Marching Huskies Perform at 2010 Chapter X and ACC Championships

Matawan Regional High School's Marching Huskies performed well at the Chapter X championships at West Essex last week, earning a slot in today's Group 2 Open competition at the Atlantic Coast Championships in Hershey Park. Brick Memorial came in first at the ACCs today, with special awards for best music and best visual. Governor Livingston came in third and earned best auxiliary. 

Speedy Delivery Comes to Matawan PD

Matawan and Gloucester City police departments began using a new toy in their squad cars on Friday, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.They can issue you a traffic summons or parking ticket in about forty seconds.  Here's an excerpt from the news article, which of course focused on Gloucester City:

Squad-car laptops are equipped with . . . e-ticketing software. Officers swipe a driver's license in a small scanner. Criminal and driving histories, obtained from different databases, are then displayed on the laptop and automatically entered into the software.

Officers then choose the offense from a menu and input their location. Squad cars are equipped with a printer, and tickets are printed in the car. Tickets and summonses are automatically uploaded to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

For a parking violation, officers would enter the license-plate number, make, and model, along with the offense and location.

Sanity Unlikely to Prevail; But Gauntlet Set for Perplexed Media

My wife and I each had siblings who represented us at the Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington yesterday. I wish I could have been there myself. Thanks to those who went.

So, what was the message? According to Politicus USA, the media struggled without success to understand the point of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's gathering on the Mall. Perhaps because the media were one of the main targets of their satire?

Stewart recently commented, "The country’s 24 hour political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous flaming ant epidemic."

Too bad the mainstream media turned their backs on the rally. NPR, NY Times, Washington Post, et al forbade their correspondents to attend, so coverage was weak this morning. (I imagine they didn't pay attention in high school either.) I hope they reflect upon the message and reassess, but that might be too much to ask.

History: Rev Samuel Bower Celebrates 7 Years at First Baptist - 1910

The Matawan Journal's 3 November 1910 edition congratulated Reverend Samuel Bower on the occasion of his seventh anniversary of ministry at the First Baptist Church of Matawan. Here's the text of the article:

Pastor Bower Begins His Eighth Year 

Rev. Samuel Bower, pastor of the Matawan Baptist Church, began the eighth year of his pastorate on Sunday. During the seven years that Mr Bower has ministered to his congregation there have been sixty members to unite with the church, fifty by baptism and ten by letters from other churches. There have been fourteen deaths from among the members of the church. In round numbers, $11,000 have been raised in that time for church purposes. Mr Bower attended the Baptist State Convention at Atlantic City last week and was elected secretary of the New Jersey State Baptist Conference.

You can see more about Pastor Bower in an earlier piece in this blog.

Matawan Schools Give Young Students a Writing Boost

The Independent interviewed Raquel Colao this week about her Writers Workshop project in the grade schools of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District. The program teaches students kindergarten to fifth grade to be more confident writing the longer passages required in the essay portion of today's standardized tests. Better writing skills will help our students' capabilities for the long term, while improved test scores will help the district's status in the near term. I'm not much of a fan of standardized testing, but composition is a vital writing skill that our kids need, so I approve of the effort. I hope it helps all around.

Another Look at Matawan Candidates; Mullaney Tires Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

APP has published a second, much better article on the Matawan candidates. Take a look.  (Warning: The link comes with an obnoxiously loud Bing advertisement, all part of APP's effort to earn a buck during what have to be tough financial times for newspapers.)

Notice that Bud Mullaney once again failed to provide a response to the newspaper when asked for basic information about his candidacy. It seems that Mullaney Tire Service filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week, so maybe he's busy with other, more pressing matters than running for local office. (Tip of the hat to Aberdeener for that tidbit.)

Hayes Finally Indicted for Rohrbaugh Murder

At long last, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted Robert Hayes of Perth Amboy on Thursday for the horrendous April murder of Petra Rohrbaugh of Cliffwood Beach, according to NJ.com. He's being held on over $3 million bail. The article doesn't explain why the indictment took so long.

Do Washingtonians Really Drive The 66?

I am a huge fan of Bones, but I was left totally disillusioned by their October 14th Beauty and the Bounty episode. The show is set in Washington, DC but the dialog seemed to be negatively influenced by some careless Angelinos. The episode gave me nasty flashbacks of monster traffic jams on The 5 and The 405 in Los Angeles after the actors kept referring to Washington's Interstate 66 as "The 66." I think I even heard a reference to "The 81." For shame! Washingtonians, like most people on the East Coast, refer to Interstates by their number alone, with no definite article, such as: I like riding on 95 and What a view today on 66!

Let's hope that the writers can clear that jargon from the script next season.

NJ Transit Trains Delayed

NJ Transit trains have been running late or not at all this afternoon and evening. Transit police are on duty at Newark to help with crowd control.

My Weekend in Western Massachusetts

I headed to Smith College late last week for parents weekend. My daughter invited me to sit in on some of her classes and to attend the school's annual Montage concert, in which she performed.

I took my iPod on the road to keep me company for the hours-long trip up and back. Among the many podcasts I listened to, my favorites were Terry Gross's interview of Mike Birbiglia on her show Fresh Air and Phil Caputo's Out on a Ledge on a wonderful show called The Moth.

We had a fine dinner at Osaka Japanese Restaurant in Northampton, shopped at The Montague Book Mill, in Montague, and enjoyed a nice lunch at The People's Pint in Greenfield. I enjoyed several fine breakfasts with Zack and Jessica at their Inn Spot bed and breakfast in nearby Conway. While in Northampton, we visited Dirty Truth Beer Hall, where my favorite beer on tap there was an Amager Bryghus Imperial Stout.

I recommend a trip to Northampton. It's a combination of Red Bank, New Brunswick, and Princeton. The leaves are beautiful, the countryside picturesque, and the downtown rich with restaurants and entertainment.

Monmouth County to Speak at Aberdeen Town Hall re Business Assistance

ABERDEEN TOWNSHIP (10/21/10) — Aberdeen Township is inviting members of the local business community to attend a special evening program outlining business assistance programs available from Monmouth County. The free event will be held on Monday, November 8, at 7:00 p.m. at Aberdeen Town Hall on Church Street, near Atlantic Avenue.

Sponsored by Aberdeen Township and the Monmouth County Department of Economic and Workforce Development, the event will feature John Ciufo, assistant Monmouth County administrator, and Amy Fitzgerald, director of economic and workforce development for Monmouth County, who will cover the following topics:

• Biz Connect programs
• Office of the Business Advocate
• Access to Toolkit
• How to find and train employees
• Take advantage of State Incentive Programs

For more information, call The Monmouth County Economic Development and Tourism Department at (800) 523-2587. If you are looking to open or expand a business in the county, check out the county's business development website.

MAMS Anti-Bullying Campaign is "Kickin' It"

I was privileged to be present this week at the Matawan Aberdeen Middle School during their anti-bullying campaign.

Each day featured another facet of the program, which seeks to continue reporting declines in vandalism and violence, according to this week's Independent.  My personal favorite was "No Diss" Tuesday, a day we could do with a lot more of (and not just in our schools).

Despite the half-day schedule, today the school managed to host 2 assemblies for grades 6 and 7, designed to bolster student self esteem, and give the children the tools to help themselves and help their friends to reduce physical, mental, and social bullying. Led by the 2010 Muay Thai Champion Chris Romulo, the students wrote poetry, drew pictures, and used boxing gloves to destroy bullying placards.  They also got to discuss how it felt to be bullied, and how they would stop it.

Students were all given a Student Kickin' It Kit, and many ways to contact the presentation team, to ask for help or share ideas.  Before leaving, the entire presentation team stopped by to visit with Ms. Redzinak's 6th and 7th grade students, delivering signed autographs and chatting for a few minutes.

Students can visit the Kickin' It Facebook page.

They can send e-Mail to bullyingwerekickinit@yahoo.com

They can visit the campaign's web-site at WereKickinIt.com.

Hopefully the school will post key contact information for parents and students about the program on their web site.

Alleged Killers of Max Moreno Captured

Raymond Rizzo and Randy Colon are under arrest for the killing of former MRHS student Max Moreno, per NY Daily News, The Examiner, NY Times, and other sources.

Libertarians Storm Temple Shalom to Support Tea Party Candidate

Tonight's debate between US 6th District candidates turned out to be little more than a forum to display the talents of Anna Little's machine to fill a room with angry taxpayers venting their spleens at the incumbent Frank Pallone. A boisterous rabble shouted "Anna! Anna!" and made hand gestures at the Democratic candidate to demonstrate their frustration with high local property taxes and the loss of local jobs in the economic downturn. The event was a disappointment but told me a lot about Little's supporters. I wasn't overwhelmed by the cacophony of Tea Party political bile being spewed tonight; it's unlikely that the libertarians in the room fairly represented the voting public.

The League of Women Voters and their hosts at Temple Shalom did an extremely poor job of controlling the event. The room was allowed to become a partisan rally, something the League could have and should have prevented. Those assigned to handle the crowd were unable to silence the constant outbursts from anti-Pallone agitators. And the questions to the candidates were poorly screened by the moderator, who surprised everyone with her unsuitable remarks throughout the event.

Personally, I think the Little crowd tonight wasn't thinking clearly about their own interests and demonstrated no concern whatsoever for those less fortunate than themselves. They blindly support Little, who advocates for a regressive 12% flat tax to replace the Federal Income Tax, the elimination of most government regulations, gross reductions in the size of the Executive branch of government, and the preservation of Don't Ask Don't Tell. She wants retirees and welfare moms to buck up and be less dependent on Federal assistance. She opposes most environmental regulations, including Cap and Trade. She sees no need for the Federal government to be involved in health care and hopes to rescind reforms. And she sees no problem with Arizona handling its own portion of the national defense.

Little's platform makes her and her supporters sound like arrogant, clueless teenagers. If they win, they'll try to implement these policies, at which point either reality will quickly dispossess them of their arrogance and we'll be back where we were, or serious trouble will befall our land.

Aren't consumer and environmental protection worthy regulatory endeavors?  Whose business is it to control Wall Street after deregulation failed to keep the lid on our economy?  The immigration problem is a complicated issue deserving of a policy more sophisticated than the crude jeers I heard from Little supporters tonight. "They're not Americans!" and "Send them back where they came from!" are the dangerous noises of a lynch mob.

Finally, I would point out the power of Pallone's incumbency. His favored place in Congress gives our region great power on the Hill. Little will have no power as a junior Congresswoman from New Jersey.  I can't imagine rejecting a front row seat in the halls of government to bring in a newcomer without enormous cause. As one of his constituents, it is of fundamental self-interest to return him to Washington.

Pallone-Little Debate

Quite a crowd for debate tonight at Temple Shalom.

African Americans in the Matawan Journal - 16 October 1880

A hundred years ago, The Matawan Journal often contained stylized transcripts of exchanges between African Americans meant to amuse a mostly white readership. These minstrel show pieces were very popular from the late 1840s, eventually becoming part of vaudeville in the early 1880s. Blackface emerged from this form of the arts now considered grossly racist.

Here's an example from page 4 of the 16 October 1880 edition.

A Colloquy -- "Who flung dat mud at me, Sam Jones?"
                        "Flung at who?"
                        "Why at me, you stupid Hancock ape."
                        "Look heah, Jim Garfish, you'd better shut up about flinging mud. Ef you'd just keep out of dat rotten wooden pavement hole, dare would have been no casion to try to white-wash yourself now. Dat am a fixed fact, sab."

Little - Pallone Debate Set for Sunday Evening in Aberdeen

Anna Little and Frank Pallone, the Republican and Democratic candidates for New Jersey's 6th US Congressional District, will participate in a debate on Sunday 17 October 2010 at 7 pm. The debate, moderated by the NJ League of Women Voters, will be held at Temple Shalom, 5 Ayrmont Drive in Aberdeen. See Newark Star-Ledger for details.

The League has posted an online questionnaire, but the incumbent Pallone is the only candidate to provide responses.

26th Annual Jolly Mouse Craft Show Set for 6 November 2010

The 26th Annual Jolly Mouse Craft Show, scheduled for 6 November 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm, will be held at the Lloyd Road Elementary School, 401 Lloyd Road, Aberdeen. More than a hundred handicrafters are expected. Food and beverages will be on sale. And a raffle will be conducted.

See my earlier post for details about this wonderful regional fundraiser. APP received a press release related to the event.

Asbury Park Press Doesn't Deliver for Matawan

How are local citizens supposed to vote wisely when the area newspaper solicits and publishes self-evaluations from the candidates and provides no routine summary of the candidates' accomplishments, viewpoints, and votes; insights from residents; assessments from political insiders; and/or editorial commentary?  I guess the job is overwhelming.

APP does a disservice by printing vanilla letters provided by the two incumbents running for Matawan Borough Council. They do a disservice by pairing up those bland responses with blank space representing how those seeking to unseat them failed to provide APP the appropriate response in a timely manner. We didn't even get photos of the two who didn't submit letters, even though one of them previously served on the Council and his picture is surely on file.

Last time, APP reportedly blended the letters of Aberdeen candidates and made it sound like the reporter actually talked to the candidates. I guess today's press releases are an improvement in transparency of process, so I shouldn't complain too much. But the lack of detail in those letters is staggering, if not surprising.

The public is not informed, APP. Maybe The Independent will do a better job?

A Few Restaurant Recommendations Out of Town - Sept - Oct 2010

I've had occasion to travel in recent weeks and thought I'd mention a few restaurants I enjoyed on my trips.

In Myrtle Beach, Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse delivered a steady stream of meats to our table. A bit pricey, but quite enjoyable.  Octoberfest at the Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery had live music on the patio. A couple of microbrews of the house, some fine food, and a bit of Reggae music outside on a warm night capped off an otherwise rainy week at the South Carolina shore.

In Tampa, you'll definitely want to visit Whiskey Joe's Bar and Grill on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Sit on the deck for a sunset view of Old Tampa Bay and enjoy a seafood salad and a drink. If you like Mexican food, try Miguel's on West Kennedy.

Revolutionary War New Jersey Website - Matawan Page

Matawan is nicely represented on the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.

Main Street Developer Shuffles Units to Meet Code But Barely Reduces Total

The Independent offers detailed reporting on a 4 September 2010 revised submission to the Matawan Borough Planning/Zoning Board regarding a developers plan for the old C-Town site on Main Street. I would point out the developer will nearly double the number of 2-bedroom units and roughly halve the total 1-bedrooms to meet borough code, but there is no change to the height of the planned three-story edifice and only a 7% cut in total units, neither of which will assuage public concerns about the project's size. And lest you feel there is any sacrifice involved in reducing the number of units to make the place "smaller," I would point out that this shuffling of units is actually ever so slightly in their favor, according to my math.* 

* Based on average apartment prices, the net change in gross monthly revenue resulting from all this shuffling of units yields a net increase of $27/month* under the new plan. In other words, this change has made them money, if only a pittance. There appears to be no sacrifice on the residential side of the equation.

Ignoring the 3 three-bedroom apartments, which are the same in each plan, I came up with the following comparison of the old versus new plans:
OLD PLAN: 12 two-bedrooms @ $1423/mo plus 27 one-bedrooms @ $1065/mo = $45,831.
NEW PLAN: 21 two-bedrooms @ $1423/mo plus 15 one-bedrooms @ $1065/mo = $45,858.
NET CHANGE: + $27/mo

Join TSI for Burrowes Mansion Ghost Hunt

The Matawan Historical Society has invited The Specter Inspectors of Central New Jersey and twenty lucky patrons to search the Burrowes Mansion high and low for ghosts this Halloween. Maybe John Burrowes, the Corn King of Monmouth County himself, will grace your presence in the attic or living quarters between 6:30 pm and 1 am on 30-31 October 2010?

I say lucky because tickets are limited and will be highly prized. TSI has been to the house twice before and will be doing a presentation on their findings.

Oooooooooooooh! Check the latest Independent for details on how to obtain your tickets.

Marc Hampton Robbery Reminiscent of Moreno Killing

A recent robbery at Marc Hampton apartments, as reported in APP, sounds a good bit like the Max Moreno robbery/murder. Both stories feature young people with lots of cash on hand being robbed in apartments their peers likely couldn't afford. The only difference is the lack of a dead body. Wonder if the NYC robbery originated in the Matawan-Aberdeen area, or vice versa? I hope the police get a handle on this "activity" before bullets start to fly and innocent bystanders get hurt.

Spotlight Players Look to Succeed in Business in November

The Spotlight Players will be performing the musical comedy How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying beginning the weekend of 13-14 November 2010. Matinee and evening performances will be staged at The First Presbyterian Church of Matawan.

Jersey Coast Trains Suffering Delays and Cancellations Due to Switching Problems

This evening's New Jersey Transit North Jersey Coast Seashore trains have been suffering delays since 5 pm due to a switch problem near the Portal Bridge at Kearney. Delays started at 15 to 20 min but quickly grew to 30 min to an hour. At 6:39 pm, NJT announced the cancellation of the 6:01 pm train out of Penn Station New York and recommended using the 6:32 pm. At 7:15 pm, they canceled the 6:32 pm and suggested that 6:01 pm and 6:32 pm passengers use the 7:08 pm. Sounds like a tight squeeze. Glad I'm not riding the rails this evening. Yikes!

Presumably the issue will be resolved before the morning commute.

UPDATE: As of 10:10 pm, switch problems continued to plague the trains entering and leaving the city, with 20 to 30 min delays reported.

UPDATE: As of 11:44 pm, trains were once again on or close to schedule. Of course, trains are about an hour apart at this hour, so that's no great challenge. We'll just have to wait and see what the morning brings.

October 2010 Keansburg Fire - Videos

Here are three videos of the 11 October 2010 fire in Keansburg, NJ. The first two videos show fire fighter activities. The third shows what the area looked like in the light of day after the fire was out.

O The Humanities! How Long Before Rutgers Follows SUNY Albany's Lead?

Sharp cuts in state aid have caused the State University of New York at Albany to outright cut many of its humanities programs, according to The Huffington Post. Surely it won't be long before Rutgers University suffers the same fate, given the harsh budget cutting going on in Trenton. Maybe there will be no need for art, language, music, and the classics at the college level after Governor Christie's cuts to state aid ravage the public high schools?

New Jerseyans ought to think long and hard about the sort of society they want. See what Stanley Fish has to say about the battle to preserve the humanities in his NY Times opinion piece The Crisis of the Humanities Officially Arrives.

MACIC Posts 2010 Matawan Day Photos

Matawan-Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce has posted photos of 2010 Matawan Day.

Keansburg Fire Forces Evacuations, Destroys Condo Complex

The Newark Star Ledger reports a major fire on Beachway in Keansburg. The fire started in a warehouse around 1 am Monday morning and spread to neighboring residences and vehicles. Check their NJ.com website for footage from Fox News as well.

The Jersey Coast Chapter of the Red Cross provided support to evacuated residents and over a hundred firefighters from the New Point Comfort Fire Company fire house.

APP and other news services have coverage also.

13th Annual Keyport Country Jamboree and Chili Contest

We visited the 13th Annual Keyport Country Jamboree and Chili Contest today and had a wonderful time. The weather drew great crowds to vendors and amusements all along West Front Street. I even noticed a skateboarding competition going on down by the wharf.

People visited a dozen restaurants in town to sample their chili and pick the winner. I favored the chili offered by Lenora's Cafe, but Drew's Bayshore Bistro, Trinity Restaurant, and Papa Ganache also had wonderful offerings.

The whole thing goes on again on Sunday. I encourage you to visit.

Scarlett was particularly impressive with her scaling of the rock wall.

This young lad hung on gallantly to the mechanical bull.

This young lady wowed the crowd at the Corral Stage.

This couple danced to a country trio across from Espresso Joe's.

The crowd on West Front Street.

A triplet takes a break from the jamboree at Espresso Joe's.

MAPL Director Gives and Gets First Assessment

Kimberly Paone, the new head of the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library, presented her first report to the Trustees on Wednesday evening. Board members and visitors were so impressed with her report that she received a round of applause.

Two newly hired computer technicians will primarily help customers with computer issues. They will also help with the circulation desk and various clerical duties. One of the new techs will also maintain the MAPL website and offer one-on-one computer training 4 pm to 9pm beginning 18 October. MAPL also has a new youth services intern.

New furniture, part of the SWAT grant, will arrive on 14 October.  Online computers will not be available during the furniture installation. The computers we use to check the library catalog are soon to be placed on end caps.

The library continues to have issues with its elevator. A problem with the doors should be resolved shortly and be under warranty. Issues with the emergency phone  are being addressed.

The color of the library's new logo will be maroon and steel. New signage based on the logo is being postponed as other options are considered.

Innovative Document Imaging (IDI) of East Brunswick has completed the digitization of our local newspapers from 1973 to 1991. MAPL is contributing $12,000 towards the project and Middletown has agreed to pay $8,000. Once Monmouth County is on the hook for $12,000, the balance of the scanning project through February 2000 will be completed.

The director's requests included seven new computers for the library's staff. They could  soon be replaced with Dell computers available at a discount through Monmouth County. The board is also considering bolstering the hired help to keep the youth services desk staffed during library hours and to help address a gap in coverage of tweens and teens. A new Smart Access Manager (SAM) could also be in the future to make paying for printing at MAPL much easier.

New mail boxes and email accounts should help the new library director to communicate more efficiently and privately with her staff. New name tags for senior staff and job title tags for part time staff should make it easier for patrons to recognize staff.

Patrons are invited to meet the new director at the library on 22 October. Check fliers posted at the library for details.

Note that board meetings will start a half hour earlier (7:00 pm) beginning with the November meeting.

Rubino Faces Suspension After Ethics Ruling

According to APP, Jan Rubino faces a recommended six-month suspension from her seat on the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District's Board of Education after an administrative judge ruled that she violated state law and the board member code of ethics in connection with campaign emails she sent. A decision on the sentence is expected by 15 November.

Opulence

Wrested From Development

Governor Christie is protecting the taxpayers of New Jersey from their debt by gradually dismantling society. He has effectively cut teachers, closed and merged schools, fired janitors, shuttered public libraries, reduced public transportation, and raised commuter costs. Now he has called a halt to the largest public works project in America, inexplicably redirecting much-needed monies and jobs from a $10 billion trans-Hudson transportation project to projects in other areas of the country. Christie already demonstrated that he knows how to lose the state millions in school aid; now he is managing at the same time to avoid the federal gravy train in public works funding and reject cooperation on a mutually beneficial interstate construction project with New York.

To top it off, when we are down on our luck, we won't even be able to go bet on the horses because he plans to close the track. Now that's progress.

Dwyers Erect Football Memorial

According to the APP, the James C Dwyer Sr Memorial Alumni Park was dedicated at Matawan Regional High School's football stadium during halftime on Saturday evening 2 October 2010. Mr Dwyer's family put up most of the money for the park. The memorial is a project of the Matawan Football Alumni Foundation.

Clean Ocean Action to Host 2010 Fall Beach Cleanup

Aberdeen Township has announced that Clean Ocean Action will be hosting its 25th annual fall beach cleanup on Saturday 23 October 2010 from 9 am to noon (rain or shine) at Cliffwood Beach. Meet at the Fisherman's parking lot on the day of the event to sign up.

Starbucks in Matawan Finds New Way to Serve Its Customers

I heard today that Starbucks at Main Street and Route 34 in Matawan will begin opening its doors at 5 am this morning to better serve its early bird clientele. Kudos for striving to meet the customer where he/she is.

My daughter, who used to work at the Manalapan drive-thru, often told me about the line of customers outside waiting for her store to open its doors when she got to work in the still wee hours of the morning. They even filled the drive-thru line.

There is something to be said for beating the rush and finishing one's day while there is still daylight left to enjoy. A wonderful concept. I'm at the other end of the spectrum of hominids. It is doubtful I'll grace the doors of the Matawan Starbucks tomorrow morning at 5 am. (Note the time of this article,btw.) No, I have to admit I'll more likely miss the rush in my usual manner -- by sleeping through it.

Haunted in the Aberdeen-Matawan Area: Halloween 2010

Looking for Halloween fun in Central New Jersey? I've put a few things together for you.

Maybe you're in gear for the 19th Annual Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson? You'll get a healthy mix of thrill rides and goblins.

Or you could check out haunted places at Lost Destinations. Many of the sights are in New Jersey, even some in our area. My favorite is Whipporwill Valley Road in Middletown. It's truly creepy. Or you could check out this list of haunted houses. No personal recommendations here, but they look worthy of experiencing.

How about hayrides, pumpkin pickin', etc, etc? Try these.

• C Casola Farms off Route 79 in Marlboro has the Haunted Hayride of Terror.
• Dearborn Market off Route 35 in Holmdel.
• Samaha's Farm off Lloyd Road in Aberdeen.
• Battleview Orchards at Wemrock Road in Freehold.

More my speed is to drop by Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck and pick up a pumpkin pie and apple cider and other goodies.

UMass Amherst Doo Wop Shop Does Disney Favorites

See if you can recognize the Disney tunes as produced by the UMass Amherst Doo Wop Shop A Capella Group.

Christie Ax Falling Next on Monmouth Park

US Congressman Frank Pallone released a statement on Friday urging Governor Christie to preserve horse racing in his district by maintaining state control of Monmouth Park, both a major employer and significant entertainment hub in our region. According to Businessweek, Governor Christie has endorsed the recommendation of the Hanson Commission to unburden New Jersey taxpayers of subsidies to race tracks like the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park. He is aiming instead at cutting horse racing loose to the will of the marketplace. Monmouth Park must stand on its own or die, according to Businessweek.

The proposals under discussion are all in the context of the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry, mind you, so this is some significant tinkering. It involves not only Monmouth Park but the Meadowlands and Atlantic City as well. To make the horses profitable, the state hopes to totally privatize the tracks, increase off-track betting, and maybe even add slots at the track. Atlantic City isn't pleased with the prospect of so-called racinos, but they are popular in neighboring states.

Moreno Funeral Set for Monday at St Joseph's in Keyport

According to his APP obituary, a funeral liturgy for Max Moreno is scheduled for Monday 4 October 2010 at 10:30 am at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Keyport. Entombment will follow at St Gabriel's Mausoleums in Marlboro.

Sea Walk Progress? Maybe.

Aberdeen Township Resolution 2010-101, part of the 20 July 2010 Aberdeen Town Council minutes, makes reference to the ADA Accessible Seawall Project in connection with the awarding of a township contract to B & B Construction of Howell.  Presumably this project is identical with or a part of the Sea Walk Enhancement Project and this firm will be working on one aspect of the planned expansion of the boardwalk from Laurence Harbor to Cliffwood Beach, specifically the addition of disabled access to the seawall at Lakeshore Drive or Beach Drive.