and Leadership Somerset Program; faith community, Hindu Temple Society, Inc. Bridgewater; youth leader, Keely Swan, Branchburg; business, Anna Lustenberg, Verizon Foundation and community service, Sascha Higazi, Bound Brook Police Officer.

Continue reading "Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition hosts seventh annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner and Award Ceremony" »

Chelsea at Warren residents lend helping hand during troubled times

by Somerset Reporter

Sunday November 16, 2008, 9:54 AM

WARREN -- Since the 2008 holiday season promises to be a tough one for many of its neighbors because of the economy, the Chelsea at Warren has decided this year that the best gifts are those that address the immediate needs of day to day living.

So this year, the Chelsea's sole holiday gift recipient will be the Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center of Morristown which will receive toiletries and cutlery collected by its residents and staff and a donation of cash from its management.

Residents and staff collected toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion and razors along with plastic forks, knives, spoons and napkins. They then worked in groups to assemble individual place settings and separate the toiletries into bags for easy distribution to guests who need them at the Morristown facility.

Continue reading "Chelsea at Warren residents lend helping hand during troubled times" »