The Mayor's Letter Re: the Snow

This message from Mayor McCormac was just published on The Woodbridge News, which is a township newsletter that can be found  HERE ...

A Message from Mayor McCormac

Thursday, 30 December 2010 20:38

I would like to thank Woodbridge Township residents for their patience and perseverance throughout the “Christmas 2010” snow storm that effectively paralyzed much of the state and the Middlesex County region. It is important to recognize that the National Weather Service reported that nearly 32 inches of snow fell in the Woodbridge area – more than three inches per hour throughout most of Sun., Dec. 26 and into Mon., Dec. 27. In addition to the record snowfall, steady winds gusting to 45 mph caused drifts of up to eight feet deep in some areas of the Township. I don’t think any Woodbridge resident would disagree that this storm will be remembered as the most severe winter snow storm in recent Woodbridge history.
It’s important that we take a look at all the factors that come together during an emergency storm event so we can truly understand and appreciate the “round-the-clock” efforts of the Township Department of Public Works and municipal employees from the many divisions and related public service agencies (the Department of Public Works, Sanitation, Streets, Sewer, Parks & Recreation, Office of Emergency Management, Woodbridge Police Department, and the various Woodbridge Fire, Ambulance and Emergency Service squads) that come together to effectively provide services during an emergency event. From noon on Sun., Dec. 26 to midnight on Mon., Dec. 27, the Woodbridge Emergency Dispatch Center received more than 1,000 calls from the public for emergency service including motor vehicle accidents, stuck, disabled and/or abandoned vehicles on major roadways, and medical-related emergencies. The Woodbridge Police Department responded to 112 motor vehicle accidents and 208 reports of abandoned/disabled vehicles; the Office of Emergency Management reported that Woodbridge Township Fire Departments and First Aid Units responded to 161 medical emergencies and more than 100 emergency calls for fire department service. The Woodbridge Auto Tow Unit responded to and towed 99 vehicles that were abandoned in the driving lanes of primary and secondary roadways which were blocking snow plow operations (no vehicles parked on snow emergency routes were towed or ticketed).
The Department of Public Works mobilized more than 130 municipal workers manning 80 plow trucks, 51 salt trucks, and 20 special equipment vehicles (rear end loaders, dozers, snow melter, and related heavy equipment). For more than 72 hours, the Department of Public Works operated 24/7 plowing primary, secondary, and neighborhood streets. It is important to remember that with more than 3 inches of snow falling per hour, the primary task remained keeping primary roadways open for public safety – police, fire and emergency ambulance service. In fact, every one of the more than 1,000 calls for service received a service response. It is also important to recognize that the Woodbridge Department of Public Works is not responsible for plowing state and county highways - Route 35 (Amboy Avenue), Route 1 and 9, and other principal roadways that traverse the Township. And, the Governor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police & Office of Emergency Management issued an Emergency Declaration restricting travel to essential personnel only.
As is true with any large-scale emergency event, there are always unexpected situations that impact our response. In this case, the Verizon telephone system that provides service to the Department of Public Works in Keasbey went “out-of-service,” which prevented residents from getting a direct connection to staff manning the phones at the main Public Works facility. We apologize for the loss of incoming and outgoing phone service and are working with Verizon to assure continued and uninterrupted service during future emergency events. In the meantime, resident calls for service were handled by the staff at the Mayor’s Office – every call was answered, logged, and if additional service was required, a priority response was issued to the Snow Emergency Dispatch Center.
It goes without saying that the Department of Public Works – supervisors, plow operators, drivers, and support staff – pulled yeoman service from Sunday through Wednesday, working to clear streets, thorofares, and municipal facilities of more than 32 inches of snow and accumulated drifts. While some residents may feel that the response was slow or ineffective - and we recognize that we can always improve on readiness and response – we can report that notwithstanding the incredible impact of this storm, every available resource was put in place and the emergency operations plan worked successfully. I would also like to recognize and thank the many Township residents, home and business owners that took time to go out and acknowledge our Public Works workers – in some instance, residents offered hot beverages to workers in support of their tireless efforts.
While every storm event is different, and requires a different response each and every time, we recognize that the plowing of streets is not always perfect, and that some streets may get overlooked. That’s why we will continue to look at the way we deliver emergency services during extreme circumstances. However, I think most everyone in the Township would agree that we have the most dedicated and knowledgeable Department of Public Works and public safety workers of any town in the state… more importantly, our residents, homeowners and business owners understand and appreciate that the Woodbridge Department of Public Works provides reliable, quality service every day of the year.
Respectfully,
John E. McCormac
Mayor Woodbridge Township

Banding Together Photos

I was at the Banding Together concert this evening, and had a great time! Everything went so well... they did a great job organizing the event. And it was the first time I've ever been in Royal Albert's Palace, what a nice place... really huge... perfect for an big event like this, and it was wonderful of the owner to donate the hall and even food for the night.

I can't say anything bad about the evening. Well, I didn't love ALL the music, but that's ok, I don't think I'm the target audience for most of those bands anyway. If I liked it I guess they'd figure they were doing something wrong. I enjoyed the JFK Faculty Band; it's a shame Mrs. Verrilli wasn't there, because she was supposed to be the lead singer. I heard she was ill; get well soon! But Ms. Kadets (and Mrs. Jacobsen) did an amazing job, as did all the musicians.

I didn't stay to the very end... I'm a little old for a night out after 10 PM... but here are a few photos from the evening. I hope you were there and had a good time!

What's it like in Iselin Today?

It's a beautiful day out there, although it's pretty darn snowy still!
I've been hearing a lot of people complaining about the roads not being plowed very well.
Well, yeah, but it is a LOT of snow. It's gonna take a while to get it all cleared, isn't it? This is a photo of Benjamin Avenue, this afternoon. It's reasonably clear, but it's a pretty main road. The side roads are at best snowy or slushy and at worse still completely impassible. And tonight, when everything goes back to ice, it is going to be VERY slippery.

I drove over to Walmart in Woodbridge, and the main roads were a little bit clear, but not completely. A lot of lanes were still closed and blocked by snow. And I had a little trouble in my little car, trying to see over the snow banks!

The traffic this afternoon was HORRENDOUS! The fewer lanes made it much more congested. I saw a guy with a snowblower dumping snow from his sidewalk onto a previously plowed street, and a lady talking on the phone instead of paying attention to where she was driving. None of that helps the traffic situation!

Another thing that bothers me... all of the people who complain all year long that our taxes are too high, and then complain when the winter comes that the streets aren't plowed fast enough. Some of our taxes are used to pay public works employees to be available to plow, and some of our taxes are used to pay for the repair, maintenance, and upgrading of our municipal plows. When you tell your local government to cut costs, these are some of the places they cut. You don't get to have it both ways.

Anyway... that's my opinion on the weather and traffic in Iselin!

My Shoveling Snow Video

This is how much snow I got here in Iselin...

Banding Together Concert Information

Have you marked your calendar yet? The Banding Together concert will be held on Wednesday, December 29th, from 6:00 to 10:00 PM, at Royal Albert’s Palace, located at 1050 King George Post Rd. Fords NJ. Believe me, you WANT to be there, because it’s gonna be a lot of fun and for a very good cause!

If you haven’t gotten your ticket, don’t worry, because tickets WILL be sold at the door. It’s a $10 entry fee – but bring extra money for raffles, 50/50, or to buy water, pretzels or candy.

Kim Burkhardt, Joelle Slossberg and Jill Farkas, of Transitions Salon on St. George Avenue, have been working hard to put the event together. Mostly everything has been donated, and ALL proceeds from this event will go to the Pallino family. “The concert began as Alex Farkas’ idea,” explained Kim Burkhardt. (Alex is lead singer of Marilyn Is Dead.) “Banding Together was started for Donna, and ALL proceeds will go to her,” Kim continued, “However, this has been so great to be involved in, we may want to keep the foundation going and maybe help other families too. But right now, it’s all about the Pallinos.”

Donna Nier Pallino, a long-time resident of Iselin, was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer right before the holidays. Donna, a Woodbridge Township Crossing Guard and an employee of A&P, has three children. Along with her husband, Armand, Donna has been a very helpful, giving and active member of the Iselin community for many years.

Announcing the long awaited and much anticipated Banding Together line-up
The bands performing will be:
Life After Me…Delusions…JFK Faculty Band…Extra Innings…Fairfield…He is Misery… Marilyn Is Dead

The following is an updated list of prizes to be raffled off on the night of the event. Tickets can be purchased at the concert.

D'Italia Restaurant Gift Certificate $100.00
Costello's Restaurant Gift Certificate $50.00
Goddess Boutique Gift Certificate $20.00
Ducoff Tuxedos (Free Tux Rental)
Friendly Nails Gift Certificate $20.00
Vito Mazza Gift Basket (valued at $200.00)
Dominic's Italian Restaurant Gift Certificate $50.00
Bellini's Italian Restaurant Gift Certificate $15.00
Vatra Beauty Supply Gift Certificate $50.00
Shannon Rose Irish Pub Gift Certificate $25.00
Carvel Ice Cream Gift Card $10.00
Victoria Secret Gift Card $50.00
Sandwich Station Gift Card $10.00
Free Photo Session with Taria Reed Photography (valued at $100.00)
Dunkin Donuts Gift Card $30.00
Big Kids Sports (Free Saltwater Charter Boat Fishing valued at $750.00).
American Eagle Outfitters Gift Card $25.00
JC Penny Gift Card $25.00
Macy's Gift Card $35.00
Villa Gennaro Italian Restaurant Gift Card $25.00
Sherry Amour Family Salon of Sewaren $25.00
Sherry Amour Family Salon of Sewaren $25.00
Target Gift Card $20.00
Macy's Gift Card $25.00
I Tunes Gift Card $60.00
I Tunes Gift Card $30.00
I Tunes Gift Card $25.00
Best Buy Gift Card $25.00
Best Buy Gift Card $25.00
Visa Gift Card to Jersey Gardens Mall $25.00

*** UPDATE!!!***
Lunch With A Soap Opera Star / Actor

Win Lunch with Ronnie Marmo Soap Opera Actor from General Hospital "Ronnie Dimestico", Movie and Stage Actor, Producer, Writer, and Director.

Ronnie Marmo is a local boy from Woodbridge, New Jersey. He is a successful screen, stage, and television actor. Ronnie continues to keep ties with the Woodbridge Community. He has graciously offered to help the Banding Together Foundation by having lunch with a fan.

The Winner and up to 4 guests will join Ronnie Marmo at D'Italia's Restaurant in Avenel, New Jersey for a lunch filled with interesting insight as to being an actor on television.

The prize will be in 2011.

Will it Blizzard in Iselin?

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***UPDATE*** -- the answer to that question is YES!!! Stay home and cozy! It's blowing and drifting quite a bit, so it's hard to tell exactly - but my son went out with a tape measure and figures it's 20 inches already at least. The winds are gusting at 30 mph already, and they are supposed to get stronger as the night goes on.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Philadelphia, PA
8:35 pm EST, Sat., Dec. 25, 2010

... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM SUNDAY TO 1 PM EST MONDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM SUNDAY TO 1 PM EST MONDAY.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE: SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS: TWELVE TO EIGHTEEN INCHES.

* TIMING: BEGINNING SUNDAY MORNING ENDING BY DAWN MONDAY. THE GREATEST INTENSITY WILL BE NOON SUNDAY UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

* IMPACTS: TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS DUE TO SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE EXPECTED WITH GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

* WINDS: NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 40 MPH EXPECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Mass Schedule for St. Cecelia's in Iselin

I happened to notice that a few people were looking for St. Cecelia's Mass Schedule for Christmas. I called a friend of mine who's a faithful member, and this is what she told me:

Today - Christmas Eve -
4:30 Mass - MUST HAVE TICKETS TO ENTER
6:00 Mass
Midnight Mass - Begins at 11:30 with Christmas Carols - (and expect to be out very late; my friend said she thinks it can run to 1:30 - 1:45 AM)

Tomorrow - Christmas Day -
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
11:30 AM

(No 7:00 AM or 5:00 PM Mass on Christmas Day.)

A New Video from Green Street!!!

Happy Holidays to all!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Here is the display from the front of the Iselin Knights of Columbus! :)

It was a windy night last night, I guess, because the wise men had blown over. I didn't touch anything... I actually kinda like the look. Nothing blocking Mary and Joseph. It made me think about something I'd read, about ancient kings insisting that no one stand tall above the King. And if the King is in a manger on the ground, everyone else would need to be bowing very low. So that is what this made me think of... it seems appropriate.

Tonight isn't the night that the Wise Men from the East would have arrived, but it is the night Jesus would have arrived. In Iselin, it's a night to visit family and friends, and maybe go to midnight Mass at St. Cecelia's. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!

Christmas Lights on Christmas Eve Eve

Don't you love Christmas Lights? These lights are by the railroad underpass on Green Street. Noll Brothers Towing put them up, I guess, because they have a sign right in the middle. I think it's great that the Noll Brothers did such a beautiful job landscaping this corner. Merry Christmas Eve's Eve!

Iselin Christmas Lights, brought to you by NBT

"Banding Together" for an Iselin-ite

Iselin-ite? Is that what you call someone from Iselin?

Someone who grew up here, and still lives here with her own family?

I guess that's the right word.

So, what exactly IS Banding Together?

Aside from being THE social event of Iselin for the holiday season?

THE place to be?

It's a Benefit Concert for Donna Nier Pallino... (the Iselin-ite) to support her as she battles cancer. 

(When I took this picture of Donna last spring, I told her I wanted to put her on my blog some day, and she said it was fine with her.  We never imagined that this would be the reason.) 

Take my word for it - it's a worthy cause. This is a wonderful, hometown family who's just hit a patch of bad luck. Donna has been a crossing guard for years. She and her husband have both been active volunteers in town... I met her when she was a den mother for Cub Scouts, and she and her husband worked hard for the Iselin Athletic Association Little League. They have three wonderful kids. The whole situation reminds me a little of "It's a Wonderful Life" because when a really great family needs just a little help and encouragement... and here it is, the holiday season... the whole community, a better community because of the Pallino's part in it, will pull together to show that they care.

The concert will take place Wednesday, December 29 · 6:00pm - 10:00pm, at Royal Albert's Palace, which is located at 1050 King George Post Road in Fords NJ. Royal Albert's Palace is ALWAYS doing good deeds of this kind. Tickets are on sale now at Transition Salon, located at 1148 St. Georges Avenue in Avenel.

Headlining will be a local band, Marilyn is Dead. If you are a teen in Iselin you've probably heard of them. Also appearing will be Fairfield. Best of all, in my opinion? the JFK Faculty is putting together a band... and I can bet that these people are gonna be amazing, because I've heard a lot of them play. THAT, right there, will be the adult portion of the evening, and I'm hoping it's the opening act. More bands may be announced in the near future.

I got all this information from the Facebook page made up for the event. If you are on Facebook, you can do a search for "Banding Together" and you'll probably find it too.

Donations, going directly to the Pallino family, can be made to "Banding Together Foundation." They can be dropped off or mailed to JFK Memorial High School 200 Washington Ave. Iselin NJ 08830 or mailed to 56 Dewitt Ter. Colonia NJ 07067, or Transition Salon 1148 St. Georges Ave. Avenel NJ 07001. All donations will go directly to the Pallino Family through the Banding Together Foundation. Tax ID #27-4151356. All donations can be a tax deduction. If you leave your name and address with the donation a receipt will be mailed to you for your records. Thanks everyone, and we'll see ya there!

Happy Hanukkah

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From Wikipedia:

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה‎, Tiberian: Ḥănukkāh, nowadays usually spelled חנוכה pronounced [χanuˈka] in Modern Hebrew, also romanized as Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. The typical Menorah consists of 9 branches. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש, "attendant" or "sexton")[1] is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others.

Happy Hanukkah to all!

Angel PAWS Inundated with Adoption Returns

Photo of  "Peeps" from Petfinder.com

Angel PAWS, located at 490 Inman Ave in Colonia, has recently experienced a high rate of returns on cats that have been previously adopted. Those cats, along with some recent rescues and cats that have been in the shelter for a while, have left no room for any more rescues. Finances are extremely tight right now and donations are down. Many of the returns are a result of their owners being unable to care for their cats due to the cost of vet care, food and supplies. Others have been returned due to owner deaths. Angel PAWS is hoping that there are people out there who will read about some of the cats profiled in this article and will come in to apply to adopt these wonderful cats.

There are so many cats, and so many sad stories.  The many cats at Angel PAWS are waiting for their forever homes. Please stop in during our public hours to see our cats. We are open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

All cats in this article can be viewed on Petfinder.

Holiday Cookies and Cans

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The Colonia Corner Newspaper, the Colonia VFW and the
Colonia Sons of the American Legion Post 248, cordially invite you
to an evening of giving this holiday season.

Your price of admission to this special community event is four
dozen homemade cookies and one dozen cans/ items of food (nonperishable).

Each person attending will get to select two dozen
assorted cookies to bring home to their families (containers will be
provided).

Please bring two dozen cookies, to be traded, in a
disposable container or platter. Please bring the other two dozen in a
ziploc/disposable container. These cookies will be shipped out
overseas to our “Hometown Heroes” stationed in foreign lands this
holiday season and will also be delivered to our local Senior
Citizens. Canned and non-perishable food will be donated to our
Woodbridge Township food pantries to be distributed to local
families in need.

What better way to give of yourself this holiday season than
to come together and share a night together as we support our troops
and help feed the hungry. Light appetizers will be served and a cash bar is available.

When: Wednesday, December 8th, 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm
Where: VFW Post 6061, Inman Avenue, Colonia
For more information, please call Debbie @ 732-382-0273, Ed Wagner @ 732-407-3517,
Tom Murphy @ 732-388-2069 or reply to coloniacorner@comcast.net.
RSVP IS SUGGESTED.

BELIEVE Benefit for Eric LeGrand

Today at 12:00pm through 3:00am, Big Shots Sports Bar in Iselin will be holding a benefit for Eric LeGrand, the Rutgers football player who was seriously injured during a game.

The benefit will be held at BIG SHOTS SPORTS BAR which is located at
780 ROUTE 1 NORTH, Iselin, NJ. For more information, you can call 732-750-5050.

For a $20 DONATION, there will be FOOD, DRINK SPECIALS, DOOR PRIZES, LIVE MUSIC BY J.R.S. & DJ DAVIS G, and a great time for everyone!

100 % of the proceeds will be donated to the "ERIC LEGRAND BELIEVE FUND."


Or, IF YOU WISH TO MAKE A DONATION DIRECTLY.....

"ERIC LEGRAND BELIEVE FUND"
PNC WEALTH MANAGEMENT
ATTN: KIMBERLY G KINGSLAND, SENIOR TRUST ADVISER
ONE PALMER SQUARE SUITE 201
PRINCETON, NJ 08542

Venture Crew 125 Awards Ceremony

An Awards Ceremony was held by Venture Crew 125 today at the Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad in Iselin. Honored at the ceremony, Dana Spinks and Dale Temple both received two Bronze Awards, and Glynne Temple was awarded both the Gold Award and the Silver Award. Mayor McCormac was on hand to present special certificates to the honorees, and Ambulance Squad Chief Edward Barrett also made a presentation.

From Left - Crew President Brianne Tumblety; Dana Spinks; Mayor McCormac; Dale Temple; and Glynne Temple.

Venturing is a co-ed Scouting program for youth aged 14 to 21. The program is planned and organized by the youth themselves, with guidance from adult advisers, so each Venture Crew can have a highly individualized program based on the interests of the kids involved. Crew 125 is primarily an outdoors-oriented crew. Their activities have range from camping, backpacking, hiking, and canoeing, to rock climbing and target shooting. Fundamental to the Venturing program is leadership training and community involvement; Crew 125 has run several leadership courses and has been active in a variety of charitable activities.

The Silver Award is the highest award that can be earned in Venturing, and could be considered similar to the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts.

Chief Edward Barrett presents Glynne Temple an award from the Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad.

glitter-graphics.com

Believe

A reader asked about the Eric LeGrand "Believe" shirts... I looked online and found this video:


This link goes to the story, and it's the same place I found this video.

A sad day in Iselin, NJ

 

Unfortunately, JFK lost the football game today, 13 - 12. It was a really close game, but you know what they say - close only matters in horseshoes. :(
It was still a good season, guys! Better luck next year!

Kennedy Mustangs Football Playoff Game Today!

Today at 1:00 PM, the John F. Kennedy Mustangs Football team will play Round 1 of the NJSIAA Playoffs, North Jersey 2, Group 3.

They'll be playing at home, against Rahway. It's gonna be a "whiteout" game, so all of the Mustang supporters are asked to wear white!

It's gonna be a beautiful day for some football... get there and support our boys!

For more information on the Mustang's season, visit their websiteHERE.

Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad Flag Ceremony

(Photo from the Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad)

This morning at 11:00 AM, a ceremony was held at the Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad building here in Iselin to dedicate the flag poles. They were dedicated in honor of a former squad member who was also a veteran, and it was appropriate that today was the dedication ceremony, as today is also the parade in honor of Veterans here in Woodbridge Township.

For more information about the Squad, you can go to their website HERE.

The ceremony was brief, but very lovely. I'm pretty sure that the township will be putting up a video, and when they do, I'll link it here. Now, everyone is off to the Veteran's Parade on Main Street in Woodbridge. It's a beautiful day for a parade!

Happy Diwali!

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Today marks the celebration of Diwali, a bright and shiny festival of lights brought to us from India.

The following essay was taken from Diwalifestival.org, which you can see if you go here:

Know Diwali

Diwali is one of the most popular festival of India and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor throughout the country. The delight of this festival is is reflected in the soft glow of Diwali lights, Diwali Gifts and the colorful Diwali fireworks. It is also known as the 'Festival of lights' which is celebrated by all age groups with great fervor and gaiety. The festival symbolizes unity in diversity as every state celebrates it in its own special way. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.

Deepawali, like other Indian festivals, signifies many different things to people across the country. On this auspicious day, North India celebrates Rama's homecoming, that is his return to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king. In gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. In West Bengal, Diwali is associated with the goddess Kali. In every region, the festival signifies the renewal of life, and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of the festival. This festival also heralds the approach of winter and the beginning of the sowing season.

Some family celebrate this festival with religious fast and other rituals while for others it is primarily a social occasion with visiting relatives and friends, exchange of sweets and food items, and a time of giving and receiving new clothes or utensils for the year. Every region and family has its own way to celebrate this festival of Deewali.

Indian merchants begin their fiscal year at this time and are particularly interested in attracting the good graces of the Goddess. Similarly, gambling is a favourite past time during this festival because it is believed that the winner will have financial success during the year. Some families keep a special box for Goddess Laxmi and drop a silver or gold coin.

Autumn Break

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood - cold, clear, sunshiney, and the leaves have changed colors and the trees look beautiful. Yesterday was Halloween, but I didn't get anywhere near as many trick-or-treaters as I have in years past. Maybe everyone went to the mall? Well, today is a Monday, but the public schools are closed this week for Autumn Break, so it feels like a Saturday morning to me! Enjoy your day, and try to get out and take a look at the leaves before they all fall off the trees!

Starlings in Iselin

I love seeing the starlings fly through Iselin... I think it is such a joyful sight, for some reason!

Fall is well underway. The weather was freakishly warm for a few days, but the cool weather has snapped back into place. It should be a nice brisk weekend to celebrate Halloween, I'm hoping.

Mischief Night is Saturday Night. I'm hoping that there isn't too much mischief happening, but in past years, eggs have been thrown at houses and cars, windows have been soaped, and trees have been tp'd - toilet papered. I'll be watching out my window and trying to keep my teenagers in the house where they won't get into any trouble!

Halloween is Sunday. I haven't gone "Trick or Treating" for several years, because my kids are too old to need me for that any more. I am hoping a friend will be visiting, though, and I can go around the neighborhood with her little girls. The girls will be wearing costumes representing characters on their favorite TV shows. I'm going to be a cowgirl... I love to dress up!
I think we're going to "Trick or Treat" about 1:00 - I hope that's not too early?
And if you stop by my house, we'll be giving out a variety of candy like tootsie rolls and lollipops, and spider rings... probably in a bowl on the front patio, with the honor system... so please, be honorable and not greedy!

Fall is about to pop!

 It's been green for so long, but there is a chill in the air... and as nice as the weather may be, Autumn is here. Today was the first day that I really SAW the changing colors. The sun is pretty golden right now. It's beautiful around Iselin this time of year.

It won't be patio weather much longer...

Thoughts and Prayers for Eric LeGrand

Eric is a local kid -- I think he was from Avenel and not Iselin-- and he played football for Colonia High School before he played for Rutgers. This weekend, while playing football for the Scarlet Knights, he suffered a serious injury.

From the Facebook page "Thoughts and prayers for Eric LeGrand":

(This weekend,) a Rutgers victory was overshadowed by what was a frightening injury to Eric LeGrand. He suffered a neck injury make a tackle on a kickoff late in the 4th quarter today against Army, and remained motionless on the field for over 5 minutes before he was carted off on a stretcher. The reports do not sound promising, and we ask that you keep Eric in your thoughts.

Rutgers has put up a website for anyone who wants to send a Get Well message to Eric. It can be reached HERE. A news release issued by Rutgers, yesterday, on that same site, said:

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (October 17, 2010) - Rutgers junior defensive tackle Eric LeGrand (Avenel, N.J.) suffered a spinal cord injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game vs. Army. The injury was at the C3-C4 level and emergency surgery was performed by doctors throughout the night at Hackensack University Medical Center to stabilize the spine.

“We want to say thank you to everyone for all of your prayers, kind words, and well wishes,” the LeGrand family said. “We appreciate every single thought. Eric is in good spirits and we are praying for a full recovery.”

Eric is resting in the intensive care unit at Hackensack University Medical Center and will remain there for the near future. Currently, he has no movement below the neck.

“Eric, his family and the Rutgers Football family believe he will recover,” said Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano. “We ask our fans and the entire Rutgers community to believe and pray for Eric as he begins the recovery process.”

Football Homecoming

Today is the JFK Homecoming Football game... JFK plays Colonia High School at 1:00 pm, at Kennedy. It's not too late to get over there and watch our Mustangs!

Back in the Woods

Hi, all! Long time, no see, huh? Well, it's been busy around here lately. I haven't been sitting at the computer enough to put two words together... and the time that I do spend on the computer is usually spent on Facebook. (Sorry.) BUT anyway, here's a bizarre photo for you, that I took here in Iselin...

 

Looks kinda like a Weird NJ site, doesn't it? Well, it's not. Although I think I could make up a crazy story and hype it and we would attract plenty of bored teenagers.

The husband and I like to hike... and we hiked back in the woods... and this is what we found.

Anyone have any guesses? I have my own ideas about how and why these mounds got here. But I'd rather hear what you have to say. Leave me a comment. And I'm also wondering - do you think that it matters? They made me very uncomfortable. But really, I wonder, what difference do they make? Weird, yes. Problem? I guess not... give me your thoughts on this! :D

 

I know, it's been a while

Busy busy busy! I haven't been writing lately. But I'll be back. Soon. I hope.

Go Giants!

I hear that today is the opening day for the Iselin Giants.
Go Giants! Go Cheerleaders!

Great video about Old Time Iselin! :)

A person on Facebook, known as "Green Street", created this wonderful video. Who do you recognize??

JFK High School - Summer Information Packet

Every year, if your child is going to JFK High School, you get a large envelope in the mail with about 20 papers (emergency information forms, etc) - including the paper that tells you which homeroom your child will be in.

This year, you won't be getting that in the mail. Instead, it's available on line, and you have to print it out yourself, fill it out and hand it in.

Here is where you can find it...
and if you are interested, the homerooms are listed on page 2 of the document.

Avenel's sculpture

Avenel isn't Iselin, of course, but it's our neighbor... and as one of the 10 towns in Woodbridge Township, I can't wait to see what he puts up for Iselin... and where he puts it!

Rise of The Smoke Eater from James Jeon on Vimeo.

Good morning, glory!

After all of those hot sunny days all summer, we've had a few days of cool temperatures and rain showers. It seemed very weird, and it's been a while since we've seen the sun. But it's a lovely morning!

 

Rain Again? :)

 
It's kinda news, I think, that it's raining again in Iselin today. It's been so dry for so long, I forgot what a rainy day feels like. Maybe I've just been away every time it's rained around here? Well, I'm back. And I can use a good rain day today; maybe it'll force me to sit inside and clean. Or... maybe not... I can always find an excuse, can't I?

The Garden is Working

It seemed like it took a while to really get going, but it's going full swing now!
In spite of very little rain this year, the garden is doing fine. Jersey tomatoes by the basketfull!
Lots of zuchini, too - I plan on grilling it and baking zuchini bread today -
and enough stringbeans for dinner, although I must say that considering the size of the stringbean plants, I'm not overly impressed with the number of stringbeans I'm getting.

I remember hearing that NJ is the Garden State because of the little gardens all over.
Mine is really little, but doing fine!

At Sundown on August 11th, in North America, Muslims will celebrate Ramadan.
It is a very interesting holiday... I found this video on the History Channel, which explains it.
History of Ramadan — History.com Video
According to When-is .com,

Ramadan in 2010 will start on Wednesday, the 11th of August and will continue for 30 days until Thursday, the 9th of September.

Based on sightability in North America, in 2010 Ramadan will start in North America a day later - on Thursday, the 12th of August.

Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Ramadan on the sunset of Tuesday, the 10th of August.

Although Ramadan is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. This difference means Ramadan moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The date of Ramadan may also vary from country to country depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

The dates provided here are based on the dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America for the celebration of Ramadan. Note that these dates are based on astronomical calculations to affirm each date, and not on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked eyes. This approach is accepted by many, but is still being hotly debated.

If you are celebrating Ramadan this year,

glitter-graphics.com

It's pretty crunchy out.

We
really
could
use
a
little
rain
around
here.

(Not
a flood...
just
a few
nice
showers.
Thanks.)