Seaside Heights fireworks display washed out by wave

SEASIDE HEIGHTS — The Fourth of July fireworks show in Seaside Heights Saturday night was a washout, literally. A large wave ran so far up the shore, that it soaked all the fireworks set up on the beach, the borough said in a Facebook post. “The fireworks were set up closer to the surf than usual… Read the rest of this entry »

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“Shock and Awe” Permeates the July Shore Fine Arts Scene

By April W. Klimley, Art Critic

The July 4^th weekend is a great time for gallery hopping. Many new exhibitions opened their doors last weekend, and I’m going to give you a run down on some of the most interesting—and provocative. The wide variety of artwork may surprise you, and some of it may even shock you.

A good place to start is at AJ Dillon gallery in Atlantic Highlands. The gallery has an exhibition that has been running all month called  “Stars and Stripes Forever.” It ends on July 4^th, but is well worth squeezing into your schedule.

Gallery owner Frank Leahy asked local artists to come up with their own interpretation of the American flag, or what they think of when they ponder the American flag. One interpretation that grabbed my attention was a large America flag hung sideways with Jimi Hendrix face painted on it. It’s called Don’t Tread on Red by Jana Moriarty. You’ll find it hanging in a place of distinction—a pillar-like wall to the right as you walk in the gallery.

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The Governor’s Grilling

Acting Governor Kim Guadagno will be over the coals on Friday evening, grilling up hot dogs and hamburgers at the Atlantic Highlands Fireman’s Fair.

The fair is a great annual event featuring rides, games and food that takes place in the borough’s marina at 1 Simon Drive which is at the end of 1st Ave.

In addition to the Acting Governor’s fine cooking, Friday night will feature fireworks in the Sandy Hook Bay.

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John Whitman, husband of former N.J. Gov. Christie Whitman, dies

TRENTON — John Whitman, the husband of former Gov. Christie Whitman who also had a successful career in finance and was a decorated Vietnam veteran, died Thursday. Whitman suffered a catastrophic brain injury on June 19, Christie Whitman announced in a statement. He was 71. “He passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his family,” Gov. Whitman,… Read the rest of this entry »

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N.J. leads nation in all-cash home purchases, report finds

Nearly half of the homes sold in New Jersey in May went to buyers who paid all cash, according to a new report, giving the state the largest share of those types of purchases in the country. The report released on Thursday morning by the Irvine, Calif-based housing research firm RealtyTrac shows 48 percent of single-family… Read the rest of this entry »

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Asbury Park Man Charged With Kiddie Porn

Johan J. Murrieta, 20, of the 300 block of 8^th Avenue in Asbury Park, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with 4 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

A series of CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating child pornography was being distributed electronically lead to an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force which revealed that on three separate days, images of child pornography were distributed using three different email accounts – all the accounts were accessed by an individual using an IP address associated with Murrieta’s home.

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Monmouth Poll: Christie has abandoned NJ, Won’t make a good Prez

58% say Christie is not honest and trustworthy

file photo by Art Gallagher

A new Monmouth University Poll, taken after Governor Chris Christie’s presidential announcement and released this morning, indicates that a strong majority of New Jerseyans believe that Christie has abandoned his commitment to govern the state and that he would be a bad president.

57% say Christie should resign now that he has officially entered the presidential race. 71% say Christie cannot run for president and govern effectively at the same time….”walk and chew gum”… as Christie refers to his plan.

Just 27% of New Jerseyans say Christie would make a good president.  More than two-thirds (69%) say he would not.  A few months ago, Christie was asked on national TV about similar poll results.  He responded that survey participants told pollsters he would not make a good president because “a lot of those people…want me to stay.”  Monmouth followed up with the participants in our poll and found that just 5% of those who said he would not make a good president say they gave that response because they would rather have Christie stay in New Jersey.  Fully 89% of this group, though, confirmed that their answer meant they really think he would make a bad president.

“I’m not sure how the governor defines ‘a lot,’ but any common sense usage of the term would have to be significantly greater than five percent,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

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At Christie 2016 campaign launch, religion was off the table

TRENTON — In his announcement Tuesday that he’s seeking the Republican nomination for president, Gov. Chris Christie didn’t make any mention of faith in God or religion — something presidential historians and GOP campaign managers say reveals much about his 2016 campaign strategy. Unlike other conservative 2016 candidates, such as U.S. Sen Ted Cruz of Texas… Read the rest of this entry »

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Hospitals Join Law Enforcement In Fight Against Opiate Overdose Deaths

Every hospital in Monmouth and Ocean Counties will exchange ready-to-use new doses of the overdose antidote naloxone, free of charge, for the empty syringes used to resuscitate the overdose victims, under a partnership agreement announced today by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni and Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato.

The hospitals affiliated with Barnabas Health, Meridian Health and CentraState Medical Center are absorbing 100% of the cost of the antidotes exchanged with law enforcement officers, according to Charles Webster, spokesman for Gramiccioni’s office.

“Protecting our citizens is our most basic and fundamental function in law enforcement. We can’t do it alone, so we count on help from friends and partners who cooperate with us and who share, in some form or fashion, the same responsibility and commitment in helping to protect human life. It is these partnerships that make us even better.  Through this partnership, our local hospitals are standing with us as we fight the deadly epidemic of heroin or prescription opiates drug overdoses,” Gramiccioni said.

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Cinco de Donald: A MexiCan Celebration

Updated with video

When Leo Cervantes is confronted by a difficult circumstance, he looks for the opportunity it presents.

When the waters of Superstorm Sandy receded from Highlands, Cervantes and his staff at Chilango’s recovered the non-spoiled inventory from their destroyed Bay Avenue restaurant and invited the entire town to a free dinner that they prepared and served at Henry Hudson Regional High School which was serving as a shelter for hundreds of residents displaced by the storm.

When Donald Trump disparaged Mexicans during his presidential candidacy announcement last week, Leo, who immigrated from Neza, a tough town outside of Mexico City in 1989 and became a naturalized United States citizen in 2008, shook off the insult and created an opportunity.

Sunday, July 5th is Cinco de Donald at Leo’s two Monmouth County Mexican restaurants, Chilango’s in Highlands and the newly opened LaPlaya in Keansburg.

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