Warren County towns have different takes on performing revaluations

January 6, 2009 9:13 am

Facing a depressed housing market, Warren County municipalities are taking different approaches to revising assessed property values that determine how much in taxes residents and businesses pay.

Hackettstown and Phillipsburg are moving forward with finishing revaluations this year, while Belvidere wants to postpone its revaluation until 2010. Knowlton Township hopes to not do one at all.

Revaluations are meant to tighten the gap between assessed values -- on which taxes are based -- and market values.

Continue reading 'Warren County towns have different takes on performing revaluations'

Centenary College staff, students will return to Gulf Coast to help hurricane victims

January 1, 2009 10:02 am

Staff and students of Centenary College have helped restore more than 200 homes in the New Orleans area since 2006, starting just months after the region was decimated by Hurricane Katrina.

On Saturday, the college volunteers plan to make their annual return to continue their efforts. They will make the trip from Hackettstown to New Orleans and back by bus, work long hours during their weeklong stay and sleep on floors in community buildings and churches.

As one student organizer said, interacting with people who are still living in government trailers makes the trip worth it.

Continue reading 'Centenary College staff, students will return to Gulf Coast to help hurricane victims'

Hackettstown's Top Holiday Decorators

December 31, 2008 9:03 am

The Hackettstown Recreation Commission has named the winners of the 2009 "Deck the House" home/business holiday decorating contest.

As in past years, the commission selected winners from seven sections of town.

The winners are: the Haviar family of the Willow Grove section; Kemp family of the Centenary section; Cook family of the West Valley View section; The Christian Book Store of the Main Street section; Pantilano family of the Kenwood section; Rountree family of the College View section; and Morabito family of the East Prospect section.

Christmas Tree Pickup

December 30, 2008 8:55 pm

Christmas tree pick up will be held December 29, 2008 through January 16, 2009. Please place your undecorated Christmas tree curbside during this time for the DPW to remove.

If you have any questions, you can contact the Department of Public Works at 908-852-2320.

Hackettstown High School deliberates on new athletic schedules

December 30, 2008 5:57 pm

Athletic directors will meet Jan. 7 to finalize schedules for next year's action in the newly-created Northwest Jersey Conference.

Hackettstown High AD Bobby Grauso will have lots of company over there. The conference takes in 35 schools, scattering into four divisions, and includes just about everybody in Sussex and Morris counties, which means the Tigers will have lots of opportunities to play nearby Mount Olive, West Morris, Roxbury, Lenape Valley and Mendham in inter-division games which will be built into the schedules.

"The league will have different groupings for different sports," said Grauso. "The whole idea is for schools that are on somewhat equal footing, competitiveness-wise, to schedule each other without having to travel long distances."

Continue reading 'Hackettstown High School deliberates on new athletic schedules'

United Way of Warren County joins with law enforcement on successful food, toy drive

December 28, 2008 9:05 pm

The United Way of Warren County joined efforts with local law enforcement to host a food and toy drive for the needy this holiday season.

A food drive held Dec. 7 resulted in enough donations to feed nearly 37 local families at a tree lighting ceremony at Mattar's Bistro in Allamuchy. A toy drive, sponsored by Hackettstown and Independence Police Benevolent Associations (PBA), netted 100 toys for needy children.

Continue reading 'United Way of Warren County joins with law enforcement on successful food, toy drive'

Mansfield Village standoff ends; suspect claimed he killed 2

December 27, 2008 9:47 am

Following a police standoff in Mansfield Village, a Hackettstown man was charged Friday with terroristic threats after the Warren County 911 center received a phone call from him claiming - falsely - that he had killed two people, police said.

Richard C. Toth, 30, called 911 just before 10 a.m. and said he killed two people, according to a police press release.

Police and the Warren County Tactical Response Team responded to the scene, the 700 block of apartments, and created a perimeter. They also evacuated tenants living in the surrounding apartment buildings, including the building occupied by Toth, police said.

Continue reading 'Mansfield Village standoff ends; suspect claimed he killed 2'

Four NJ state troopers, three paramedics and motorist injured in pileup on Interstate 80

December 25, 2008 9:02 pm

Black ice led to a predawn, six-vehicle pileup Thursday on Interstate 80, injuring four cops, three paramedics and a motorist from the Slate Belt, and closing the eastbound lanes for five hours, state police said.

Two police cruisers were totaled and a fire engine and a tractor-trailer were damaged, police said.

Everyone injured had been treated and released from Hackettstown Regional Medical Center before Thursday evening, police said.

The pileup started with a one-vehicle crash at 4:32 a.m., said Pat Rivoli of Warren County's HAZMAT team, which was on hand to clean up diesel fuel.

Continue reading 'Four NJ state troopers, three paramedics and motorist injured in pileup on Interstate 80'

Allamuchy firefighters get 'amazing' support

December 24, 2008 12:22 pm

Chief Rob Kuncken and Assistant Chief David Wood refer to their 40-member volunteer fire department as one big family. They have each others backs in and out of blazes, talk each other through tough situations, and regularly get together for some laughs. The firefighters also proudly gather at the township's newly refurbished state of the art firehouse each week to spend countless volunteer hours maintaining the fire equipment and facility.

These days, firefighter are busy organizing the new offices, rooms and bays in the firehouses' recently-completed $4 million addition. They say the superior fire department complex, which now houses both fire and rescue squad equipment and vehicles, is equipped to protect community members.

Kuncken and Wood also said the department is grateful for the tremendous support they receive from Mayor Bob Resker, who is a strong advocate for the firefighter; council members, who unanimously approved the project being funded by the township; and residents.

Continue reading 'Allamuchy firefighters get 'amazing' support'

Hackettstown scouts collect over 5,600 pounds of food

December 22, 2008 8:40 pm

Hackettstown area scouts, families and community volunteers take a break sorting the over 5,600 pounds of food they collected during their recent annual holiday food drive to benefit the Lord's Pantry at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown.

Participating in the food drive were local Cub Scouts Packs 164 and 148 and local Boy Scout Troops 416, 158 and 175.

According to Pack 164 Den Leader and Food Drive Chair, Neil DeCostanza, thanks to the generosity of the Hackettstown residents, food donations exceeded those made last year.

Continue reading 'Hackettstown scouts collect over 5,600 pounds of food'