Day: December 5, 2019

Mercer County, Robbinsville, Robbinsville December 5, 2019

Affordable Housing Consultant Retires

December 5, 2019

By: Dennis Symons, Jr.

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)– Shirley Bishop is retiring after serving as Robbinsville Township’s affordable housing consultant for 15 years.

Ms. Bishop had opened her own private consulting firm in 2002 and prior to that served as the Executive Director of the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) for eight years and served as president of the Board of Professional Planners.

For the past 15 years Ms. Bishop has been invaluable in helping Robbinsville Township remain compliant regarding its lawful affordable housing obligation. Her guidance in preparing two “Third Round” plans for the Township in 2008 and 2018 the latter after the New Jersey Supreme Court vacated all prior substantive certifications, has been widely applauded as a master class in town planning. As stated in the proclamation.

Robbinsville Township Mayor David Fried on behalf of the Township Council recognized Shirley Bishop for her 15 years of expertise, professionalism and dedicated service to the Robbinsville Community and issued a Proclamation at the Town Council Meeting on December 5, 2019.

Mercer County, Robbinsville, Robbinsville December 5, 2019December 5, 2019

Robbinsville Township Police Raise $3,000 For No Shave November

December 5, 2019

By: Dennis Symons, Jr.

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–The Robbinsville Township Police Department presented a check to Thea’s Star of Hope to help benefit children with brain tumors. The money was raised during “No Shave November” where officers participate by writing a $100 personal check to participate. The annual fund raiser raised $3,000. during this years No Shave November campaign.

Tonight the Robbinsville Township Police Department presented a $3,000. check to Thea and her family at tonight’s Robbinsville Township council meeting.

Mercer County, Robbinsville, Robbinsville December 5, 2019December 5, 2019

Robbinsville Township Council Visits RTPD Gun Training Range

December 5, 2019

By: Dennis Symons, Jr.

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)—The Robbinsville Township Council payed a visit to the Robbinsville Township Police Department’s new police training facility, shooting range. The modular, pre-fabricated indoor range manufactured by Shooting Range Industries, LLC features 4 lanes and a video training system so police can practice different scenarios. Council members Ron Witt, Mike Cipriano, Vince Calcagno, Chris Ciaccio and Dan Schuberth listened to the police department members talk about the value of the facility and the importance of the training they will receive with the new facility. Also there was a demonstration to the amount of sound that comes from the new facility, video below you will hear a lightly muffled sound from live firing inside the range first with a hand gun then with a high power rifle. Then further back in the parking lot again with the rifle. Some residents were concerned with loud noises coming from the facility but that was not the case as demonstrated by RTPD.

Robbinsville Township Council Members given tour of new police gun range.

Mercer County, Robbinsville, Robbinsville December 5, 2019December 5, 2019

Avoid Route 130 in Robbinsville– Update: Road Reopened at 2 pm, Expect Delays Due To Utility Work

December 5, 2019

2:00 PM —UPDATE ROUTE 130 IS NOW OPEN EXPECT DELAYS IN AREA AS UTILLITY WORK IS ON GOING

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)– A traffic accident took down a utillity pole in the area of NJSIAA in Robbinsville. The roadway is closed between Sharon Road and Woodside Road. Avoid the area.

If you signed up for NIXLE you would have known about this: So sign up for NIXLE here

AVOID ROUTE 130

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH RT. 130 @ NjSIAA. POLE/ WIRES DOWN ACROSS BOTH LANES OF THE HIGHWAY. DETOURS ARE IN POSITION. PLEASE AVOID AREA.

Allentown, Allentown, Monmouth County, Upper Freehold, Upper Freehold December 5, 2019

Fire Department Quick Action Saves Home

December 5, 2019

Information from Hope Fire Company:

UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–Last evening the Hope Fire Company was dispatched to the 100 block of Sharon Station Road for a smoke condition in a residence. Smoke was visible from the rear of the structure when the fire chief arrived and backup was immediately dispatched from surrounding departments. The occupants were safely evacuated from the two family home upon fire department arrival.

The first fire engine on scene from Hope Fire Company located the fire at the top of the stairwell and was spreading to the attic. The fire crew quickly knocked down the fire saving the home from further damage. Fire crews then checked to make sure fire did not extend thought the rest of the building.

Responding the the fire were: Hope Fire Company, Hamilton Township Station 19 Groveville, Highstown Engine Company #1, Millstone Township Fire Company, Robbinsville Township Fire Department, and New Egypt Fire Department. Investigating the fire are the Monmouth County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Upper Freehold Township Fire Prevention Bureau.

There were no injures reported in the fire and the cause remains under investigation.

Editorial, Farm and Garden, Garden, Mercer County, Opinion, Trenton December 5, 2019December 12, 2019

NJ Set to Enact Plastic Ban and 10 cent Paper Bag Fee Tax

Editorial, Opinion

December 5, 2019

By: Dennis Symons, Jr.

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–State Senators Bob Smith and Linda Greenstein have proposed S2776 that bans several plastic items and adds a 10 cent fee tax to paper bags that are the alternatives to plastic.

The intent of the legislation by enacting a “ban” of items is the way to go but any “tax” should be eliminated from bill.

If plastic is really harming the environment lets ban it rather than tax it. Lets not tax the alternatives such as “paper” bags since they break down in the environment, can be recycled and composted and do not cause harm like plastic.

Lets make this bill about the “environment” and not about the money and fee taxes by eliminating the tax language on paper bags in the bill.

I belong to an organic CSA and for the past couple of years they have provided “Compostable” faux plastic bags as an alternative to regular vegetable bags. I tried to compost the bags in the summer of 2018 and they did not break down well and in the spring of 2019 I found them in the garden wrapped around the tines of the rotor tiller.

In the summer of 2019 the CSA ran out of regular plastic vegetable bags and the only choice was to use the compost bags so when I returned home I proceeded to start an experiment to see how long it would take to break down the “compostable” bag.

Results of the experiment is that paper bags break down and the faux plastic also breaks down but takes a little longer than paper to break down. Paper bag will also break down in the environment in a similar way not causing harm to the environment like plastic bags do:

Video final results after 3 months: November 21, 2019: