A former Bridgewater-Raritan High School gym teacher and coach who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a student has lost her teaching license was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Peter Tober on Feb 14 to 364 days in the Somerset County Jail after she pleaded guilty on Nov Pinto agreed to relinquish her certificates to teach health and physical education driver education and students with disabilities The State Board of Examiners in the Department of Education voted in April to accept Pinto's decision Pinto had also coached field hockey and girls lacrosse at the school Pinto was charged in November 2023 with first-degree aggravated sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault in connection with a long-term sexual relationship with a former student More: Piscataway police officer charged with child sexual misconduct The investigation began in October 2023 when the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit was notified by the Bridgewater Police Department of an anonymous email alleging an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a former student according to Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald was identified and interviewed by detectives from the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit and the Raritan Borough Police Department The former student reported engaging in a relationship with Pinto and said the relationship turned sexual when they were between the ages of 14 and 15 and continued until the senior year of high school In a lawsuit later filed against the school district the victim alleged it was the "classic textbook case of the sexual grooming of a child by an adult authority figure" to physical acts of abuse The lawsuit alleges the teacher would take the student give her alcoholic beverages and take her to her home where they watched "The Real L Word," a Showtime show with lesbian themes While most of the physical acts of abuse took place at the teacher's home in Raritan Borough most of the grooming and "emotional abuse" of the student took place on school grounds Registration is now open for the Greater Raritan 2025 Job Fair that will be held at the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society on Route 202-206 in Bridgewater from 10 a.m This fourth annual event is presented by The Greater Raritan Workforce Development Board and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development in collaboration with the temple Employers in Hunterdon and Somerset counties are invited to take part to connect their open positions with the hundreds of job seekers who typically attend the event annually Registration is open for employers through Friday, May 16. Employers may register by going to https://bit.ly/3XzDGRD or by using the QR code in this flyer employers will receive a map showing their tables and event details Here is the list of employers who have registered to attend the event; this list includes the company name This list and the related link will be updated on Fridays through May 23 The event also will feature information on career resources How to Thrive During Transition and Change the Community Outreach Specialist for the Greater Raritan One-Stop Career Training Center For more information on the workshop topic and the link for optional registration For more information contact GRWDB Director Paul Grzella at info@thegrwdb.org or 908-541-5790 Sign up to receive our daily e-news service six days per week It features important business news and information for a business like yours New Jersey Business Today is delivered to your inbox at 4:00 pm You will also receive a digital edition of New Jersey Business magazine at the beginning of the month Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 2025 at 4:25 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}At around 2 p.m Raritan Police and Fire were dispatched to a structure fire on Helene Place near the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater NJ — One child was hospitalized with burns and two other young children and an adult were treated following a house fire in Raritan Borough on Monday were evacuated by a Raritan volunteer firefighter The second level of the house was engulfed in flames A 2-year-old child suffered burns to one of her arms and was taken to a local hospital and the adult were treated for smoke inhalation The 2-year-old child who was hospitalized is in stable condition Responding fire departments included Raritan The fire remains under investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website please use a modern browser such as Chrome A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States Funding to remove the Rockafellows Mill Dam in New Jersey is part of a long-term effort to bring shad and other native fish back to spawning grounds which have been blocked for almost 200 years If NOAA Marine Habitat Restoration Specialist Carl Alderson had his way the story of dam removals on New Jersey’s Raritan River would be an epic film—Shad: The Movie.  Opening shot: Silvery fish throw themselves against a dam scientists race against time to free the 1,110-square-mile Raritan River watershed from the bondage of obsolete dams to save a species Will science and restoration be the heroes fish need to reach their ancient spawning grounds?”  Alderson’s film may be just an idea for now but the story of the restoration of the Raritan River and its native migratory fish species is worth telling The Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative the brainchild of Alderson and other NOAA partners There are plans to remove dams or improve fish passage at nine other sites throughout the watershed.  The dam removals will help American shad and other migratory fish species including alewife and American eels reach their spawning grounds Shad make an estimated 800-mile journey from the Atlantic to the Raritan to spawn “When all of the Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative’s objectives are achieved and benefiting not only fish but freshwater mussels and outdoor recreationists," says Alderson Major project partners include the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and U.S Writer John McPhee called shad America’s “Founding Fish” for the once bountiful species’ role in sustaining Indigenous people and early colonists shad fed George Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge giving them the strength to remain steadfast in the Revolutionary War German zoologist Johann David Schoepf observed that “numberless schools” of shad swam up the Millstone River “dams of which many have been built in recent years keep back the shad.”  Colonists who depended on the shad harvest bemoaned the appearance of mill dams and even made nightly raids to dismantle one on a Raritan tributary the property owners kept the right to build dams on their land the at-sea harvest of Shad remained robust—for a time fishermen across the East Coast caught about 80 million pounds of shad annually they caught only 3.8 million pounds of shad a single commercial shad fishery exists in New Jersey on the Delaware River Directed shad fishing is banned in most other locations Continued industrialization dealt another blow to shad and the Raritan River ecosystem new chemical plants began dumping hazardous waste in the watershed officials subsequently banned swimming in the river and warned residents not to eat the fish due to toxic containments.  Following the passage of critical environmental laws in the 1970s and 80s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began designating hazardous areas as Superfund sites The Raritan watershed is home to 20 Superfund sites and 1.2 million residents The companies and other entities responsible for the pollution must clean up the sites or pay the government a settlement to cover the restoration cost who grew up near a New Jersey Superfund site decided to lead a “learning and discovery” kayak trip down the Raritan with a group of other environmental professionals He thought the experience might spark some new ideas about how to heal the river Portaging around multiple dams made bringing down 24 kayakers dangerous and difficult They noticed plastic trash caught in downed trees and encountered invasive species Alderson decided to map the dams with GIS and gather information about them They blocked the passage of migratory fish and diminished water quality by creating impoundment ponds the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other partners met to make a long-term plan to remove former industrial dams on the river They began calling their effort “The Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative.” Federal and state agencies use the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process to evaluate the impacts of hazardous waste sites and settle with the responsible parties to fund the restoration NRDA settlements fund many types of restoration projects.   and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) are Trustees of multiple Raritan River Superfund settlements Trustees could use settlement funds to remove old industrial dams that block fish passage as a way to mitigate the ecological damage done by polluters The Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative received its first funding from a settlement with the Cornell Dubilier Superfund site and other hazardous substances for 26 years NOAA then played a key role in helping NJDEP use state NRDA funds from a settlement with El Paso Corporation to remove three dams between 2011 and 2013.  In 2017, funds from the American Cyanamid Superfund site supported the removal of the Weston Mill Dam on the Millstone River The estimated cost of this project was $1.5 million NJDEP monitoring teams discovered Shad migrating and spawning in the Millstone River for the first time in 173 years Fish and Wildlife Service oversaw the removal of two additional dams in the watershed using other funding sources and Matt Bernier have provided key leadership and technical assistance in the Raritan dam removal projects They have also assisted on projects without NOAA funding the work would not have been possible without the support and funds of many other partners.  Dave Bean of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Hydrogeologist John Jengo became dedicated servants to the cause of these migratory fish that have sustained humans and marine mammals for millennia,” says Alderson “We didn’t realize at the time that we’d be joined by a small army of dedicated individuals and organizations who share this vision and continue to carry it into the future.”  more than two dozen dams and other barriers still stand in the mainstem Raritan and its major tributaries More than $9.6 million provided by NOAA and trustees from Cornell Dubilier and American Cyanamid Superfund settlements are supporting future dam removal projects on the watershed NOAA and its Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative partners hope to complete the removal of the Cole’s Mill They will also replace a failing fish ladder with a nature-like fishway at the Island Farm Weir the Raritan's first downstream fish passage barrier these restoration efforts will help the Raritan River transform into a healthier functioning urban watershed for shad and other migratory fish Shad: The Movie will be ready for its premiere by then.  The Raritan River Fish Passage Initiative is a partnership between NOAA and: SAYREVILLE – Two lawmakers are asking NL Industries to commit a full cleanup of contaminated material in the Raritan River near the company’s former titanium dioxide facility comes in wake of a status report filed in federal court on the remediation The contamination is near the site of Riverton the 418-acre $2.5 billion development on the banks of the Raritan River The status report is part of the litigation filed 16 years year by the NY/NJ Baykeeper, Edison Wetlands Association and the Raritan Riverkeeper to compel the company to investigate and remediate the heavy metals in the river near the former plant site But the groups and lawmakers disagree about the conclusion outlined in the status report which tested more than 100 sediment samples from more than 40 coring locations practically all metals exceed the ER-L (Effects Rage-Low) level.”The sediment analysis confirmed arsenic More: 'We were abandoned:' Old Bridge forced to borrow $7 million to settle Superfund lawsuit Pallone and Coughlin wrote that "dismissing the results as typical for an 'urban river' does not relieve your company of responsibility - especially given NL Industries' well-documented history of environmental violations across New Jersey." NL Industries has not replied to a request for comment "The new data show what we have always suspected," said Greg Remaud "The high level of metals in the sediments is similar today to what it was 25 years ago the environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit against the company seeking to force the cleanup of the contaminated sediments With more than 670 documents in the lawsuit's docket the litigation still hasn't been fully resolved the federal court found NL Industries responsible for contributing to the contamination and asked it to file periodic status reports on the remediation According to a timeline included in the status report NL was scheduled to perform Phase 2 of the remediation investigation in April with a report due on Oct The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would then review the report and release its conclusion on Feb more than 40 years after ceasing operations at the Sayreville plant your company has still not remediated its toxic legacy,”the lawmakers' letter says "We’re frustrated that it took us 16 years to get here and this was just the preliminary testing," Remaud said "Hopefully now through this report and the prompting of Congressman Pallone and Speaker Coughlin the DEP and the courts will compel them to move more quickly." Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com please subscribe or activate your digital account today getting some work done or watching a movie — surrounded by soft That’s the concept of cat cafes and cat lounges people pay by the hour to hang out with cats Somerset County’s first cat cafe will open its doors Twenty to 30 adoptable cats will be housed there at all times thanks to foster partnerships with local animal shelters there will be a lot more to do at Catcetera than just hang out with cats ‘etcetera’ means ‘the leftovers’ and this is about leftover cats events and feelings all rolled up in one,” said Bridgewater resident Wendi Zimmerman who co-owns Catcetera alongside Manville resident Jessica Adams “Catcetera will be a wide scope of things besides just petting cats.” The spot will host several events per week including cat yoga sensory-friendly nights and senior hangouts The latter two are especially important to Zimmerman Luxury suites, dog facials: Morris Animal Inn pet resort and spa opens in Warren “My daughter is autistic so we are very aware of overstimulation," she said "And one of my mom’s biggest fears was going to a nursing home and not being able to have her cat with her so I feel for a lot of seniors in that situation." She hopes that visitors to Catcetera will adopt three to five cats per week and cats are scared in corners or clawing to get out,” Zimmerman said “The lounge environment gives you a place where you can sit down on a couch and see the true personalities of the cats It’s a lot less stressful for both them and humans.” Adoption fees will go back to the local rescue where the cat is fostered from Cats in need: Here's how to help NJ kittens like Berry, who was born with spina bifida Catcetera will also sell pre-packaged snacks and drinks including vegan and gluten-free items from local bakeries Items for sale both in-store and online will include clothing and worked at a veterinarian office as a teenager — where she was known for being able to handle “unmanageable” cats and currently has two cats named Alanis and Penelope Local news: The new Stone Tavern is finally open at the former Bridgewater Houlihan's Zimmerman re-evaluated her career in the decorative plumbing industry Zimmerman drew back to times when she had visited Catsbury Park an Asbury Park cat cafe where she has fostered and adopted two cats “I saw how happy Catsbury Park made people and the events and community building they did and I wanted to bring that closer to home — that feeling where people can walk in and feel like they belong and feel good.” Zimmerman said “No one is ever sad when they’re petting a cat.” Go: 44 W Somerset St., Suite B, Raritan; catceteranj.com; opening this summer Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com 2025 at 3:01 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Inside Ambee Coffee at 101 Second Ave Bridgewater native Steven Chiocchi closed his Raritan location of Ambee Coffee in Raritan in the shopping center off Route 202 near the Somerville Circle All of the Ambee team members in Raritan will remain working and be moved to the Warren and Somerville stores We have new locations in the works — places that we believe are truly the right fit for Ambee and our mission We can’t wait to share more with you soon," said Chiocchi "Thank you for your continued support and belief in what we’re building Most recently, the Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate, have partnered with Chiocchi to create a special Jersey Diners Blend of coffee. Read More: Somerset Patriots, Bridgewater Local Team Up To Brew New Coffee Blend celebrating the Patriots’ award-winning Jersey Diners alternate identity is a limited-edition dark roast coffee originating from Columbia The coffee will be available at Ambee Coffee locations in Somerville and Warren as drip coffee whole bean boxes are also available at Ambee Coffee and the Patriots Team Store at the ballpark The name of the cold brew shop, Ambee is definitely unique. The name Ambee is a word Chiocchi, a Bridgewater-Raritan High School graduate, made up and is a play on the word ambient. He launched Ambee on Amazon and online before opening his coffee shop in 2018 for his coffee product line. Read More: Somerville Coffee Shop Rebrands Itself Again, This Time For Good The name also aligns with his organic coffee line that is light- or ambient-themed For more information visit ambee.coffee or facebook.com/ambeecoffee or instagram.com/ambee_coffee 2025 at 2:08 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Firefighters at a structure fire on Helene Place near the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater on Monday (Raritan Borough Fire Department Chief Brian Kredatus)RARITAN NJ — The community is coming together for a Raritan family after a devastating fire destroyed their home and injured the mom along with three young children on Monday The fire was reported at around 2 p.m. at a home on Helene Place near the Bradley Gardens section of Bridgewater The 2-year-old child suffered burns to one of her arms and was taken to a local hospital and Codilyn were also treated for smoke inhalation "In a matter of minutes, everything they owned — their belongings, clothes, toys, and irreplaceable memories — was lost in the flames," wrote a family friend Cassie Leight, who started a GoFundMefundraising website for the family "They are now starting from scratch with nothing but the clothes on their backs." The family is in urgent need of support to cover the costs of temporary housing and the long road ahead of rebuilding their lives Since the fundraiser was started one day ago it has raised more than $10,000 of its $30,000 goal "Your kindness and generosity can help give them a fresh start and show them they’re not alone," said Leight reach out to Leight via private message on the GoFundMe page For more information or to donate visit gofundme.com/f/help-the-natale-family-rebuild-after-devastating-house-fire A diaper collection bin will also be located inside by the drop-off door of the preschool at 203 State Route 28 (R-District 7) and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D- District 12) have re-introduced the One Seat Ride Act a bipartisan bill to direct the federal Secretary of Transportation to perform a cost-benefit analysis of a one-seat ride to New York City during peak hours on NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Line inefficient rush-hour commutes mean lost time at kids' sporting events and missed family dinners for countless households in our area,” Kean “No one should have to switch between multiple trains just to get to New York City This study will be the first to highlight on a national scale the inefficiencies of multi-stop journeys and the impact on our economy “The Raritan Valley Line serves over 23,000 commuters each day – and many of those commuters have to switch trains at Newark Penn Station during peak commuting hours unnecessarily extending an already lengthy commute," Coleman said "This report is a necessary step towards a more efficient system that better serves the hard working people of New Jersey allowing them to spend more of their valuable time with their families.” directs the Secretary of Transportation to analyze the obstacles to implementing single-seat trips on certain commuter passenger rail services during peak hours including one-seat-rides to Manhattan on New Jersey’s Raritan Valley line More: NJ has named its first Hunterdon County 'transit village' Raritan Valley Line passengers must change trains at Newark Penn Station to access New York City and make the same change heading westbound One-seat rides to and from Penn Station in Manhattan are available weekdays during the day after and before rush hours and in the evening A one-seat ride would allows passengers direct access to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan The House of Representatives passed a similar bill sponsored by Kean in December 2023 by a 356 – 61 margin The implementation of direct train service to Manhattan has been a goal for decades for towns along the Raritan Valley Line from Union County to Hunterdon County The hope that direct service would become possible with the construction of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River has sparked an apartment construction boom in towns along the rail line which has been a catalyst for the revitalization of struggling downtowns Construction has started on the tunnel which is not expected to be completed until 2035 NJ TRANSIT Due to an earlier signal issue at Amtrak Portal bridge NJ TRANSIT rail service is subject to up to 15-minute delays into and out of Penn Station New York NJ TRANSIT rail tickets and passes are being crossed-honored by NJ TRANSIT and private carrier buses and PATH at Newark Penn NJ – The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today advanced the construction of the new Raritan River Bridge on the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) by awarding the second construction contract which encompasses the lift portion of the bridge.  The new bridge which spans the Raritan River between Perth Amboy and South Amboy will have a center span that lifts vertically to allow for marine traffic to pass underneath and will replace the current 116-year-old swing bridge “Today’s Board authorization advances one of NJ TRANSIT’s most critical resiliency projects ensuring a more reliable and robust rail link for thousands of daily customers on the North Jersey Coast Line,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin S “The new Raritan River Bridge will replace a century-old structure significantly enhancing both operational efficiency and our preparedness for extreme weather events.” The construction contract was awarded to Skanska Koch Inc of Carteret New Jersey in the amount not to exceed $444,380,524 plus five percent for contingencies for the construction of the lift bridge and flanking spans overhead catenary and other associated site work The replacement bridge will be a vertical lift bridge providing a new two-track movable span across the Raritan River slightly offset from the original alignment and linking back to the existing NJCL mainline tracks at its northern and southern ends.  The existing Raritan River Bridge is a movable swing-span bridge.  The bridge is the sole rail link for 17 of the 20 NJCL stations to connect to Newark and Manhattan situated between the Perth Amboy and South Amboy rail stations The NJCL provides service to approximately 11,400 daily customers making approximately 22,800 average weekday passenger trips and accommodates Conrail freight rail services The current bridge has been in service since 1908 and was not designed to withstand the lateral forces due to ocean surges while currently still safe for train travel the bridge suffered significant damage during Superstorm Sandy including movement of the bridge deck out of its normal alignment due to ocean surges against the bridge superstructure and the impact of large wave-borne debris bearing against the bridge girders.  and train services and marine vessel operations were suspended until repairs could be made resulting in no train service for a period of three weeks Superstorm Sandy demonstrated the vulnerability of the bridge to extreme weather events.  NJ TRANSIT repaired the supporting piers of the current bridge to allow its continued use while a new bridge was designed and built.  The approaches to the new bridge are currently under construction in a separate contract awarded in June 2020.   The overall replacement project is being funded in part through a more than $446-million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 263 bus routes 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey NJ TRANSIT Monday's 5-0 victory over Holmdel was just another routine game day In a matchup that breezed by in just over an hour the Rockets went through the lineup once with little success as they patiently observed the top of the lineup exploded for five runs in the top of the fourth as they curbed any hope of a Holmdel comeback and cruised to a drama-free finish to remain unbeaten The stars of the day were two freshmen and a sophomore and for most teams that would be a notable aberration For a Rockets team comprised mostly of first and second-year players it's all remarkably routine in a way that is unparalleled across the Shore it's just helped boost the confidence even more," Freshman pitcher Katelyn Ruta said There was certainly no overthinking for Ruta as she struck out seven batters while pitching seven shutout innings interspersing her approach with aggressive punch outs while also patiently pitching to her quality defense The Rockets are on a hot streak playing with house money as they are one of two remaining undefeated teams in the Shore The approach is still to take it one game at a time whiling keeping things lighthearted "The last thing we've been telling the girls every single day when we huddle up before the game is to have fun and that's what the girls are doing," Raritan coach Marc Rosner said "If someone doesn't get a hit or something happens the girls just do a good job of worrying about the next play and doing their best and giving their best efforts The success certainly helps to keep things fun The jovial apex of Monday's game came during Raritan's offensive rally in the fourth sophomore Janelle Clausi made it four in a row with the bases loaded to score the game's first two runs freshman Brielle Brosonski sent a bomb over the right field fence for a three-run homer when there's people on base," Clausi said of the key to success "That's what started that rally in that inning." "Also what was important was how we back up the pitcher," Brosonski added "We just put everything into the field every time we go out." Young players dirivng the team's success seems like an inevitability on any given day for Raritan that have combined for a 1.58 ERA in the circle with 61 strikeouts in 53 innings Five of the team's six leaders in at-bats are batting above .300 and of those five three are sophomores and one is a freshman as the team has gotten key contributions well beyond the nine or 10 players that may take the field for a particular game Kiernan Mulligan and Isabella Castillo laid the foundation for the winning culture that's taken root for the Rockets They'll now put the foundation to the test with a harder round of tests upcoming beginning with key clash against Middletown South on Thursday for control of the B North division the team will face the bigger challenges of facing Red Bank Catholic and Point Pleasant Boro the Rockets are enjoying the moment of being one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the conference it's hard not to think about how bright the future is for such a young team not looking ahead to the future," Clausi said "Just making sure all the little things are happening where they should be." The breakdown of the victory is as swift as the game was in real time finishing a full seven innings in just over an hour The notable deviation from the stat sheet is Ruta who stranded two runners in the bottom of the first as she exuded astonishing ease in the circle She proceeded to retire the side in the next two innings setting the stage for the Rockets big rally in the top of the fourth Holly Bellofatto and Lila Houlihan loaded the bases Clausi delivered a hard-hit ground ball that cut into right field to score two On the first pitch of the following at-bat Brosonski spotted her pitch and hit a high-flying three-run homer that got beyond the fence even on a windy day in Holmdel it was back to business for Raritan defensively Ruta stranded one more runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth and was lightly threatened again after a lead-off single in the seventh as she finished off the game with two strikeouts to seal the shutout victory Brosonski was 2-for-3 with the three-run homer Sophomore Holly Bellofatto also had a quality day at the plate for Raritan going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored the loss drops their record to 4-3 as they've been a mostly consistent squad through the first three weeks of the season Holmdel is coming off a big 10-6 win over Manasquan in the opening round of the Monmouth County Tournament on Wednesday and will try to keep that success rolling in elimination play it's a busy week of divisional games for Holmdel as they'll face Monmouth on Tuesday and Matawan on Wednesday before closing at the week against Shore Regional on Saturday It's a similarly loaded week of games for Raritan The Rockets will face Freehold Borough on the road on Tuesday before closing out the week with home games against Middletown South on Thursday Wall on Friday and Red Bank Regional on Saturday What may be the first surf-caught striped bass of the season along the Monmouth & Ocean county stretch of beaches was landed in Beach Haven on Sunday At the very least the bass is the first surf fish the Asbury Park Press has got wind of so far this early season The fish was reported by Jingle's Bait & Tackle The angler's name is Mike Von Wahlde and the bait shop said he caught the striper on clams judging by the photo that Jingle's had posted on its website and not a keeper The timing is right for the bass to start appearing in the surf The water temperature is starting to inch up a website for surfers to check wave conditions marked it at 47 degrees at Belmar on Thursday It is also about time for the bluefish to show up the first blues were reported the week of April 21 The Raritan Bay striped bass fishery is just getting going for the for-hire fleet While the bunker are in the bay and the bass are chewing on them most fish landed by anglers are on soft plastics such as rubber shads More: Spring run: Striped bass fishing heats up in Raritan and Barnegat Bays Jerry Postorino of Fish Monger charters said there is a nice body of fish in the bay right now of mixed sizes of keepers and overs On Monday's trip his parties had multiple hook-ups for much of the outing Scott Hilliard on the Prowler 5 party boat said his Tuesday's trip started with a big striped bass landed by one his fares fishing up in the bow His high hook for the day caught and released a dozen fish Steve Meserve at the Lewis Fishery in Lambertville had his best night on the Delaware River Wednesday on the shad run He said it was a bit windy but the direction was in their favor to give them a push to haul the net in though it was a bit more of struggle going into it to set the net it seemed worth it once he saw the flash of silver in the net Once they got it all in he said they counted 10 buck shad Meserve said it was "not a bad haul at all Numbers should continue to go up for the end of the week." The spring blackfish fishery still has some time left in it While a couple of party boats are taking fares out to pull fish off the rock piles Gabriel's Tackle in Brick said anglers are catching them in the Point Pleasant Canal on sandworms and green crabs He said the tog are also being plucked off the big jetty rocks in the Manasquan Inlet On a final note, fluke season begins early this year on May 4 with a daily bag limit of 3 fish at 18 inches When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor The striped bass fishing has begun to heat up in the Raritan and Barnegat Bays and with some warmer weather in the forecast this week the fish could start showing up in the surf Scott Thomas and the crew from Grumpy's Tackle in Seaside Park fished Barnegat Bay Sunday evening taking in a beautiful sunset over the water while they reeled in several stripers Thomas said they had other nibbles in the evening that were likely hungry white perch that they never got a look at They were set up on the bay side of Island Beach State Park and fished almost exclusively with clam baits Thomas said they've heard nothing from the surf yet as mid-April is traditionally the time they start nosing around the sand bars and troughs The striped bass are now steadily hitting in Raritan Bay after weeks of the fishery being confined to the mouth of the Raritan River There are some pretty plump fish in the schools that are close to 40 pounds More: Dozens of NJ fishermen face penalties for not reporting bluefin tuna landings Scott Hilliard of the Prowler 5 party boat was out both weekend days and again on Monday and is pleased with what he is starting to see He had a nice crowd out on the boat for a Monday in April and cooperative fish to boot He gave his fishing report around 11:30 a.m By then they had already landed several keeper fish and released fish up to 37 pounds He said they're casting rubber swim shads however there are lots of bunker in the bay One of the keeper fish they landed on Sunday's trip had a full belly of three whole bunker On Long Beach Island the 23rd Annual Spring Fishing Derby has started with the contest running until June 22 Surf anglers have not entered any fish yet for the striped bass and bluefish contest It's still quiet on the beaches according to Jingle's Bait & Tackle though there is some action around the Barnegat Lighthouse for striped bass and blackfish The wreck fishing boats targeting spring blackfish are seeing a little better appetite from the tog the weather and ocean conditions have made it difficult to get out William Egerter on the Dauntless had enough people and good enough conditions to sail on Sunday and reported a big catch of a 12-pound That is the biggest fish the Asbury Park Press has heard of so far this spring Egerter said the same patron also caught his limit of four keeper tog NJ Transit's Raritan Valley service will be disrupted for about two weeks while Amtrak performs work on its dated overhead wire system but NJ Transit customers won't be impacted until Monday "This work is part of a series of critical work Amtrak will be performing on their overhead wires in advance of this summer to ensure reliability for Amtrak and NJ Transit customers traveling to and from New York on the Northeast Corridor," said Jim Sincaglia senior vice president and general manager of rail operations at NJ Transit Overhead wire issues and other outdated rail infrastructure have long plagued service on the Northeast Corridor — problems that crescendoed last summer causing hundreds of delays and cancellations on the busiest stretch of passenger rail track in North America The old wires sag during extreme temperatures, causing them to fall on the tracks or tangle with pantographs the equipment on top of the trains that touch the overhead wires and distribute power to the trains NJ Transit is the main user of these tracks and pays Amtrak to use them but the national passenger rail company owns them and is responsible for repairs The Raritan Valley Line runs through Hunterdon Somerset and Union counties to Newark Penn Station NJ Transit posted the temporary Raritan Valley Line schedule and other customer updates on its website FLEMINGTON - Residents of Flemington and Raritan Township will go to the polls on March 11 to decide whether the Flemington-Raritan School District will be allowed to exceed the 2% cap on property taxes the school property tax for the two towns in the K-8 district could rise by 6% annual school taxes could rise from $3,948 to $4,4013 annual school taxes could rise from $8,069 to $8,455 The cap waiver is needed because the school district is facing a $3 to $4 million deficit school district officials said there will be "significant" reductions in personnel and support systems reduction in supplemental programs including and reduced number of Class III police officers providing added security at schools and maybe the elimination of sports programs at J.P The school district estimates 36 teachers and staffers might have to be laid off if the referendum doesn't pass The two primary reasons for the cap waiver are inflation which has led to "soaring costs" and a lack of state aid which funds less than 10% of the $80 million budget of the school district which has 3,300 pupils Among the major reasons for the rising costs are health insurance premiums salaries and transportation and maintenance costs More: Hunterdon will 'continue to be taxpayer friendly' and aid local police, commissioner vows The school district also says federal aid from a pandemic relief package has expired Last year the school board cut $3 million from the budget to stay within the property tax cap Those reductions included an $800,000 cut in health care insurance by switching providers and reducing professional development The Flemington-Raritan School District has the lowest per-pupil expenditures of any Hunterdon County school district Statewide it ranks 30th in per pupil spending of the state's 76 K-8 districts The district is also projecting an increase in enrollment because of new housing units in the municipalities 2025 at 9:20 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Raritan Borough Police blotter: (Shutterstock)RARITAN NJ — Three driving while intoxicated arrests were reporting in the Raritan Borough Police blotter On April 11 at 11:53 p.m.: Bryan Gutierrez-Banos was arrested for driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on Route 206 in the vicinity of Bell Avenue Banos was also charged with disregard of a stop sign and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle On April 13 at 2:38 a.m.: Juan Gregorio-Martinez was arrested for driving while intoxicated following a vehicle check in the parking lot of the Burger King on Route 28 Martinez was also charged with reckless driving possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance (Cocaine) A passenger in the vehicle identified as Maria Vasquez was also arrested for being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance (Cocaine) On April 18 at 2:29 a.m.: Dionisio Ochoa-Perez was arrested for driving while intoxicated following a traffic stop on Thompson Street Ochoa-Perez was also charged with obstructing traffic has celebrated the opening of 110,000 square feet of laboratory space and a warehouse and logistics hub “This expansion reinforces Labcorp’s role as a trusted healthcare partner in the Northeast and beyond,” said Bill Haas senior vice president of Labcorp’s Northeast Division “We are well-positioned to meet growing demand and deliver fast high-quality results to patients and healthcare providers across the region.” With more than 1,300 people working at the Raritan site the laboratory processes specimens from more than 110,000 patients daily More: Is a large part of Raritan Borough in need of rehabilitation? “The innovative advancements throughout our Raritan facility strengthen our ability to provide faster more reliable testing while driving new insights that support our mission to improve health and improve lives,” said Mark Schroeder executive vice president and president of diagnostics and chief operations officer for Labcorp “By investing in advanced technology and infrastructure we’re positioning Labcorp to scale operations to best serve the company’s growing demand and enhancing patient care by supporting healthcare providers with the reliable diagnostics they need to make informed healthcare decisions.” has more than 67,000 employees in approximately 100 countries and has performed more than 600 million tests for patients around the world RARITAN - The Borough Council is scheduled next month to consider a recommendation from the borough Planning Board that a large part of the town should be deemed as "an area in need of rehabilitation." The report recommends the area of the borough from the NJ Transit railroad tracks to the Raritan River and from First Avenue to Route 206 be designated as an area in need of a rehabilitation The report was reviewed by the Planning Board and board members agreed to recommend its conclusions to the Borough Council allows municipalities to have the option of adopting a redevelopment for all or a part of the area The designation also allows the borough to grant a five-year tax abatement on improvements made to a property The tax abatement is not a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement 21 Borough Council meeting that some residents were confused about the rehabilitation designation More: NJ town approves redevelopment plan for 'dilapidated and decrepit' shopping center "It has nothing to do with redevelopment," Carra said "It has nothing to do with putting large apartment buildings on every side street." The mayor also said that the Council does not have to follow the Planning Board's recommendation But Councilman Michael Patente said the Council may have only authorized a study of the Somerset Street area and not the larger area "I don't how the Planning Board went ahead when all we approved was (Somerset) Street." The study was an outgrowth of a grant given to the borough some years ago to study a possible link between the train station and Duke Farms The report also found that much of the borough's water and infrastructure has been in place for more than 50 years and has not been replaced in that time "various problems ave been detected which undermine the efficacy of the collection system including stormwater inflow and infiltration These issues require constant maintenance by the borough's Public Works Department and can lead to unsanitary conditions." Knowles is expected to appear before the Planning Board in February to present the report and explain what the next steps are RARITAN BOROUGH – The former Agway site on Thompson Street next to the train station is under consideration for possible redevelopment The borough Planning Board is scheduled to decide next week if the one-acre property should be designated as a condemnation redevelopment area Unlike other redevelopment areas in the borough the condemnation designation would allow the borough to use its power of eminent domain to acquire the site for redevelopment purposes from the Estate of Jeffrey Krachun to Station Village at Raritan LLC for $850,000 The registered agent for Station Village at Raritan is Kevin Sempervive with a Middlesex Borough address authorized Borough Engineer Joseph Brosnan to undertake a study of the property to see if it qualified for redevelopment under state law does not outline any potential uses of the property but only if it fits the redevelopment criteria The Agway store closed shortly after its owner Last September the property was damaged after a dump truck hit a power line and the blaze spread to the storage area at the rear of the property bordering homes on Anderson Street The mouth of the Raritan River provided some decent fishing for striped bass over the weekend while fishermen are still waiting on the main body of Raritan Bay to catch fire Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the bass turned on a bit at the mouth of the river last Thursday when anglers were catching them on rubber shads A few for-hire boats went back that way over the weekend and came back with keeper fish on the deck said fishermen found fish working around the bridges starting from the Driscoll and heading east The Prowler 5 party boat had a light crowd Saturday and was in that area boating a nice keeper bass The Fish Monger charter boat found a good bite there Sunday Jerry Postorino said the fish were particular to what they chased with the C&B rubber shads being the most often hit lure in the batch of tackle they tried On the Delaware River the shad migration is in full swing but Steve Meserve of Lewis Fishery said he's still waiting on the first big haul of the season at his point on the river in Lambertville Meserve was out Friday evening and the conditions looked favorable The river water temps had climbed to 56 degrees and he had little wind to interfere with maneuvering More: Trout season opens, kids contest at Spring Lake is on - rain or shine He was running 150 yards of net out but it got hung up got caught on itself and the net did not hang in the water right They tried to pull it out as they were moving "We had to finish the haul and hope for the best The rain held up Saturday morning for the Shark River Surf Angler's Kid's Trout Contest on Spring Lake Once again the lake banks and bridges was lined with young anglers and their parents While plenty reeled in trout from the well-stocked lake only one youth angler could take home the grand prize and that honor was won by 12-year-old Douglas Apsley The blackfish were chewing out on the wrecks and rock piles though it was tough sledding for fishermen to hook the fish The Dauntless party boat was out both days over the weekend but he at least had a couple of anglers between the two days catch their four-fish limit of blackfish RARITAN TOWNSHIP - The Zoning Board of Adjustment has unanimously granted a use variance for a 24 age-restricted townhouses on Old York Road The proposal required a use variance from the board because multi-family housing is not a permitted use in the Business Office District But before it can begin construction the developer must return to the board for site plan approval said he hopes the site plan could be submitted with in a year He said the developer will work with board members and the board's consultants to address concerns about the plans Countryside Properties wants to build three 11,725-square-foot buildings on the 6-acre lot at 359 Old York Road opposite the Wells Road intersection More: Flemington, Raritan Township residents will vote on school tax cap waiver Each building will contain six two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units Five of the units will be classified as affordable Calling it a "very unique property," Gruenberg said "I can't think of any better use." He said that it will "help keep senior citizens in town." Ferraro also wondered "why the property was vacant for so long." the township Planning Board approved a proposal to build three office buildings on the property but construction never progressed beyond a driveway and curbing The property is surrounded by agricultural fields to the north and west and single-family dwellings to the south and east across Old York Road Also to the north along Old York Road is the Raritan Municipal Utilities Authority 2025 at 10:55 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}​Catcetera will open at 42 W Somerset St It will be located next to Candyland Crafts For more information or opening updates visit catceteranj.com or instagram.com/catcetera_NJ or facebook.com/catceteraNJ BRIDGEWATER – The Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education has refused to abolish a policy to protect transgender students School board member Jeremy Li’s motion to repeal the state-recommended transgender student policy failed to reach a vote when none of his Board colleagues seconded his measure This comes after a similar measure was introduced last month by Li an aspiring conservative commentator and a contributor on Fox News Channel and board member Lanfang "Lucy" Li which was defeated by board President Steven Singer and members Rebecca Hassouna Michael Pepe and Barry Walker voting against it and board Vice President Emily Calistri abstaining Superintendent of Schools Robert Beers said time spent on the issue at both meetings was “beyond wasteful and politically motivated.” He also noted nothing would change how the school district handles sensitive situations if members of the Board want to go on Wordsmith And I think our time of focus has been really diverted from a policy that got instituted in 2019 and made a law in 2017 but I can tell you as someone who and the folks here are the ones who are running this district it has no bearing on anything we do,” Beers continued “I do hope that there is a respect for administrative time from this Board and I have tremendous respect for everyone who came here and spoke More: NJSIAA not changing transgender policy for NJ high school sports despite Trump order The state policy provides guidance to teachers and staff to use and respect a child's preferred pronoun as well as recommends staff not share the student's changed gender expression with parents or guardians without the child or teenager's consent An exception is made in the policy for cases where student health and safety is compromised or there is a bias-related crime Supporters of the policy Tuesday night called it an extra "security blanket" for the most marginalized students while opponents argued the policy infringed on "parental rights." The majority of those in attendance Tuesday night parents of LGBTQ+ children and LGBTQ+ organization representatives told the Board to leave the policy untouched citing data trends of the transgender population and impassioned Bridgewater Township Councilman Filipe Pedroso and New Jersey Project and Calvary Church members delivered an opposing opinion Pedroso said transgender students "deserve dignity the policy "unfairly disadvantages cisgender girls email: cmakin@gannettnj.com Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin please subscribe or activate your digital account today 2025 at 11:05 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The incident was reported on Sunday at around 10:30 p.m NJ — An adult man was hit by an NJ Transit train on Easter Sunday and was scheduled to arrive at Newark Penn Station at 11:15 p.m. crossing in Bound Brook as it was approaching the Dunellon station The man was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries There were no reported injuries to the 55 customers and crew New Jersey Transit Police are leading the investigation News & Reviews News Wire NJ Transit sets plans for Raritan Valley Line operations during derailment cleanup Train-bus combination will replace commuter rail until line is cleared NJ Transit will begin a combination of limited train service and bus substitution to replace operations on its Raritan Valley Line Service was blocked earlier today (Feb. 18) because of the derailment of a Norfolk Southern intermodal train on a section of Conrail Shared Assets Operations line also used by Raritan Valley trains [see “Freight derailment disrupts …,” Trains News Wire involved approximately 20 cars of a train that was traveling about 30 mph commuter service had resumed between Raritan and Cranford Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands RARITAN TOWNSHIP – A man fishing in the South Branch of the Raritan River was attacked by a beaver on Thursday The 54-year-old Flemington man was fishing in the river across Route 523 from the former Lipton Tea plant when he saw a beaver swimming nearby but the beaver resurfaced and attacked the man More: Teen remains in serious condition weeks after Hunterdon dirt bike crash The fisherman was able to get out of the river and called for help Township police and the rescue squad came to the scene at about 5:10 p.m The squad took him to nearby Hunterdon Medical Center for treatment New Jersey Fish and Game were notified of the incident The 3,225-square-foot retail space will be located at 90 East Somerset Street Universal Lacrosse is described as a premier lacrosse equipment retailer and team sales outfitter The retailer has 10 other locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic "The surging popularity of youth sports across New Jersey has created a strong market for specialty sports retailers like Universal Lacrosse," said Rob Marek the in-house brokerage division of Larken Associates "We congratulate them on their new store and are confident that Raritan Crossing will be the ideal space to serve athletes across the region." Meghan Hock (20) of Moorestown celebrates with her teammates after scoring a goal during a girls lacrosse game against Haddonfield at Moorestown High School .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Lauren Knego | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comMoorestown had only one goal in mind heading into Saturday’s game against Bridgewater-Raritan Both the Quakers and the Panthers were undefeated coming into the non-conference matchup and Moorestown was determined to keep its undefeated streak alive our goal was just to leave this game and leave this field without a loss and I think we did a pretty good job of that today,” Moorestown’s Mae Murphy said 6 Bridgewater-Raritan to remain undefeated at 9-0 “We were coming off a pretty big win over St so we wanted to keep that momentum going in this game,” Moorestown’s Abby Williams said which held Bridgewater-Raritan to its lowest goal total of the season have four other wins over Top 20 competition - No 16 Cherry Hill West - and are averaging over 12 goals a game so far this season “I just think every single player on the field stepped up we had kids coming in scoring goals who play JV it was just so awesome to see,” Murphy said everyone was blending so well and we got those possessions on offense thanks to the amazing on the defensive end.” Moorestown’s defense was equally as impressive as its offense as the Quakers had nine forced turnovers as a team and caused Bridgewater-Raritan to turn the ball over 12 times “Our zone is insane and we were working really well today communicating getting the ball up the field “If we got scored on we were able to pick each other up The only thing the Quakers struggled with on Saturday was the draw controls but the Panthers were unable to turn those wins into offense especially being the center it was a little frustrating but she’s a great draw taker,” Murphy said of Levin we started winning a few more and again just thanks to the defense for allowing that to happen and still come out with a win.” Moorestown jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter Murphy scored her 100th career goal to open the third quarter and give the Quakers a 12-2 lead with 8:31 remaining “It’s awesome,” Murphy said of the milestone “You always want to do whatever you can to help out our your team and the fact that I was able to get 100 goals to help out this program is just so awesome and so special.” the Quakers outscored Bridgewater-Raritan 5-3 for the 17-5 final Allie Prickett and Giada Catanzaro each scored twice for Bridgewater-Raritan which had averaged over 16 goals a game prior to Saturday’s contest 10 different players contributed offensively who is now four goals away from a career 200 Avery Adeli recorded two goals and two assists while Murphy added a hat trick and one assist Charlotte Lynch and Julia Blong each scored twice “I think we were firing in all circles all around the field did great on clearing the ball up the field and we finished almost all of our shots today,” Williams said Lauren Knego may be reached at lknego@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @laurenknego The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook ’ Instagram ’ X (formerly Twitter) Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices