The following deeds have been recorded in the Hunterdon County Hall of Records in Books 2386 and 2387 through Sept. 30, 2016: Alexandria Township Matthew  DeLisle to Anthony F. Roberts and Dana L. Maiolino Roberts, property at 9 Schoolhouse Road, for $394,900. John V. McAdams and Carolann McAdams to Lawrence J. Campbell and Randi A. Campbell, property at 413...

The following deeds have been recorded in the Hunterdon County Hall of Records in Books 2386 and 2387 through Sept. 30, 2016:

Alexandria Township

Matthew  DeLisle to Anthony F. Roberts and Dana L. Maiolino Roberts, property at 9 Schoolhouse Road, for $394,900.

John V. McAdams and Carolann McAdams to Lawrence J. Campbell and Randi A. Campbell, property at 413 Mechlin Corner Road, for $385,000. 

Clinton

Mark Howe and Kelly D. Howe to Yair Maman, property at 15 Cedar Court, for $279,900.

Clinton Township

Eugene A. Sevi for the estate of Margaret Angelina Sevi to Shaun Paul Tertel and Michelle M. Tertel, property at 163 Cokesbury Road, for $325,000.

Robert Guindon and Kathleen Guindon to Theresa E. Linskey and Michael Sullivan, property at 1 Windy Hill Road, for $425,000.

Delaware Township

Patrick DeChirico and Donna L. DeChirico to David Allen Bonney and Rosemary Bonney, property at 16 Wagner Road, for $360,000.

East Amwell

Hermina Connors to Cole Ficarra and Christina Ficcara , property at 7 Michael Lane, for $375,000.

Wesley S. Womelsdorf and Patricia H. Womelsdorf to Drew Chafey and Natalie Chafey, property at 51 Rocktown Road, for $445,000.

Flemington

Laura Friedman and Jeremy Friedman to Shama Zafar and Mohammed Waseem Zafar, property at 7 William Martin Way, for $252,000.

Franklin Township

Carole R. Shepherd to David Kolodziejczyk and Kayla Kolodziejczyk, property at 15 Mount Salem Road, for $468,000.

Frenchtown

Frenchtown Bridge St. LLC  to Joseph X. Montemarano and Regina P. Montemarano, property at 5 Third St., Unit B2, also known as 2 River Mills Drive, Unit 2, for $595,000.

High Bridge

Trent A. Delameter and Gretchen A. Delameter to Robert Imhoff and Deborah Imhoff, property at 31 King Hill Road, for $184,500.

Christopher D. Biank and Susanne M. Jaskulke to Robert Paul Regan Jr. and Lauren Kathleen Regan, property at 21 Overlook Drive, for $122,000.

Shaun Tertel and Michelle Roche-Tertel to Michael Strobel and Kristina Bischof, property at 13 Village Square, for $195,000.

Holland Township

Douglas A. Cole, administrator of the estate of  Peter J. LaRosa, to Timothy W. Kennedy, property at 74 Crabapple Hill Road, for $240,000.

Lambertville

Dominic Granaldi III to Bernadette M. Benda, property at 9 Liberty View Court, for $384,500. 

Lebanon Township

Betsey D. Roach to Jeffrey Kesner and Karen Kesner, property at 29 Musconetcong River Road, for $220,000.

Milford

Norman J. Goldberg and Diane K. Goldberg, to Milford 156-158 Frenchtown Road LLC, property at 90 Washington Valley Road, for $92,500. 

Raritan Township

Stone Financing, LLC, to William G. Eckert and Donna A. Eckert, property at 7 Riverview Court, for $570,000.

Daniel Evans and Jennifer Evans to Steven D. Fertal and Kristin M. Nagel, property at 116 Copper Hill Road, for $337,000.

Kalpit R. Patel and Darshita A. Patel to Mohammad T. Zaman, property at 1 Pleasant View Way, for $435,000.

Philip V. DeStefano to Marcio Barreto and Kerrianne Barreto, property at 14 Rustic Trail, for $580,000.

Courtland W. Butts Jr. to Thomas LaCruz Monroe, property at 4 Crestmont Court,  for $565,000.

Readington Township

Gregory Kanevsky and Svetlana Margolina to Joseph Saunders and Caitlin Saunders, property at 16 Woodland Way, for $437,500.

Toll NJ I, LLC, to Anthony J. Yula and Mary Ellen Krause, property at 109 Van Cleef Drive, for $529,795.

Toll NJ I, LLC, to John M. Lazorchak and Lillian M. Lazorchak, property at 131 Van Cleef Drive, for $593,897.

Anthony Perinelli and Rosalie Perinelli to Cathy W. Ayres, property at 121 Trillium Court, for $327,500.

Caroline DeMarco to Scott A. Murphy and Nina A. Murphy, property at 198 Potterstown Road, for $370,000.

Melissa Chu to Melissa A. DelPrete, property at 292 Kingbird Court, for $197,500.

Tewksbury

David Zarra and Cheryl Zarra to Charles Yarton and Caroline Yarton, property at 73 Bissell Road, for $530,000.

Timothy L. Smith and Todd A. Smith to Scott D. Clucas and Patricia C. Clucas, property at 100 and 101 Farmersvile Road, for $1,444,000.

Kenneth S. Hollander, Trustee of the Kenneth S. Hollander Living Trust, to Clifford J. Alligood Jr. and Jacqueline Alligood, property at 16 Fieldstone Road, for $1,162,500.

Union Township

Michael J. Edwards to James Nugent, property at 20 Charles St., for $470,000.

P.S. Construction, Inc., to Robert J. Kelly and Barbara A. Kelly, property at 4 Glacier Way, for $599,999.

West Amwell

Samuel A. Badessa and Pierina Badessa to Christopher J. Nelson and Rebecca L. Nelson, property at 290 Rock Road West, for $370,000.

Eugene C. Lelie to Maryanna Twomey and Christine Ann Twomey, property at 1349 Route 179, for $300,000.

There are two surprise sides at the foot of the English Premier League, but both sides hope an easing of the fixture list will help them climb into mid-table before the festive period begins. Stoke City, which was discussed two week ago, sits in 19th place, with just two draws in six matches to show for its efforts. The Potters...

There are two surprise sides at the foot of the English Premier League, but both sides hope an easing of the fixture list will help them climb into mid-table before the festive period begins.

Stoke City, which was discussed two week ago, sits in 19th place, with just two draws in six matches to show for its efforts. The Potters face a trip to Manchester United Sunday, but then face Sunderland, Hull City, and Swansea in their other three October matches.

But it is West Ham United, a team that battled for much of last season for a top four spot, that is the most disappointing EPL team over the first two months of the campaign. With just one win, and five losses, in their six matches, the Hammers go into the weekend in 18th place, and really struggling to find form in their brand new stadium.

But the problems with the London Stadium, which has been called soul-less by many that attend the once-track and field venue, may be just one of the problems manager Slaven Bilic has to deal with this week. After a Monday night sanctioned team-bonding night on the town, the club has had to answer questions about whether the team was drunk the next morning.  With an investigation pending after the Saturday game with Middlesborough, the West Ham players could do themselves all a favor by winning the match against the newly-promoted side, and taking some of the pressure off the terrible start to the season.

West Ham needs a win this weekend, because its schedule over the next 10 match days gets considerably tougher. For a team that is leaking goals against Watford (four), West Bromwich Albion (four) and Southampton (three), facing the likes of Chelsea (Oct. 26), Everton (Oct. 30), Tottenham (Nov. 19), Manchester United (Nov. 27), Arsenal Dec. 3) and Liverpool (Dec. 10) before Christmas may be a daunting task.

It is starting to look like a repeat of Chelsea's 2015-2016 season for West Ham, and that is not a good sign.

What has happened to Stoke City in the EPL?

There is already talk of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side running through the campaign unbeaten, and it is not even October.

After a thrilling 3-3 draw midweek in the UEFA Champions League, against a Celtic team that dropped a close 7-0 encounter to Barcelona on match day one, the Citizens have a tough trip to London Sunday, where they will face a Tottenham team that is sitting in second place.

Maybe we should wait until January, after Guardiola gets through his first festive period in English football, before the unbeaten talk starts in earnest. 

Mourinho has a decision to make with Manchester United

It is doubtful that there will be a match this season more entertaining than the one Wednesday near the top of the English League Championship table.

Newcastle trailed Norwich City by a two goals in the 70th minute, but got three goals, including a 95th minute equalizer and a 96th minute winner, to pull out a 4-3 win and send the Sports Direct Stadium into delirium. 

Both teams look well on the way to a quick return to the Premier League after their relegation last season.

Top Three/Bottom Three Performances of Week Six

Top Three

1. Juan Mata is a perfect 10- Jose Mourinho put Wayne Rooney on the bench last weekend against Leicester City, and put Mata in his preferred number 10 role. It definitely paid off for Manchester United. Mata scored a beautiful team goal, and the Red Devils were rampant in the first half, scoring four goals. They won 4-1 (with Paul Pogba scoring his first as well) to get the ship righted.

2. Liverpool hits for five- James Milner had two goals, to lead Liverpool up to fourth in the table with a 5-1 win over a suddenly struggling Hull City team. The Jurgen Klopp revolution is well and truly underway.

3. Christian Benteke breaks Sunderland's heart- The big striker scored in the 93rd minute to give Crystal Palace a 3-2 win over Sunderland. It was the Eagles third straight win, and has them up to seventh in the table, with a big Friday match at Everton this weekend.

Bottom Three

1. Sunderland- It seems that every week the Black Cats are on this list, but they just keep finding different ways to lose games. Benteke was the latest to rip the heart out of Sunderland fans, and with just one draw from six matches, the Black Cats have to take points in their next three games. They have WBA, Stoke, and West Ham in that period. 

2. Swansea City- Much to Brian Dzenis' concern, the Swans are in free fall at the moment, and sit 17th in the table. They played well against Manchester City last weekend, but lost 3-1. Swansea also has a swirling managerial situation, that needs to be handled sooner rather than later.

3. Are Chelsea in crisis?- Two losses and a draw in their last three have the Blues suffering the blues. Antonio Conte, a defensive mastermind, has seen his team leak goals over the past three match weeks. The defense should be bolstered shortly through the return of Kurt Zouma and John Terry, because Gary Cahill and David Luiz are not getting the job done at center back.

Week Seven Picks

Friday, September 30

3 p.m.

Everton 2-2 Crystal Palace

Saturday, October 1

7:30 a.m.

Swansea City 1-3 Liverpool

10 a.m.

Hull City 0-1 Chelsea

Sunderland 0-2 West Brom

Watford 1-0 Bournemouth

West Ham 2-1 Middlesborough

Sunday, October 2

7 a.m.

Manchester United 3-0 Stoke City

9:15 a.m.

Leicester City 3-0 Southampton

Tottenham 3-2 Manchester City

11:30 a.m.

Burnley 0-3 Arsenal

Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean

Emergency crews responded to an accident on Sanatorium Road that happened shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, 2016.

LEBANON TWP. - Emergency crews responded to an accident on Sanatorium Road that happened shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

A Cadillac SRX rolled over. One person was taken to Hunterdon Medical Center with injuries. No information on the driver was available as of Friday morning.

The Cadillac was apparently traveling toward the turnaround past Veterans Haven North when it went off the right side of the road. It went up an embankment, striking a fire hydrant - breaking it off its base - before rolling over and landing on the driver's side of the vehicle.

Responding to this crash were Lebanon Township Police, New Jersey State Police, Lebanon Township Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Glen Gardner Fire Department, Hampton Rescue Squad and paramedics from the Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township.

It's encouraging that so many are coming together to find answers for the desperate women (and, less frequently, men) who find themselves on the receiving end of a knife, a fist or a gun.

Two New Jersey lawmakers from opposite sides of the political spectrum are taking to heart recommendations by the New Jersey Supreme Court to make life safer for victims of domestic violence.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) and Sen. Diane Allen (R-Edgewater Park) are promoting a package of 10 bills based on findings of the court's Ad Hoc Committee on Domestic Violence, which convened in February 2015.

Charged with reviewing domestic violence law, policies and procedures, the panel - on which Weinberg and Allen served - suggested strengthening domestic violence training for law enforcement and court officials.

Time to stop domestic violence epidemic | Opinion

It also sought to improve resources for victims, as well as their families, and create a risk-assessment pilot program to keep potentially dangerous situations from escalating, among other things.

Earlier this month, an unusual conference brought together 300 social workers, law-enforcement officers, healthcare experts and others to shine a light on one of the state's most persistent problems.

Although participants praised growing signs of cooperation among state agencies and professionals, many also lamented that the funds to combat the more than 62,000 incidents of domestic violence reported in 2014 - including 42 murders - are just not there.

According to a NJSpotlight story detailing the conference, advocacy efforts have been hampered by chronically insufficient resources, worsened by Gov. Christie, who sequestered dollars for county rape-crisis center and related programs until he resolves his difference with the Legislature over further cuts to state employee pensions.

Holding victims' lives hostage to Christie's political whims was both mean-spirited and dangerous, particularly in a state which saw reported rapes climb from 893 in 2014 to 1,311 last year. Although the governor released more than $33 million in funds for social programs he withheld to spur cuts to employee health care, it was still a shameful act.

Meanwhile, we salute the state's top court for convening its high level panel, as well as the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which organized the conference earlier this month in Plainsboro.

It's encouraging that so many entities are coming together to find answers for the desperate women (and, less frequently, men) who find themselves on the receiving end of a knife, a fist or a gun.

As NJSpotlight points out, these are women like Carol Bowne of Berlin, stabbed repeatedly in her driveway by the boyfriend against whom she had gotten a restraining order, and Annette Torres of Bergenfield, shot to death after she called the police countless times to get her abusive boyfriend removed from their home.

The package of bills proposed by Sens. Allen and Weinberg merit consideration. Let's reassure the women of New Jersey that they are more than pawns in the governor's political chess set.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.

Stories, features, schedules and everything you need for Week 4.

Below is NJ.com's high school football mega-coverage guide, your one-stop shop for everything you need to get ready for Week 4. Check back throughout the week as the page gets filled with new links and stories. 

WEEK 4 CONFERENCE SCHEDULES/SCOREBOARDS
Pages automatically update with links as scores come in
• Greater Middlesex Conference
• North Jersey Super Football Conference
• North Jersey Interscholastic Conference
• Mid-State 38
• Shore Conference
• West Jersey Football League 

WEEK 4 ESSENTIALS 
• Friday: LIVE updates, results & links (still to come)
• Saturday: LIVE updates, results & links (still to come)
• Bold Predictions for Week 4 (Still to come)
• 13 can't-miss games in Week 4
• Statewide group and conference rankings
• Statewide stat leaders through Week 3 
• How did N.J. alums fare in Week 3 of the NFL | NCAA 
• Top 20 for Sept. 25

BEST STUDENT SECTION: Voting begins on Thursday

WEEK 3 PICKS 
• Top 20 picks (still to come)
• Picks by conference (still to come)
• Quick picks: Our selections for every game in N.J. (still to come)

TOP FEATURES 
• What we learned from around the state
• 1 year later, community still healing from death of Evan Murray
• 3 players added to Player of the Year watch
• St. Peter's Prep breaks in new 15,000-square-foot facility
• Watch and vote for the top plays in N.J. 
• Who has the best student section? Voting begins Thursday
• Bergen Catholic cracks MaxPreps' National Top 25 with SJR meeting looming
• Jabrill Peppers did what? Weekly look at Michigan's Heisman hopeful

GAMES OF THE WEEK 
• Star-Ledger: Bergen Catholic vs. St. Joseph (Mont.) 
• Trenton Times: Princeton at WWPN
• South Jersey Times: Lawrence at Princeton

OTHER MUST-READ STORIES 
• 4-star DT Dalyn Wade-Perry has Rutgers in Top 6, will he take official visit?
• Buoyed by support, Woodrow Wilson football team still kneels for national anthem
• Newark superintendent: ‘I respect and support’ football team’s national anthem protest
• Can Rutgers flip Michigan commit and N.J. native Brad Hawkins?
• Decision could be coming soon for 4-star Rutgers OT target Carter Warren
• 10 teams that missed the cut of the NJ.com Top 20
• Top performers: Helmet stickers for Week 3 

Braulio Perez may be reached at bperez@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BraulioEPerez.

The governor talked about his education plan at a town-hall style meeting in Hunterdon County. crats want to wait until after he leaves office to decide how to reform state education aid, even though he'd still have another year to

CLINTON TOWNSHIP -- Taking a shot at likely 2017 governor candidate Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), Gov. Chris Christie on Friday claimed again that Democrats want to delay reexamining how the state apportions education funding until afterhe leaves office.

Speaking at a firehouse to promote his "Fairness Formula" education funding plan, the governor said that Democrats' called-for commission on state aid would only issue it's report after the expiration of his term in office in January 2018.

"If you were running for governor, you wouldn't want it to report back a minute earlier," said Christie, to laughter from the 150 residents who'd gathered inside the firehouse.

The proposed School Aid Funding Fairness Commission has until Feb. 1, 2017 to deliver its report, not one year as the governor claimed. That would give the governor nearly a year to accept or reject its recommendations.

Christie had made a similar claim on Sept. 19, at a "Fairness Formula" event in Whippany, after which Sweeney responded that the governor was "either not paying attention or is deliberately misrepresenting the facts."

Eleven Republican lawmakers, including the sponsor of the governor's own "Fairness Formula" plan, have thrown their support behind the School Aid Funding Fairness Commission.

To help cut the state's sky-high property taxes, Christie last June proposed giving every district the same amount per student of the state's $9 billion plus in direct aid to public schools.

Sweeney enlists urban allies vs. Christie 'Fairness Formula'

In a district like Clinton Township, the governor's proposal would return more than $1,700 in property tax relief per homeowner. However, it would also effectively slash state aid to under-performing urban school districts like Newark, Camden and Patterson by as much as 60 percent.

Sweeney has argued that the funding formula, as it was originally written, works.

"The problem is that for too long, elected officials have put artificial weights on the system to avoid the political difficulty of making hard decisions," Sweeney said on Sept. 19.

By comparison, Sweeney's called-for commission would employ a bipartisan group of four -- two Democrats, two Republicans -- to reexamine how some $600 million now provided to scores of districts in so-called "adjustment aid" is doled out, among other reforms.

On Friday, the governor also rejected Democrats' call for the proposed school funding commission to be bipartisan, with two members picked by Christie, a Republican, and two by Democrats.

"Seems to me that's a recipe that absolutely nothing happens," said Christie.

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Check out live coverage, results and links for football games being played Saturday, Oct. 1 in Week 4 of the high school football season.

KEY LINKS
• Results & links: Friday | Thursday
• Schedule/scoreboard: Full | By conference
• Week 4 mega-coverage guide: All you need
•  Best photos from Week 4
•  Send us great videos or tips

FEATURED GAMES

No. 2 St. Joseph (Mont.) 17, No. 3 Bergen Catholic 14 (2OT)
• Complete coverage
• 5 biggest moments from the big game
• 10 quotes from the big game
• The Shoe helps Joe's survive
• Banged up BC falls short
• Bye week arrives at right time for BC
•  Video: Game-winning kick and celebration
•  Video: NJAM reporters break it down
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

No. 13 Don Bosco Prep 24, Delbarton 7
• Complete coverage
• Bosco back on track with win over Delby
• Bosco frosh doesn't play like one
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

 TOP VIDEOS: See or record something amazing this week? Let us know!

Madison 28, Pequannock 21
• Complete coverage
• Kearney's 4 TDs lift Dodgers
•  Video: Mulcahy's miracle grab
•  Video: Kearney's 4th TD wins it
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Harrison 27, Lyndhurst 0
• Harrison off to rare 3-0 start
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Salem 28, Woodbury 16
• Desperate Salem rides Taylor's 3 TDs
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

Cherry Hill West 27, Trenton 19
• CHW rallies with key INT
• Box score

Willingboro 27, Ewing 17
• 'Boro front line pushes past Ewing
• Box score

Gateway 42, Maple Shade 7
• Jackson-Lee helps Gators to next level
• Box score

Middle Twp. 18, Gloucester Catholic 13
• Middle wins it with last-minute TD
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Nottingham 35, West Windsor North 17
• Fourth-quarter rally lifts Northstars
• Box score

Pemberton 16, Delran 6
• Game recap
•  Photo gallery
• Box score

Lawrence 16, Princeton 7
• Mitchell-White shows versatility as Cards stay unbeaten
•  Photo gallery
• Look back at live updates
• Box score

TOP FEATURES 
• ‘Unprecedented’ hand-foot-and-mouth disease outbreak hits Shore Conference
• Going strong: N.J.'s 15 active football coaches with the most wins
• Pennsville got its wish: A showdown with St. Joseph (Hamm.)
• 0-3 football team leads N.J. in power points, sparking outrage over new system  
• Miracle finishes set up showdown between No. 2 SJR and No. 3 Bergen Catholic
• This week's 13 can't miss games
• 11 bold predictions for Week 4
• Which NJ.com Top 50 recruits had big games in Week 3
• What we learned from around the state
• 1 year later, community still healing from death of Evan Murray
• 3 players added to Player of the Year watch
• St. Peter's Prep breaks in new 15,000-square-foot facility
• Watch and vote for the top plays in N.J. 

Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.

Hunterdon County 4-H members looked back on another successful year as they prepare to celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October.

Hunterdon County 4-H members looked back on another successful year as they prepare to celebrate National 4-H Week, an annual celebration of 4-H during the first full week of October.

The 2015-16 year was a busy one for many clubs. Hunterdon County was well represented at various state and national events and competitions. Their knowledge of their projects was tested at the Avian Bowl, area dog shows, dairy bowl, and equine knowledge contests.

Members represented New Jersey at the National Citizenship Washington Focus, National 4-H Congress, and Leadership Washington Focus and shooting sports competition.

The Hunterdon 4-H program is successful thanks to the dedication of many adult volunteers who were honored in January.

The Hunterdon County 4-H & Agricultural Fair is the culmination of the 4-H year and there members get to show off their accomplishments in front of the public.

4-H, the nation's largest youth development and empowerment organization, cultivates confident kids who tackle the issues that matter most in their communities right now. In the United States, 4-H programs empower six million young people through the 109 land-grant universities and Cooperative Extension in more than 3,000 local offices serving every county and parish in the country. Outside the United States, independent, country-led 4-H organizations empower one million young people in more than 50 countries. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of the Cooperative Extension System and 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

To get National 4-H Week rolling, member will have a skating party at Frenchtown Roller Rink.

Learn more about 4-H at www.4-H.org, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/4-H.

For more information about 4-H in Hunterdon see www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/rutgers/4-H.htm

Support 4-H through Tractor Supply's paper clover campaign Oct. 5 to 16.

Club members submitted the following reports:

The Hunterdon Hoppers 4-H Club

The Hunterdon Hoppers is a 4-H club for kids who want to learn more about rabbits. We have over 30 members. The club meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. We meet at the 4-H office next to the library on Route 12. The club is active with going to petting zoos, showing our rabbits and doing other fun activities. At the 4-H fair the club members work shifts in the bunny tent. During the shifts you take out your rabbit out so the public can pet the rabbit and also you can answer questions. When we go to petting zoos, they're lots of fun. My favorite part to see, is when people get so happy when they pet or hold my rabbit. During the meetings, we will talk about past events and new ones, also you can sign up for fun activies. Members give presentations about topics that help us learn more about our rabbits' health, breed and how to take care of them. The best thing about the Hunterdon Hoppers is you don't even have to own a rabbit to join!!

--  Rebecca Brown

Gregarious Goat Kids

The Gregarious Goat Kids had an especially fun and productive year. Our club has been present at various state and county events, such as the Holiday Workshop and the Goat Extravaganza.

In February, we worked together to make a club video for the Sheep & Goat Film Festival. Our video was on how to fit your dairy showmanship goat and we met several times to plan, practice, and film it. All of our cooperation and hard work paid off when we won crowd favorite at the Jr. Breeder's Symposium.

During our club meetings we always talk about our goats, whether personally owned or leased, and support each other in our projects. We discuss things like how to prevent your goats from getting illnesses such as bloat, and what to do if they occur.

-- Corynn Lewis, Club Secretary

Hunterdon County Sheep Club

At the Hunterdon County 4-H Fair there are a lot of fun and exciting sheep shows.

This year one of the shows was the Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras is where you dress up in a serious or silly costume. You also dress up the sheep in a coordinating costume. You walk into the ring onto the red carpet. Sometimes the sheep are afraid of the red carpet. Maybe next year we should use a different color .
Regardless of the carpet color, the club still has a great time competing in the event. After all the contestants walk the show ring, the judges choose a winner. This contest and others during fair week are what help the club work together and most of all provide friendly and fun competition.

-- Jonathan Francis

Round Valley Riders

Hello from the Round Valley Riders 4-H Club! A bunch of horse loving girls! We do a ton of fun things like participate in the Hunterdon County 4-H Fair, learn neat things about horses from vets, go on horse related trips, and do county, state and community service projects. We also have a riding team you can join called the Pink Ladies who ride for a cure for cancer. We put on a great show! Our meetings are the third Tuesday of the month so feel free to come! We encourage new members and you do not need a horse! You just have to love them! If you are interested in joining, contact the 4-H office.

-- Paige Spinelli

Pink Ladies

We are the Pink Ladies 4-H Riding Performance Team! The Pink Ladies was started in honor of a breast cancer survivor that meant a lot to each one of us. Our purpose is to raise awareness and money for families that cannot afford their loved ones needs.

Our meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month and our mounted practices start in the spring and continue until our performances at the Hunterdon County 4-H fair. We also perform at other events as well. We are all members in good standing within our club and as a team, we work together to make our practices and performances the best they can be to raise awareness for a great cause. Please contact the 4-H office for more information on joining our team!

--  Bella Razzano

Centaurs 4-H Club

Members do not have to own a horse to join.

This year our members participated in the State model horse show, State Horse Bowl, Equine Art show and the Horse Judging and Hippology contests. Study sessions included dissecting a leg and touring Horsemen's Outlet. They also went to the Junior Livestock Symposium and learned about horse bones with a real horse skeleton.

Several members rode on the Hunterdon County Drill Team.

Centaurs set up "horseless" horse shows at Hunterdon Polo Classic. They also volunteered at the Jersey Fresh 3-Day event.

Centaurs participated in the equine costume class, gymkhana, jumping show and other events at the fair.

The club worked to raise money for a local horse rescue.

Centaurs usually meets on the third Friday of the month at 7 p.m. at the 4-H office in the County complex on Route 12 in Raritan Township.

New members in fourth grade and up are welcome.

Hunterdon County 4-H Mounted Drill Team

Hunterdon County 4-H Mounted Drill team

The Hunterdon County 4-H Mounted Drill team is a group of 4-H riders that perform precision drills on horseback to music.

This year's group was relatively inexperienced but learned quickly. Any 4-H member from Hunterdon County can ride on drill team, they do not have to be a horse club member.

Practices begin in the spring as soon as weather allows.

The drill team rode in Lebanon Borough's 4th of July Parade.

The year culminates with the Hunterdon County 4-H & Agricultural Fair. The drill team did several performances during the day and at night, under the lights. The themes were Star Wars and patiotric.

Homeless pets throughout northern and central New Jersey in need of adoption.

There are plenty of places to collect dog training tips.  Some folks take advice from experts on television, others consult websites and still others invite professionals into their homes to work directly with their pets.

Here, one expert offers insight on some dog training myths. Alyona DelaCoeur, who holds a certificate in applied animal behavior through University of Washington and is a certified veterinary assistant and AKC evaluator, addressed a few training questions.

According to DelaCoeur, founder of training website whydoesmydog.com:

* You can't teach an old dog new tricks. False! Sometimes it's actually easier to teach mature dogs tricks because they're less distracted. Certainly some unwanted behaviors will take longer to stop because the dog has had longer for them to become habits, but they can be retrained. Bear in mind, though, that older dogs will need more frequent rest breaks in training.

* Bribe your dog with food to get results. Positive reinforcement through motivation works best in dog training; the use of treats and food should not be the main focus. While treats and toys can be helpful, building a strong connection with your pet is the most important part of training.

* Training is guaranteed for life. One way dogs are like humans is that they can forget their good manners and learn new bad habits throughout their lives. One way to avoid this is to not introduce major changes into a dog's life; a dog who never begged before may start if someone gives him food from the dinner table, for example.

Here is a gallery of pets in need of adoption in New Jersey. More adoptable pets can be seen here and here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Deer Path Park was the site of World Music Day, held Oct. 1, 2016.

READINGTON TWP. - Deer Path Park was the site of World Music Day.

World Music Day began at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Music from Europe, Africa, South and East Asia, and the Americas was performed at four venues around the 104-acre county park.

Those attending could both watch and participate in jamming and interactive sessions.

It's unfortunate that the Hunterdon Central Regional High School Board of Education is unwilling to invest in the very people who make the school the award-winning school district for which families move into the area.

To the editor:

The teachers, counselors, nurses, operations and maintenance staff, custodians, and support staff members of Hunterdon Central Regional High School entered into contract negotiations with the Board of Education over a year-and-a-half ago, in January of 2015.  

After many months of meetings, impasse was declared.

Although much progress was made during the many sessions that the two teams met, the board has been unwilling to offer a fair and equitable contract.

The main sticking points are the workload of the teachers, a competitive salary, and a reasonable contribution towards health benefits.

The Hunterdon Central Regional High School Education Association is not seeking to eliminate contributions towards their health benefits, but it is fighting for a fairer and more reasonable amount to contribute, much like the 31 other locals throughout the state that have already bargained this. In addition, the association is not seeking to decrease the teachers' workload.

The board of education is very proud that Hunterdon Central is a two-time recipient of the national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award. They take pride in the fact that NJ Monthly rated the school as 44th in the state out of a total of 339 public high schools in 2014 and that Niche rated it 31st in New Jersey and 259th nationally.  

In addition, over the past eight years, six of Hunterdon Central's teachers have been named as Hunterdon County's Teachers of the Year, and many of our other faculty and staff members have been recognized by various organizations throughout the country for the work that they have done in the field of education.

The Education Association is proud of the work its members, the students, and families have done to earn such prestigious accolades, and feels its members should be compensated accordingly.

It's unfortunate that the board of education is unwilling to invest in the very people who make the school the award-winning school district for which families move into the area.

We are presently at a stalemate in negotiations, and waiting for a third-party fact-finder to meet with us to help us solve our differences.  

Unfortunately, we have waited for this process of fact-finding for over four months so far and still have not been given notice of when it is going to occur.  

The board has left us little choice but to implement the type of job actions that have helped other associations in NJ settle their respective contracts.

It is unfortunate that the board's unwillingness to offer a reasonable settlement has brought us to this point. Why does it have to be standard practice to impact students in order to get school boards to negotiate in good faith?

We are not asking for anything unreasonable.

We are asking for fair value for the great job that we know we do and to maintain our current workload so that we can continue to provide the high quality education for our students for which we are known.

To that end, we are hoping that the voice of the community will help the Board see reason so that we can settle the contract and avoid impacting the students.

If you live within Delaware Township, Raritan Township, East Amwell Township, Readington Township or Flemington, we urge you to let your board of education representatives know that you believe the staff at Hunterdon Central is worth a fair contract and that the board needs to return to the table with us with an offer that we can accept.

Shari Calabrese

President

Hunterdon Central Regional High School Education Association

Written on behalf of herself and the other association members

Nursing instructor participates in St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser.

Hunterdon County Polytech instructor Loraine Skeahan shaved the back of her head to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Hunterdon County Polytech 

FLEMINGTON -- Hunterdon County Polytech nursing instructor Loraine Skeahan first heard about the St. Baldrick's Foundation, an organization that hosts head-shaving events to raise money to fund research on childhood cancer, after her class hosted a guest speaker who shared her own experience with childhood cancer.

"Our guest speaker gave a very emotional presentation to the class, and I figured shaving my head would be a small sacrifice to make in order to raise some money and help a fantastic foundation like St. Baldrick's," said Skeahan. "After going home and discussing it with my husband, he even decided to join me."

Skeahan decided to participate in the Headshaving Event & Charity Auction that took place Sept. 25 at the Sergeantsville Volunteer Fire Co., and set a fundraising goal of $200.

On the day of the event Skeahan's husband and grandson stepped up and shaved their heads; Skeahan couldn't quite bring herself to cut it all off and opted to shave only the back of her head. Despite the change in plans, Skeahan still surpassed her fundraising goal, raising more than $1,200 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

To submit school news send an email to hunterdon@starledger.com.

How do these other states manage their taxes and keep their roads in shape without raising their gas taxes 23-cents-per-gallon like we are doing?

To the editor:

Regarding the Oct. 2 announcement of the pending 23-cent-per-gallon increase in the New Jersey state gasoline tax, I have a few comments. 

I have suggested to elected officials for years a similar increase with however an equal discount in property taxes. This would have offset where we were one of the lowest taxed states (gasoline) with where we are one of the highest(property taxes). 

Unfortunately no one listened. 

Now we will have a situation where we go from being low in gas tax to being higher than the national average (29.8-cents-per-gallon). Senator Sweeney may be right that we are still lower than Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, but most other states are lower than we will be, and as usual the increase hits immediately; with reductions staged over several years. 

Why wasn't the tax increase staged as well? 

The answer of course is that the politicians want the money now, but they give relief grudgingly. They treat our money as theirs. For sure the taxes will stick but there is little guarantee that the rather minor decrease in the sales tax will ever be seen or felt.  It went up a whole percentage in one fell swoop as I recall.

Another interesting thing about gas taxes and average gas prices, which I have tracked for several years. The apparent advantage New Jersey has had in our low gas tax, has not always translated into an equal price discount at the pump. 

If you compare the average pump price in Pennsylvania with  New Jersey , the difference is not the 36.9-cents-per-gallon it should have been. Now we will also see if the New Jersey gasoline retailers will give up the better after tax margins they have been enjoying.

Here are the state gasoline sales taxes for some nearby states which are similar to New Jersey in other taxes:

Gas tax cents-per-gallon

• Delaware - 23
• Massachusetts - 26.40
• Ohio - 28
• United States average - 29.80
• New Jersey - 37.50
• Connecticut -  38.30
• New York - 43.40
• Pennsylvania - 51.40

How do these other states manage their taxes and keep their roads in shape without raising their gas taxes 23-cents-per-gallon like we are doing?

John Dellevigne

Readington Township

Route 12 near Old Croton and Dayton roads is closed because of an accident that has resulted in a driveway sealant spill on Oct. 3, 2016.

RARITAN TWP. - Route 12 near Old Croton and Dayton roads is closed because of an accident that has resulted in a driveway sealant spill on Monday, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Up to 100 gallons of sealant from a seal-coating truck is leaking, according to those at the scene. The crash involved several vehicles and happened shortly before 4:50 p.m.

Route 12 is closed and detoured, resulting in delays of up to 10 minutes.

The writer traveled to Washington, D.C., with more than 700 American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteers to urge Congress to support lifesaving policies that help people prevent and better treat cancer.

To the editor:

Last month, I traveled to Washington, D.C., with more than 700 of my fellow American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteers from across the country to urge Congress to support lifesaving policies that help people prevent and better treat cancer.

I called on lawmakers to increase federal funding for cancer research, support legislation to improve patient quality of life and remove cost barriers to colorectal cancer screenings for seniors.

When I met with Congressman Leonard Lance I told him that Congress should seize these opportunities to put partisanship aside and make ending cancer as we know it a top national priority.

I let our lawmakers know that people and families touched by cancer in New Jersey and across the country are counting on them to support legislation that would help make cancer history. With one in two men and one in three women being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, we can't let this year pass without taking legislative action on these important issues.

I know our conversation made a difference in the halls of Congress, and I encourage you to add your voice. Visit www.acscan.org to be connected to people like me in your community.

Judy Tutela

Whitehouse Station

Tutela is a volunteer with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

The nation was in the midst of a copper crisis in 1976.

The nation was in the midst of a copper crisis in 1976.

According to the Hunterdon County Democrat archives: "America is in critical need of copper, due to demands by defense industries, coupled with labor troubles in the mines and smelting plants.

"Pennies are in greater demand than ever in history because of the imposition of sales taxes and the growing use of slot machine devices, such as parking meters.

"People who make a hobby of saving pennies can help to relieve the situation by converting their collections into paper money or depositing them at any bank."

Bigger behinds threatened Lindbergh trial witness chair

Here is some other news from 1976:

Hunterdon residents who indicated last week that the ''debate'' between President Ford and Jimmy Carter could sway their vote said this week that the outcome wasn't all that effective.

The word is out. The 4th grade grape-vine in Lambertville School has it from a good source that their favorite librarian, Mrs. McMullin, won the New Jersey State Lottery. And since she is such a nice lady, they say, she has decided to spend all her winnings on them. She bought new books, audio-visual material, sculpture and exotic gadgets - just for them.

The use of convenience foods, both for home use and in restaurant facilities (fast food outlets as well as other food services), will continue to increase says a report by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This appears to be a result of disposable packaging, new package coatings, and the concept of portion control.

1876

The Fair commences Tuesday and we would warn visitors that pickpockets usually abound. Near the entrance Holcombe has a stand ready to take bundles, overcoats and umbrellas and give checks thereto.

The roads are in terrible condition. Dust blows about in blinding clouds and there is very little enjoyment in driving.

1901

We doubt if more perfect baseball has ever been played in the county as was played by both clubs - verging on professionalism. In the 9th, Flemington earned the only run in the game. And our citizens have nothing but commendation regarding their treatment in High Bridge.

No church needed a pipe organ more than our Methodist Church, which got along with a little old cabinet that scarcely carried across the room. You may expect to see a happy congregation tonight when the fine big organ will be heard for the first time.

1926

The picnic on the Community Grounds of Clinton was attended by 2,000 including state officials, to start the Democratic campaign off with enthusiasm. It opened with a pig chase, a small black porker well greased, whose scurrying caused much amusement.

Reckless driving and violation of prohibition laws are the 2 great problems in Hunterdon, said Supreme Court Justice Trenchard when he opened the September term of court here.

1951

Probably not since erection of the old pole at the turn of the century has the Flemington Chapter of the League of Sidewalk Superintendents been so excited as it was last Friday when a new 65-foot flag pole was set up in front of the Hunterdon County Courthouse. Before the actual start of operations around 1 p.m., the great question on everyone's lips was how the old pole could be removed and the new one erected.

As it seemed to be doing elsewhere in the nation a government-inspired review of its own farm policies brought sharp verbal criticism at a meeting of Hunterdon farmers this week. But the rain of brickbats Monday night in the county courthouse against too much and too costly government aid completely spared one agency - the County Extension Service - which drew nothing but praise.

The gasoline price war which reached Hunterdon 2 weeks ago shows little sign of easing, much to the joy of financially-pressed motorists. Most service stations are selling regular gasoline at 19.9 cents a gallon, about 5 cents less than usual.

Hippotherapy can help those with autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorder, hypotonia, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy.

IT ALL started with pony rides.

In the late 1980s, Laurie Landy began taking her preschool special needs students to the Monroe equestrian farm she co-owned.

Then an occupational therapist in the Freehold Township school district, Landy thought that spending a day at the 200-acre Congress Hill Farm would allow the children to get outside, interact with the horses and have some fun riding ponies.

Then, something miraculous happened.

A little girl, who had been nonverbal all year, suddenly began singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Landy was stunned. She wondered what it was about the experience -- the horse's movements, the farm's sights and smells, the animal's calming nature? -- that stimulated the child to sing. She contemplated whether such an undertaking could help stimulate the use of other muscles as it had the girl's vocal muscles.

So she invited a private client with cerebral palsy to the farm. "I just wanted to see what would happen," she says. The boy's mom brought him to the farm for riding sessions and, after a few weeks, he began walking without crutches.

"That's when I knew I had to study this."

"This" is hippotherapy, a program to improve a person's strength, coordination and balance through their interaction with a horse in motion.

Hippotherapy can help those with autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing disorder, hypotonia, cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. And it can be used with children who have developmental delays and who need encouragement to catch up with their peers.

Landy now devotes all her time to hippotherapy at Special Strides, the therapeutic riding center she founded in 1998 working with a couple of borrowed horses. She now has 17 therapy horses, employs a staff of 28 and sees 145 clients a week, both children and adults, on the Monroe farm.

During a 45-minute hippotherapy session, a horse can make as many as 2,500 movements. At the same time, a therapist can have its rider work with a toy or practice staying upright and centered. The rider also can be turned in a variety of directions to promote better balance and posture control, and to build core strength.

"The horse influences the sensory system, as well as the motor system," says Susie Rehr, a physical therapist and hippotherapy clinical specialist, who has been at Special Strides almost since the beginning. She now serves as the program's co-director. Rehr says the sensory system helps to regulate emotions and behavior and the motor system controls movement.

The consistent rhythmic nature of the horse's gait, she adds, helps the rider get into the "just right zone" -- boosting emotional stability, attention and focus, as well as speech and motor skills.

Hippotherapy uses the horse, whose pelvis and gait are similar to a human's, to improve the basic functioning of a person's vestibular system, the section of the inner ear that controls balance. The horse also helps with spatial orientation.

"It's this three-dimensional experience where you understand who you are, where you're grounded, how things relate to your body," Landy says. "And if you understand those relationships to the world around you, then you can transfer that into learning, play and taking care of yourself. That transfers even in writing. If you're writing the letter 'b,' you know where the line goes on the page because you understand where you are."

More than half of Special Strides' clients receive occupational or physical therapy, or equine-facilitated psychotherapy. The remainder participate in educational and recreational programs, such as carriage driving or adaptive riding, during which a certified therapeutic riding instructor helps an individual with special needs to learn how to ride a horse.

Many clients who discover hippotherapy have already been through traditional physical rehabilitation for years.

"They get a little bit burned out," says Gina Taylor, an occupational therapist and director of therapy services at Mane Stream, a nonprofit equine therapy facility in Oldwick. "Children and adults are naturally drawn to interact with the horses," she says.

Hippotherapy, from the Greek "hippos," meaning "horse," began in Germany and Austria in the 1960s as physical therapists integrated horses into their sessions. In the 1980s, American physical therapists and occupational therapists began learning the method.

"The horse, and the equine setting, the barn -- it's naturally motivating," says Meredith Bazaar, a speech language pathologist at Starlight Farm in Ringwood. "And there's so much opportunity for natural language to occur. These are real-life conversations."

When Sheri Marino, owner and founder of Rocking Horse Rehab in West Orange, first discovered the horse as a tool for speech in 1993, only Ruth Dismuke-Blakely, in New Mexico, was using horses for speech therapy. Marino trained with her after witnessing the benefits.

Marino first put Russell Hale, of Warren, on a horse when he was in preschool. He'd recently been diagnosed with autism and his mom, Peg Hale, had researched treatments.

"I was intent on reading everything and finding out as much as I could," says Peg Hale. A friend told her about the benefits of adaptive riding at Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center (now Mane Stream). Hale brought an idea to Marino.

"She said, 'I think you should find a horse and do speech therapy on a horse,' " Marino says. "I thought she was joking. I'd never heard of hippotherapy." But Hale persisted and Marino agreed. Somerset Hills allowed them to borrow a horse.

After two discouraging attempts at finding the right horse for Russell, they saw results in the third session. Marino says, "This kid made sounds that I had never heard him make before. And I thought, 'This mom was on to something.' "

Marino began bringing speech clients to Somerset Hills. The facility gave her office space and access to horses, and she stayed for eight years. Then, she opened Rocking Horse Rehab in 2001.

Russell Hale, now 26, is in his final semester of college in Denver, studying to be a screenwriter. "I think it was something to connect to, honestly," he says. "I loved that horse and often rode him. I remember cleaning and brushing (Freckles). I feel it was an emotional benefit."

"The most immediate noticeable positive development was in his speech," says Peg Hale. "But we did see overall improvements in his behavior and in his physicality."

She says the therapy was an important factor in her son's improved development and success in school.

Hippotherapy helps with speech, as well as physical and occupational therapy because it addresses certain fundamentals crucial to each effort, Marino says.

"All three disciplines are working on postural control and stability," she says. "All three disciplines are using the horse's movement to work on adaptive responses. All three disciplines are using the horse to address sensory issues."

"Communication doesn't stop just with the mouth," says Bazaar, of Starlight Farm, who also has a speech and language clinic in Ringwood. "Your whole body has to be in sync and working together."

Therapy horses are carefully selected and trained. The legs must be symmetrical -- all equal in length -- so that the rider gets the full benefit of a horse's movements and balance. Horses also need a smooth gait and great stamina.
Their transitions between movements need to be consistent. The youngest therapy horse at Special Strides is 7, because horses must be old enough to handle the weight of their riders and behaviorally mature.

Most New Jersey hippotherapy facilities work with children as young as 2.
Rehr says a majority of horseback riding programs start at age 4 or 5, when a child is able to learn a riding skill. But therapists can start with younger children, she says, because they're trained to adjust for safety and success.

When pairing a horse and rider, height and weight are important -- particularly for the youngest children, who need a horse compatible with their small bodies.

Safety, too, is a primary concern -- for both clients and horses. "Does this child have any fears or behaviors that might be a concern to my horse?" says Taylor, of Mane Stream. "Is this someone who has a seizure disorder? Is this someone who vocalizes a lot?"

When an individual is paired with the right well-trained horse, hippotherapy is effective, Rehr says.

"There is nothing else that I could do as a physical therapist that would provide that many opportunities to learn. And to learn in a manner in which it absolutely mimics what you need to do in real life."

MORE FROM INSIDE JERSEY MAGAZINE

Solberg Airport in Readington Township has accommodated jet aircraft of varying sizes based at - and transiting - the facility for more than 10 years.

To the editor:

CFR (Citizens for Readington and their unidentified writers) have consistently commented that Princeton Airport "has virtually no jet traffic."

This is not correct.

Ironically, on the very airport website they have referenced in the past, the first aircraft shown in the picture is a jet. Not only does Princeton serve corporate jets, it sells jet fuel and has at least six turbine powered commercial helicopters based at the facility. Controlling the runway is not what has kept residents "very satisfied."

Preventing any airport development at Solberg Airport and attempting to kill the 75-year-old business through condemnation has kept some township citizens happy. It's clear, however, that an objective portrayal of facts has not occurred.

The "issue" has nothing to do with the "position" that the "jets are coming" as portrayed.

For decades, residents will recall that pro-condemnation crusaders have insisted that "any jet traffic" would mean a drastic reduction in property values and quality of life.

Yet, Solberg has accommodated jet aircraft of varying sizes based at - and transiting - the facility for more than 10 years. I have spoken to many Readington residents who were not even aware this is the case.

The historical pattern is that entities like CFR (Citizens for Readington) and others work very hard to generate maximum fear.

The group continues to do this by using as its primary example, an older "Stage 2" aircraft; one of the oldest, largest and loudest corporate jets ever produced.

This aircraft's outdated engines were banned from the continental United States by the FAA along with all other Stage 2 planes equipped with similar engines, in an FAA regulation issued in July 2013, which took effect Jan. 1, 2016.

All such aircraft classified by the FAA as Stage 2 can only be flown in the continental United States if they are retrofitted with modern, much quieter engines. Yet CFR maintains that this extreme example represents "a typical business jet."

The pro-condemnation crusaders continue to send out flyers portraying Solberg airport as a bad neighbor, despite our very positive 75 year history. They also insist that Judge Armstrong's decision was somehow massively biased.

Even if we overlook that he has an impeccable record spanning decades, a separate judge has just recently ruled in unequivocal agreement with Judge Armstrong.

"Given Judge Armstrong's finding, along with the evidence presented to the Court in this Motion, it is clear that the circumstances before the Court demonstrate that the Plaintiffs are entitled to a finding that the restrictions imposed in the Readington Ordinance impose restrictions that are untenably contrary to State public policy. Judge Armstrong has effectively determined that the Ordinance in question frustrates New Jersey State policy. That finding, along with the evidence before the Court, supports such a finding and renders the subject Ordinance invalid (page 114)."

It is also critical to remember that the N.J. Supreme Court already deferred to the Appellate Division's very specific findings and ruling once. The wasted tally, thus far, is $10 million plus in Readington Township taxpayer money (including to reimburse the Solbergs for their legal fees) and now with some Committee member's decision to appeal many more millions of dollars will likely be added to that wasted sum.

Why is it that some people on the Readington Township Committee continue to ignore the law and these court rulings? Could it be because it's not their money they are spending?

Ed Nagle

Readington Township

A former Hunterdon County assistant prosecutor claimed he was fired for alleging that the state dismissed an indictment because it involved supporters of Gov. Chris Christie.

TRENTON -- A former Hunterdon County assistant prosecutor who claims he was fired for alleging that Gov. Chris Christie's administration dismissed an indictment because it involved supporters of the governor has received a $1.5 million settlement from the state in his whistleblower lawsuit.

The deal brings an end to a six-year legal battle between Bennett Barlyn and the state -- one that has cost New Jersey taxpayers more than $3 million in legal fees. 

Though the settlement was technically reached in June, it wasn't finalized until last week. 

Barlyn -- who is now a schoolteacher -- released a statement Tuesday that calls the events that led to his suit "perhaps the first, but clearly not the last, instance of the Christie administration's deliberate misuse of its political and legal authority."

He refers to the settlement as a "private vindication" but noted that he is barred from discussing the case further under the terms of the agreement.

Law firm with ties to Christie reaps millions fighting whistleblower case

Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie's office, deferred comment to the state Attorney General's Office, which defended the case for the state.

Leland Moore, a spokesman for the attorney general, said: "We stand by our dismissal of the criminal indictment that was at issue in this case."

"The decision to settle this employment matter was an economic one, driven by the anticipated costs associated with litigating the case to verdict," Moore added. "We believe we would have prevailed in court."

The case stems from a 43-count indictment brought by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office in 2010 against then-Sheriff Deborah Trout, Undersherriff Michael Russo, and investigator John Falat Jr. They were charged with official misconduct and falsification of documents. 

Among the charges: 

* Trout allowed Russo to oversee his own background investigation and allowed a prospective county investigator to obtain a county-issued handgun without proper background checks.

* Falat printed and distributed fake sheriff's office ID cards. 

But then-state Attorney General Paula Dow stepped in and quashed the indictment, calling it legally and factually deficient.

Barlyn said he was fired later that year after he complained to a superior that he felt the case was dropped for political reasons.

His lawsuit claimed the Robert Hariri, a pharmaceutical executive at Celgene, a major New Jersey biopharmaceutical company with close ties to Christie's administration, was the recipient of one of the fake ID cards. Hariri donated $6,800 to Christie's first gubernatorial campaign in 2009.

Celgene has also benefited from millions of dollars of state grants prior to Christie taking office. Sol Barer, Celgene's founder, hosted a fundraiser for Christie's presidential campaign in August. Its executive chairman and former CEO, Robert Hugin, donated $100,000 to a super PAC promoting Christie's 2016 presidential bid.

The Attorney General's Office tapped Gibbons P.C., a politically connected law firm, in 2014 to handle the case.

In court filings, Gibbons argued that Barlyn was fired because of "blatant insubordination" and poor work performance.

Under terms of the settlement reached last week, the defendants deny any wrongdoing or liability.

Gibbons has billed the state more than $3 million since it took over the case. The state hired the firm primarily because of Barlyn's fight to unseal grand jury testimony related to the incitements. 

Barlyn eventually won the battle for access to the documents, but they remain sealed to the public.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Arco and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.