Owner of 72 NJ Gas Stations Pays $3 Million in OT & Fines to Employees

Waseem Chaudhary and his company were found guilty of "repeated and willful" violations of labor laws affecting 417 employees who work at his gas stations - including several in Woodbridge

A New Jersey gasoline station mogul who owns 72 stations across the state agreed to pay $2 million in unpaid overtime to his employees.  Waseem Chaudhary, the proprieter of Madison-based Daniyal Enterprises LLC, also agreed to pay another $1 million in "liquidated damages" - added compensation paid directly to the 417 affected employees - as part of a consent judgment. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DLWHD) found Chaudhary and his firm engaged in violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and charged him a $91,000 penalty for what they said was the "repeat[ed] and willful nature of the violations." Wage and Hour Division investigators found that Chaudhary's employees often worked up to 84 hours per week, but did not…

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TELL US: Another Woodbridge Business Closes Its Doors

But this time, the news isn't so bleak. Look for them back on Main Street.

If you need to buy flowers from Floral Expressions in Woodbridge, you'll be in for an unpleasant surprise. The decades-old business on Pearl Street, right near the Woodbridge Train station, is closed. There is no sign on the store to let you know what happened. Just walk up to the doors and the interior is completely empty. If you didn't know better, you'd assume one of the great township retailers had closed its doors for good. Remember Floral Expression's store on Main Street, the one from which they moved when they went to the train station? Now they've opened shop just a few stores down, in a much smaller location than either their two previous addresses. The current store is located right next door to San Remo Pizza on Main Street. …

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Gordo K

12:47 am on Sunday, February 24, 2013

I'm not so sure that I'd be particularly welcoming if I were "confronted". How welcoming were the proprietors of Across the Floor and those other Main Street establishments that you patronize, when you "confronted" them about parking? Why wait for the Mayor to infuse what you consider to be "relevant businesses and life", when you could put up your own capital and open a "shoppe".   more ›

Sign Up for a Free Belly Dancing Class

It's being held next week at Across the Floor in Woodbridge

Star-Ledger Announces Round of Layoffs Wednesday

State's largest paper cites economic woes.

The publisher of The Star-Ledger announced Wednesday the paper would be laying off 34 employees, a first for a publication famous in the industry for refraining from layoffs, NJ.com, the newspaper's online division, reported. The layoffs include 18 staff in a newsroom of 195, the paper’s publisher, Richard Vezza, also said. The paper’s headquarters are located at Court and Washington streets in Newark. The Star-Ledger is New Jersey’s largest newspaper by circulation.    In an industry battered by competition and falling ad revenues during the last several years, the Ledger was unique in refraining from staff layoffs. Previously, the paper--which once had a job-security pledge in place for non-union staff--has relied on buyouts and …

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Wegmans Freezes Prices on 53 Products this Winter

Stock up at the Woodbridge supermarket's seasonal items, now at cheaper prices.

Wegmans has decided to lock in prices on certain foods during the winter in order to help their customers in these hard economic times. “Our seasonal list has been our way of helping families find value and plan meals on a budget," President Colleen Wegman said in a statement. "Employees and customers stop me in our stores to say how helpful it’s been. They especially like that the list is not random, but is made up of products they need to buy every week.” This winter the supermarket chain has instituted a price freeze on over 50 products that families tend to buy the most during the winter months. The winter price freeze will last until April 6, 2013. According to a press release issued by Wegmans, even if the prices of these products …

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After Holiday Sales Start Early Today

Woodbridge Center and Menlo Park Malls both are getting early starts this morning for after-Christmas bargain hunting.

It's the day after Christmas, and retail stores in the Woodbridge area are getting an early start. Shoppers expecting to scoop up post-holiday bargains are expected to throng both Woodbridge Center and Menlo Park Mall shopping centers this morning. Both malls have early hours to take care of bargain hunters and those who want to make returns for presents that weren't just right. Hours today for Woodbridge Center are 8 am to 9:30 pm. Menlo Park Mall opens at 8 am and closes 10 pm. But stores inside both malls may have different hours.  Other area stores will be opening early this morning, and some are staying open late as well. Macy's in both Woodbridge Center and Menlo Park open at 7 am this morning. Target on Parsonage Road, across from …

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Hurricane Sandy

Ways to Help Hurricane Sandy Victims Locally

Here are places collecting items for victims of last week's storms. If you know of others, please post them below.

Want to help people suffering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy and Wednesday's nor'easter, but you don't know where to go?  Here are some places taking donations of goods and money. If you find others, please post them below in the comments section.   WHERE: Trinity Church 650 Trinity Lane Woodbridge, NJ 732-634-7422  WHAT:  Taking blankets, clothing, food, monetary donations   WHERE:  Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce 52 Main Street Woodbridge, NJ 732-636-4040 WHAT:  Collecting canned food for local food banks   WHERE:  Bahama Breeze 520 Woodbridge Center Drive Woodbridge, NJ 732-726-8951 WHAT:  Collecting bottles of water and canned goods for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Perth Amboy. Also hosting a donation day Nov. 19 and 20 where diners …

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Hurricane Sandy

PSEG's Sewaren Substation is Back Online; 20,000 Get Their Power Restored

In the latest update from the electric utility, 97 percent who lost power during Sandy have the lights back on.

The clouds are lifting in PSEG's service area. Ninety-seven percent of the utility's 1.7 million customers affected by Hurricane Sandy last week have had their power restored, the company said in their latest update. That leaves 45,000 still without power from the hurricane. More good news from Wednesday's nor'easter is that 20,000 customers who lost power had it restored by 8 pm Thursday night. This included customers affected by an equipment failure in the substation located in the Sewaren section of Woodbridge. Affected customers who got their lights back on last night were located in portions of Woodbridge Proper, Port Reading, Carteret, Linden, Metuchen, Union, Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Perth Amboy, Roselle, Roselle Park, Westfield, …

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Hurricane Sandy

Are You Open for Business? Post it HERE

If you're a local business owner who is open for business post-Hurricane Sandy, please post your info in our comments section below to let readers know.

With so many local businesses still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, Patch is compiling a list of businesses that are open and serving the community. Are you open for business? Email deborah.bell@patch.com with the name and address of your business and the hours you’re open. Plus, include any special services, products or other information that might be useful to the community. For example, do you have wifi, fresh water, or charging stations? Let us know and we’ll publish it on Patch, in our email newsletter, and on our Facebook page.

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Access Self Storage Hosts Benefit Rummage Sale

Looking for early Christmas bargains, and to help a pet at the same time? Mark your calendar for this Saturday.

It's a late-season rummage sale that can benefit lucky buyers looking for early holiday bargains. But the pets at Woodbridge Animal Shelter will also reap a reward - $10 from every seller who sets up a table at the event, which is free to the public. Access Self Storage in Woodbridge is hosting their first-ever Rummage Sale and Pet Adoption on Saturday, Octoer 27, from 9 am to 3 pm. The storage facility is located at 135 Amboy Avenue. Vendors can rent a space at the event for just $10, all of which is being donated to the Woodbridge Animal Shelter. Pets from the animal shelter will also be available for adoption. In addition, there will also be music, free hot dogs and beverages, and hourly prize giveaways that will include gift cards …

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