NJ May Allow Private Firm to Run State Lottery

Criticism ranges from awarding of a 15-year contract to a single bidder to potential damage to convenience-store owners.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has vowed to challenge the Christie administration’s decision to partially privatize the New Jersey Lottery by awarding a contract to a consortium similar to one that remains under fire in Illinois. Last Friday afternoon, the state treasurer’s office announced plans to award a 15-year contract to Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group to take over marketing and sales of the $2.8 billion state lottery. The joint venture that includes GTECH Corporation (41 percent owner), Scientific Games International (18 percent owner) and a unit of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (41 percent owner) was the sole bidder and, as part of the terms of the deal, has agreed to make an upfront $120 …

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20 Veterans Will Honored at Woodbridge Center

Veterans from the state will receive the NJ Distinguished Service Medal on Tuesday. The ceremony kicks off a three-day veteran's outreach program at the mall.

Twenty New Jersey veterans of the nation's wars will receive high honors at a Woodbridge Center ceremony next week. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will aware the NJ Distinguished Service Medal to the veterans for service in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield and Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The veterans who will be honored hail from Union, Somerset, Middlesex and Hunterdon counties.  The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, February 19, at 11 am at the lower level Sears wing. This ceremony marks the start of a three-day visit of the veterans outreach kiosk from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. where veterans and their family members can learn more about benefits or entitlements that they…

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Woodbridge Man Injured By NJ Transit Train After Slipping on Platform

The victim, who was injured at the Red Bank train station, was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center Sunday morning for treatment.

A Woodbridge man was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center for treatment of a broken leg Sunday morning after he was struck by New Jersey Transit train 7208. The incident took place around 6:16 a.m. at the Red Bank Train Station on Monmouth Street, Red Bank police confirmed.  NJ Transit spokesman John Durso, Jr. said a preliminary investigation showed the man may have slipped on the platform, with his leg coming in contact with the train. Twenty passengers were on board the train, and were placed onto another northbound train without incident, Durso said. The name of the injured man was not released by officials.

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Sprinkler Systems May Be Required in New Homes

A bill mandating the installation of fire suppression systems in new residential construction was passed by the NJ Assembly Monday

New Jersey came a step closer Monday to ensuring that residential construction will have the utmost in protection against fire. The state legislature passed by a 44-30 margin the “New Home Fire Safety Act” bill, which would require that any construction of new single and two-family homes would include a fire suppression system on the premises. The bill now moves to the State Senate. The bill was sponsored by Assemblyman John Wisniewski - who represents Woodbridge in the 19th District - along with his fellow Democratic Assemblymen Jerry Green and Mila Jasey. “This is a simple, commonsense step that will quite simply save lives and property,” said Wisniewski in a statement. “We know these suppression systems are effective, so there’s really…

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New Jersey to Adopt FEMA's Flood Elevation Maps, Christie Says

At a press conference in Seaside Heights, Gov. Chris Christie said the new flood maps will help the Jersey Shore and the rest of the state rebuild better and stronger.

New Jersey will adopt the Federal Emergency Management's (FEMA) Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, clearing the way for residents and business owners along the Jersey Shore to rebuild better and stronger, Gov. Chris Christie announced during a press conference in Seaside Heights Thursday afternoon. The move comes as residents along the shore wait to find out not if they'll have to raise their homes following Hurricane Sandy, but just how high.  "If we wait, all we're doing is delaying New Jersey's recovery," Christie said, adding: "I think this is what we need to do to build a 21st century Jersey Shore." The advisory maps, or ABFE's, were released in December and recommend that residents in flood zones in 10 counties and 194 communities …

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Hurricane Sandy

How Was Your Electric Service During Hurricane Sandy? NJBPU Wants to Know

If your electric service was out for weeks, you can vent at a series of statewide BPU hearings

Much of New Jersey was spared the Hurricane Sandy storm surge that destroyed so much of the shore areas. But for those who missed that part of the hurricane, the next worst thing that happened was the loss of electric power. In some parts of the state, the power outages lasted for as long as two weeks. Now the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) wants to know what consumers think about how their local electric utilities handled the hurricane. The BPU is seeking public input in a series of public forums throughout the state. Two hearings involving the performance of Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) are scheduled. The first takes place on Monday, December 10 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the William Annin School in Basking Ridge, and the …

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DEP Gives Woodbridge $122K for Recycling

The money from the NJDEP is to be used to help local recycling efforts.

In a time of tight money, Woodbridge has been named as the recipient of a $122,271 state grant to go towards its recycling efforts. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is spreading around more than $1.4 million in state grants throughout Middlesex County to help implement and enhance local recycling programs, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin announced in a statement. Woodbridge received the third largest award among Middlesex County municipalities that received the grant. The funds are being awarded through the Recycling Enhancement Act, which has significantly increased recycling tonnage grants the DEP is able to distribute to almost all of the state’s cities and towns. All together, $13.1 million in state grants will be …

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NJDOT Starts Route 9 Bridge Repairs Wednesday

If you travel on Route 9 North over the NJ Turnpike through Woodbridge, watch for shifting traffic and lane closures for the next three weeks.

Commuters, take note: a northbound lane of the Route 9 bridge over the NJ Turnpike through Woodbridge will be closed for repairs starting Wednesday, September 26.  One of the three existing travel lanes will be closed for approximately the next three weeks for deck and surface repairs, the NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT) said Tuesday. The construction zone will start on the right half of the bridge and move towards the left; two travel lanes will be maintained at all times, NJDOT said in a statement. On or about October 22, the contractor, D’Annunzio and Sons, will begin repair work to the southbound bridge over the Turnpike.  That work will require similar traffic pattern changes and lane closures on Route 9 southbound.   Dynamic…

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Fancy Pups Attorney Gets Five Years for Mortgage Fraud

Mark Bellotti, the lawyer who fought for Avenel's Fancy Pups in consumer fraud lawsuits, got convicted of fraud himself.

The lawyer who represented an Avenel pet store in a slew of consumer fraud lawsuits has just gotten slammed by the law himself. Mark Bellotti, the attorney who defended Fancy Pups in Woodbridge Municipal Court, received five years in prison, a $50,000 fine, and had his license revoked in Monmouth County Superior Court today, Tuesday, September 18. Bellotti pleaded guilty in February to submitting fraudulent loan applications worth almost $2.7 million.  “Lawyers take an oath to uphold the law, but this one repeatedly betrayed his oath and broke the law to turn a quick profit,” said Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa in a statement. “We’re aggressively investigating and prosecuting this type of mortgage fraud.” “This lawyer and his co-…

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Tom Maras

8:00 am on Wednesday, September 19, 2012

At the September 18 Woodbridge Town Council meeting the mayor, his business administrator and the Director of the Woodbridge Health Department, Mr. Green, were asked why Fancy Pups was allowed to remain in business when they had been cited for health code violation and had been operating on expired township business license on several occasions. The response from the "Three" was more doodoo, than…   more ›

Covered Pedestrian Signals at Red Light Camera Intersection Raises Questions

Why are the pedestrian crossing signals at Route 1 and Avenel Street covered? Woodbridge motorists who hate red light cameras think it has something to do with generating more tickets - and revenue.

Motorists who hate the state's red light camera program have tried to make that case that fears of getting a ticket can cause indecisive drivers to get into accidents the cameras are designed to alleviate. In Woodbridge, though, the red light camera intersection at Route 1 and Avenel Street might prove to be even more dangerous to pedestrians. That's because the pedestrian crossing signals at the busy highway have all been mysteriously covered over with what looks like black plastic garbage bags. Callers to Patch have said that the pedestrian signals have been covered for "some time," leaving adults and children who want to cross Route 1 without any electronic guidance for getting across the highly traveled roadway. The red camera light at…

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Tom Maras

8:51 am on Tuesday, August 21, 2012

According to the August 21st Edition of the Home News Tribune, the pedestrian safety signals at the intersections of Rt.1 and Avenel Street will be operational in a week. Let's hope with all the "LIGHTS" at that intersection, motorists and pedestrians alike will be safer. Wonder if they installed "Jaywalking" cameras too!   more ›