Media
Bordentown Twp. honors veterans
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”
During a Veterans’ Day ceremony Saturday at Bordentown Cemetery, Mayor Steve Benowitz used that quote from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address to illustrate what veterans do for the United States every day.
It’s About Accountability, Not Icons
Someone once said, rather aptly, that you should never meet your heroes because you’re bound to be disappointed. If that pessimistic view is actually true, I would like to think that the failings are manageable, ones that we can live with against the accomplishments of our icons. After all, they’re human too.
New Jersey Assembly Committees Advance Breach, Health Security Bills
Oct. 27 — Bills aimed at addressing the privacy and security of online accounts (A. 3146) and personal health information (A. 3322) were released by New Jersey Assembly committees Oct. 23.
The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee reported A. 3146, which would amend the New Jersey statute that requires businesses and public entities that compile or maintain computerized records containing information that permits access to an online account to disclose any breach of the security of the information.
Kinsley Landfill in Deptford to become solar field
Sen. Donald Norcross, D-Camden, joined Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester; Ralph LaRossa of PSE&G; Commissioner Bob Martin of the Department of Environmental Protection; and other dignitaries on Tuesday to kick off the Kinsley Solar Farm project in Deptford.
The solar farm is PSE&G’s third landfill project under their Solar 4 All program, and at 35 acres is the largest project to date. When completed, the Kinsley Solar Farm will produce enough energy to power 2,000 homes annually, with 36,841 solar panels.
Moorestown water contamination spurs more debate, state legislation
MOORESTOWN — As a toxin infiltrated the water supply, the township knew about it, but apparently missed out on an opportunity for state funds to help pay for the cleanup.
“I’m just stunned,” Councilman Greg Newcomer said of not being alerted of the situation surrounding the discovery of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) and the actions that followed by local officials.
PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN
I wanted to take a different approach to this week's blog post. So often, I write about policy or current events but I wanted to share with you a piece of poetry that I wrote some time ago. But first, I wanted to talk to you about why arts education is so critically important. Education in the arts, in my opinion, is essential to the development of each human being. Those who have studied the mechanics of education throughout history have emphasized the importance of the arts education in the process. Study of the arts is integral to our society. They are a part of the cultural heritage of every citizen of our country, and make us more complete as people. Whether your particular flavor is theater, poetry, dance, visual art or music, I believe the key to being a well-rounded human being is to be exposed to and try new things.
Singleton & Andrzejczak Legislation to Promote Locally-Grown Produce in Schools Clears Panel
Legislation Assembly Democrats Troy Singleton and Sgt. Bob Andrzejczak sponsored to encourage schools to buy locally-sourced foods was approved by an Assembly panel.
Local bigwigs step up to help ShopRite raise money for food banks
Local celebrities, including government officials and rescue workers, were among the people seen bagging groceries recently at ShopRites in Evesham and Medford.
Medford’s Deputy Mayor Frank Czekay, Tabernacle Mayor Joseph Barton, and Medford Police Chief Richard Meder, were among the volunteers at the Medford ShopRite who were helping bag hunger by raising awareness and funds for food banks in the community. In Evesham, Sen. Diane Allen and Assemblyman Troy Singleton, among others, rolled up their sleeves to help out.
Bill requires more suicide prevention training for teachers
The latest statistics compiled by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2010 indicated New Jersey had the third lowest suicide rate in the country, but that doesn’t mean suicide isn’t a serious issue.
The same data revealed there were 719 suicides in the Garden State that year, a rate of 8.2 per 100,000 people, which is the highest New Jersey has seen since at least 1999. A bill (A-3224) approved Monday by the Assembly Education Committee is designed to improve suicide prevention training in public schools.
Bill to protect consumers against data breaches advances
A group of New Jersey lawmakers said recent data breaches at Staples, Home Depot, Target and more have exposed a glaring loophole in the state’s identify theft laws that they want to close.
On Thursday, the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee approved a measure to help ensure that consumers are informed of security breaches made to their account.