tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224123572011-11-11T21:34:01.816-05:00Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.comBlogger1641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-89185281564265361812008-06-26T11:42:00.002-04:002008-06-27T15:43:56.122-04:00

I hate teaching fiscal responsibility, but it's something you have to do. I know too many people who get into trouble long into adulthood from poor saving and spending practices. My teenager didn't work over the winter. After his job ended in the fall, he survived about three minutes on what he "saved" from the summer, then failed to get another job to pay for "extras" throughout the winter. That

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-18186457861783586442007-02-26T16:35:00.000-05:002007-02-26T16:36:10.254-05:00

I'm going to have to go buy a lottery ticket tonight. Nothing that'll make me wealthy, but I'm going to play 165, straight. Heck, maybe I'll box it and spend a whole dollar.This is my 165th, and last, blog on the Opinion Page. I'm moving. Not far, but away from this page. I'll be blogging on our new Web site, www.jerseyshoremoms.com - best blog title I could come up with was Mom in Motion. The

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-51587707064533019632007-02-22T10:59:00.000-05:002007-02-22T13:48:35.076-05:00

Reading over the words of Kathleen Weinstein, abducted and killed almost 11 years ago, I'm in awe of her. In what had to be the most terrifying time in her life, she held it together, and she got great identifiable evidence against her killer while secretly tape-recording their time alone in her car after he carjacked her and before he smothered her to death in the woods.She managed to get

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-25497945044413460342007-02-19T09:25:00.000-05:002007-02-19T11:10:42.403-05:00

Sunday morning, my husband decided to take the kids out for breakfast. We went to church Saturday night, the kids had no Sunday School, so I opted to stay home and finish cleaning the house with no "Mommmmmmm!!!!" interruptions. Why he decided to take my car, I don't know. But tucked into our carport on a cold Sunday morning, it was probably more inviting. But he's not used to my car. As the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-79681906284179981562007-02-16T10:19:00.000-05:002007-02-16T11:04:26.604-05:00

While I was watching the Super Bowl, the Geico ad with the cavemen came on. Since commercials were a hot topic that day, we all launched in on our opinion of that campaign. I think it's a riot. I can't believe they've been able to carry this theme so long. As soon as the commercial came on, my friend Mary started laughing too, saying she was surprised they've kept it going, but that she gets a

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-20858302360070871832007-02-14T16:15:00.000-05:002007-02-15T10:22:41.810-05:00

I didn't have it too badly Wednesday morning with the weather. School was canceled for my high-schooler, and my younger ones had a delayed opening that delayed my arrival to work. By the time I got them all settled, the roads were pretty clear.Looking across Route 66 from the newsroom, I remarked to several people how beautiful the view was. The trees were encased in ice, glowing against the dark

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-82964213398039091072007-02-13T10:35:00.000-05:002007-02-13T10:46:46.450-05:00

New York is looking to upgrade its "I Love New York" ad campaign. Officials are seeking marketers to help them take advantage of new media, such as text messaging and podcasts. I can see podcasts, but text messaging?I wonder if the governor has the "I Love New York" jingle as his cell phone ring tone.I remember the first few years of that campaign - it started in 1977 - with all kinds of

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-88440743906769212692007-02-09T15:07:00.000-05:002007-02-09T16:11:23.415-05:00

My newsroom colleague Gretchen Van Benthuysen posed this question: How come it costs $1,000 to run a background check on a Republican, but background checks on volunteers at schools cost $85?She's got a good point. On today's page 3, we read that the Assembly is looking into requiring criminal background checks on volunteers who work for schools and other facilities that serve children. The

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-25571598479700243732007-02-08T10:46:00.000-05:002007-02-08T13:01:02.063-05:00

OK ... first off, I made up this sign from a Web site. It's not real!But the Trinity Restaurant planned in Keyport is, and to me, it's tacky and disrespectful. Am I overly sensitive? The use of the word "Trinity" at a church should refer to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, not a steak and ale joint. Charles Merla's looking for a liquor license for the restaurant that he's renovating from a

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-14109851056821961662007-02-07T15:28:00.000-05:002007-02-07T17:34:33.905-05:00

Hell hath no fury and all that, but to hear of an astronaut who drove 900 miles, apparently to bump off a rival is bizarre. The pictures to the left show Lisa Nowak, a 43-year-old astronaut ... first is her in a March 2005 NASA portrait, the next one is after she was arrested a few days ago in Florida, where she was charged with the attempted murder of a woman she believed was romantically

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1170798139863818332007-02-06T16:29:00.000-05:002007-02-06T17:23:45.446-05:00

Good for Monmouth County Freeholder Anna Little for coming out against the Republican Party's new "screening process." First, it wants candidates to pay $1,000 for a "recommended but voluntary" background check, which party chair Adam Puharic said they should consider "vulnerability assessments on themselves," digging out information such as past criminal histories, divorces and bankruptcies.

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1170706336982472092007-02-05T14:52:00.000-05:002007-02-05T15:52:42.646-05:00

Timing can be everything. I'm a big seatbelt proponent and a lecturer to anyone who gets in and doesn't buckle up. I have been since I was a teen and got banged up in an accident, long before seat belts were required. I started buckling up before the state told us we had to. My kids follow the rules as they've been added - car seats, then booster seats, then seat belts after they're 8 or 80

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1170275541314677612007-01-31T15:17:00.000-05:002007-01-31T23:12:21.490-05:00

Remember the kid from "The Sixth Sense" who whispered "I see dead people" to his shrink, portrayed by Bruce Willis? Apparently, the personnel directors from the Newark and Camden city school districts have that ability too. Camden spent more than $330,000 on salaries to late - we're not talking tardy - employees, some of whom were dead up to 30 years before their termination dates. Didn't anybody

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1170182983663513712007-01-30T13:38:00.000-05:002007-01-30T16:38:28.796-05:00

A recent news article on new questions that will be asked of those called for jury duty made me remember my duties past. Plenty of people I know have never been called. I have - four times. The first three times, I had to report for at least most of the week, usually getting released Thursday night. Heck, the first time I went - many, many years ago before I gave up cigarettes - there was a "

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1170088655638055702007-01-29T11:37:00.000-05:002007-01-29T14:56:59.053-05:00

Everyone has to agree that this woman might just have gone a little too far: A woman from Spain gave birth to twins last month at age 67. That raises an eyebrow, but, hey, people live longer and are healthier, so that doesn't really concern people too much. And there are plenty of dads who are well into their 70s with newborns. Why shouldn't women be able to start families later too?Then you hear

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1169742157556580122007-01-25T11:08:00.000-05:002007-01-25T12:05:24.536-05:00

What do you make of this? It's big news today that Isaiah Washington of TV's "Grey's Anatomy" is entering counseling because he used the word "faggot." Now unless you're talking about a cigarette, that word is entirely unacceptable. But therapy? Lots of people say stupid things once in a while or have an intended joke really tank and come off as insensitive. Do you have to go through counseling

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1169579409144590832007-01-23T14:05:00.000-05:002007-01-23T17:32:04.556-05:00

The state Senate Monday finally passed a bill that would make public employees and officials who committed a job-related crime forfeit their pension. But the penalties would only apply to crimes committed AFTER the bill becomes law. Of course! So now those former public officials -- think Operation Bid Rig and the like -- who are heading off to state prison after taking thousands of dollars in

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1169226259417399672007-01-19T12:01:00.000-05:002007-01-19T13:22:00.273-05:00

Pretty inactive blog this week ... sorry, a nasty cold really slowed me down ... something's gotta give! I'm much better now, and I have some inspiration from, of all things, a McGreevey.I see that Dina Matos McGreevey is writing her version of Life with Jim. I can't blame her. She said there's been so much speculation about her married life, and "Enough is enough." What I'd like to know is why

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168975003235214822007-01-16T13:45:00.000-05:002007-01-16T18:13:52.563-05:00

The tiaras are falling rapidly. In the last month or so, three beauty pageant winners lost, or came close to losing, their titles. I keep remembering, from the years I watched, the line read for the runner-up for Miss America, "If, for any reason, the winner is unable to fulfill her duties ... " or something along those lines. Nobody cared. She wasn't going down in history. Who would've thunk it

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168898811563870292007-01-15T17:06:00.000-05:002007-01-15T17:31:56.780-05:00

I love the "Law and Order" type of shows ... I don't follow any of them regularly, but I watch CSI, Cold Case Files, etc., whenever I can. This Saturday, I was riveted to CNN, watching the news of the two rescued Missouri boys -- one a little over a week after he was abducted, the second more than four years after he was kidnapped. It was heard to tear myself away - hearing the older boy's

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168540974279018652007-01-11T13:42:00.000-05:002007-01-11T16:15:49.546-05:00

It's so hard reading about the three teens killed in Freehold yesterday. I couldn't help tearing up several times, thinking of those families, those kids. Our oldest child can get his permit this year. My husband and I were going to teach him ourselves. Now, I'm rethinking just having us teach him. One of the people who posted a response in our online forum wrote of signing up his or her teen for

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168453571016802072007-01-10T13:10:00.000-05:002007-01-10T16:19:36.986-05:00

I've heard comments on both sides of whether the one-liners in Gov. Corzine's State of the State speech were appropriate, or funny, for that matter.Me? I appreciate the breaks in what is usually a long, boring speech. I laughed at his comment about having to learn "more about bear contraception than any of you'd like to know." We get lots of letters from both sides on bear and deer hunts. I

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168376823110265712007-01-09T15:53:00.000-05:002007-01-09T16:19:14.626-05:00

Failed real estate investor Solomon Dwek wants $37,800 released from his seized assets to pay for private school tuition for his four kids. His lawyer said the family "may face irreparable harm should the children's education be interrupted for a period of time." That's not sitting well with some of his creditors, who have accused Dwek of defrauding them of hundreds of millions of dollars. Why

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1168278888399350892007-01-08T12:45:00.000-05:002007-01-08T13:38:53.236-05:00

In today's online update on former, longtime Brick Mayor Joe Scarpelli, his lawyer immediately does the "but look at all the good he did" dance. I'm sick of hearing that every time a public figure winds up being convicted of or, as Scarpelli did, pleads guilty to corruption.Scarpelli pleaded guilty to accepting $5,000 in bribes from a developer between 1998 and 2003, and for taking a $500 cash

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167937398541452072007-01-04T13:48:00.000-05:002007-01-04T17:00:47.223-05:00

Any good theories out there on what this lump 'o junk might be? E.T.'s tennis ball? It's 2 1/4 by 1 1/4 inches, about 13 ounces, and described as a silver-gray, lumpy but smooth, rocklike object with a metallic sheen.After blowing a hole in the roof of a Freehold Township home and into a second-floor bathroom, it bounced off the tile floor and became embedded in a wall. Ouch!Sounds like it might

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167854625695887822007-01-03T14:43:00.000-05:002007-01-03T15:46:07.783-05:00

I remember when Prince's "1999" album came out in the 80s, the age I would be at the start of the new century seemed so old and so far away. Another in a long line of "If you told me I'd do this someday, I would never have believed it" events that hit since I turned, well, not a spring chicken anymore: I was mopping my kitchen floor when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve. My husband

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167764096574240212007-01-02T13:37:00.000-05:002007-01-02T14:39:01.503-05:00

I didn't think I'd ever see it, but it looks like there's a case that no self-respecting lawyer would take on. A litigant is representing himself, and I'm taking it on faith that he must've contacted some attorneys to try and get help. George Allen Ward, a crack dealer in jail in Virginia serving a 200-month sentence, is suing Arm & Hammer and its parent company for $425 million. His complaint?

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167347525109545892006-12-28T18:06:00.000-05:002006-12-29T16:22:58.630-05:00

Not to take away from Transportation Commissioner Kris Kolluri's "Day as a Governor," but wouldn't it have been fun -- well, except for the state Legislature -- if he decided to take a quick out-of-state trip this week?On Thursday, the governor, the Senate president, the Assembly speaker and the attorney general were all out of town, giving Kolluri his 24 hours as New Jersey governor. (Wonder if

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167246385926585052006-12-27T13:47:00.000-05:002006-12-28T09:15:40.806-05:00

Recent shootings in Long Branch, Neptune and Asbury Park has prompted discussions about guns, drugs and gangs, none of which end at the borders of those municipalities. I've been involved in a few conversations about what effect this has, particularly in Asbury's case, on businesses and real estate redevelopment. Are people nervous about going into Asbury? My husband and I went to the Market in

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1167158813845507172006-12-26T13:29:00.000-05:002006-12-26T13:54:17.793-05:00

State Sen. William L. Gormley, R-Atlantic, wants to gut Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall to house a $3 billion retail mall and hotel casino. The aim is to lure mogul Steve Wynn back to New Jersey.Gormley says he wants to see the facade of the historic building retained, then use its shell to house a mall similar to Union Station in Washington, then attach a casino hotel. I honestly don't know ...

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166825151805138422006-12-22T16:56:00.000-05:002006-12-22T17:10:14.856-05:00

There's a news brief in today's paper that describes three women who bagged a fleeing fugitive. Literally. Seems a man wanted for possession of a weapon and assault on police officers was being chased across a bridge in England when three women, armed only with their purses, cornered him, smacked him around, then forced him into the arms of a nearby van driver who held him until police arrived.

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166741218232042592006-12-21T17:30:00.000-05:002006-12-21T23:40:26.576-05:00

I've had the pleasure of going through our archives -- I blogged about some great stuff I found on the Sea Bright-Highlands bridge last week. But the headline on the women's advice column from Feb. 4, 1907, really caught my eye: "Managing a Man; Good Advice About Nagging, Even Though it Be Hard to Follow."It opens: "The best time not to nag a man is when he's down -- when he's suffering from the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166637254156772182006-12-20T12:51:00.000-05:002006-12-20T13:17:44.193-05:00

I took a few days off to get ready for the holidays. One of my goals was to get all my holiday cards out. Our old computer had a printing program that I typed our whole address book into. All I had to do was call up the list and hit print. Ta-da! Envelopes labeled and stamped in no time at all. I loved it, and with all there is to do at the holidays, not having to write out 50 or so envelopes is

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166219512852491662006-12-15T16:49:00.000-05:002006-12-15T18:56:12.846-05:00

How innovative are U.S. soldiers? They came up with the idea of using Silly String to protect themselves from bombs. They squirt the goop across a room before searching it. It solidifies into the stringlike stuff in the air. If the stuff remains suspended, it shows them where a nearly invisible trip wire is. How cool is that?A Camden County mother heard about it from her son, and she's been

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166131390707701072006-12-14T15:52:00.000-05:002006-12-15T13:48:40.666-05:00

If terrorists decided they wanted to do something evil with the 90-ton chemical tankers on the side of the Turnpike, do you think they'd turn around and give up when they saw there was a fence? The New Jersey Turnpike Authority does. It voted to spend $6 million to put up a 10-foot fence between Linden and Newark. Pretty lucrative for the fence guy, I'm sure. A fence, for crying out loud. And

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1166047319225147622006-12-13T16:19:00.000-05:002006-12-13T17:32:33.413-05:00

We've been running stories about proposed plans to replace the bridge between Highlands and Sea Bright -- both towns withdrew support for the project earlier this month, preferring repair and renovation over a new span nearly twice as high that would obstruct views. They also appear to be fond of the current bridge, which, as one resident put it, is "part of the fabric of our community, and we

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165943388130139742006-12-12T11:48:00.000-05:002006-12-12T13:19:36.660-05:00

I hope the Neptune Township Committee doesn't waste more time in its discussion of whether the township is allowed to provide funding toward the Black History Month celebration because its theme is "African-American Contributions to Praise and Worship." It seems a committeewoman was concerned that allowing public money to fund anything with "worship" in the title would be stepping over the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165853226387162862006-12-11T10:55:00.000-05:002006-12-11T14:31:15.716-05:00

When I bought my car in 2000, it came with a new security device: a coded key. Sounds great, but if you lose it, it'll cost ya. A return to the dealer for a new key will run you about $100. A locksmith can get you one for a little less than half that. Then you have to go to your auto manual to learn how to program it. But you usually need two already-programmed keys to program the third, or at

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165518821999435862006-12-07T13:54:00.000-05:002006-12-07T16:04:03.623-05:00

I was talking with a group of moms about a news brief that appeared in our paper Wednesday regarding a South Carolina mother who had sicced the police on her 12-year-old for nosing through his great-grandmother's house, finding his Christmas present (a Game Boy) and playing with it. A little extreme, we thought.There's more to the story. The family has had a lot of problems - the boy has stolen

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165333044581265292006-12-05T10:36:00.000-05:002006-12-05T14:47:25.336-05:00

Thank goodness for Seton Hall b-ball. The Pirates are taking the sting out of the last few Giants losses. I don't watch a lot of sports, but I make it a point to follow those two teams. The Giants were riding high until a few weeks ago. I wore a Giants shirt last weekend during the stunning 4th quarter loss, and refused to wear it this weekend, figuring it was unlucky. I guess that wasn't the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165264980396314942006-12-04T15:42:00.000-05:002006-12-04T16:56:57.350-05:00

A longtime spokesman and lobbyist for the Burlington County Bridge Commission, Robert Stears, admitted Friday that he billed the commission hundreds of thousands of dollars for work not performed, and he pleaded guilty to income tax evasion for not reporting that money.First, I have to ask: Why does a Bridge Commission - responsible for two bridges - need a spokesman and a lobbyist? Why does the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1165001337733809812006-12-01T14:09:00.000-05:002006-12-01T14:33:53.500-05:00

I have to figure out when I can buckle down and do the family Christmas cards. Each year, we send out about 50 or so cards to family and friends. We do the photo cards with a picture of our kids. Nothing formal, just a photo I take when I can get all four of them together and looking in the same direction. I've decided that "Wait, look over here and smile!" shots turn out better than the ones

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1164834514320250372006-11-29T15:59:00.000-05:002006-11-30T09:33:51.476-05:00

Poor Brendan Byrne. First the arena bearing his name was changed, with the naming rights sold to Continental Airlines. Then he gets a forest named after him. A forest! That's much cooler than an arena. When then-Gov. McGreevey renamed the Lebanon State Forest as "Brendan T. Byrne State Forest" in 2002, it prompted Byrne to joke, "it's nice to be immortal again." But the new AAA road maps for New

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1164646077197901252006-11-27T11:32:00.000-05:002006-11-28T10:43:04.790-05:00

How absolutely sickening. Jim McGreevey's "people" tried to get his portrait-hanging ceremony to coincide with his book release tour. Gov. Corzine's people told him no. McGreevey's people tried again, Corzine's staff stuck to their guns and said no ceremony until the book tour is done. Good for them. McGreevey's such a slug! I could care less about his love life. But considering the lousy job he

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1164386254657990142006-11-24T11:04:00.000-05:002006-11-24T12:21:31.336-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to my favorite leftover: a turkey, stuffing, cranberry and mayo sandwich. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM-mmmmmmmmm.But back at work today, I started going through the editorial page e-mails and got to wondering: How did we get on some of these lists?We get the spam-scams, usually addressed to "My Beloved" or "Dearest One": Someone from some European

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1164149704283375882006-11-21T17:44:00.000-05:002006-11-22T11:11:10.123-05:00

I was thinking of taking my daughters to see a Broadway show as their Christmas gift. For my hurtin' wallet, that means an early ride to the Tickets booth opposite Times Square to purchase seats for that day's shows at half price. Too bad it won't be until after the New Year. I'll miss the potty party.The new public restroom area set up in Times Square is apparently something to experience, so to

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1164047304753562882006-11-20T13:28:00.000-05:002006-11-20T14:00:45.786-05:00

OK, I know people are thrilled with peeking into the lives of celebrities, but during my week off, it seemed every channel was overly devoted to covering the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.Honestly, I couldn't care less. But while I was housecleaning, and housecleaning, and housecleaning (and it will all be a shambles again by the end of this week), I opted to have the TV playing in the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1163186287917937702006-11-10T13:49:00.000-05:002006-11-10T14:34:19.840-05:00

My last blog before my vacation next week was inspired by my teenager, and by Margaret, a regular Press blog contributor. In a comment on my posting on cell phone use, Margaret told about hearing a woman's screaming, expletive-laden cell phone conversation, then later learned that same woman had been hired to work at a local school. That got me thinking about dicey language used in front of

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1163088734359154102006-11-09T10:43:00.000-05:002006-11-09T12:09:06.893-05:00

OK, I blogged on this once before, but I have to plead once again: Public bathrooms are not appropriate places for cell phone conversations!A friend once walked into a ladies' room behind me, chatting away on the phone, and I quickly asked everyone in the stalls to start flushing their toilets so she'd get the hint that her conversation should have ended outside the door. She laughed and hung

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1163014089409495012006-11-08T14:21:00.000-05:002006-11-08T15:42:40.336-05:00

Do people actually take the time to really analyze the public questions on ballots? Or are we so caught up in the personalities of the candidates that we pay little or no attention to the questions?I brought the topic up with a group of friends over the weekend. (Yup, the life of the party, that's me) and some didn't know what the state and county questions were. OK, I'm in a job where I'm

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162929853273584692006-11-07T14:52:00.000-05:002006-11-07T16:27:53.540-05:00

Last week, I activated my voice mail service that will send me an e-mail when I get a message on my machine at home. I'm deactivating it. At least until tomorrow. The last few days I've received several - today's highlights were calls from Bill Clinton and Joe Piscopo. "Hi! It's me, Joe Piscopo. Yes it's me, Joe Piscopo." Oooooookay. I didn't doubt him the first time. Then he went into his

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162838225564290372006-11-06T13:36:00.000-05:002006-11-06T14:14:52.726-05:00

I had another incredibly busy weekend. The McDowells were on the run - we even square-danced with our friends the Muras, who put on a terrific audience participation show at their church Saturday night. The kids had a blast.But now I need a quiet Monday. I can't wait until I get home. I'm not cooking. I'm not cleaning. I'm not doing anything but order pizza and gather the kids to either rent a

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162582866213393692006-11-03T14:14:00.000-05:002006-11-03T16:10:09.600-05:00

Pirate season starts today. I'll be consumed until March. My beloved Seton Hall basketball team plays Bloomfield College tonight at Walsh Gym. My husband and I had season tickets several years back, but for two full-time working parents with four kids (and the cost of babysitters when we do go), it was unrealistic. Now, I go when my folks have extra tickets. They have seats with friends, and when

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162506909507519902006-11-02T17:19:00.000-05:002006-11-02T17:41:23.976-05:00

Did you hear about the scientists that fed huge doses of red wine extract to a bunch of obese mice? They found the chunky Mickeys got all the benefits of being thin - living healthier, longer lives - without dieting. That's hilarious.I don't think I'll give up my salads and early-morning jogs just yet.It's far too early to know if this would work in people, scientists said. Why not just loiter at

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162413293732123342006-11-01T15:12:00.000-05:002006-11-01T16:27:21.430-05:00

I took Halloween off to visit school classroom parties, put final touches on Halloween costumes and do the travel trick-or-treating (to family and friends out of town), the town party and the local trick-or-treating. During a last-minute run to the store to get some red hair spray for my Little Mermaid and some tooth-black-wax for my pirate girl, the Halloween stuff was already on sale and the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1162232931589619732006-10-30T13:07:00.000-05:002006-10-30T14:11:31.610-05:00

I'm boycotting one of my favorite restaurants - one my family has been going to regularly since it opened a few years back. We're good customers - noisy, but pretty good natured and easy to please. And this is a noisy restaurant, so we don't stick out.About a year or so ago, I thought our bill was high and saw that a tip had already been added in. This was the first time I had seen the restaurant

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161963716493833252006-10-27T11:17:00.000-04:002006-10-27T14:03:49.953-04:00

Talk about not letting go! An article out of Charlotte, N.C. , tells of a nurse who was charged with murdering a patient in the office where she worked. The motive? She believed the patient had stolen her boyfriend in high school 30 years earlier.And get this: The patient was in there for a facelift! That must've added fuel to the fire, huh? She was also in for fat grafts to her lips and laser

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161895288604804312006-10-26T16:26:00.000-04:002006-10-26T17:14:24.233-04:00

You've got to love little boys; they keep you on your toes. Take Robert Moore. When he puts his mind to something, there's no stopping him. On Saturday night, the 3-year-old from Wisconsin was shopping with his grandmother when she let him try to win a SpongeBob SquarePants doll out of a vending machine. When he failed to capture it with the crane, his grandmother said she'd win him one.Then she

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161788979095592142006-10-25T11:09:00.000-04:002006-10-25T13:37:25.766-04:00

While some of the state panels studying ways to reduce our property taxes seem to be searching for ways to do nothing, the panel studying school funding is actually doing something. They're looking to spend more money!Those boneheads got it backward. They're supposed to be finding ways to REDUCE taxes. Instead, they want to fix the inequities of school spending by spending more. Middle-income

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161703492445027152006-10-24T11:23:00.000-04:002006-10-24T18:09:39.606-04:00

Are you ready for some football? It's a good day to be a Giants' fan, but that's not what I'm talking about. The defeat of Dallas at Dallas is sweet, but the football story that caught my attention was the brief we had on page 5 Tuesday: "Dad pulls gun on his son's football coach." A 40-year-old Philadelphia father was upset because his son wasn't getting enough playing time. This was for a

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161375859961952452006-10-20T16:24:00.000-04:002006-10-20T18:39:15.746-04:00

An 18-year-old kid's dead, shot in the head in broad daylight on Wednesday morning in Asbury Park, a block away from the Middle School. The county prosecutor's office says kids have easy access to guns, and neighbors say too many young people -- and they're not just talking about gangs -- are too quick to settle disputes with their guns. A few days before Tylik Pugh was shot, two other young

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161269188859468912006-10-19T10:44:00.000-04:002006-10-19T14:34:46.620-04:00

Check out the story of the Massachusetts school that's gone way overboard in protecting children. Now they can't play "tag" during recess. Tag. Come on. What's next, "Duck, Duck, Goose''?Kids at elementary schools around Attleboro, just south of Boston, were told a few years ago that they couldn't play dodgeball anymore because it was "exclusionary and dangerous." OK, maybe some of the kids don't

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161184774142473442006-10-18T11:08:00.000-04:002006-10-18T14:04:56.120-04:00

Ship Bottom, population 1,418 as of July 2004, is considering either renovating its municipal buildings or building a new one for $3.3 million. That comes to about $2,325 per person. Down the boulevard on Long Beach Island in Harvey Cedars, population 380, there's talk of adding on to the municipal building. At the north end of Long Beach Island, Barnegat Light, population 815, is completing

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161095824207221782006-10-17T10:28:00.000-04:002006-10-17T11:30:14.806-04:00

How high is your water bill? Not as high, I hope, as some of the New Jersey-American Water Co. users in Howell.Signs have been sprouting from lawns there complaining about residential water and sewer bills. I can't blame 'em ... one guy said his quarterly bill came to $1,800. That's $7,200 a year! That must be especially painful now, as those lush lawns lose the battle of the elements.My monthly

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1161093194968723602006-10-17T09:44:00.000-04:002006-10-17T11:17:26.543-04:00

I took my oldest out for his first driving lesson on Sunday. At least he did better than I did. I learned on a stick shift and did nothing but stall out for 15 minutes while my father very patiently (I was the fourth of five kids) said, "Try again." "Try again." "Try again." The whole time, my friend Jane sat on our porch cracking up.My 15-year-old first thought it would be OK to bring a few

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1160760773042891382006-10-13T13:27:00.000-04:002006-10-13T13:58:30.533-04:00

Finishing up my nightly rounds a little later than usual last night, I had Comedy Central on while I got set up for the morning. On the Colbert Report, 4th District Democratic candidate Carol Gay, who is challenging Rep. Chris Smith, was one of the guests. I hope she was forewarned.I only caught a bit of it, with Colbert suggesting some campaign slogans along the lines of "Go Gay in New Jersey."

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1160684377131907682006-10-12T16:18:00.000-04:002006-10-12T16:27:02.063-04:00

So the N.J. Lottery operator with a bid nearly $32 million higher than its competitor got the contract because it is "more convenient." Representatives for the low bidder, Scientific Games, said the state's evaluation committee exaggerated its weaknesses while ignoring the problems (and obviously, the price) of GTech, which bid $106.7 million to Scientific's $75 million. Former state Attorney

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1160502519529963472006-10-10T13:41:00.000-04:002006-10-10T14:17:39.490-04:00

OK, I could deal with the spinach. When a couple hundred people were sickened by the e-coli bacteria traced to spinach, I was OK with that. I'm big on veggies, but I can live without spinach as long as I have all the others.Now health officials are concerned about lettuce. Come on! How's a person supposed to battle the bulge? Are they going to say broccoli's dangerous? How about cauliflower and

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1160418925405567422006-10-09T14:35:00.000-04:002006-10-09T17:19:19.060-04:00

The 78-inch model of the Starship Enterprise used in some of the shows in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the "Star Trek Generations" series was expected to bring in $25,000 to $35,000. Nope. It sold for $576,000. FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS! For that price, it should be big enough to live in. Apparently, Christie's auction house underestimates the devotion of the true

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1160074027451820332006-10-05T14:34:00.000-04:002006-10-05T14:53:57.896-04:00

The more I hear about state legislators' efforts to reduce property taxes, the more I think we should just outsource the whole state government to another state, where the legislators get it right. Or at least, where they get it better. That would open it up to 49 other states.One of the latest songs they're tap dancing to is possibly allowing municipalities to establish local sales tax. Of

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1159883722694648892006-10-03T09:46:00.000-04:002006-10-03T13:20:32.736-04:00

I heard someone on the radio this morning talking about how the Newark school district throws out a lot of unused food and unopened milk cartons every day after the kids have eaten. That's one Abbott waste that sickens me; not because of the money but because of the needless waste. Can't they donate what they don't use to a soup kitchen, or allow children to take the extra food home? All those

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1159538435126282412006-09-29T09:45:00.000-04:002006-09-29T10:09:28.543-04:00

I have very little patience for political advertisements. Most of them provide no useful information. Candidates say little about themselves, opting instead for the chance to take a cheap shot at an opponent.But the "Linda Stender is a spender" slogan is a new low, where a whole bunch of people take turn saying that phrase, in the ad approved by Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J. He is trying to keep

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1159207302050327172006-09-25T14:01:00.000-04:002006-09-25T14:15:53.026-04:00

So Sen. Wayne Bryant of Camden County -- whose questionable dealings have been coming to light in various ethics investigations -- wrote to Sen. Richard Codey saying he wants to temporarily step down as Budget Committee chairman. Codey said it was done after "careful consideration and discussion" and Bryant's brief resignation letter referred to his and Codey's "thoughtful discussion during the

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1158853866367672102006-09-21T11:50:00.000-04:002006-09-21T14:05:48.236-04:00

Our family writer is receiving samples of the season's new toys (no, she doesn't get to keep 'em!) that will have kids begging their parents for and putting stars next to on their Christmas wish list for Santa. There's a new Elmo doll that falls down, rolls over, throws its arm in the air, kicks its feet and rights itself while cracking up. Toy technology has really come far since the original

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1158682425029318622006-09-19T12:13:00.000-04:002006-09-19T17:04:38.910-04:00

I'm in awe of those in "public service" who see absolutely no problem in ripping off the public. How do they justify it to themselves? Do they even recognize what they do is wrong? I'm reminded of Gov. Corzine's inaugural speech, when he came down hard on the corruption in New Jersey government, and those with the most ethical lapses got all offended and basically said, ''How dare he?!''Wayne

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1158602274835018442006-09-18T13:57:00.000-04:002006-09-18T15:11:42.366-04:00

I just bought a pair of tap shoes on eBay -- much to the horror of my friend Dianne, who would never wear anything used. They're on their way from Washington State. Good thing. Tapping in sneakers is just downright impossible, I found out last week.I'm taking a tap-dancing class. I've never had a tap shoe on in my life. I did a year of ballet when I was in second grade, but it was One and Done. I

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1158345612541953572006-09-15T14:26:00.000-04:002006-09-15T15:22:20.146-04:00

I'm glad to hear that another politician is facing the music for dancing to an unethical tune. This time it's the powerful Democratic party leader John Lynch Jr., the former state Senate president from New Brunswick, who pleaded guilty to corruption and tax evasion charges today.I find no joy in hearing of one of our top state leaders facing jail time for being corrupt. But I know there's rampant

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1158158823847772722006-09-13T10:35:00.000-04:002006-09-13T13:06:33.496-04:00

On the radio on my way in to work, I heard something about a New Jersey legislator, didn't catch which one, who wants to end the practice of companies offering rebates on items where you have to fill out forms, send in receipts, clip bar codes off boxes, jump through hoops and mail it out, then wait eight weeks for your five bucks. This legislator says the rebates should be given at the time of

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1157741150318556722006-09-08T14:45:00.000-04:002006-09-08T15:43:48.186-04:00

I'm too young to remember the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr., and I have only vague memories of the first man on the moon. But I can remember so much about 9/11, so many details about that surreal day.The first recollection is of my then 2-year-old daughter running into the kitchen saying, "Mommy, T.B., T.B." ... seems our TV, hooked up to an

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1157574527399058682006-09-06T16:28:00.000-04:002006-09-06T18:40:29.200-04:00

The McDowell household returned to school and work this week, mostly smooth, except for the surprisingly early bus that left a few dozen high school kids stranded this morning (I took three of them for the half-hour trek to school - seems only the freshmen were notified the new schedule has the bus coming 15 MINUTES EARLIER. AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHH!Oh well, it just means I get started 15 minutes

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1157468883687928852006-09-05T10:54:00.000-04:002006-09-05T11:38:55.240-04:00

Well, in case you missed me, I'm back after a two-week vacation. Problem is, I'm scratching my head to remember all my various passwords and the Web sites I usually use on a daily basis. By Wednesday or Thursday I expect I'll be back in the swing of things. But even after this short time off, things seem so foreign, things that will be habit in only a few days are requiring extra thought right

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1155917496261479832006-08-18T11:53:00.000-04:002006-08-18T12:36:24.463-04:00

The Press has been covering the upcoming vote on reauthorizing the Magnuson Stevens Act, which governs fisheries nationally. While the fluke population has doubled in the last six years, the environmental lobby wants to see it tripled in a few more years, which means far fewer fish could be caught by both recreational and commercial fishermen.I grew up fluke fishing off the Jersey Coast. I

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1155657735591375642006-08-15T11:39:00.000-04:002006-08-15T13:37:46.166-04:00

Executives heading the federally funded Legal Services Corp. saw fit to treat themselves to trips across the country to hold their meetings -- ranging from $20,145 to $55,125 in bills to put up the 11-member board at hotels. They didn't want to "feel confined" by meeting at their Washington, D.C., headquarters -- with its multiple conference rooms and kitchen and pantry areas -- for two entire

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1155584028523460432006-08-14T15:33:00.000-04:002006-08-15T13:29:20.076-04:00

My sister and I have teens about the same age, who are about a year away from having driver's permits. I've turned into "The Lecturer." ... Scares the heck out of me, that these kids will be driving so soon! But we were just talking about kids, cars and how we now understand why our Mom and Dad said, "No." Truth be told, they were often right to do so.So I've become "The Lecturer." I'm about to

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1155223811954972752006-08-10T11:19:00.000-04:002006-08-10T14:01:18.316-04:00

We've been talking in the office about the handling of accident/construction/gridlock problems on our Parkway and Turnpike. Everybody's been stuck behind an accident at one time or another, and it's a relief when the authorities finally get the lanes moving again.One thing that really irks me is when you get stuck in traffic, then find out it's because of the idiots in front of you who had to

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1155053019806472082006-08-08T11:51:00.000-04:002006-08-08T13:11:47.316-04:00

OK, we let our 15-year-old go to the Warped Tour this weekend. Not his first concert, but the first one where I wasn't close by. Knowing that a friend of mine would be there and that some of his own friends would catch up with him, I dropped him off, alone, after a friend of his who he was planning to go with backed out at the last minute. Freaked me out.Seeing the amount of security there and

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1154984350921220722006-08-07T16:58:00.000-04:002006-08-07T18:58:06.903-04:00

Kudos to Superior Court Judge James Citta for making sure crime doesn't pay ... $600,000-plus in this case. In Ocean County last week, Citta held off sentencing an admitted insurance scammer when he delayed sentencing a 55-year-old Dover Township woman until he finds out where the money went.Citta was scheduled last week to pass sentence according to the plea bargain between the state attorney

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1154539775438048422006-08-02T13:19:00.000-04:002006-08-02T13:34:47.106-04:00

Pleading for leniency in his sentencing for taking a $1,000 bribe, former Monmouth County Deputy Fire Marshal Patsy Townsend said, "In 37 years, I made one big mistake. I would like to take the opportunity to say I am truly sorry to my family, my friends, my colleagues and the public for the embarrassment I have brought on them." His lawyer said he was "part of the fabric of the community" for

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1154445161455888152006-08-01T10:57:00.000-04:002006-08-01T11:55:37.283-04:00

OK, I'm not a big fan of seagulls. Even in the movie "Finding Nemo," another bird refers to them as "rats with wings." I don't have anything against them. But I have been annoyed one too many times by their boldness when I've had lunch on the beach or tried to have a bagel on the boardwalk. And try jogging or walking when they're overhead ... it's a little nerve-wracking, worrying if one will

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1154368499886492112006-07-31T13:25:00.000-04:002006-07-31T15:51:01.856-04:00

So how does a truck dealer pass a bribe to an elected official? Seems the preferred method locally is to stuff the cash into a cigarette pack or cigar tube and pass it along at an area restaurant, as shown in our story Saturday about the 19-count indictment against the owners of a Howell truck dealership. They were charged last week with bribing officials in Monmouth and Ocean counties over eight

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1154112483414067312006-07-28T14:41:00.000-04:002006-07-28T15:26:23.400-04:00

I recall the disappointment I felt a few times when some of my favorite radio stations changed their formats. One area rock station's conversion into easy listening was a heart-breaker years ago. I had to reprogram my car radio fast!Imagine the reaction of the folks in Kingsburg, Calif., who listened to KFYE-FM. Last week, it changed from playing Christian music, sermons and Bible stories to its

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1153936652937042522006-07-26T13:49:00.000-04:002006-07-26T17:40:47.663-04:00

I was floored when I saw the top headline in Saturday's Local News section, "Police stop teen's kegger; family arrested." Seems the Mom and Dad allowed their 18-year-old daughter to have a keg at a "mock wedding" (what the heck is that?) she was hosting. The Mom said "everything was going fine until about 12:30 (a.m.) when people who were uninvited started showing up."Everything was NOT going

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1153515531465098832006-07-21T16:13:00.000-04:002006-07-21T17:04:41.956-04:00

The truckloads of money spent with little or no oversight at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey boggles the mind. It's as if a whole bunch of blank checkbooks were tossed about in the offices with an invitation to "Shop till ya drop!"It stuns me that there are so many who are so willing to be so dirty with so much of our money. Stories of state money used to throw holiday

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1153424895088618222006-07-20T15:35:00.000-04:002006-07-20T18:36:57.856-04:00

US Airways Group Inc. - among the first airline companies to put ads on seat-tray tables - plans to sell ads on barf bags.EEEEEEEEEYEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"We've always been on the cutting edge for this kind of marketing," said a spokesman. A marketing professor suggested motion sickness medicine or Pepto-Bismol might make sense.But really ... when you're about to hurl, are you going to stop and

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1153317694674728742006-07-19T09:53:00.000-04:002006-07-19T14:41:14.086-04:00

So Attorney General Zulima Farber is paying her own attorney fees in the probe into whether she helped her boyfriend beat a couple of traffic tickets. The sad thing is, why is that even a question? Of course she should pay for her own attorney fees. But this is New Jersey, and Farber's already shown by her actions and her dreadful driving history that she believes she deserves special treatment.

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1152904633790459792006-07-14T15:13:00.000-04:002006-07-19T14:39:38.463-04:00

Another crazy lawsuit: A St. Louis weight-loss instructor is suing the Coca-Cola Co. over its "My Coke Rewards" campaign where customers earn points by buying Coca-Cola products. This lawsuit charges that it might encourage kids to drink so much of the sugary soft drink they could die. Puh-leeze! She said she filed the lawsuit out of moral obligation, that kids would have to drink hundreds of

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1152828644426289392006-07-13T17:44:00.000-04:002006-07-13T18:18:08.336-04:00

So the Motor Vehicle Commission is proposing to change the rules, to allow some cars to pass inspection even if they have minor infractions, such as a broken wiper blade or a wimpy horn, with a warning to get the problem fixed or face a ticket.I've had two cases, one recently, when a co-worker told me I had a burned-out brake light days before I went to inspection, so I was able to fix it before

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1152730993490352452006-07-12T14:45:00.000-04:002006-07-12T15:55:45.993-04:00

I remember thinking once that former Gov. McGreevey must have watched out of the car window while he was being driven around, trying to think up new things to tax. Remember the $1.50 fee on each tire on a new car (including, I believe, the donut)? How on earth did he come up with that idea? What other ridiculous taxes could he add, I cautiously wondered?Looks like Corzine and crew do the same

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1152552974995599262006-07-10T13:12:00.000-04:002006-07-10T14:11:39.333-04:00

A report released last week by AAA Mid-Atlantic shows we've got increasing levels of anger when we're behind the wheel. That bothers me big time. I've seen too many people lost to senseless, preventable accidents.I've also seen the scary face of road rage, in big and little ways. People who bang down hard on the horn and scream out insults for something as silly as the person in front of them

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22412357.post-1152291551381853012006-07-07T12:56:00.000-04:002006-07-07T14:54:06.286-04:00

Now that the budget mess looks like it's over with, I'm wondering what's going to happen next. Where will Gov. Corzine go from here? Will he attack the ingrained problems of New Jersey government? Will he push through the reforms we need? He sold himself as a successful businessman who could pull our state out of its rut with his acumen. Will he have the guts to demand that all the no-show,

Clare McDowellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05984106426764051634noreply@blogger.com4