Saturday Night Music

Make your plans NOW for FIREWORKS on TUESDAY!

Countdown to the LEAP SECOND!

Everyone has heard of leap year - when a day is added to our calendar, once every four years. But have you heard of LEAP SECOND? And -- did you know that TODAY is Leap Second Day?

You can read all about it, HERE, on Time and Date.com. Leap seconds happen about every year and a half or so. How exciting! A whole extra second - thank goodness it's added today, Saturday, instead of a Monday or something!

The Quote of the Day

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people.  

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

From Quotegarden.com

The Quote of the Day

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. 

 ~Sam Keen

Friday Night Music... from Hoppermusic

Hoppermusic uploaded this video onto YouTube from the concert at Parker Press on Wednesday... some SERIOUSLY good music in Woodbridge!

Just one more update on Karen the Bus Driver

UPDATE on Karen the Bus Monitor

-- Did you see how much her fund has grown?  It's almost at $500,000!  How exciting is that?  And there is still 29 days to go! 

-- On the fundraising site, the school that the students went to is clearly identified, along with their web site information.  I clicked over to the school's web site, and found this statement from the school, which I feel is thoughtful and worth reading:

Updated District Response to YouTube Video
The Greece Central School District has been touched by the outpouring of support for Karen and we share the country’s outrage over the behavior displayed on the videos. We are deeply sorry that Karen was subjected to that kind of treatment.
Based on our internal investigation, and the interviews conducted by members of the Greece Police Department, we have identified four Athena Middle School students as participants in the incident. Certainly the behavior of the students on the video is a clear violation of our district’s Code of Conduct and will not be tolerated. Disciplinary action to the fullest extent appropriate under New York Education Law will be taken against all involved. However, as we stated yesterday, it is not appropriate for the district to discuss the specific disciplinary consequences that will result for any individual student.

I need to stress that we have a specific process that we must follow before imposing discipline on students. Discipline for public school students in New York State is handled under specific procedures set forth in the New York Education law. In the event that a district is seeking a suspension of more than five days, the district must prove the student’s violation of its Code of Conduct in a due process hearing before a hearing officer. If the student is found guilty, the hearing officer makes a recommendation for an appropriate period of suspension to the superintendent of schools. Each case is determined based upon the actions engaged in by the student as well as consideration of a student’s prior disciplinary record.

As is shown by this unfortunate incident, bullying is not a new issue to those who work in schools. The Greece Central School District has a strong bullying prevention model that includes a district response team, training programs for staff and students including the Olweus Bullying Program, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and a Bullying Reporting Process. In March, we also hired a special counselor to train all staff in bullying prevention models. In fact, she is holding a previously scheduled training for administrators as we speak.

The behaviors displayed on this video are not representative of all Greece Central students and this is certainly not what we would like our students to be known for. We have worked very hard to educate students on the damaging impact of bullying and will continue to do so.

We have received thousands of phone calls and emails from people across the country wanting to convey their thoughts. People are outraged by what has happened and they feel the students should be punished. While we agree that discipline is warranted, we cannot condone the kind of vigilante justice some people are calling for. This is just another form of bullying and cannot be tolerated.

We all need to take a step back and look at how we treat each other. It is our job as educators and parents to teach children and lead by example. We encourage parents to use this as a springboard to begin a dialogue with their children about bullying, respect and consequences. As a school community, we will continue to take the lead in bullying education and we encourage all students and employees subjected to bullying and harassment to report it as soon as it occurs and to take a stand if they are witness to bullying in their lives.

The whole thing shows how a mob mentality can take over - these kids are probably pretty normal, typically thoughtless kids who let themselves be swept away by "wanting to look cool." I can't imagine how upset their families are. If they really ARE this cruel as a matter of every day behavior, then their families may need to consider psychological treatment along with the punishments...

Congratulations Graduates!Graduation Celebration Music

and here's a little more celebration music I found on Youtube - not local kids, but really talented!

Share some Love for Karen the bus monitorwho was a victim of bullying!

Did you hear about the middle school kids, bullying a bus monitor?  (No, not here in Iselin - in New York.)

I've started seeing it all over the internet, and I thought I would share it with you too. With the idea that we should ALL send her a few dollars, and let the poor woman retire.

This is what I read, on the Indiegogo site:

This is a video of a 68-year-old bus monitor named Karen being verbally harassed by a group of middle schoolers on their way home from Athena Middle School in Greece, New York. Throughout the ten minute video, you can hear the kids verbally berate the woman, calling her a bitch, fatass, poor, ugly, and various other words of the like. At one point in the video, you can hear one of the kids yell, “You’re so fuckin poor you fat ass,” in which Karen responds, “I try to live by some of these words, I try and it’s really hard,” referring to the words on her purse. Now, I don’t know about you, but that broke my fucking heart. There’s even a point in the video where one of the kids touches Karen’s arm in an attempt to make fun of her. I’m not sure why these kids would want to bully a senior citizen to tears, but I feel we should do something, or at least try.


She doesn't earn nearly enough ($15,506) to deal with some of the trash she is surrounded by. Lets give her something she will never forget, a vacation of a lifetime!

Again - this did NOT happen in Iselin or anywhere in New Jersey. However, you could imagine it happening anywhere. Bullying is a big issue right now; and don't think it is only kids bullying other kids. This video shows a whole different side to the problem -- elder abuse.



It is a horrible video. I doubt you can watch much of it without crying -- I couldn't. Can you imagine a senior citizen, 68 years old, making less than $16,000 a year, and forced to put up with this kind of abuse?

And yet, she handles it remarkably well. She just sits calmly - crying a little - and waits for the ride to be over. She doesn't lash out, scream at the kids. Heck, if it wasn't for one of the kids taking a video - did they think people would think they were funny? - no one may have ever known this was happening!


 


Watch the video. Then, maybe, send a few dollars by clicking on the box above.

AND - one more thing.  Talk to your kids about bullying.  Make them watch this video too.  Talk to them about being strong enough to not go along with the mob mentality of a pack of wolves.  I can't imagine what these kids are thinking.  All I can say is I believe their own parents were shocked when they saw this.  They are in some SERIOUS trouble. 

Congratulations, Graduates!

Education is what survives 

when what has been learned 

has been forgotten.  

~B.F. Skinner

Today is Graduation Day in Iselin. It's the last day of school, time for promotion to the next grade, and commencement from high school into the real world.

I hope that you have become Educated Men and Women, and that you will take this opportunity to improve the world around you... even if it's just a small corner of the world, like Iselin!

Congratulations to all - to the graduates, who have made it through, and also to their parents, who can breathe a quick sigh of relief! Best wishes for wherever your life's journey takes you next!

Golden Knights Pop Warner Football - Sign Up!!

If you are interested in being a part of the St. Cecelia Golden Knight Pop Warner Football Organization, 

THIS is your chance!  

Head over to the St. Cecelia's School Gym today, June 21,

 between 6:30 and 8:30 PM.  

You do NOT have to be a member of St. Cecelia's in order to sign up.  

If you need more information, email Dave Brett at DBRETT@SCGK.ORG ... 

Support the Arts - Woodbridge Community Youth PlayersProduction of FOOTLOOSE!

Woodbridge Township is really lucky to have some very talented performers -- and it seems that the cream of the crop are participating in the Woodbridge Community Youth Players!  


From their website, "The purpose of Woodbridge Community Youth Players, Inc. is to enhance the quality of life in Woodbridge, New Jersey by providing quality theater experiences for the residents of Woodbridge, New Jersey and other areas in the State of New Jersey. In addition, our goal is to provide training and education for actors, singers, dancers and others involved in theater productions as we offer opportunities for Woodbridge Township youth (ages 14 - 25) to demonstrate and improve their skills by participating in theatrical productions."

I just heard about this year's production because my extremely talented niece, Alyssa Kemper, is co-dance captain!  She is a beautiful dancer and will be among the talented young adults who are performing..... WYCP presents FOOTLOOSE The Musical at Woodbridge Middle School. The production runs from July 18-21 at 7:30 PM, and July 22 at 2:00 PM.  General Admission Tickets are $12 in advance & $15 at the door.  She mentioned that the WYCP are looking for patrons & sponsors... anyone that would like to place an ad in the playbill... in addition to selling tickets.

So, support the arts - sponsor our local theater, and buy tickets today!!!

Happy Summer!

Can you tell that today is the first day of summer?


Well, it hasn't officially become summer yet, not until tonight.   This is the information written in the Farmer's Almanac:

Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20, 2012, at 7:09 P.M. (EDT). Here’s more about the first day of summer—the summer solstice—plus, facts, folklore, and some sensational summer photos!
See when each season starts for 2012 and 2013.

The Summer Solstice

Each year, the timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or June 21 in North America, depending on your time zone.
The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice).
In temperate regions, we notice that the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. In the winter, just the opposite occurs: The Sun is at its southernmost point and is low in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the feeble winter sunlight.
The Sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day then any other. See your local Sun rise and set times—and how the day length changes!

Did You Know?

Question: Why isn’t the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, also the hottest day of the year?
Answer: Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans absorb part of the incoming energy from the Sun and store it, releasing it back as heat at various rates. Water is slower to heat (or cool) than air or land. At the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere receives the most energy (highest intensity) from the Sun due to the angle of sunlight and day length. However, the land and oceans are still relatively cool, due to spring’s temperatures, so the maximum heating effect on air temperature is not felt just yet. Eventually, the land and, especially, oceans will release stored heat from the summer solstice back into the atmosphere. This usually results in the year’s hottest temperatures appearing in late July, August, or later, depending on latitude and other factors. This effect is called seasonal temperature lag.

Too Many Things to do in Woodbridge Tonight!

Main Street Downtown Cruise is set for tonight, from 5:30 pm to 9 pm.  Come on out and take a look at an impressive array of classic cars!

I just might start at one end of Main Street, walk to the other end, and then head around to the concert at Parker Press!

Free Concert at Parker Press Tonight!

Tonight, 6/20, at 7:30 PM

Concert by "BROTHER SUN"

and don't forget about the Farmer's Market... Plus beer and barbecue...

at Parker Press Park
400 Rahway Ave., between Main St. & Green St. in Woodbridge

Get Ready for the Heat!

The next few days are going to be pretty steamy!

Issued by The National Weather Service
Philadelphia, PA
Updated Jun 19, 2012, 8:45pm EDT

... HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM EDT THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM EDT THURSDAY.

* HEAT INDEX VALUES... SHOULD REMAIN JUST BELOW 100 DEGREES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, HOWEVER TOP OUT BETWEEN 100 AND 105 DEGREES THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES... HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS... THE WORST WOULD BE FELT BY THOSE WHO LIVE AND/OR WORK IN THE MORE URBAN AREAS AND AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST. THOSE WHO ARE AT A GREATER RISK INCLUDE THE ELDERLY, THE INFIRM AND CHILDREN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS, STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM, STAY OUT OF THE SUN, AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE, RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITY TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK, THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY - CALL 9 1 1.


In Iselin, if you don't have air conditioning, the place to go during the hottest part of the day is the Iselin Library.  I remember when I was a little kid--  going to the library during the summer - it was always so cool there!  I also like to go to Woodbridge Center.  The important thing, though, is to check on the old people you know, who might be tempted to just sweat it out - or who may not be able to get to cooler places. 

Body Found on Route 9 Was Partially Decomposed

 Read today on the Woodbridge Patch, which you can find HERE:

Article By Deborah Bell

Department of Transportation workers who were on mowing duty on Route 9 in Woodbridge this morning stumbled across a body hidden in the grass, authorities said.
The discovery was made at approximately 10:30 am, said Woodbridge Police Captain Roy Hoppock.
"It didn't appear to be of a suspicious nature," Hoppock said about the discovery. The Middlesex County Medical Examiner has possession of the body and is performing an autopsy.
Hoppock couldn't say how long the body was there, except that "there was some decomposure."
It's not unusual for people dashing across the busy highway to get struck by cars, but Hoppock said this didn't appear to be a hit and run.
"The body would've been closer to the roadway," he said.
There was no determination on the sex of the victim. Hoppock said the body was found on the median between the north and southbound sides of Route 9, near the entrance to Woodbridge Center and the turnoff to Green Street.
Hoppock said he expects to have more information from the medical examiner's report on Tuesday.

Found on Facebook:A promise to Caylee Anthony Not to read Casey Anthony's book

Happy Father's Day

If you are a dad... or if you have a dad... or if you had a dad... or if you had a guy that took care of you like a dad would or should... If you are the guy who stepped up to the plate for a child in your life.......this is for you! Happy Father's Day!
glitter-graphics.com

Music for a Sunday Morning

This music just makes me so joyful! I hope you enjoy it too :)

Music for a Saturday Night

It might not be your kinda music, but it sure is mine!

Need an idea for Father's Day tomorrow?

How about taking your dad Mini-golfing?

Congratulations to New Eagle Scout Sagar Vira!

Scoutmaster Bob Gill with new Eagle Scout Sagar Vira

Sagar Vira of Iselin was officially inducted into the Rank of Eagle Scout today in a ceremony held at the Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad. 

 In order to attain this rank, he needed to work his way through the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, and Live; he earned 26 Merit badges; he served in 6 different leadership positions.  And finally, he completed an Eagle Service Project - one of my favorite projects ever - building bat houses!


His activities included 
camping 94 nights;
hiking and backpacking 129 miles; 
25 miles canoeing; 
and 5 summer camps. 

 He has given 189 hours of community service -- well, I actually think it's more than that, because a list of his activities is very impressive! 

Sagar's Parents Pin on his Eagle Badge

He earned the Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts,  received the Gettysburg and Valley Forge Medals, he's been to the Boy Scout Jamboree and to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and
he's earned his Order of the Arrow. 

Sagar and his Cub Scout Den Leader... ME!

He served as a Youth Connection Goodwill Ambassador in 2008, 
was a delegate to American Legion's Boy's State, 
was a Varsity Soccer athlete... 

Mayor McCormac

He is a certified EMT, and has earned the Mayor's Youth Volunteer of the Year Award for Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad. 


He is currently a college student -- and you KNOW he has a bright future!!! Congratulations, Sagar, we are all very proud of you!

Sagar poses with his family - mom, Harsha; Dad, Navin; and sister, Mansi.

A Letter from a Mom

glitter-graphics.com

 I received this from a mom whose child has speech apraxia. In her email, she said: "It seems as though no one really has ever heard of this and I would just like to inform more people... He attends the Woodbridge Township Preschool Program and they have helped him grow with confidence even if he does not articulate the words correctly. Please let me know if you would please run this in your paper to help him and all the other children like him out there, to find their voice. As every child deserves to be heard."
For more information, go to www.apraxia-kids.org.

New Playground Opens at School 18

 

Woodbridge Department of Public Works, Parks & Recreation Open New Playground at Indiana Avenue School #18 in Iselin!    



       
This morning, Mayor John E. McCormac, Dr. John A. Crowe, Superintendent of Schools, the Woodbridge Township Municipal Council, the Woodbridge Department of Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Principal Dr. Samuel Fancera, and the teachers and students from Indiana Avenue School #18, along with neighborhood residents, officially “opened” the new fully-accessible playground at Indiana Avenue School #18.

Here are a few photos from the event.

It's going to be a very popular playground, I'm sure!!!

Book Fundraiser for our School District

On Friday 6/15 through Wednesday 6/20, Woodbridge Township School District is celebrating literacy at our 3nd annual Barnes & Noble Bookfair. Woodbridge Township School District families and friends are invited to the Menlo Park Barnes & Noble in Edison to hear guest readers, enjoy student performances, mingle with teachers and administrators, shop for summer reading books, and have the opportunity to win prizes!

Enter our GRAND RAFFLE at any time during the event for a chance to win $$$HUNDREDS$$$ in gift certificates and prizes. Winners need not be present for drawing at 4pm 6/20. Also, be sure to stop by our welcome table for coupons and giveaways including a FREE ITALIAN ICE coupon and HOMEWORK PASS for every child.

Barnes & Noble will have tables displaying our summer reading selections throughout the store on these specific dates and will contribute a percentage of the sales during that time to our school district. All you have to do is reference voucher #10779346 or tell the cashier you are there to support Woodbridge Township School District. They will ensure our district receives credit for your purchases. Items in the Book, Nook, Music, DVD, Games, Juvenile, and Café Departments are all eligible.

If you can’t get to the store, please shop online from Friday 6/15 to Wednesday 6/20 in support of our bookfair at bn.com/bookfairs. Remember to enter voucher ID #10779346 on the payment page so Woodbridge Township School District receives credit for your purchase. Proceeds will benefit all 24 District schools.

Please visit www.woodbridge.k12.nj.us for more details including flyer, voucher, and summer reading lists.

The Quote of the Day

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. 

Marcus Aurelius

How to Fold a Flag

I found this through the Boy's Life Magazine Facebook Page...and it seems like a good thing to post in honor of Flag Day!

Half Days for School... Summer's Almost Here!

All schools of the Woodbridge Township School District will operate on the scheduled early dismissal plan beginning tomorrow, Friday, June 15, through and including the last day of school, Thursday, June 21, 2012. 

 High schools will be dismissed at 12:10 PM. 

Middle schools will be dismissed at 12:45 PM. 

Grades 1 through 5 will be dismissed at 1:10 PM. 

A.M. kindergarten and A.M. pre-school disabled will be dismissed at 11:35 AM. 

P.M. kindergarten and P.M. pre-school disabled will begin at 10:30 AM, and will be dismissed at 1:10 P.M.

 But... if you are a parent, you knew that already, didn't you?  The alerts went out on Honeywell.

Happy Birthday to the US Army ... And Happy Flag Day!

It's the second time today that I read that it is the 237th Birthday of the US Army... I got this picture from the US Army's Facebook Page.  Happy Birthday!










And, of course, it's Flag Day.  So here's a little video that reminds me of Flag Day when I was in Elementary School...

It's ZUMBA TIME This Friday!

• It's time to ZUMBA for the JFK Marching Mustangs!  This is a great, active fundraiser - come have fun!
  Make plans now to join us on Friday!
• 7:00pm until 8:30pm

Let's get together to party Zumba style again and show Kennedy how much we love the Marching Mustangs! 90 minutes of fun, sweat, and of course, ZUMBA by some of NJ's best Zumba instructors, and of course, Guard Instructor AND Zumba Instructor, Ms. Kurack. Cost: $5 Pre-register $7 at the door Where: JFK Memorial HS Cafeteria in Iselin

American Legion Convention in Wildwood

 Don Harrity, Mike Serak, Ron Davie, Frank Kemper, Gerry Malone, and seated, Stanley Baum, were among the delegates at the American Legion Convention in Wildwood on Saturday. 

A Spectator at the Parade as the Color Guard goes by...

T. Nulty American Legion Post 471 of Iselin and the Melrose Black Hawks Marching Band have been partners at the American Legion Parade for 33 years! After the parade, a concert by the pool is enjoyed by all.

The Quote of the Day

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today.  

~Mignon McLaughlin

2nd Annual Emergency Services Cup Hockey Game Tomorrow

• • 

    Sunday, June 10, 2012
  • 4:30pm

     

• The Emergency Services Cup is a charity ice hockey game that features the Woodbridge Police Dept. vs Woodbridge Twp Fire/EMS hockey team.    All proceeds from the event will benefit the Wounded Warrior Regiment, an organization whose main mission is to "provide and facilitate non-medical care to combat and non-combat Wounded, Ill, and Injured Marines, and Sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units, and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life". Tickets will be available at the game for a donation of $5.

Iselin Library Calendar

Woobridge Wednesday Music Begins!

From the Woodbridge Arts website, HERE, you can find out about all the different concerts coming on Wednesdays throughout the summer!

 "Every Wednesday at 7:30 PM, from mid-June to the end of August an eclectic mix of artists will perform under the stars at Parker Press Park. Rock, folk, jazz, Irish, Latin are just a few of the genres represented.

Bring your blanket or lawn chairs. Arrive early and patronize Jersey Fresh farmers at the Woodbridge Farmer’s Market (located right in the park). Bring a picnic dinner, or visit one of our many local eateries to carry-out or eat in. Fine beer and wine will be available in the park from local brew pubs or taverns at select events."

The concerts go on even if it rains... however, in case of rain or other bad weather, the location will be moved to the Woodbridge Middle School Auditorium (unless otherwise announced.)   Actually, the Woodbridge Middle School Auditorium is actually a beautiful old theater, and worth taking a look at if you haven't seen it!

And this week, the concert will be the Willie Nile Band!

Election Day

You should have received your sample ballots for the primary election today. Don't forget to get out and vote! Be a part of our democratic process! Polls are open from 6:00 AM until 8:00 PM!

Oh Yeah! Pat's Eagle Project Wrap Up!

So the Eagle Project is basically completed.  Here are a few last photos of the final project....

The picnic tables have been given a fresh coat of paint.


There is an herb garden, featuring a lot of oregano, some rosemary, and a few basil plants.  There are tomatoes and squash and assorted other veggie plants.


The boys are just waiting to get a few yards of mulch delivered, to go between the planter boxes, for the walk ways.


It came out really nice!  Great job, guys!

Buy your tickets nowFor this weekend's fundraiser!

Iselin Scout Works on Eagle Project

Principal Hahn and Scout Brennan surveying the progress

  
Patrick Brennan broke ground on his Eagle project this weekend, and expects to have it close to finished by the time school starts on Monday Morning.




 
It was a busy weekend for the Iselin teen, as he also went to JFK's Prom on Friday, and took his SAT's on Saturday.  The kid has some serious energy!


Pat's project is to build gardens for Ross Street School in Woodbridge.  Principal Kimberly Hahn is very supportive of the project, looking forward to giving her elementary school students an opportunity to use the vegetable gardens in many different lessons.


Here are some photos from the work done on Saturday; I'm going to take a few more tomorrow, and I'll post those too, and write a little bit more about the project.

Why is Green Street closed?

I couldn't figure out why the street was blocked, since nothing seemed to be going on!  It was driving me crazy, so I stopped and asked the officer, Patrolman Miniet, who was sitting in the car preventing anyone from going down Green Street.  

Turns out there was a water main break - not here, but down by Worth Street.  It's important to keep the trucks off Green Street right now, because the street is weak and repairs need to be made ... not right in this spot, but down aways...so they are diverting everything out of here, and making the trucks take Chain o Hills to Route 35, where they can get on Route 1 - which is basically what they want to do anyway.  

It seems that they have lost water in a lot of places, like in the condos.  I hope everything is back to normal soon!
 
So, there ya go... another mystery solved!

Did you see this article about Iselin Burglaries?

I just saw this article on the Woodbridge Patch, HERE.  Did you read it?

I always wonder, when I read something like this, about the situation.  What was he doing in Iselin in the first place?  Why here?  Does he know someone around here, or was he just randomly riding around?  And...Why on a bike?  And... was my car open, and did he grab something from me and I didn't even notice?  Like my spare change or something?

"Jersey City Bike Rider Arrested on Suspicion of Iselin Burglaries

It was a long haul from Jersey City to Iselin by bicycle.

• By Deborah Bell
• 5:30 a

They knew him by his yellow bicycle.
Woodbridge police nabbed a suspect last week on suspicion of a string of burglaries in the Iselin section of the township.
Eliezer Guzman, 23, of Jersey City was caught at 4:30 am on May 21 after cops received a report of a man in a black baseball cap, riding a yellow bike, was filching items from cars in the neighborhood.
A description of the suspect was broadcast, and Sgt. Joseph Licciardi saw a man who answered to the description standing next to a Kia at the corner of North Main and Middlesex Essex Turnpike. The interior light of the car was on, and the man - who turned out to be Guzman - was standing nearby with his yellow bike.
Guzman, police said, admitted that the bike in question was his.
He was arrested on charges of burglaries to vehicles in the Star Street and North Main Street area of Iselin. Guzman was held on a $5,000 bond with no 10 percent option and transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility in North Brunswick."

JFK High- Prom tonight, Graduation 6/21, and Wins Silver from US News & World Report

I originally started to write this article because I wanted to mention that tonight is one of the highlights of the high school year - it's Prom time again!  JFK High School Prom is being held tonight, and that being the case, you might want to stay away from Merrill Park this evening, because it's been pretty traditional for everyone to stop there first to take pictures.  The traffic will be pretty busy going through the park tonight.

The school year is close to wrapping up, with Graduation and Project Graduation scheduled for June 21st.  It's an exciting time for the seniors as they prepare to move on to bigger and better things, and I wish them all the best of luck.

And when I went on the JFK HS website to verify these dates, I found something else out...  this was on the front page of their site:

Congratulations to the students and staff of JFKMHS

for being named by U.S. News and World Report as a "Silver Medal" school,

one of only 1,472 from among the over 22,000 high schools across the United States! Read More

John F. Kennedy Memorial High School ranked

48th out of 389 high schools in New Jersey

Wow!  That is quite an accomplishment.  Way to go, JFK!