Body of Teen Recovered from Icy N.J. Lake

The body of a teenage boy who went missing in icy Budd Lake, New Jersey was found Tuesday afternoon. Another boy remains missing.

BUDD LAKE, N.J. - The body of a teenage boy who disappeared in the partially frozen waters of Budd Lake Monday evening was recovered today. Meanwhile the search for a second teen who remains missing was temporarily suspended Tuesday evening, Acting Morris County Prosecutor Frederic Knapp said. Subscribe to Hackettstown Patch to keep abreast of breaking developments in this story. Knapp said the New Jersey State Police Marine Service Bureau was active in the recovery, devoting a total of six-and-a-half hours with a team of six divers.  "The divers who used sonar to assist them in their efforts made a total of eight dives in an attempt to recover the bodies," Knapp said. "The body of one of the young men was recovered." Mt. Olive Mayor Rob …

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New Jersey Opens First Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair met with more than 20 patients on its first day of business, Dec. 6.

MONTCLAIR, NJ -- Marijuana has arrived in New Jersey.  Greenleaf Compassion Center, located at 395 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair opened Thursday and became the first medical marijuana dispensary in New Jersey.  “We are excited,” said Joseph Stevens, board member and one of the chief financial officers, about finally opening up the dispensary. “For the patients of New Jersey, they finally are able to procure their medication in a safe environment.”  The dispensary had scheduled about 20 first-day appointments with patients who came from throughout the state, said Stevens. There are more than 370 patients eligible to participate in the medical marijuana program in New Jersey, with many more in the application process.  The nondescript …

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Obituaries

Obituary: John N. Lee, 68

John N. Lee, 68, of Washington, N.J., died Sept. 9, 2012. He was the general manager of Neighbors Home & Garden Center in Hellertown before retiring in 2010.

Note: The following obituary was originally published online by Warren Hills Memorial Home, Washington, N.J. John N. Lee, 68, of Washington, NJ, passed away peacefully Sept. 9, 2012 at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center with his family by his side. Born: April 1, 1944 in Lakewood, NJ, the son of the late Romaine and Mildred Lee. Personal: John was a lifelong resident of Washington. He was a manager for Agway Inc., for 35 years, he then was the General Manager of Neighbors Home and Garden Center in Hellertown, Pa. before retiring in 2010. John graduated from Washington High School, Class of 1962. John was a gifted athlete who lettered in basketball, baseball and football. Upon graduation, John was offered the opportunity to play for the New…

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Bob Linney

5:26 am on Friday, September 14, 2012

Dittos and then some. John was a truly beautiful person. My heart goes out to his wife, Joanne. Her sorrow must be so much more intense because she was blessed to have married such a wonderful man.   more ›

Moms Talk

Should Children be Allowed to Tan?

Children are banned from tanning booths in New Jersey and California. Should Pennsylvania follow suit?

Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches in which local parents, caregivers and other members of the community are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting topics. This week’s Moms Talk question relates to tanning. Here’s what we want to know: Should children be allowed to tan? The issue of children tanning gained a poster child when a New Jersey mom brought her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning bed. According to published reports, the woman, now known as the “Tanning Mom,” was brought into the limelight by the girl’s teacher who was concerned about the child’s sunburn. She heard her the girl telling her classmates that she "went tanning with Mommy." Now, the Mom is banned from tanning beds in New Jersey, …

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Angle: Let's Abolish the Bridge Commission

Councilman gets a majority vote on the resolution, prompted by recent toll increase.

You may hate the idea of toll increases on Delaware River Bridges, but Northampton County Councilman Ron Angle is reserving his anger for the people behind it. In fact, he wants them gone.  At Thursday's Northampton County Council meeting, Angle introduced a resolution--which passed by a 5-4 vote--in support of legislation in New Jersey that would abolish the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The commission earlier this week announced it would raise tolls on its bridges connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey from 75 cents to a $1, starting July 1. "We have reached a juncture where we can't put off a toll adjustment any longer," Frank G. McCartney, the commission's executive director, said in a news release. "Further postponement…

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An Independent View

Less Government Would Give Municipalities More Power

Smaller communities have "very little political leverage when dealing with the state or private interests."

In my column on local government mergers in New Jersey, one of the benefits officials talked about was leverage. Governments that represent larger numbers of people can better compete for state and federal money than smaller governments can.  For instance, Woodbridge Township, N.J. (whose government represents 10 small towns) can afford to employ a full-time grant writer whose entire job is to seek grants from the state and federal governments for local projects.  Because the government of Woodbridge represents a larger number of people, they also have a stronger claim to appropriations. When Northampton County asks Harrisburg for matching funds on a project, it's asking on behalf of almost 300,000 people. When Easton alone asks the state …

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Arthur Joel Katz

12:29 pm on Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Except for the title, I think this is a wonderful column. It states and illustrates the issues clearly. If we took Mr. Geeting seriously, as I think we should, we would support the long discussed possibility of a merger between Hellertown and Lower Saucon. A combined Hellertown-Lower Saucon would have much more weight in Harrisburg than either of them have separately. Certainly there are problems…   more ›

The Katz Meow

Drinking, Money and the PLCB

Pennsylvania's system of liquor control has failed its citizens.

Okay, you found me out. As you always suspected, I am a drinking man. Scotch is my poison, although I also like strange gins. My craving for vodka was much muted by my three years gastronomically impaired in the good old USSR. Not that I am in need of AA. My scotch is usually had not earlier than four in the afternoon and generally nursed to dinner. Oh, and my wife and I occasionally have wine with our evening repast. All this leads to my distaste for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) and the union representing the clerks who man and woman its stores. The clerks themselves I have found to be nice people, cooperative and friendly, but sadly uninformed about the products they sell. Most of them would not know the difference …

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Great Escape: Cape May Jazz Festival

Hear Kevin Eubanks and other contemporary jazz artists perform this weekend 'down the shore.'

Is anybody else craving fresh ocean air, the feeling of sand in between their toes and the sound of waves crashing on the beach? Yeah, me too. If I told you that beachy experience came with wall-to-wall--or should I say, boardwalk-to-boardwalk--music, would you pack your SPF 45 and a weekend bag and go? Well, get packing because the Cape May Jazz Festival starts this Friday.  While Cape May is famous for whale-watching, lighthouses, Victorian homes and even its zoo, the Cape May Jazz Festival is what it will be most known for this weekend. Celebrating its 18th year, this year's festival boasts Friday headliner Kevin Eubanks, with shows scheduled for 8pm and 10pm. And, yes, that is the Kevin Eubanks--the same one Jay Leno took shots at on "…

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An Independent View

Christie Could Teach Corbett a Lesson on Education Cuts

Basically: how to tell his story to voters.

Has Tom Corbett lost control of the budget debate? The bleak headlines on school budgets all over the region just won't quit, and some Republicans in the legislature are starting to distance themselves from the Governor's harshest cuts in the wake of a poll showing 78 percent of Pennsylvanians oppose the education cuts. Mr. Corbett claims he doesn't care about the polls, but I doubt many of his Republican colleagues in the legislature who are up for re-election in two years share this sentiment.  If the Republicans want to keep their majority, they will need to win the fight over spending cuts in the court of public opinion. To do that, they will need to present a more realistic plan for how they expect school districts and local …

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