Ferries Canceled For Second Day

Seastreak announced on Monday afternoon that they are canceling their ferry service from Monmouth County on Tuesday, January 9, due to continued ice conditions between Atlantic Highlands and New York City. Read the rest of this entry »

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Junction Boutique: A Made in Monmouth Success Story in Middletown

Jeanine Riegler, left, and Chris Slater of Junction Boutique

Junction Boutique opened their doors in a small retail space in Belford’s Campbell’s Junction less than two years ago.  The cooperative effort of local artisans selling their homemade jewelry, heirlooms, clothes, candles and bath products and other art started with eight local crafters.

Two months later Chris Slater, the organizer and inspiration of the group, attended a Made in Monmouth trade show at Monmouth University, where she met other Monmouth County based small business owners/artist. They weren’t competitors, they were collaborators.  The number of businesses selling their products at the tiny store quickly grew and by the end of 2016 the 28 participants had outgrown their space.  Slater said that all but a handful of the Junction Boutique artisans were connected through Made in Monmouth and all are New Jersey based.

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Profile: From Selling Bait to Managing the Belford Seafood Co-Op — A Fish Story

Who: Joseph Branin Age: 69 Family: Married, two daughters, one son Home: Highlands What he does: General manager of Belford Seafood Co-op for nearly 20 years. How many fishermen in the co-op: There are 18 to 20 boats active in the Belford fishing fleet, and some 50 families make their living there. How does… Read the rest of this entry »

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Middletown Police Seeks Public Support in Locating Driver Who Dragged and Robbed Gas Station Attendent

The Middletown Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the driver of white, 4 door Toyota Corolla LE (2000-2012) with tinted windows who robbed a gas station attendant and dragged him 35 feet before heading north on Route 36 in Belford on Saturday evening August 15.

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Christie orders flags at half-staff in honor of fallen Union Beach firefighter

Christie orders flags at half-staff in honor of fallen Union Beach firefighter (via NJ.com)

TRENTON – Gov. Chris Christie has ordered flags at half-staff in honor of the Union Beach firefighter who died Sunday night while battling a four-alarm fire in the borough. Volunteer firefighter Robert “Hawk” Meyer, 54, collapsed outside the fire…

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Middletown Woman Is Off To Germany In Pursuit Of Hoops Stardom

Jennifer Mocanu, 23, of the Belford section of Middletown, departs for Germany on Sunday to embark on her new career as a professional basketball player. She is slated to be the starting shooting guard of TSV Krofdorf-Gleiberg of the FIBA when their season starts next weekend.

A 2008 graduate of Middletown High School North where she was a 4 year letter winner, senior MVP and leading scorer, Mocanu’s hoops magic continued in college where she was an NCAA Division 3 star at the College of Mount. St. Vincent in Riverdale, NY for two seasons and two seasons with Mount St. Mary College Knights in Newburgh, NY.  She led the Knights to two NCAA Division 3 tournament appearances.

In her senior year at Mount Saint Mary’s, Jen led her team to the regular season championship and was named Player of the Year of the Skyline Conference where she was the league’s top scorer.   She scored 1501 points in her collegiate career.

After graduation with a degree in Psychology, Mocanu enrolled at Monmouth University to pursue a Masters in Sociology.  But she soon realized that sociology wasn’t what she thought it was, more importantly, that she wasn’t done with basketball.

Rebuffed by a players’ agent because she hadn’t played competitively in over six months, Jen was undeterred.  She enrolled in a FIBA professional scouting tournament in Germany last spring where she was offered a one year contract by Coach Viktor Kramer on the second day of the three day tournament.

Contract in hand, Mocanu returned to New Jersey for the summer where she kept in shape working out at the Community YMCA and working as a bartender at Chilangos in Highlands.

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