Lowest Scoring Nursing Homes In and Near Matawan

Below are the worst nursing homes within ten miles of Matawan, according to Medicare's Nursing Home Comparison tool.

1 Star

• Golden Living Center (Old Bridge)

2 Stars

• Aristacare at Alameda Center (Perth Amboy)
• Arnold Walter Nursing Home (Hazlet)
• Madison Center (Matawan)
• Summer Hill Nursing Home (Old Bridge)

Film: The Artist

What a creative movie The Artist is. I heartily recommend it. The movie is playing quietly in Red Bank.

History: Jacob Geissenhainer (D-NJ) Incurs Labor's Wrath (1894)

The 3 Nov 1894 edition of The Matawan Journal (page 8, col 3) has this penetrating missive (below) from the Buffalo Central Labor Union to their brethren in the Garden State. The union from Buffalo, NY had enlisted Jacob Augustus Geissenhainer, an incumbent Democrat representing the 3rd US Congressional District (portions of Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties) of New Jersey, in the fight against the so-called Tramp Acts. As chair of the Immigration and Naturalization Committee, Geissenhainer was the perfect sponsor for their legislation to protect unemployed immigrants traveling the northeastern US in search of work, at least until he betrayed them.

The Buffalo union leaders wrote an open letter seeking New Jersey labor's help in removing the Congressman from office "using all honorable means." The Journal reprinted the letter, albeit on the last page of the paper. Result? Geissenhainer was out of Congress in four months.

Labor Unions Oppose Geissenhainer

The attention of workingmen is called to the following address, issued by the Buffalo Central Labor Union and published in the Peterson Labor Standard:

We, the undersigned, members of the Legislative Committee of the Buffalo Central Labor Union have been authorized and instructed by the above named body to forward to you the following:

Some time ago the different labor organizations of Buffalo appointed a joint committee, who framed the bill known aa the Lockwood Immigration bill, and it was submitted to tho different labor organizations from the coast of Maine to the southern shores of California, and in every instance was heartily endorsed. The bill was then introduced before Congress and referred to the Committee on Immigration of which Congressman Geissenhainer of your State was chairman. The bill was progressing nicely, and Mr. Geissenhainer was favoring every movement until the last moment, when by some unknown cause to us, he suddenly changed, and working in a capacity for the dilrect interests of the Steamship corporations and lake-faring monopolies, he by his skilled trickery caused the defeat of the bill in committee.

Now in view of the above facts and that the bill had its origin and emanated directly from the laboring forces of Buffalo, had been endorsed by the same throughout the United States, we as the people of the whole have denounced Mr. Geissenhainer and believe him an unfit person to represent the working masses, not only in Congress, but in any way pertaining to the welfare of the people. Accordingly we implore you to use all honorable means in defeating this man By so doing you not only sanction our request but that of every laboring man throughout the United States. This you can do, as we well know, and trust you may leave no stone unturned until you gain the result, as we believe you will do. Resolutions will be forwarded to every labor organization in the State of New Jersey. 

Very truly yours, 

The Legislative Committee of the Buffalo Central Labor Union

E E Russell, Chairman

Joseph Moss

J M O'Malley

When Geissenhainer appeared on the Labor Party ticket in Monmouth County in 1902, the Matawan Journal pointed out his bad reputation with organized labor and their utter surprise at his selection by that party. See pg 4 col 3 of the 23 Oct 1902 edition for details. 

2012 Aberdeen Township Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board

According to Resolution 2012-31, the following persons are being appointed later today by the Township Council to one-year terms (thru 31 Jan 2013) on the Aberdeen Township Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board.

It looks like Robert Berardo is the only new regular member. It is unclear whom he is replacing. A new alternate member and two new students are being named. Here is the roster:

Regular Members

• Frank Huza
• Michele Devanny
• Valerie David
• Chris Mularadelis
• Robert Berardo

Alternate Members

• Alec Smith

Student Members

• Nairooti Patel
• Radhika Kumar

I couldn't find last year's appointments resolution, nor that of the year before. As far as I can discern, the Board's makeup was last presented on the Board's web page on 22 Oct 2010. At that time, there were 7 members for 9 slots (5 members, 2 alternates, plus 2 optional non-voting high school students), with only Mr Huza labeled as to his position (Chair). (I note below what I found on that page as it will likely be updated soon.)

• Frank Huza - Chair
• Michelle DeVanney
• Valerie David
• Chris Mularadelis
• Brian Murray
• Paul Rinear
• Grace Musumeci

I was able to find the appointees for the 2005 Board (Feb Workshop Meeting), 2006 Board (Feb Workshop Meeting), 2007 Board (Resolution 2007-33 and 2007-77) and 2008 Board (Resolution 2008-28 and Nov Workshop Meeting). I found no official resolutions after that.Perhaps someone else can find those resolutions at the Township website and bring them to my attention?

The Board is authorized based on 2-47.3 [Article IX (Boards, Committees and Commissions) Chapter II (Administration)] of the Aberdeen Municipal Code. Here's the wording,as retrieved from ClerkBase:

2-47.3    Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board.

       a.     Creation; Members. There shall be an Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board known as the Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board of the Township of Aberdeen. The Board shall be composed of five (5) persons and two (2) alternates, who shall be appointed by the Township Council for terms ending January 31 of each year, the Chairman of which is to be elected by a majority of the members thereof each year. The Board shall also consist of two (2) non-voting advisory positions, which shall be open to students enrolled in Matawan-Aberdeen Regional High School who shall be appointed by the Township Council to terms ending January 31 of each year.

       b.     Duties and Functions. The Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board's duties and functions shall be as follows:

         1.     Study, review and determine the existing quality of the air and waterways in the Township.

         2.     On behalf of the Township Council, receive and investigate allegations of air or water pollution in the Township; advise the Council of any findings and offer recommendations.

         3.     Study, review and determine the desirability of a Township reclamation-recycling program; advise the Council of its findings and recommendations; administer such a program if the Council so determines.

         4.     Provide comments to the Planning Board regarding the environmental impact of proposed projects and developments within the Township.

         5.     Study ways to improve the quality of the physical environment within the Township; advise the council of its findings and recommendations.

         6.     Perform any other studies or functions as directed by the Township Council.

         7.     The Board shall have the following additional duties and functions;

        (a)        To advise and make recommendations to the Planning Board concerning shade trees.

        (b)        To advise the Township Manager concerning:

            (1)        The regulation, planting and care of shade and ornamental trees, shrubbery now located or which may hereafter be planted in any public highway or parkway, including the planting, trimming and spraying, care and protection thereof.

            (2)        The regulation and control of the use of the ground surrounding the same so far as may be necessary for the proper growth, care and protection.

            (3)        Moving or requiring the removal of any tree or part thereof dangerous to public safety.

            The Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board shall annually file a written report with the Township Council relating the functions and activities of the Environmental and Shade Tree Advisory Board for the previous year.

(1973 Code § 2-21.4; Ord. No. 1-1981; Ord. No. 2-1992)

History: I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded, Keyport (1916)

Hiram and Amelia Walling, of the North Centreville section of Keyport, suffered the loss of a son in a terrible incident on their farm on Sunday 30 January 1916. According to that week's edition of The Matawan Journal, the Wallings' 15-year-old son John left a loaded gun in the barn after returning empty handed from hunting for a chicken hawk on Saturday. The father came across the weapon Sunday morning and put it on some crates in the wagon shed while he fed the livestock. His 13-year old son Alfred found the gun and, playing around, shot his 11-year-old brother Hiram Jr point blank as Hiram came down a ladder from the hayloft. The father came upon the horrible scene, with Alfred crying that he didn't know the gun was loaded. Hiram Jr was lying unconscious in a heap on the ground. Hiram carried his son into the house, where the boy died in his father's arms.

The 1920 Federal Census showed Hiram (64) and Amelia (42) Walling living in Keyport, along with sons John (19), Alfred (17) and Homer (13) and daughter Theresa (10). Hiram and his son Alfred worked the farm while son John was a laborer in a factory.

I couldn't find the family in the 1910 Census.

Monmouth Freeholders Make Way Clear for Bid Rig II

The all-Republican Board of Chosen Freeholders started their new session by rescinding pay-to-play campaign finance restrictions, according to The Asbury Park Press. The tough rules were imposed in 2008 after a baker's dozen of politicians were arrested in Operation Bid Rig. Check out this APP editorial.

1940 US Census Nearly Here!

The 1940 United States Federal Census is being released this year! According to the 72-Year Rule, the National Archives will release the records digitally on 2 April 2012. You'll be able to peruse the 1940 census online. I look forward to finding my parents, both still living at home with their parents on the eve of war. The census enumeration apparently even will tell you where a person was 5 years earlier. How cool is that?

I subscribe to Ancestry.com, a genealogy pay service that provides a huge assortment of valuable records online. If you're at all interested in creating a family tree, or interested in researching local history, I recommend that you consider Ancestry. The added value you will receive from an Ancestry subscription is their incredible index. It's amazing.

Ancestry should begin to post the 1940 census images and index the data as soon as they receive the images from NARA.That's what happened when the 1930 census was released.

History: Planned Parenthood Clinic in Matawan (1970)

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The 18 Jun 1970 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the opening of a Planned Parenthood clinic at the Matawan Health Center at 145 Broad Street in Matawan. The clinic would be open on 19 Jun 1970 and would operate on Friday afternoons for two hours on a weekly basis thereafter. Local patients previously had to travel to Asbury Park or Freehold to receive family planning and birth control assistance. (145 Broad Street was recently torn down. It was listed as the home of the Matawan Health Department's Bureau of Vital Statistics.)

Planned Parenthood clinics were available in Asbury Park, Freehold, Matawan, and Red Bank, according to the 18 Jul 1973 edition of The Independent.

The clinic was granted a sublease of the Broad Street address from the Matawan Department of Health in April 1982, according to a letter to the editor in the 3 Jun 1982 edition of The Independent. Matawan Borough Council approved the sublease at their 7 Jun 1982 meeting, according to a letter to the editor in the 16 Jun 1982 edition of The Independent. It's unclear to me what happened to prompt approval of the lease a dozen years after the clinic located at Broad Street.

There was still a clinic in Matawan in 1994, according to the 8 Sep edition of The Independent. This was the last specific reference I could find.

Planned Parenthood of Central NJ had 6 locations in Monmouth and Middlesex counties in 1996, per the 3 Jul edition of The Independent. Matawan was not mentioned but could have been one of the six.

"We're primarily concerned about providing preventive health care," said Executive Director Phyllis Kinsler, "and we respond to certain crises." Clients receive services from the government-funded agency each year for sliding-scale fees based on income.
 

All sites provide reproductive health care, mid-life health services, cancer screening, birth control and physical examinations. Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy testing, counseling and education services also are available throughout the counties.

The earliest reference to the Planned Parenthood organization that I could find in the Matawan Journal was in the 19 Jun 1958 edition. Mrs Inge Butman, daughter of Mr and Mrs Ludwig Voss, of Morganville Farms, Matawan, was graduating from Bard College, and the commencement address was being delivered by Mr William Vogt, National Director.

When a Cliffwood woman had her 16th child in 1949, the front page article in the 20 Jan edition of The Matawan Journal was humorously titled Planned Parenthood? (Mom was aiming for 20 kids; Dad wasn't quoted on the matter)

Margaret Sanger established the American Birth Control League in 1921. This became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in 1942.

Loop of Pink Ribbon Turns Against Women's Cancer Screening

Susan G Komen for the Cure has turned against Planned Parenthood under pressure from the ultra-right, according to The Guardian, prompting New York City Mayor Bloomberg to offer a quarter million dollars of his own money to defray the lost support.

The writer Judy Blume tweeted this, per Reuters, "Susan Komen would not give in to bullies or fear. Too bad the foundation bearing her name did."

Reuters added that more than Democrats in the U.S. Senate sent a letter urging Komen to reconsider. The letter read, in part, "It would be tragic if any woman, let alone thousands of women, lost access to these potentially life-saving screenings because of a politically motivated attack."

The pro-life assault on Planned Parenthood has been relentless over the past year, so it is a bit of a surprise that Komen's shameful act has finally brought the madness to the fore. Any one of the primarily Republican legislative moves, at the state and Federal level, could have sparked an outcry. Better late than never, I guess. I only hope the nation can gravitate to a more mainstream perspective on women's health issues, and soon.