Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Harry, Christie survey the damage and have some fun
JERSEY SHORE -- Britain's Prince Harry did what most people would do on a sunny, spring day in Seaside Heights—take in the ocean views, then play some boardwalk games. Harry came to Seaside Heights with Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday morning after the two toured destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking. The pair drove south on Route 35 and entered the boardwalk at Grant Avenue where crowds of people were waiting for their arrival. "Prince Harry, we love you," shouted one small girl who was holding a welcome sign. Standing next to her was an Elvis Presley impersonator, hoping to attract some attention of his own from the prince. Harry and Christie were greeted by local officials, who escorted the pair out to Casino Pier, the site …
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
But state will work on drainage, pump stations during summer
The state is postponing Route 35 reconstruction until after Labor Day, a welcome relief to local officials and business people who feared that the work would cause massive traffic delays all summer. "I'm very happy," said Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis. "This is more than enough of a change, even if they start the day after Labor Day." He and other Bay Head officials and business owners had also been concerned the state Department of Transportation (DOT) road work would kill parking spaces on Route 35, just as businesses are hoping a robust summer tourism season can help them recover from Superstorm Sandy. Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Vincent Barrella had more of a mixed reaction. "I'm pleased, but disappointed they didn't let me know," said …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Is the retail encroachment into Thanksgiving day worth fighting?
I’ve been known to be a party pooper, a real Debbie downer (sorry Debbie) when it comes to certain kinds of indulgences. Keep this in mind if you keep reading. Black Friday. Fine. After a day of gastronomic excess, we launch into a season of consumer spending that many of us will regret well into 2013. But a Black Friday that begins on Thanksgiving Thursday is just too much, or is it? The argument was succinctly made by P.C. Richard & Son (on Facebook, of course) that retailers who chose to open their doors on Thanksgiving “show no respect to their employees and families, and are in total disrespect of family values in America.” I’m inclined to agree, though the invocation of “family values” is questionable now that the phrase has been …
Monday, November 5, 2012
What the first devestating week looked like from my Mantoloking Road vantage point
It’s been a week since Hurricane Sandy hit and like many others, we still have no electricity at my house off Mantoloking Road. Our neighborhood is humming with the sound of generators, but I’ve been worried about the silent households ever since the temperatures dropped. In the past week, I (like you) have seen a lot, starting with a house strewn in the middle of Gale Road. A homeowner there said it washed across the bay and through the marsh onto his low lying street—a street that still reeked of diesel fuel on Thursday. Homeowners were shoveling thick, smelly muck from their driveways like it was snow that day. They thanked me for stopping and listening, even though that’s all I did. My brother-in-law lost most of his belongings in a …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Two New York men face assault charges
Authorities arrested two New York City men and charged them in a machete assault on the barrier island side of the Mantoloking Bridge Wednesday night. According to Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford, eyewitnesses placed 911 calls at approximately 7:09 p.m. Wednesday reporting that an individual brandishing a machete-type weapon was involved in an altercation with other individuals near the intersection of Route 35 and Herbert Street in Mantoloking. Based on a vehicle description given by the eyewitnesses, Mantoloking police stopped a blue Subaru with New York license plates and found a back seat passenger, identified as Michael Villanueva, 25, of New York City, with blood on his arms and clothing, Ford said. Police later learned …
Ed Minall
11:14 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
I respect the Prince for his military service and his work with charities. However, he tours the shore area which probably cost the Shore Towns/State tens of thousands in OT for police etc. Goes to CT the next day and makes millions from US companies for his international charities at a Polo match. Then heads back to the UK the same day. Where is there an upside for his shore visit? I would have …   more ›