The Coaster » The Environment

Neptune Plans on Buying the Farm

Coaster — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:04:29 +0000

Officials plan to use $550,000 bond ordinance for purchase

By DON STINE
The old Wardell/Welsh dairy tract on Old Corlies Avenue in Neptune, one of the oldest dairies in Monmouth County, will be preserved as open space under a $550,000 bond ordinance expected to be introduced by the Township Committee this Monday.

The 6.46-acre tract at 703 Old Corlies Ave. is zoned for light industrial use and area residents have been urging the governing body to preserve the site as open space.

Residents living in western Neptune recently formed the Old Corlies Avenue Preservation Alliance (OCAPA) which seeks to not only help preserve the historic character of the neighborhood- the oldest in the township- but also to keep the farm as open space.

Neptune Discusses Returning Marina

Coaster — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:36:05 +0000

By DON STINE
Neptune officials are exploring the option of transferring ownership of the township’s public marina back to the state Green Acres program if dredging of the Shark River does not occur soon.

“There will come a point where the marina will not be financially viable because boat slips will not be for rent because there will be no access to them. It is then a poor business decision to keep it,” said Committeeman Randy Bishop, who made the proposal at Monday’s Township Committee meeting. “If the Shark River is not dredged then it will become a dead or mud-bound marina,” he said.

Bishop said there are ways to return Green Acres properties to the state and township Chief Financial Officer Michael J. Bascom and Engineer Leanne R. Hoffman have been asked to look into the matter.

To read the rest of the story get the June 25 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Asbury Park to Receive $10,000 Green Grant

Coaster — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:48:05 +0000

Asbury Park is one of 14 New Jersey towns to win a Sustainable Jersey Grant.

The city will receive $10,000 for enhancement of a community food garden.

The grants are awarded for sustainable projects and are funded by Wal-Mart.

Mayor Kevin Sanders said, “Urban farming is the wave of the future and we are honored and excited to receive this Sustainable Jersey Wal-Mart grant.”

To read the rest of the story get the June 25 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Crowd Supports Dredging Shark River

Coaster — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:49:33 +0000

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
They came out Tuesday night, residents, boaters, fisherman and students, all with one thing on their minds – they want their river dredged, and they want it dredged now.

But even after a nearly three hour meeting with state legislators, mayors from the five towns surrounding the Shark River and a standing room only crowd, no solutions to the one remaining problem could be found – a site for the dredge materials to dry out.

Funding for dredging a portion of the Shark River, estimated at $1.7 million, will come from the Department of Transportation and a permanent site has been found for the dredge materials after they have been dewatered and desalinated.

To read the rest of the story get the June 18 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Students Blossom Into Gardeners

Coaster — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:47:46 +0000

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Fourth graders at the Summerfield School in Neptune this week tended to the vegetables and flowers they planted throughout the school year with all the enthusiasm and know-how of experienced gardeners.

Faith Eichenour, a student, said, “Planting a garden is hard work, but it’s really, really fun. I learned a lot of new things. It’s kinda cool because you earned it.”

To read the rest of the story get the June 18 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Rain Garden Proposed For Asbury Park Site Along Main Street

Coaster — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:34:02 +0000

By PAUL BOOTH
Asbury Park will have a rain garden at the corner of Main Street and Springwood Avenue, in the swale in front of the Transportation Center, if a proposal by the Master Gardeners of Monmouth County proceeds as scheduled.

The rain garden, which Master Gardener Kim Corbo Nuccio said could save half a million gallons of polluted storm water runoff from entering Wesley Lake annually, has the backing of the City Council and could be completed by the end of the summer.

To read the rest of this story get the May 14 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

250 Fish Moved from Sylvan Lake to Fletcher Lake

Coaster — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:10:41 +0000

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Over the last week members of the Bradley Beach Surf Casters, a fishing club, helped move approximately 250 fish from Sylvan Lake to Fletcher Lake.

Coaster Photo
Members of the Bradley Beach Surf Casters gather fish from Sylvan Lake which they then transported to Fletcher Lake in an effort to keep them safe.

Coaster Photo
Bradley Beach Borough Administrator Gail O’Reilly talks to Scott Christensen, a member of the Bradley Beach Surf Casters, about the removal of fish from Sylvan Lake last week. Police Officer Rafiq Abdul-Ghafur looks on.

To read the rest of this story get the April 30 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

New Signs Detail River Features

Coaster — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:59:33 +0000

By PAUL BOOTH
In a cooperative effort, the Neptune Environmental Commission, the Shark River Cleanup Coalition and the New Jersey Marine Sciences/New Jersey Sea Grant have teamed together to design, build and install five coastal educational signs along the Shark River in Neptune.

To read the rest of this story get the April 23 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Concern Over ‘Tree Massacre’ in Oakhurst

Coaster — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:19:50 +0000

By DON STINE
Oakhurst residents said another “tree massacre” occurred in Ocean Township last month and that a recently enacted tree-removal ordinance needs to be better enforced and have more teeth to prevent the clear-cutting of old-growth trees.

Dona Yasser, 241 Pinewood Ave., said a large lot across the street from her house was clear-cut of almost all trees last month over a three-day holiday weekend.

“It’s just a big, dirt bowl now,” she said at the Township Council meeting this week’

Yasser said she is an active supporter of the township’s recent tree ordinance enacted last year to curb the clear-cutting of old-growth trees, particularly in the Oakhurst section which has been hard-hit by such actions in recent years.

To read the rest of this story get the March 19 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.

Bradley Beach OKs Solar Panels on Borough Fire House

Coaster — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:07:45 +0000

By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
In two cost saving measures the Bradley Beach Borough Council approved the installation of solar panels on the fire house and OK’d an agreement with Neptune to contribute to the building of a salt dome.

Part of the funding of the solar panels comes from grant money, but the borough will benefit from the savings in energy costs.

Councilman Salvatore Galassetti said, “We’ve seen the difference in the rec center, not by money but by kilowatts. It’s the wave of the future, I think we really need to do this.”
To read the rest of this story get the Feb. 26 edition of The Coaster on your newsstand now.