Fossil hunt 72 million years in the making

MIDDLETOWN-72 million years is a long time to be buried but it only took a few minutes to find. Finlay Reid, 8, from Collegeville, PA. dug in the cold stream with a small trowel and dug up a fossilized oyster. Poricy Brook has history washed down its banks after every storm unearthing fossils that were alive… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

What you need to know about the mega-hospital merger in N.J.

TRENTON — The CEOs of Barnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson University Health this week announced final plans to merge and create the largest hospital chain in the state, once the state Attorney General’s Office approves the deal. The new not-for-profit entity, RWJ Barnabas Health, will have combined revenues of $5.4 billion from 11 acute care… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Howell Man Indicted On Pedophilia Charges

Defendant is free on $125K bail

Gregory Rittman, 50, of Howell Township, was Indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury this week on 12 counts of Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Lewdness, according to a statement by Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Rittman was arrested on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014, after authorities received a report from an employee at a McDonald’s that described lewd behavior witnessed by an 8-year-old juvenile, near the sink in the men’s bathroom of the restaurant. Rittman was charged with one count each of second degree Sexual Assault, third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, fourth degree Lewdness and a disorderly persons charge of Harassment. He was released after posting $73,000 bail with no 10-percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Teresa A. Kondrup-Coyle, J.S.C.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Tinton Falls man who wrote cops deserve to die on facebook has charges dismissed

Matthew Reardon, photo via facebook

FREEHOLD — A Superior Court judge on Friday dismissed charges against a Tinton Falls man whose Facebook posts in the wake of two New York City police shootings last year said cops deserved to die. Saying his online speech is constitutionally protected, Assignment Judge Lisa Thornton cleared Matthew Reardon, 29, of all charges, said his attorney,… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, July 17-19, 2015

By Greg Kelly

Like this?

Friday, July 17

• Hairspray at Algonquin Arts Theatre (Manasquan) – MORE INFO
• Ocean Grove Historic House & Garden Tour – MORE INFO
• Tim McGraw Shotgun Rider Tour at PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel) – MORE INFO
• Summer Jazz Cafe: Tribute to Billie Holiday at TRT – MORE INFO
• Ideal Beach Party (Middletown) – MORE INFO
• Young Drummers Workshop (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Coastal Explorers on Sandy Hook – MORE INFO
• Shakespeare on the Lawn: Titus Andronicus (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Big: The Musical at Monmouth U (WLB) – MORE INFO
• Closure at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• Bluegrass Mini Golf at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO
• Atlantic Cinemas Movie Night (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie to return to Asbury Park Convention Hall

“I sought a second term to finish the job – now watch me do it.”

~ Governor Chris Christie, November 5, 2013

Governor Chris Christie is bringing his “Telling it like it is” presidential campaign to the Asbury Park Convention Hall for a high dollar fundraiser on August 4.   Here’s a copy of the invitation if you would like to go.  Tickets are $250 per person for the reception. For $2,700 per person or $5,400 per couple you get a photo and a reception ticket.

Christie ends his first presidential commercial with a clip from his announcement speech where he emphatically declares “I mean what I say say and I say what I mean, and that’s what America needs right now.”

Here are some highlights of what Christie said the last time he held a big event at the Asbury Park Convention Hall—his victory speech on the occasion of his reelection in 2013:

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Freeholder Lillian Burry Recoverying From A Fall

Freeholder Lillian G. Burry photo by Art Gallagher

Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry is resting comfortably at home after being released from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank where she spent most of last week after sustaining injuries resulting from a fall outside of her Colts Neck Realty office.

During a phone interview this morning, Burry told MMM that she sustained a mild concussion, injured her left knee and crushed her right elbow.  Her elbow joint was replaced.

“There’s still a lot of life in this old broad,” Burry said, “that’s it.  When I do something, I really do it.”

Burry’s knee is being treated with an ice pack.  Her right arm is in a cast that feels like it weighs 50 lbs., she said.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Sea Bright favorite Donovan’s Reef reopens tiki bar post Hurricane Sandy

SEA BRIGHT — When borough resident Daniel Ekdahl heard that Donovan’s Reef was reopening its tiki bar on Friday afternoon, he was the first in line and bought the first beer they sold this season. He returned each day of the weekend. “I’ve known Donovan’s my whole life,” said Ekdahl, 33, remembering that his parents used… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

O’Scanlon: We MUST move forward on pension and budget reform

By Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Now that the 2016 budget debate is over, we must get back to the most pressing state issue of our time.  The suggestion of some in the public worker sector that those of us who voted against the budget are in favor of our abandoning our commitment to ensuring their pensions is completely false.  For any responsible elected official, and decent human being, it is imperative that we meet our commitments in a way that protects our pubic workers – and the NJ economy at the same time.

The reason we couldn’t make a payment larger than the $1.3 billion one included in the Governor’s budget has nothing to do with a lack of will or integrity.  It’s about devoting as much $ as possible without inflicting massive, economy-killing, tax increases on an economy just now showing signs of real growth.  Without economic growth there will be no chance we will be able to meet our commitments to the system in the many years to come – so ensuring growth is as important to public workers as anyone else.  We don’t simply have a $1.8 billion deficit this year. We have a $6 to $7 billion hole over the next few years. Taxing the life out of our economy this year, with no plan going forward – and leaving us in a $2 billion hole next year as the Democrat’s proposed budget would – is bad policy, for all New Jerseyans.

But it is true as well that we can’t foster growth to the exclusion of our obligation to our dedicated public workers.  And I can’t state that point vehemently enough.  Our teachers and other public workers are decent, devoted, professional people.  Generalizations to the contrary are without merit.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Highlands Man Surprised To Find Himself In Christie For President Ad

Governor Chris Christie released the first ad of his fledgling presidential campaign today.  The thirty second spot is aimed at New Hampshire primary voters and will air on Boston, MA and Manchester, NH television and cable outlets, according to a report on NJ.com.  Christie’s campaign will spend $500,000 to distribute the ad over the next four weeks, according to the report.

Monmouth County restaurateur Leo Cervantes, the owner of Chilango’s in Highlands and LaPlaya in Keansburg was surprised to find himself featured in the ad.

Cervantes appears 5 seconds into the ad and is the first face featured after Christie’s.  He had no idea he was in the ad when contacted by MoreMonmouthMusings.

“I endorsed Christie for his reelection as governor,” Cervantes said, “I did a commercial for him and was part of his Hispanic outreach, but I have not heard from his presidential campaign. Should I sue them?” he asked jokingly.

Cervantes said he has not made a decision on who to support for president in 2016. “I was just talking to my daughter about this.  I know the candidates are Bush, Hillary, Trump and some others, but I really haven’t focused on it yet.”

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet