September 30, 2022
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER) – Trenton Water Works (TWW) Director Mark Lavenberg today responded to a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) letter and report this week discussing ongoing compliance obligations and TWW’s water quality improvements.
“First and foremost, Trenton Water Works has acted with full transparency in self-reporting ongoing assessments to NJDEP. Many details in the report come directly from our staff. We speak daily and meet weekly with NJDEP,” Director Lavenberg said. “Given that level of coordination, the letter and report issued this week unnecessarily seem like snapshots from the past. Many areas of concern in this report are currently being or have been addressed. Forward strides made by TWW are not reflected in the least in these documents.”
TWW’s ability to correct some of the deficiencies in the letter has been diminished by City Council decisions regarding dozens of major legislative approvals for project funding and awarding of bids. The NJDEP letter points out City Council’s rejection of a $15 million bond request as a destabilizing decision.
This decision adversely effected TWW operations and projects, but discussions with NJDEP regarding alternative options or revised timelines have been ongoing. Many of the items declined by Council this year can be presented to a newly-formed body in 2023.
“We are addressing specific requirements from NJDEP. We have been lead-compliant since 2019 and have made major upgrades, for instance the raw water intake which was a recommendation in the 1976 report quoted by NJDEP,” Lavenberg said. “We are being asked to correct nearly 50-year-old problems in four years, which included a global pandemic. Through all of that, we never once had an interruption in service.”
“We want to set the record straight: our drinking water is safe and, day by day, we are working to make it safer. The health of our customers and residents is our primary concern,” he said.
MidJersey.news file photos:
September 30, 2022
NEW EGYPT – PLUMSTED, NJ (OCEAN)- Assemblyman Alex Sauickie announced that his office will host a wall of remembrance for breast cancer survivors or loved ones passed away from the disease.
“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month because it is important to raise awareness of the disease and to encourage early detection. The earlier the detection, the greater the chance of surviving,” said Sauickie (R-Ocean).
According to the American Cancer Society statistics center, New Jersey women are more likely to get breast cancer than any other form of the disease. Death from breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the state.
“I invite residents of the 12th Legislative office to come to my office, during the month of October, between 10:00 am and 2 pm, and place a pink ribbon on our wall to remember the heroic effort our loved ones went through in their fight against breast cancer,” Sauickie said. “My office will provide the ribbon and assist the public in their remembrance.”
The office is located at 405 Route 539 (Pinehurst Road) in New Egypt.
The 12th Legislative District is comprised of Allentown, Chesterfield, Englishtown, Jackson, Manalapan, Matawan, Millstone, New Hanover, North Hanover, Old Bridge, Plumsted, Roosevelt, Upper Freehold and Wrightstown.
Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com 
Photo by Olya Kobruseva on Pexels.com
September 30, 2022
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–Following a bicycle accident on September 14, in which a student at Pond Road Middle School was injured, school officials are working with the Robbinsville Police Department to ensure the crosswalks are as safe as possible.
The accident occurred at 7:50 a.m. about 100 yards south of the school, in which the 10-year-old student sustained a leg injury when his bicycle hit a passenger vehicle. The boy is now recovering.
In response, Robbinsville Police Chief Mike Polaski has been in discussions with school and municipal officials about ways in which the local streets could be safer for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. The police chief also spoke at the September 27 Board of Education meeting to address the community’s concerns.
“We understand that there is a perception from some in the community that we have a safety issue at that mid-block crosswalk,” Polaski said. “We are working with the school district and the township administration to increase safety near the Pond Road Middle School. We have already assigned a stronger police presence.”
In addition, the township has re-lined the crosswalk between Route 526 and Hutchinson Road where the incident occurred to make the markings more pronounced. There is also a traffic enforcement message board to remind drivers to slow down in a school area.
Police have also hired a crossing guard, with training expected in early October, for the location, located mid-block between two housing developments.
Schools Superintendent Brian J. Betze said student safety is always the top priority.
“We are thankful that our student involved in the accident is recovering well, but incidents like this always make us take pause and see if we can do better,” the superintendent said. “I am thankful for our partnership with the Robbinsville Police Department and Robbinsville Township, which have equally stepped up to ensure Pond Road is as safe as possible for our students as well as the overall community.”
Pond Road Middle School Student Struck Riding Bicycle To School
September 30, 2022
EWING TOWNSHIP, NJ (MERCER) – A multi-alarm inferno destroyed the gymnasium and damaged other parts of the Ewing Senior and Community Center early this morning (Friday, Sept. 30).
Ewing Township firefighters were first dispatched to the township facility at 999 Lower Ferry Road at 2:58 a.m. to check an activated fire alarm system. When firefighters arrived on scene a few minutes later, they found the gymnasium, located in the center of the recreational complex, fully-engulfed in flames. A second alarm, which called in mutual aid from neighboring communities, was immediately ordered. As flames shot from windows and burned through the roof and smoke billowed skyward even more help was called in on the third alarm.
Still more firefighters and apparatus were requested to the scene after that, including water tankers from Pennington, Hopewell and Washington Crossing, Pa., as a precaution in the event that enough water could not be obtained from nearby hydrants. As it was, multiple large diameter hose lines were laid along Lower Ferry Road and Parkway Road to supply water from several hydrants. Four aerial master streams were put in service to flow water on the fire from above, while several smaller hoselines were put to work on the ground. Following several partial collapses of walls and sections of the roof, what was left of the gymnasium roof fully collapsed around 5:30 a.m.
Firefighters worked to prevent the flames from extending into the other connected buildings that make up the facility. While there was some damage sustained, those other areas were saved. The blaze was officially declared under control at 7:13 a.m., however firefighters and investigators were expected to remain on the scene throughout the day.
Assisting Ewing Township firefighters on the scene were mutual aid units from Lawrence, Trenton, Hamilton, Pennington, Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township, Princeton, and Falls, Pa. Other firefighters from Somerset County responded to stand by in Ewing’s firehouses. During that “cover” assignment, those Somerset County firefighters extinguished a dumpster fire on Whitehead Road Extension.
Ewing Police say, nobody lives at the center. Ewing Police were dispatched to a fire alarm at the Ewing senior and community center (999 Lower Ferry Road) at approximately 2:55 a.m. this morning. First responding officers observed an active fire in the gymnasium portion of the building. There was nobody present in the building at the time. The fire went to five alarms to assist with water supply and firefighting operations. As of this time no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
There are road closures on Parkway Avenue from Scotch Road to Farrell Avenue and also lower Ferry Road From Langford Lane road Fireside Avenue.
Photos below from NJ Public Safety News Alerts on Facebook
Photos below by: Anthony Greco