This winter’s unusually heavy series of snowstorms has cost Freehold $85,000, Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina reported Monday night. Most of the expenses came from rock salt purchases and overtime, Bellina told the Borough Council. Those costs will be minimized thanks to the borough’s “snow trust,” where officials had put aside money for just such an emergency. [...]

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Clearing the Roads in Freehold

Asbury Park Press photographer Doug Hood went for a ride-along with county worker Ron Boyce, an assistant supervisor in the Monmouth County Department of Public Works and Engineering, as he salted Kozloski Road Thursday afternoon.

The county DPW maintains 1,000 miles of roads in the county, as [...]

  2 weeks, 6 days ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Irizarry Decision Postponed

There will be no decision until at least next month in the criminal case of a Freehold Township woman and her son who claimed they were victims of police brutality.

Superior Court Judge Eugene A. Iadanza was expected to hand down a decision Thursday in the case [...]

  2 weeks, 6 days ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Snow Day!

Freehold students haven’t had it this good in a long time.
Thanks to yet another snowfall blanketing the Shore, Freehold Township elementary and middle schools are closed today and borough schools will close early.
High schoolers have reason to celebrate, too: Freehold, Howell and Manalapan high schools will dismiss at 12:03 p.m. today; Colts Neck, Freehold Township [...]

  3 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: FBEF Awards School Grants

The Freehold Borough Educational Foundation is donating more than $8,000 to projects benefiting the borough’s elementary and middle school students, according to foundation chair Jean Holtz.

Holtz announced the awards, which total $8,601, at a borough school district meeting earlier this month.
The grants will be used [...]

  3 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: CentraState Partners on Cancer Facility

Freehold Township’s CentraState Healthcare System is one of three partners that plan to open a massive cancer-treatment center in Somerset, the first of its kind in the New York region, according to a Gannett New Jersey report.

The $160 million facility will offer proton-therapy, a form of radiation therapy that causes less damage to [...]

  3 weeks, 1 day ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Park Ave. PTO Raffle Nets Thousands

A basket raffle hosted by the Park Avenue Elementary PTO raised just over $14,000 for that school’s students, according to PTO treasurer Susan Greitz.
“It’s pretty impressive,” said Greitz, who co-chaired the event.
The raffle – which offered up prizes like a golfing trip and grocery gift certificates – was held this past Saturday at the Park [...]

  3 weeks, 2 days ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: County Holding Budget Meetings

<!–
TOTAL ELEMENTS IN ARRAY: 6
TOTAL CHARACTERS IN ARRAY: 808
TOTAL CHARACTERS IN PAGES:
LAST PAGE CONTAINS: 808
–><!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 2
–>
Members of the public can get a glimpse into the budget process this week, when the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders hold two budget sessions, according to the Asbury Park Press.
<img class=”size-full wp-image-7336 ” title=”burry” src=”http://freehold.injersey.com/files/2010/02/burry2.jpg” alt=”" [...]

  3 weeks, 2 days ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Township Approves Fire Budgets

Freehold Township residents went to the polls Saturday to weigh in on the 2010 budgets put forward by the town’s two fire districts, the Asbury Park Press reports today.

In District 1 (serving residents west of Route 9), voters okayed a $1,192,287 budget and its [...]

  3 weeks, 3 days ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Service Summit Proposal DOA

Freehold Township won’t be holding a Call to Service summit any time soon, Committee members made clear last night.
The summit – suggested by resident Jennie Jeannette “J.J.” Mistretta – would have educated residents on the opportunities in town to serve in non-elected positions.
But Freehold Township already has more residents eager to serve their town than [...]

  1 month ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Township Offices Closed Wednesday

Town officials have called it: All Freehold Township municipal offices will be closed Wednesday. They will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
Also, a bonus for the procrastinators out there – thanks to the snowy weather, the township’s February tax payment grace period has been extended to Friday, according to the township’s Web site.

  1 month, 1 week ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Freehold Schools Consider Revisiting Goals

Freehold Schools Superintendent Elizabeth O’Connell wants to take a fresh look at the district’s goals.
O’Connell floated the idea Monday night of reviving the district’s strategic planning committee, which last met during the 2003-04 school year.
The committee would be tasked with creating new strategic objectives to guide the district, according to O’Connell. She hopes to assemble [...]

  1 month, 1 week ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Former FRHSD Teacher Admits Taking Kids’ Money

As a teacher at Colts Neck High, Megan Laboy told her students they would get better grades if they made charitable donations. But in reality, she admitted Friday, the money went straight into her own pocket.
Laboy admitted the crime Friday, when she pleaded guilty to one [...]

  1 month, 1 week ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: WFS Collects Thousands for Haitian Relief

The numbers are in: West Freehold elementary students raised a cool $5,000 during their “Hopping for Haiti” fundraiser last week.
“Amazing…right?” the coordinator of last week’s event, Natalie Gagliardi, said in an email announcing the good news.

The Freehold Township school’s students collected pledges last week in [...]

  1 month, 1 week ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Boro Squad Seeks Members

Freehold’s First Aid Squad needs volunteers, trustee Bill Madden told the Borough Council Monday during one of his occasional squad updates.

The squad, which serves Freehold and Freehold Township, could use about 20 more members, Madden said after the meeting.
Anyone interested in joining the squad can drop [...]

  1 month, 2 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Boro Squad Seeks Members

Freehold’s First Aid Squad needs volunteers, trustee Bill Madden told the Borough Council Monday during one of his occasional squad updates.

The squad, which serves Freehold and Freehold Township, could use about 20 more members, Madden said after the meeting.
Anyone interested in joining the squad can drop [...]

  1 month, 2 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Boro Council Remembers “Great Public Servant”

James F. Higgins may be gone, but he leaves behind a “wonderful legacy” in Freehold, Borough Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer said Monday.

From the local school board to the Rotary Club to the Monmouth County Historical Association, it’s easier to name an organization that Higgins wasn’t involved in during [...]

  1 month, 2 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Twp Resident Wants More Citizen Involvement

Many citizens would like to help their town, but they just don’t know how, Freehold Township resident – and former Committee candidate – Jennie Jeannette “J.J.” Mistretta told the Township Committee last night.
To let residents know how they can get involved, Mistretta asked Committee members to consider hosting a Call to Service Summit.
“Not only would [...]

  1 month, 2 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: First United Steeple Structurally Sound, Engineer Sez

UPDATE: As Kathy Mulholland notes in the comments below, police were called to the First United Methodist Church of Freehold this afternoon not to save a teetering steeple, but rather to investigate a report that a piece of fascia had blown off the church’s facade.
Once at the W. Main Street church, however, police discovered [...]

  1 month, 3 weeks ago · View

Kim Predham wrote a new blog post: Debate, Discussion at Busy Borough Meeting

At an unusually long (almost 1.5 hours!) and contentious Freehold Borough Council meeting Tuesday, discussion ranged widely from possible bike rack locations to a proposed cut-out into the Hall of Records parking lot.
Bike Racks
Several suggested locations for bike racks were put forth Tuesday, including the bus station, the promenade around the E. Main Street [...]

  1 month, 3 weeks ago · View