Warren County

Breaking news, local news, events, real estate & more

New Jersey Department of Transportation announces aid grants to Warren County

by Warren Reporter

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 5:47 PM

The New Jersey Department of Transportation has awarded over $78 million in municipal aid grants to fund street improvement, rehabilitation and safety projects, a move that will create jobs and help keep property taxes in check statewide.

Grants were awarded to 372 municipalities, including 10 in Warren County. These grants include:

Belvidere -- $120,000 for improvements to Third Street and Fourth Street.
Blairstown -- $85,000 for an overlay on Benton Road.
Franklin Township -- $120,000 for a section of Willow Grove Road.

Continue reading "New Jersey Department of Transportation announces aid grants to Warren County" »

Hackettstown police search for man who reportedly tried to pick up juvenile

by kmlechis

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 3:59 PM

HACKETTSTOWN -- Town Police are searching for a "suspicious" man who reportedly offered a ride to a male juvenile this morning.

The incident occurred around 8:11 a.m. at the intersection of Sharp and Franklin streets. The driver is described as a white male, possibly between the ages of 50-60, wearing tinted prescription eyeglasses, and driving a newer model four-door black car. He was also reported to be traveling with a female passenger of Asian descent, possibly between the ages of 15-17.

Continue reading "Hackettstown police search for man who reportedly tried to pick up juvenile" »

'March For Unity' supports Hardwick hate crime victims

by Jacqueline Lindsay/Warren Reporter

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 3:20 PM

HARDWICK -- Township residents banned together for a "March For Unity" Saturday, Nov. 15 to rally around a Hardwick family targeted in a hate crime, which is being attributed to the family's support of President-elect Barack Obama.

On the eve of Election Day after Barack Obama was declared winner of the presidential election, Alina and Gary Grewal and their eight-year-old daughter made a large cloth banner declaring "President Obama Victory '08," and strung it proudly across the front lawn of their Hardwick home. The next evening the couple was dismayed to find the banner had been stolen. But, they were even more horrified when they awoke the following day to find a six-foot tall wooden cross erected on their lawn, which had been burned with the banner. The three-foot wide cross was made with two-by-fours and attached to a metal frame.

"My first thought was that I had been hit in the stomach. I couldn't believe in 2008 that somebody would think of doing something like this," Gary said. "My eight-year-old daughter saw this (burned cross). I will never forget it and I will not let these people live this down."

Continue reading "'March For Unity' supports Hardwick hate crime victims" »

Garden State sees lowest gas prices since March 29, 2005

by Marin Barrett

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 12:11 PM

Today in Warren County gas prices have been seen in the $1.80s.

NEW JERSEY - According to AAA Mid-Atlantic Garden State motorists are paying the cheapest per-gallon price for regular serve gasoline since March 29, 2005.

The state average dropped below $2 per gallon overnight, and stands today at $1.97, which is more than $2 cheaper than the $4 peak New Jersey reached on July 8.

"Prices could fall farther after Thanksgiving," David Weinstein spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic said.

Here are various prices over the last year:

Continue reading "Garden State sees lowest gas prices since March 29, 2005" »

Environmental groups call for state scrutiny of proposed power line

by Kristen Alloway and Paula Saha/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 6:01 PM

The $650 million, 45-mile power line proposed for North Jersey will cut through some of the state's most environmentally sensitive lands and will need careful state scrutiny, environmental groups said today.

The organizations called on the state Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that the project meets the requirements of the 2004 Highlands Act, which aims to protect the vast, environmentally-sensitive region.

Continue reading "Environmental groups call for state scrutiny of proposed power line" »

Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio to seek New Jersey Assembly seat

by The Warren Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 3:47 PM

Warren County Freeholder Director John DiMaio, a Republican, announced today that he is seeking the Assembly seat in New Jersey's 23rd Legislative District being vacated by Assemblyman Michael Doherty, who previously announced his campaign for the state Senate seat to be vacated by Congressman-elect Leonard Lance.

DiMaio is currently the senior freeholder in Warren County, a former mayor of Hackettstown where he also served as a councilman and was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the Assembly in 2005.

Continue reading "Warren County Freeholder John DiMaio to seek New Jersey Assembly seat" »

Mansfield's Book Loft: More than the average bookstore

by Keith Elphick/Correspondent

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 10:59 AM

MANSFIELD -- The most important thing for Daryl Zinn, owner of Book Loft on Route 57 in Mansfield Township, is for his customers to feel the difference between his book store and large book store conglomerates. In Zinn's perspective, "service makes all the difference," and keeps bringing customers back.

Zinn moved Book Loft to Mansfield approximately three years ago from Stanhope. He was attracted to Book Loft's present location in Mansfield because of the surrounding small town communities, its visibility from Route 57, and the accompanying stores along the strip mall.

Now three years later, Daryl and Anne Zinn, have put all their efforts into attaining, as Daryl puts it, the "family feeling in a bookstore" that encourages literacy among parents and children.
In order for Daryl and Anne to have a bookstore that guarantees quality service, they hired a small number of employees who know books and can provide suggestions, insight, and assistance to all Book Loft's customers, something Daryl takes very seriously.

Continue reading "Mansfield's Book Loft: More than the average bookstore" »

Phillipsburg Education Association donate $1,600 to NORWESCAP Food Bank

by Warren Reporter

Tuesday November 18, 2008, 9:22 AM

PHILLIPSBURG -- Members of the Phillipsburg Education Association donated $1,600 to the NORWESCAP Food Bank on Thursday, Nov. 13, outside of the Food Bank office on Broad Street

The members of the PEA, which include custodians, maintenance personnel, paraprofessionals, secretaries, security guards, and teachers, have contributed $17,000 to the NORWESCAP Food Bank since 2001 during the annual PEA/John Pokrivchak Philanthropic Fund Drive.

Additional monies collected during the fund drive are contributed to the PEA Scholarship Fund. Sixteen graduating PHS seniors have received $11,500 from this fund since 2005.

Continue reading "Phillipsburg Education Association donate $1,600 to NORWESCAP Food Bank" »

Warren County author's book - 'Eco-Friendly Families' - gets families ready to 'go green'

by Jacqueline Lindsay/Staff Writer

Monday November 17, 2008, 10:02 AM

BLAIRSTOWN -- When author Helen Coronato was looking for books to give her family some pointers about "going green," she couldn't find any that focused on families. So, she decided to write the book herself and share it with others. Coronato's newest book "Eco-Friendly Families" offers families simple, concrete guidelines and activities for going green and improving their quality of life.

These days, at Coronato's house it's all about green. The family follows the steps outlined in Coronato's book each day with the goal of living a greener, healthier life, and fostering wellness for the family and planet. It was those personal and planetary values that compelled Coronato to write "Eco-Friendly Families," which was released by Penguin Group in August and can be found at major and local booksellers.

"I was looking for a healthier lifestyle now that we have kids....I wanted them to be green from go," Coronato said. "I couldn't find something that would fit the bill, so I wrote the book I was looking for. It's a real call to action for more conscious living."

Continue reading "Warren County author's book - 'Eco-Friendly Families' - gets families ready to 'go green'" »

Do you think a curfew should be imposed on kids?

by Warren Reporter

Sunday November 16, 2008, 10:54 AM

Asked at Centenary College, Hackettstown, about the ordinance the Town Council of Belvidere is considering. What do you think about the proposed curfew ordinance? E-mail us at warrenpr@njnpublishing.com or leave a comment below.

Continue reading "Do you think a curfew should be imposed on kids?" »

March held in support of Obama backers who found burned cross

by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk

Saturday November 15, 2008, 6:29 PM

More than 300 people from across the state marched in Hardwick Township, Warren County, today in a show of support for a family of Barack Obama backers who found a burned six-foot cross on their front lawn last week.

The "Unity March," which started in front of the Hardwick Township municipal building, was organized after a township resident awoke last Friday to find a charred cross wrapped in a congratulatory Obama banner that had been stolen from his lawn the night before.

Gary Grewal, a native of India who lives with his wife and 8-year-old daughter, said hundreds of friends and strangers flooded his home with phone calls and letters after the incident to express sympathy.

Related info:
Cross Burned on lawn of Obama supporters in Hardwick

Continue reading "March held in support of Obama backers who found burned cross" »

Knowlton husband and wife featured in art show at Rider University

by Warren Reporter

Saturday November 15, 2008, 10:05 AM

"Rita Baragona and St. Clair Sullivan: A Marriage of Two Minds" is an exhibition that showcases recent paintings by the husband-and-wife artists from Columbia, Knowlton Township.

The exhibition can be seen through Sunday, Dec. 7 in the Rider University Art Gallery, located on the main Rider campus in Lawrenceville.

Baragona and Sullivan have been living and painting together since they met as students at the New York Studio School nearly 40 years ago. They fell in love at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, holding hands in front of "Chardin's Soap Bubbles" and Renoir's portrait of "Mme. Charpentier and Her Children."

Continue reading "Knowlton husband and wife featured in art show at Rider University" »