Our Montville

Montville OKs use of field after latest lead test

But lacrosse club will finish season elsewhere, due to concerns over initial signs of hazard - The Township Committee voted 4-1 Wednesday night to lift restrictions on children using the artificial turf fields at Camp Dawson. Children younger than 7 had been prohibited from using the fields after potentially harmful levels of lead were discovered last week.

However, the committee also voted to find an alternative field for the Montville Lacrosse Club, which prior to the vote openly expressed its own concerns over using the Towaco fields with four weeks to go in its season.  The co-ed youth organization, which started its season in January, has more than 200 members in grades 1 to 8.

Committeewoman Jean Bader was the sole dissenter to lifting the ban.  "At this time, I am not willing to take chances with the health of any resident and child in this community," said Bader, adding she believes the fields should be closed. "Our health is way too important, and I'm going to say no."  See Daily Record.  Discuss on OurMontville blog.

Please Help Find Dakota!

Please Help Me! I just moved to Montville (Longview condos) and my Black and White Tuxedo Cat (Dakota)  got out the other night. He is 8 years old and has never been outside before:( I am broken hearted without him.

If you see him, or think you might see him, please call me at 973-220-7576. PS, I am sure he is scared and might just find another home, if it is your home, please call me.

No harmful lead levels found at Camp Dawson

A second round of testing for potentially dangerous lead levels at Camp Dawson's artificial turf fields was negative -- after a first had been positive -- prompting the township to arrange a third round of testing to sort out the discrepancy, municipal officials said on Tuesday.

Five different types of samples were taken by state officials at the site last Friday, and the second round of tests was expedited to the township, municipal officials said. Those results showed lead levels to be negligible, said Mayor Deborah Nielson.

"The tests show that there is nothing being leached. People on the field are not coming into contact with any lead," Nielson said. The exact levels of the new tests were not immediately known, but Nielson said they were "below the threshold."  See Daily Record.   Discuss on OurMontville blog.

Obama attempts double back flip

See Wall Street Journal.

The “Sister Souljah” moment slipped through Obama’s hands. 

Board continues master plan talks

The planning board will continue discussions of the Towaco master plan on Thursday.  After approving the  proposal in January, the planning board will talk about the ordinances that would lay out how to put the ideas into practice.

The master plan proposes a pedestrian friendly village for the area around the Towaco train station, including 45 housing units and 52,000 square feet of storefronts and office space, as well as additional parking.  It also suggests reducing from 35 mph to 25 mph through the area, and it lays out design standards to create a uniform architectural style.

Cold water on global warming

It has almost become something of a joke when some "global warming"  conference has to be cancelled because of a snowstorm or bitterly cold weather. But stampedes and hysteria are no joke -- and creating stampedes and hysteria has become a major activity of those hyping a global warming "crisis."

They mobilize like-minded people from a variety of occupations, call them all "scientists" and then claim that "all" the experts agree on a global warming crisis.

But a new and very different conference on global warming will be held in New York City, under the sponsorship of the Heartland Institute, on March 2nd to March 4th -- weather permitting.

See Cold water on global warming and The More You Know, The Less You Care. 

Weather Channel Founder: Sue Al Gore for Fraud.

Discuss on The Great Global Warming Swindle.

Don Pepe II restaurant damaged by fire

A fire severely damaged Don Pepe II, closing the restaurant and leaving four second-floor apartments uninhabitable, police said. The fire at the restaurant, located at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and Changebridge Road, was reported at 5:08 p.m. on November 19, said police Lt. John Gauweiler. Firefighters from Pine Brook, Fairfield, Rockaway Neck and Towaco responded, and the blaze was under control by 6:30 p.m.

No one was injured but the building was extensively damaged with fire spreading from the kitchen to the apartments above and the roof, Gauweiler said.  The cause has not been determined yet but it is under investigation. "They were cooking in the kitchen but they don't know where it started," Gauweiler said.  See Daily Record.   See Fire started in fryer.

Montville Eyes Animal Shelter Deal

Officials propose sharing space with sports league as temporary solution - The township committee on Tuesday night proposed sharing as a temporary solution for the Montville Baseball-Softball Association, which is seeking to use the River Road site that houses the current animal shelter as its own facility.