Compton Creek Clean-Up Sunday: NJ Baykeeper Calls for Volunteers

Remove litter to reduce the harmful impact to environment, and enhance the natural beauty of our watershed.

See How Much Middletown Houses Sold For Last Week

A house in Chapel Hill commanded $750,000.

Middletown Mayor: Nor'easter May Cause Flooding at 3:30 am High Tide

No evacuation orders will be issued, said Scharfenberger Wednesday afternoon

Middletown's Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger says the township's biggest concern heading into Wednesday night's nor'easter -- after the welfare of its residents --will be the potential for moderate to severe flooding in the middle of the night.  "The tide we are really concerned with is at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, when the bulk of the rain is supposed to hit," said the mayor in an interview Wednesday afternoon. Heavy rainfall may swell storm drains, creeks, and other waterways the mayor said. "We're going to be monitoring it."  Members of the public works and police department will be keeping an eye on the situation on tours in flood-prone areas in low-lying places such as North Middletown, Port Monmouth, Belford and Leonardo.  In preparation for …

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In Middletown, Pope's Resignation Surprises St. Mary's and Mater Dei

Rev, Jeffrey Kegley says Pope Benedict's decision to step down proves he is a holy, humble man. Principal Steven Sciarappa said it was a teachable moment for young Catholics.

In Middletown this morning, the pastor of the third largest Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Trenton got the news of Pope Benedict XVI's stunning resignation at 5:45 a.m. via a text message from a parishioner.  Rev. Jeffrey Kegley of Saint Mary said he immediately realized the importance of this historic moment, because the last time a pope stepped down was 600 years ago. "It's shocking to the whole Catholic community," said Father Kegley. "He is a holy, humble man, and a very bright man. He is sharp as a tack to be able to do this, in freedom. It shows humility, to say you can't continue to do the job."  Pope Benedict XVI, 85, announced early Monday though the Vatican in Rome that he will step down at the end of the month, citing …

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Oceanic Bridge Re-Opens, Between Middletown and Rumson

Bridge opened up to traffic ahead of schedule, without prior word from Monmouth County officials

Update: The Oceanic Bridge between Middletown and Rumson re-opened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Wednesday, five days earlier than expected.  As of early evening, all barriers and signage had been removed and traffic was traveling across the bridge. Original report, Weds. 2 p.m. Monmouth County officials have confirmed that the Oceanic Bridge is close to being open to traffic. "It is not open yet, but I'm cautiously optimistic," Monmouth County spokeswoman Laura Kirkpatrick said Wednesday afternoon. "I can't say for certain if it will be open to traffic today, but I do know that the engineers are now in the process of trying to get it open. There are some technical tests and adjustments that need to be done to first make sure that…

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Obituary: Arthur P. Jackson, drywall contractor

Jackson, a WWII veteran, was a Grand Knight with the Knights of Columbus, Middletown.

Arthur P. Jackson, 86, of Middletown, died on January 18, 2013 at his home. He was born in Irvington. Arthur was a drywall contractor who owned and operated Art Jackson Drywall. He was a Grand Knight with the Knights of Columbus, Middletown.  Arthur served in the US Army Air Corps during WWII. Surviving are his wife, Helen Jackson; sons, Arthur Jackson III, Peter Jackson, James Jackson and Thomas Jackson; daughter, Colleen Somers; 12 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Visitation will be held Monday, January 21, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown. A Funeral Services is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 pm at the funeral home.  For more information, to send condolences or for directions, please…

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'Middletown Is a Safe Place' Say Shoppers and Merchants

A violent act is not enough to shake a sense of security for some residents, but they say it will make them more wary.

The day after a mother shopping with a baby was viciously knifed at Bed Bath & Beyond, people at the Route 35 shopping plaza said they still feel safe in Middletown.  Residents said they felt it was a random act of violence, and unexpected in the township of 67,000 which likes to call itself "The biggest small town in America," a place where the township police force will be well-staffed with 103 officers next week, and a dedicated Quality of Life unit aggressively pursues hot spots.   "I'm totally, totally shocked," said Teashy Burns of the Oak Hill section of Middletown, who teared up upon learning about the incident in the parking lot of Bed Bath & Beyond, where she was stopping to return a purchase. "I feel safe in Middletown, all the …

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Emergency Closure of Bray Avenue Bridge in Port Monmouth

Crews working on damage from Superstorm Sandy

The bridge at Bray Avenue between East Keansburg and Port Monmouth is closed to vehicles until further notice. County road crews were working on the bridge on Monday. Traffic between Main Street and Thompson Avenue is being detoured, and Bray Avenue is open to local traffic only. Monmouth County had been in the process of preparing for the replacement of the 60-year old bridge. “Recent inspections revealed a defect in the substructure of the timber bridge,” County Engineer Joseph Ettore said. “Preliminary inspections indicated that the additional damage to this structure was sustained when the bridge was overtopped by the tidal surge from Superstorm Sandy.” Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone said the state of the bridge between East …

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New Mayor Announces Plan: Shop in Middletown, Earn Property Tax Relief (Video)

Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said the township is working to debut a new loyalty card that will give people an incentive to shop local -- by giving them a break on their property taxes.

In his first address at the township's new mayor on Sunday, Gerard Scharfenberger said the township is planning to roll out a "Buy Middletown" Property Tax Benefit Card in 2013.   The purpose of the card is to reward residents for shopping local, by reducing their property taxes by a percentage of the amount they spend at participating Middletown busineses.  "This is a win/win all around," said Scharfenberger. "Businesses benefit from increased sales and foot traffic, taxpayers benefit in that they have a simple, effective way to lower their property taxes, and the town benefits by stimulating the local economy." "We also feel that this program will make Middletown more attractive to businesses considering opening somewhere in the area, " …

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Politicalpony

5:53 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

I have to laugh. Have you ever heard of the Mayor Council for NJ? They sit together and work these sort of things out among one another. If a Mayor of a town thinks an idea might work for them they act upon it. If I'm not mistaken, Scharfenberger was the head of this group some time back. As of late he over see's a larger Socialist take over of the state in The State Stratgic Plan. Has anyone evr…   more ›