DEP: Cheesequake Park is Hidden Gem

Between water trails for kayakers, places to fish, and year-round campgrounds, Cheesequake has a little something for everyone.

The following is a message from the Department of Environmental Protection: A light breeze rustles tall saltmarsh grasses on Cheesequake Creek as kayakers peer at marsh wrens through binoculars. Diamondback terrapins sun themselves on logs and rocks, while tiny fiddler crabs peek out from the muddy banks. This bucolic scene may seem like a distant destination from the beaten path. But in reality, the subtle and natural wonders of Cheesequake State Park are just a stone’s throw from the Garden State Parkway. And while the serenity of Cheesequake Creek kayak ecotours are certainly a highlight of this 1,274-acre park in Old Bridge on the Matawan border, the added fishing, hiking and camping available among the coastal wetlands and forests …

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Water Advisory No Longer in Effect in Aberdeen

The advisory was lifted in Old Bridge on Wednesday, and is now lifted in Aberdeen

The boil water advisory is no longer in effect in Aberdeen Township, according to Director of Public Works Robert Brady. "We are pleased to report that subsequent water quality testing shows the water quality to be safe," Brady said. Monday night residents of Old Bridge and the Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach sections of Aberdeen were told to boil water for one minute prior to drinking, brushing teeth, or washing dishes after fecal coliform bacteria was found in a water supply. The bacteria was discovered during routine testing in a water sample taken June 15. Residents were notified of the bacteria on Monday, June 18. Brady explained that the delay is due to a 24 hour turnaround time for water testing, followed by additional testing when …

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Update: Water Warning Lifted in Old Bridge, Remains in Effect in Aberdeen

The boil water advisory was lifted in Old Bridge after test results indicated the water was no longer positive for bacteria. Aberdeen is awaiting the results of its own test.

Editor's Note: As of Thursday morning, the advisory is lifted in Aberdeen. For more information, please click here. Editor's Note: This article was updated at 10:30 p.m. on June 20 to indicate the ban was lifted in Old Bridge, but is still in effect in Aberdeen. A boil water advisory that was implemented in Old Bridge and certain sections of Aberdeen on Monday night was lifted in Old Bridge Wednesday night after test results indicated there was no longer fecal coliform bacteria in the water supply. The advisory remains in effect for the Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach areas of Aberdeen, pending Aberdeen's test results, Director of Public Works Robert Brady said Wednesday night. Brady said he anticipates the ban to be lifted within 24 hours. …

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Architects Detail Plans for Hare Krishna Temple

Resident disputes idea that buffers will be enough to protect quality of life

Five Alarm Fire in Cheesequake Village Destroys Three Condos

Fire destroyed at least three condos in a 55 and older development in Old Bridge. Five fire companies respond. No injuries reported.

A fire destroyed at least three condo units in a 55 and older community just outside Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge Township today. The surrounding units in Cheesequake Village were evacuated as five fire companies, including Cheesequake and Matawan Borough, worked the blaze. Firefighters appeared to have the fire at 7 Maine Court under control by 11:45 a.m. Old Bridge Police Captain Art Carulo said there were no injuries reported. Firefighters used a ladder truck to access the collapsed roof and were seen throwing out charred beams and pieces of furniture as white smoke continued to pour out of the evacuated homes. The smell of smoke filled the air. According to Cheesequake Volunteer Fire Company Chief Jack Kokoszka, the fire was …

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Update: No Decision Made on Hare Krishna Temple Proposed on Route 34

The application was carried to the Old Bridge Planning Board's July 10 meeting due to time constraints

No decision was made on the application for a Hare Krishna Temple on Route 34 in Old Bridge near the Matawan border, according to the Old Bridge Township Planning Board office. All testimony was not heard at the meeting, the office said. The meeting was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. and cannot continue pass 10:30 p.m. The application will be continued at the planning board's July 10 meeting at the Old Bridge Municipal Complex, which is near the intersection of Route 516 and Cottrell Avenue.   The temple is proposed on 6.3 acres of land on Route 34 between Highview Terrace and Sheila Court in Old Bridge Township in the R30 Zone. According to Jonathan Heilbrunn, the applicant's attorney, the proposed plan includes two buildings, a temple …

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Old Bridge Man Among 27 Charged In State Police Child Porn Probe

Arrests made in 26 towns.

An Old Bridge man was among the 27 people charged in a state police child porn investigation dubbed "Operation Watchdog," authorities said Tuesday. The 26 men and one woman used file sharing programs on the internet to download or distribute child porn, the state police said. Among the images and videos were those with a "digital fingerprint" that were tracked as they moved across file sharing networks, authorities said. Among those charged with possession and distribution of child pornography was Old Bridge resident Robert Knapp, 47. He was released on his own recognizance.  “Through aggressive, technology-driven investigations such as Operation Watchdog, we must banish the misguided notion that online viewing and sharing of child …

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Old Bridge Planning Board Hears Application for Hare Krishna Temple Near Matawan Border

The application, which was first submitted in 2009, was heard again Tuesday night

The Old Bridge Planning Board held a hearing on the application for a Hare Krishna temple on Route 34 at their meeting Tuesday night. The Proposed Plan The temple is proposed on 6.3 acres of land on Route 34 between Highview Terrace and Sheila Court in Old Bridge Township in the R30 Zone. Places of worship are permitted within residential zones in Old Bridge. According to Jonathan Heilbrunn, the applicant's attorney, the proposed plan includes two buildings, a temple and a single family home. The proposed temple is a 23,312 square foot, one-story building with a basement that would accomodate 420 congregants. The ground level of the building would be about 11,656 square feet and would serve as a worship area. The basement level, which is …

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Old Bridge Woman Charged with 38 Counts of Animal Cruelty

She is the owner of Puppies Galore in Brick. Store manager also faces charges

The owner and the manager of a Brick pet store that was shut down by authorities last month have been charged with a combined total of 42 counts of animal cruelty. Investigators with the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed the charges late last week against Maria De Santis, 57, of Old Bridge, and Nathan "Nat" Sladkin, 71, of Farmingdale. De Santis owned Puppies Galore in the Brick Mall shopping plaza on Hooper Avenue, and Sladkin was the store's manager, authorities said. DeSantis was charged with 38 counts of animal cruelty and Sladkin was charged with 4 counts of animal cruelty, according to SPCA Capt. Rick Yocum. The majority of the criminal charges, Yocum said, were filed for failure to provide necessary …

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Multiple Fire Departments Respond to 3 Alarm Blaze on Rt. 34 [VIDEO]

Flames overtook an office building on Rt. 34 in Old Bridge

An office building on Route 34 in Old Bridge Township was heavily damaged during a three alarm fire Wednesday evening. According to Cheesequake Volunteer Fire Company Asst. Chief Ed Mendez, the Old Bridge Fire Department was called to the scene at 5:30 p.m. The fire was already blazing out of the windows and through the roof when they arrived. The office building, located at 246 Route 34 in Old Bridge, housed at least four separate businesses including All Smiles Dental Care, Behavioral Health Solutions, Swift Construction, LLC and a tax office. Almost the entire roof burned in the fire, Mendez said. The fire department also had to shatter windows on the second floor to help ventilate the building. A fire is considered a third alarm fire …

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