That, he said, would at least begin to address the law’s most problematic elements, as demonstrated by a recent brouhaha over a 100-foot tulip poplar.

At Monday night’s borough council meeting, Marchese proposed removing the controversial tree-preservation law from a land-use ordinance and reconstituting it as a code-enforcement matter.

The effect, he and borough Attorney Sal Alfieri said, would be that homeowners wishing to remove trees protected under the ordinance would no longer be required to obtain a zoning variance. Instead, they would take their cases to the borough council.

The law protects specimen trees and those that exceed specified girths. Builder Bob Susser saw his plan for a three-home subdivision on Woodland Drive, which otherwise required no variances, held up for months as his request to remove an 80-year-old tulip poplar was kicked from one department to another, and later on appeal to the planning board — three times. He succeeded in winning approval to remove the tree on the third try, in March.

Councilman Jerome Koch wondered if the change would “take some of the teeth out” of the existing law. Marchese said the move “doesn’t change how we define protected trees, but reduces the burden” on the planning and zoning arms of the town government.

“I still haven’t changed my opinion of the tree ordinance,” Marchese told redbankgreen afterward. “I will still seek to make it better.”

The amendment is expected to be formally introduced at the next council meeting on May 29.

By JOHN T. WARD

Mark Lockwood spent the night on his boat at the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club in Fair Haven Friday, and woke to the sight of a Navesink River gone brown. The worst kind of brown, he thought.

Though it didn’t smell, it appeared to be human waste, he said.

“It was disgusting,” he told a Fair Haven police officer who’d come to the club to investigate Saturday evening. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been on this river all my life.”

Ben Hamilton, whose home abuts the club property, said he had never seen anything like it, either.

But whatever they saw, it wasn’t from the town’s sanitary sewer, said an official with the regional sewerage authority that serves the borough. And it may have been pollen.

“We can guarantee that the Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority pipe isn’t leaking,” TRWRA commissioner and yacht club member Bill Baarck told redbankgreen Saturday night, referring to a waste pipe that runs just beneath the Navesink River shore from Gillespie Avenue east to the yacht club, where it meets a pumping station.

“But we can’t guarantee that tides and winds haven’t brought in pollutants from elsewhere, over which we have no control,” he said.

Though he said he had not seen the brown tide himself, other recent reports of human waste — one on the Metedeconk River, and one at a location he could not immediately recall —  turned out to be vast collections of dead pollen on the water, Baarck said.

An authority inspector investigated the Navesink report and found no sign of leakage along the beach, either from the buried pipeline or the several manhole-topped access holes along its length, he said.

The entire stretch of pipe, which is about 40 years old, is scheduled to be replaced soon, with heavy construction equipment slated for delivery to the beach via the yacht club’s ramp as early as Monday. Baarck said the work is preventative.

Mayor Ben Lucarelli tells redbankgreen that a recent video inspection of the pipe found river water infiltrating the system at the foot of Gillespie Avenue, but that no sewage was getting into the river.

“It’s in weak condition,” Baarck said, and was one reason the authority sought and obtained state Department of Environmental Protection permits to replace the piping with a new system.

The new pipes will be laid next the existing pipes and, when completed, a cut-over from old system will be scheduled for the middle of the night to prevent any waste from getting into the river, he said.

Lockwood and Hamilton said the brown stuff appeared to have come from the west, based on Saturday’s winds. Baarck said that while the authority ruled out the Fair Haven system as its source, he could not rule out the possibility that it had come from the Red Bank system.

Lockwood and other club members said they sometimes see post-storm waste from the Middletown side of the river, where mansions along Navesink River Road are not hooked into a sewer and rely instead on septic tanks. But Saturday’s brown blob was far larger, they told redbankgreen.

By JOHN T. WARD

Two years after losing her teaching job in a budget squeeze, a Rumson woman has reinvented herself as a squeezer of fresh fruits, wheat grass and other healthy ingredients.

Dalmedo opened Freshicas organic juice bar Friday in a corner of Fairwinds Deli in Fair Haven, where she’s blending the juice of apples, beets, kale, lemons and more into all-natural drinks that taste better than they sound.

“It’s amazing how good some things can be when you mix them together,” she told redbankgreen as curious Fairwinds customers made their way to her counter. There, behind an ice cream freezer,  Dalmedo was giving out samples of drinks with names like “Sweet Craving” (apple, cinnamon and celery) and “Emerald Garden” (apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber, celery and kale).

Freshicas was born of Dalmedo’s frustration after she lost her job as a fifth-grade teacher in Rumson due to budget cuts two years ago, and her inability to land a new job. So she decided to turn her interest in healthy living into business, her first.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts to find an existing store in which she might find her footing, Dalmedo pitched the idea to Fairwinds owner Warren Abrahamson, who eagerly made space for her cutting boards, blenders and eyecatching terrarium filled with wheat grass, she said.

Now, she’s hoping Fairwinds, known for its sandwiches, will start offering more salads to attract more health-conscious moms, like herself, and others, she said.

Freshicas is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays.

Off-and-on drizzles and downpours made for a damp day for participants in townwide yard sales in Red Bank and Fair Haven Saturday.

Still, redbankgreen found plenty of plucky sellers and buyers.

To enlarge the photo display, start it, then click the embiggen symbol in the lower right corner. To get back to redbankgreen, hit your escape key.

• 4/2/12

-Ptl. Lagrotteria arrested Richard P. Devaney, 53, Hazlet and charged him with DWI. Additional motor vehicle complaints were signed against Mr. Devaney. Mr. Devaney was released pending a court date.

• 4/4/12

-Det. Dykstra took a Theft report from a River Rd. business where a subject is refusing to pay for items taken from the victim.

• 4/9/12

-S.O. Murray took a report of Fraud from a Parker Ave. resident where unknown actor(s) obtained money from the victim by posing as a representative of a lottery game.

-Sgt. Lambert arrested Amy F. Schneider, 21, Long Branch and charged her with Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances (Marijuana) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Additional motor vehicle complaints were signed against Ms. Schneider. Ms. Schneider was released pending a court date.

• 4/12/12

-Ptl. Reevey took a report of Identity Theft and Fraud from a Kemp Ave. resident where unknown actor(s) obtained victim’s personal information and attempted to make purchases using same.

-Ptl. Hostrup took a report of Criminal Mischief from a Kemp Ave. resident where unknown actor(s) broke the rear window of the victim’s vehicle.

• 4/16/12

-Ptl. Schneider took a Burglary report from a Lake Ave. resident where unknown actor(s) entered the victim’s home while she was out and removed items of value. Det. Dykstra is investigating.

-Det. Dykstra and Ptl. Lagrotteria arrested Eric Salzman, 49, West Milford and charged him with possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances (Heroin, Marijuana, Xanax and Adderall), Possession of Hypodermic Needles and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Mr. Salzman was held at MCCI on $5,000 bail set by Judge Newman.

• 4/19/12

-Det. Dykstra took a report of Identity Theft and attempted Fraud from a Second St. resident where unknown actor(s) were attempting to fraudulently obtain money from the victim using her identity.

• 4/20/12

-Ptl. Hostrup took a Theft report from a River Rd. business where a subject failed to pay for services and left the scene. Ptl. Hostrup is investigating.

• 4/22/12

-Cpl. Koetzner took a Theft report from a River Rd. resident where unknown actor(s) removed items from her home. Det. Dykstra is investigating.

• 4/23/12

-Det. Dykstra charged Philip D. Williams, 24, Neptune, Tyler J. Emmons, 18, Neptune, James Turetzkin, 19, Neptune City, Lauren A. Magaw, 21, Neptune and a 17 y/o Neptune juvenile with Criminal Mischief subsequent to an investigation and assistance from Wall Twp. and Spring Lake PD’s. Charges are related to vehicle windows being broken in January belonging to Borough residents.

• 4/25/12

-Ptl. Patton took a Harassment report from an Oak Pl. resident where false accusations were being made against the victim.

-Ptl. Hostrup took a Harassment report from a Beekman Pl. resident where threats were received from a subject via text message.

-Ptl. Hostrup took a Theft report from an Oxford Ave. resident where a subject was refusing to pay for an item purchased from the victim.

• 4/27/12

-Cpl. Koetzner took a Theft report from a Lake Ave. resident reporting that a subject removed items of value from her home. Det. Dykstra is investigating.

• 4/28/12

-Det. Dykstra and Ptl. Reevey took a report of an attempted Burglary from a Harrison Ave. resident. Det. Dykstra is investigating.

• 4/29/12

-Ptl. Jarvis arrested John P. Butler, 39, Red Bank on a Warrant for Non Payment of Child Support. Mr. Butler was turned over to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department.

By JOHN T. WARD
Police and tracking dogs from a half-dozen jurisdictions were searching for two men as possible burglars in Little Silver at midday Wednesday.

Police advised officials at the Point Road School not to allow children out for recess, but did not call for a lockdown, as they hunted for the pair in a large area of homes surrounding a marshy woodland.

Police were searching the area bound by Kings Road, Seven Bridges Road, Point Road and Prospect Avenue. (Click to enlarge)

The search was centered in the area of Queens Drive South, and bounded by Kings Road, Seven Bridges Road, Point Road and Prospect Avenue, following a report of two suspicious males.

Dispatches described the men as white or Hispanic and possibly wearing dark clothing. They were initially believed to have vanished into woods and swamp as police responded to the initial call at about 11 a.m.

With search dogs from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s office and the Long Branch Police department, authorities hoped to close in on the suspects from four sides. The region is intercut in places by wide streams and thick with sedge and phragmites.

It was not immediately clear if any homes had been burglarized or if an attempt had been made to illegally enter a home.

Little Silver has been the scene of a number of recent residential break-ins.

Red Bank, Fair Haven, Shrewsbury and Oceanport police were also aiding in the search.

Closing in on a celebration of its centennial, Fair Haven is having some trouble tracking historical time capsules, the Asbury Park Press reported Wednesday.

With food, fireworks, music and other details of the June 16 public celebration squared away, borough officials are trying to determine whether to assemble a time capsule for posterity, and wondering past time capsules are accounted for, the Press reports.

From reporter Larry Higgs’ account, referring to “other time capsules buried in the borough 36 years ago, during the nation’s bicentennial in 1976:”

“We’re not certain what the status of time capsules in Fair Haven are,” said Theresa Casagrande, borough administrator, after Monday’s council meeting. “We’re looking to dig up some historical knowledge, and see how many are buried and whether it is appropriate to open them.”

Officials haven’t decided if a time capsule will be buried for the borough’s centennial this year, filled with artifacts depicting life in the borough in 2012, she said.

“I know we did find a time capsule in the cellar of borough hall that was never planted as part of the school project (in 1976) and returned it to the school,” Casagrande said. “(Historian) Pat Drummond seemed to recall there was a time capsule at Bicentennial Hall as part of that celebration.”

That time capsule remained unopened until it was returned to the superintendent of schools, she said.

“There was one in 1976 … buried across the street somewhere in Memorial Park,” said Mayor Benjamin Lucarelli. “The question is, is it time to open it, or time to put down another time capsule?”

Casagrande said officials have to determine if that is a different time capsule or the school time capsule found when the basement of borough hall was being cleaned out.

There may be one more problem. The instructions for opening one of the time capsules may be inside the time capsule, he said.

Cases of new books await distribution at River Road Books, above. Soul Kitchen, below, will serve as a giver site. (Click to enlarge)

By DANIELLE TEPPER

Book fans know that when they fall in love with a story, their immediate reaction is to tell someone so they, too, can fall in love with it. Remember how you first heard about The Hunger Games or Fifty Shades of Grey? Word of mouth is the spark that starts the fire and, sometimes has the ability to ignite a full force blaze that’s pretty hard to ignore.

That’s this concept that inspired World Book Night, a campaign designed to introduce the joy of reading to those who can’t afford or are perhaps even a little intimidated to pick up a new novel.

Launched in the United Kingdom a year ago, World Book Night is now coming to the United States, with some 5,000 towns and cities expected to give away almost half a million free books. Among those bibliophilic volunteers are River Road Books in Fair Haven and Red Bank’s own pay-what-you-can JBJ Soul Kitchen. Here’s how it works: publishers of 30 specially-produced paperback titles have agreed to make up to 20 copies of each available to stores, individuals and organizations that wish to give them away. For free. All the books are to be handed out Monday night.

When she and her partners heard about the event, “we laughed about it at first,” said Laurie Potter of River Road Books. “We thought, ‘how are they going to accomplish this?’ But it’s been so well organized.”

And when Potter reached out to get Soul Kitchen involved, manager Ryan Timmons knew it would be right in tune with the overall community mission of the restaurant, he tells redbankgreen.

“We’ll hopefully be able to stock a couple of our cubbies and run it as a book exchange for our in-need guests,” he said, referring to a large, bookcase-like shelving structure that dominates one wall of the Monmouth Street restaurant. “I’m not looking to just take 300 books and give them out, I want 50 people to come in, take a book, return it and take another one,” he said.

“This restaurant gives us an opportunity to talk and meet people; that’s all it’s here for, ultimately. The goal is to put people together.”

Potter says the titles were carefully chosen to allow some variety, and include provocative books that the volunteers are passionate about and would be excited to give out. “Books that could really impact your life, that could maybe turn you into a reader,” she explained.

The list of page-turners includes H.D. Bissinger’s Friday Night Lights, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. All the authors have waived their royalties to help make it happen.

While River Road Books is the designated pick-up location for local distributors, anyone in the community had the opportunity to go online and register to become a giver. These givers will then be able to bring their books to nursing homes, prisons, VA hospitals, etc.

“They’re not meant for resale; they’re only for this occasion,” Potter said.

On April 16, 2012 the Fair Haven Police Department responded to a Lake Ave. residence for a report of a burglary. Unknown actors gained access to the victim’s residence and removed items of value.

The victim’s home was unoccupied at the time of the burglary. Residents are being urged to be vigilant in reporting suspicious persons or vehicles seen in the borough to police. It is recommended that residents going on vacations or that are going to be away from their homes for extended periods of time, notify the Fair Haven Police Department and possibly a neighbor.

Anyone with information that may be helpful to the investigation of this burglary is asked to contact Detective Jesse J. Dykstra of the Fair Haven Police Department at (732)747-0241 ext. 332.

Dykstra tells redbankgreen that the homeowner was away for several days and returned to find the home had been burglarized, so police don’t know on which of several days the break-in occurred.

The reason? The borough’s court is pretty efficient all by itself, bringing in nearly $175,000 more than it spends on salaries and operating costs each year, town Administrator Stanley Sickels tells the Press.

Also, Red Bank “never heard back” from Fair Haven, Little Silver, Rumson and Shrewsbury about the proposal, Sickels said.

Menna aired the proposal last September as Matawan – where he was, and remains, the borough attorney – prepared to consolidate its court with those of Hazlet and Keyport.

At the time, Menna said a merged peninsula court would operate with one judge, one prosecutor, one public defender, one court administrator and one physical court space. The court, he said, could be more cost-effective than a shared service agreement, in which towns often use their own staff members rather than sharing with other boroughs.

A month later, Menna reported to the council that tone town had responded quickly and “very affirmatively,” partially reviewed by another. “The naysayers who said this couldn’t happen will be surprised.”

At a Tuesday night presentation on the Red Bank budget, however, Sickels said that “our numbers are so favorable to us, it doesn’t make sense. Our court is very efficient,” according to the Press.

The newspaper reports that Red Bank’s court earned $546,161 in revenue in 2011, and the proposed court budget for the current year allocates $373,402 for salaries and operating expenses.