Know Before You Grow

NJ fertilizer law protects waterways from chemical runoff

With spring now here, it's time to remember a law passed in January 2011 that regulates fertilizer use by both homeowners and professionals to protect the environment. By controlling the amount and types of fertilizers applied to greens state-wide, the law protects the ecological health of our state's inland and coastal waters in general and Barnegat Bay in particular.  Here's why the law is needed: the overuse of nitrogen and phosphorus in chemical lawn care fertilizers is fast food for grass but toxic for river and oceans. The run-off of these chemicals into water sources causes algae overgrowth — known as eutrophication — to the detriment of the rest of the eco-system.  In essence, Barnegat Bay is slowing choking to death on the …

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Greening Up Pet Ownership

Tips for reducing your pet's carbon pawprint

Now let's go to the dogs (and cats) and talk about ways to make pet ownership a little "greener." Get a recycled pet: Consider pet adoption as your first choice. Here's a Petfinder.com list of local animal shelters. Be counted:  A current license ensures that dogs are up-to-state on state-required rabies vaccinations and can help get a lost pet home faster. Rabies is a fatal disease to humans, so preventing it is a very green choice. Spay and neuter: Between three and four million homeless dogs and cats are euthanized each year, according to the ASPCA. Spaying and neutering is an essential part of controlling population numbers and reducing the strain on pet rescue and adoption resources.   Manage the unmentionables: No one's favorite …

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Editor's Notebook: Expert's Tips for Thrifting

A thrift shop expert declares NJ a shopping and saving mecca

When I found $20 on the sidewalk, I thought of Jenny DeMaio. The best-dressed girl in my high school, Jenny has moved to the area, and I ran into her recently. Even after nearly 25 years, I remembered and mentioned her sense of style. “And I did it on a dime,” she said, laughing.  I was skeptical. “No, really,” she said. “I remain the queen of thrift store shopping. Give me an afternoon and twenty bucks and I’ll prove it to you.” With the newfound $20 in my hand, I called Jenny and we made a date. Over the course of the afternoon, she shared thrift-shopping tips.   New Jersey is “thrift store Mecca,” says Jenny, as we set out for a thrift store.  Not Manhattan, I wondered. “No,” explains Jenny. “In New Jersey, thrift stores are often large…

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Deer Contraceptives – It's All About the Math

Hilltop Conservancy Treasurer Theresa Trapp pens Letter to the Editor regarding county deer hunt.

  Essex County’s 2013 deer hunt has come to a close, once again removing many of this over-abundant species from our reservations (Hilltop – 61, South Mountain – 43). Contrary to naysayers, deer have not become extinct because of the program, and there are small signs that our nature preserves are beginning to recover from decades of browse damage. Contraceptives are sometimes proposed as an alternative to hunting. However, we need to acknowledge that non-lethal methods to control deer populations would involve significant investment of taxpayer dollars, particularly immuno-contraception (e.g., GonaCon). Each GonaCon inoculation costs more than $1,000 per dose (including locating, immobilizing, inoculating and collaring). In addition, each…

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Fiscal Cliff on Brink Thanks to Divided Government

U.S. needs a genuine third party to deal with this and other issues.

Looking back from this point, the last year seems to have been filled with misery and grief: the Newtown mass shooting that killed 20 children, Superstorm Sandy and the devastation she brought, the Aurora theater shooting. Locally, there have teen suicides that touched several communities. Longtime businesses have shut their doors or announced their closings. Many in red Northwest Jersey probably viewed the re-election of President Barack Obama as bad news, as well. So perhaps it is appropriate that the nation spends the last hours of 2012 teetering on the edge of the so-called "fiscal cliff." Part of what led us to the cliff was well-intentioned: A bill designed to reduce the federal deficit. The other main problem was beneficial to …

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Dan Grant

4:34 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013

Hookerman, Edward is just in his own little bubble and the fact that the Constitution was written and ratified to "Form a More Perfect Union" is a concept he can't grasp.   more ›

It's Time to Track Santa

We can follow Santa Claus on his global voyage.

School’s out, the sleigh is packed, and local kids are counting down to Santa’s arrival. But no need to wonder where he is; the official NORAD Santa Tracker uses the “Santa Cam” to show global images of Santa Claus’s journey around the globe. Not only that, but the tracker will keep count of the snacks left out for Santa throughout his journey. For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight. NORAD is a bi-national U.S./Canadian military organization responsible for aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning in the defense of North America. Santa Tracker is an entirely volunteer project, where employees give of their time to follow Santa. The …

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Is It Too Soon for Christmas Shopping?

It's not even Halloween yet and some stores are already putting up Christmas decorations. Is it too soon to deck the halls or are you ready for the 2012 Holiday Season to begin?

It's an annual question for merchants and shoppers: How soon is too soon to deck the malls and shopping centers for the Christmas holiday season? Some stores have already begun the process. Christmas music, decorations and layaway ads can already been seen in the shopping aisle at local stores. Halloween decorations still dominate, but signs of Christmas are already creeping in. So what do you think? When is too early for the Christmas shopping season to begin? Do the decorations and Christmas ads entice you to buy early or make you grit your teeth and wish for more time before the holiday rush begins? 

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OPINION: Sprinklers Needed in More Homes

Pending legislation would require more widespread use

Submitted by David Kurasz A family of six was forced to jump from the third floor window of their apartment building in Newark to escape an early morning blaze, caused by an unattended bathroom candle, on Oct. 3. Billowing smoke and quick-moving flames blocked all other exits, as neighbors and bystanders tried to catch the falling children. The 39-year-old woman and her five children, ranging from six to 17 years of age, were taken to the hospital, but were listed in stable condition. Thanks to courageous citizens who leapt into action, and firefighters who extinguished the blaze in less than 30 minutes, no one was seriously injured. This tragic property loss and injuries could have been prevented. Properly installed and maintained fire …

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Pack a Lunch With a Healthy Punch

This mom around town is planning back to school lunches and has some tips to share.

Back-to-school means back-to-packing lunches. Yikes! I have such a hard time coming up with new ideas.  Peanut butter and jelly gets boring. Nutella has been a great backup, especially paired with some strawberries, but that gets old too. Regardless, both options will be in my pantry for busy mornings but I need some more interesting solutions. Do you have any good lunch box ideas? I asked around and some other moms shared their tips with me. Elise S., a Cinnaminson mom of two, told me how she brightens up peanut butter and jelly or tuna sandwiches with a little trick. “I sometimes cut them into different shapes with cookie cutters or use a little gadget that cuts the sandwich into a circle with no crusts.” Kids love the “no crust” …

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Gov. Christie Has Failed to Bring Jobs to N.J.

The bottom line is that Christie’s corporate welfare does nothing for small businesses like mine, but serves up a big helping of future debt to New Jersey taxpayers

There is a reason Governor Christie is not touting the "NJ Comeback" in his speech tonight.  Governor Christie's policies have failed to bring jobs back to NJ after the recession, and conditions for the middle class continue to worsen.  Under his leadership, New Jersey was one of only six states last year with an economy that did not grow.  Our unemployment rate is 9.8% - the fourth highest in the nation, and the highest rate for the state since 1977.   As a small business owner, I know it is impossible to grow and create new jobs when the middle class is hurting- the strength of small businesses like mine is tied to a strong middle class.  When the middle class suffers, small businesses suffer, too.  We thrive when our communities thrive…

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