BASEMENT WATERPROOFING IN Howell Township

HOWELL, NJ — The Monmouth Commerce Center warehouse proposal on Randolph Road will be a 24/7 operation and have nearly 200 employees, experts for the developer say.

After two hours of review Sept. 15, the township Planning Board, its planning experts and the lawyers and experts for the applicant found they will need at least another meeting and possibly a site walk to study the proposal.

But some some new details about the project, which residential neighbors oppose, were outlined at the hearing. And more will be heard at the Oct. 20 meeting of the board.

Monmouth Commerce Center LLC and developers Lawrence Katz and Felix Pflaster are seeking preliminary and final major site plan approval with variance relief.

They want to construct five one-story warehouse buildings with office space with a total of 940,400 square feet off Randolph Road. The square footage is a 32 percent reduction in the original proposal, the company's lawyer, Meryl Gonchar, said.

The engineer on the project, Steven Cattani, Dynamic Engineering Consultants, Newtown, Pa., said in his testimony that the operations at the warehouse would likely be 24/7 with truck deliveries. There will be 175 to 220 employees, depending on the tenants for the site, he said.

The professionals advising the Planning Board brought up certain concerns, such as as the need for a noise study and a concrete enclosure for the trash area. Currently a vinyl solid enclosure is planned.

Cattani said there would be a widening of Randolph Road and improvements to Oak Glen Road and would include curbing.

The architect for the project, Kyle Ferrier of ARCODesign/Build Industrial, King of Prussia, Pa., also testified before the board.

Although he showed two-dimensional elevations for the buildings, the board and its experts requested three-dimensional renderings for the next meeting that could help them visualize what the project would look like.

The coloring would be gray and a charcoal blue. The roof would be built to support solar panels, if a tenant chose to install them in the future, requiring special approval at that time. The roof would have a white "membrane" to reflect heat. There would be air conditioning only in the offices, at this time.

The next meeting of the board is at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20. the applicant's traffic study is expected to be presented, Gonchar said.

Residents connected to HOPE, Howell for Open Land and Preservation of the Environment, have cited several concerns about the project's impact on the Randolph Road area on their Facebook site.

One of the biggest annual events in the township, Howell Day is on Saturday.

HOWELL, NJ — Howell Day is Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and, after lots of preparation, the day is finally here.

The festival will take place at Soldier Memorial Park, Lakewood-Farmingdale Road.

Apart from vendor wares, there is lots to expect at the festival, including:

The township website highlighted some of the music at the event. The MVP band plays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Just Killin' Time from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Black Ties from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

"Howell’s very own rock and roll band is playing a wide array of music, spanning from yesterday’s favorites to the hits of tomorrow. Classics, covers, originals – the Black Ties do it all," the township site posted.

Just Killin' Time band "serves up timeless music from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties. If you're looking for the ultimate in classic rock-n-roll seasoned with a little Motown, Country and Pop, the Just Killin' Time band is up to the task," the township said.

And parking and transportation is something visitors should consider:

And that's not all.

The Howell Day festivities will also be a chance for residents to get to know all the environmental groups in town - and to get advice from the experts.

The Environmental Commission, Shade Tree Commission and Green Team will all have booths at the fair at Soldier Memorial Park and have lots planned for visitors, according to Lisa Doud, chairperson of the Shade Tree Commission:

"Anyone can create a welcoming haven for local wildlife. Turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, work landscape or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is fun, easy, and can make a lasting difference for wildlife and pollinators," she said.The Environmental Commission, Shade Tree Commission and Green Team are currently working together to create a Community Wildlife Habitat in Howell which community members can volunteer to help with by emailing [email protected].

HOWELL, NJ — Santa Claus will be back in the Howell and Farmingdale area this holiday season after a couple of years of COVID-19 restrictions that made it difficult for kids to crawl up on his lap and make their case that they’ve been good boys and girls over the last year.

Visits and pictures with Santa are at the heart of many families’ holiday traditions, but the coronavirus pandemic gave them a lump of coal. Malls and other places took social distancing measures in both 2020 and 2021 to help contain the spread of the virus, moving Santa meet-ups largely online.

Virtual visits are still an option in many places, but there’s nothing quite like seeing jolly old St. Nick live and in person.

Two fire companies are having Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 11: Ramtown Fire Co. Pancake Breakfast with Santa. 8 am. to 11 a.m., Dec 11. $10 for adults, $5 for children. Free for children under age 3. Free photo. Text 973-420-0437 to reserve, if possible. Adelphia Fire Co., Dec. 11, 8 a.m. to noon. Adults $10, children $6. Adelphia Firehouse, 925 Adelphia Road.

Area malls offer the traditional visits with Santa:

Freehold Raceway Mall:

The "Magic of Santa" at Freehold Raceway Mall, 3710 Route 9, in Freehold Township offers visitors various options:

Santa is installed at a winter wonderland on the Lower Level, Zara Court. A visit with Santa is always free and photo packages are available for purchase.

Pre-booking your visit is recommended to help reduce wait time and it's easy:

Events:

Santa's schedule and hours:

Through Nov. 30:

Dec. 1 to 18:

Dec. 19 to 23:

Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit here for more information and reservations.

Monmouth Mall:

Santa arrived on Nov. 18 so he is well settled in at the Monmouth Mall, 180 Route 35, Eatontown.Santa hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a break from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday, visit from noon to 6 p.m. Break is from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.Events at Monmouth Mall include:

Visit www.monmouthmallnj.com to make reservations.

Englishtown: Historic Village Inn will have photos with Santa Saturday. Dec. 10, Sunday Dec. 11, 1-4 p.m., $15. This benefits Village Inn, 2 Water St., Englishtown. Free cider and donuts will be available.

And check out this Patch story to see where to get fresh Christmas trees.

The New Jersey Soft Ball Cricket League, the largest in the U.S. with 160 teams, has set up another locale for matches, this one in Howell.

HOWELL, NJ — The New Jersey Soft Ball Cricket League has already played its first matches on a new field in the township, less than two months since the league first approached the town about creating a cricket field.

"Howell was very welcoming," said league trustee Amin Khatri of Marlboro.

He said the town was immediately responsive to the idea.

"I reached out to Deputy Mayor Pam Richmond, she thought it was a great initiative," he said.

In under two months, he said the township administration and Interim Administrator Joseph Clark worked on identifying a field in Deer Wood Park, Lakewood-Allenwood Road. The league paid for redesigning it for the rules of cricket.

"The ground was level, there was short grass, well-maintained," Khatri said of the park, which has other playing fields for other games too.

The league paid for clean stone and clay to create the pitch.

By Oct. 15, after drying out from a previous weekend of rain, the games were begun, Khatri said.

Township officials joined Khatri and the teams at the opening.

Khatri said the New Jersey Softball Cricket League is the largest in the country, with 160 teams. It started in 2002 with eight teams, he added.

Teams from around the state come to play in Howell now, Khatri said.

"It's great to allow all teams to play. They see Howell, they buy Gatorade and gas here. They see what a great place it is," Khatri said.

Cricket is a gentlemen's sport, Khatri noted, and sharing the space is integral to that philosophy.

The adult game league also passes on its love of the game to younger generations.

Khatri said that there is a play area near the field that their children can visit while the matches take place, making it a meaningful family tradition.

Cricket originated in England in the 16th century and was brought to India as part of British colonization. The game is still played in England, Australia, India and other countries with a connection to Great Britain and that spirit has transferred to New Jersey and the U.S. with Indian-American residents.

Khatri's own love for the game began as a child, growing up in what is now known as Mumbai, he said in a profile from 2014 in mycentraljersey.

Khatri urged those interested in the league's work to watch their matches on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/NJSBCL.

For more information about the New Jersey Softball Cricket League and this sport that enjoys tremendous popularity worldwide, go to the league's website.

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As Dino Flammia wrote in his article on New Jersey 101.5 back in November, the classic ice cream restaurant chain Friendly's has permanently closed its Toms River location along Route 37.

This news was so sad. I consider the slow demise of Friendly’s to be the end of a wonderful era.

If you were born at any time before the early 2000s, then you absolutely have spent an afternoon or night digging into a delicious Friendly’s ice cream sundae.

Friendly’s was always a go-to when it came to getting a quick and casual dessert. But is it just me or does the idea of heading out to sit in a booth and dig into a sundae seem foreign?

This sad reality seems to have come into full effect, too, as Friendly’s locations are rapidly closing across the country, specifically in New Jersey.

Toms River, which used to be home to four Friendly’s locations, now has one remaining.

For many, this wouldn’t be a big deal but in Toms River specifically, Friendly’s made quite the impact.

For example, the Main Street location had “Shut Up and Eat” days where everyone would show up in pajamas and have a casual and comfortable breakfast.

Many of these Friendly’s locations are simply being turned into other fast food joints and shops making the closing even more depressing.

We had a Friendly’s location in the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown. It was my family’s place.

Every birthday, until, of course, they got too cool to go there, my kids and I would celebrate with ice cream in their favorite booth at their favorite spot.

I’m not gonna lie, my husband and I would never tell them but it did smell a little greasy. And it kind of felt that way too.

And it wasn’t exactly the height of haute cuisine. The only thing I ever dared eat there was a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato.

But it didn’t matter.

Friendly’s was about ice cream, fun and family, and we have the most wonderful memories from the place.

The tough reality of this all, however, is Friendly’s has been publicly bankrupt for 2 years and as we know, all good things must come to an end.

If this made you crave Friendly’s as much as it made me crave it, however, you can still go get that fribble you’ve been dreaming of in several areas.

I would go sooner than later, unless you want the next time you eat friendly’s to be from the supermarket tub.

Unfortunately, maybe sooner than you think, that will be all we have to remember Friendly’s by.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

You can now listen to Dennis & Judi — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite best friends anytime, anywhere and any day of the week. Download the Dennis & Judi show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.