State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) hosted the second in his series of Small Business Roundtable Discussions on May 30 at Borough Hall in Freehold Borough.
“Connecting with our small business community has been such an enriching and eye-opening experience,” Gopal said. “Having started my own small business, I understand what is like to navigate the web of red tape government often imposes. To hear some of the issues local business owners have dealt with in and around Freehold underscores how important it is that we empower this community.”
Representatives of nearly 40 local businesses attended the roundtable to share their concerns with Gopal and learn more about his new small business initiative, www.ReportRedTape.com. Gopal was joined by NJBIA President Michele Siekerka, who served as the guest speaker.
“Through our Report Red Tape initiative, we are empowering small business owners to cut through the red tape. With your feedback, we will work to introduce legislation to reduce the gridlock and support local businesses. Once you submit your concerns, we will investigate ways the state can help, work with state departments on your behalf, or see if the problem needs a legislative solution,” Gopal said.
The Goddard School recently held its eighth annual Root for Earth campaign, a week-long celebration promoting environmental responsibility. With more than 480 Goddard School preschools across the nation participating, Root for Earth educates children, families and their communities about actions they can take to promote ecological and energy conservation. During Root for Earth, preschoolers from the Goddard School participated in a range of engaging activities including planting gardens, hosting recycled fashion shows, building robots from recycled materials and other eco-friendly projects inspired by STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math). Beyond the eco-friendly fun, students took part in a signature Root for Earth campaign named “Lights Out!” On a designated day, every Goddard School across the country shut off all non-essential lighting for an hour beginning at 10 a.m. local time, which could save more than 3.4 million watts of energy.
New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG), the regulated subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, has submitted its annual Basic Gas Supply Service (BGSS) and Conservation Incentive Program (CIP) filing to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) seeking an overall decrease of 3.6 percent for the typical residential heating customers for the 2018-19 winter heating season. Pending BPU approval, the typical residential heating customer using 1,000 therms a year would see their annual bill go from $1,022.54 to $985.84 effective Oct. 1, 2018, a savings of $36.70. Earlier this year, NJNG filed for a 1.1 percent increase for the recovery of costs associated with its New Jersey Reinvestment in System Enhancement and Safety Acceleration and Facility Enhancement II programs. If approved by the BPU, this rate adjustment will also go into effect Oct. 1. When combined with the BGSS and CIP filing, the savings for the typical residential heating customer using 1,000 therms would go to 2.5 percent annually, or $25.84 a year.
The Community Affairs and Resource Center (CARC), formerly the Hispanic Women’s Resource Center, Asbury Park, hosted its eighth annual gala fundraiser at the Sheraton Hotel, Eatontown, on May 4, honoring distinguished individuals and institutions for their significant contributions to the well being and quality of life of surrounding communities. CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold Township, received the Excellence in Community Wellness Recognition Award accepted by John T. Gribbin, president and CEO. CARC is a nonprofit social service organization based in Asbury Park that assists economically disadvantaged families in Monmouth County.
OceanFirst Foundation of Toms River will award $104,000 in grants to 31 central and southern New Jersey charities in the OceanFirst Bank footprint to provide summer camp experiences to children in need of safe, affordable and fun camp programs. Participating partners may provide camp scholarships of up to $250 per child. Groups that will receive a grant include the Boy Scouts, Monmouth Council, Marlboro, and Collier Youth Services, Marlboro.
