I voted!

Last Thursday I took a quick trip up to the County Clerk's Office in Belvidere, NJ and voted by absentee ballot. I have a few things to do on Election Day and didn't want to rush, so I figured it would be best to get it done early. The employees at the Clerk's Office were absolutely wonderful and the absentee process was quick and easy. I'm all about sharing, so here's who I voted for:

President & Vice President: Barack Obama & Joe Biden

US Senator: Frank Lautenberg

US Representative: Dennis Shulman

County Freeholder: Adam Fitting

Borough Council: Robert Gara & Alex Zikas

Question #1 & #2: No

I don't think there are any surprises there. Good Luck to all!

Funny Story: About 2 1/2 years ago, I visited the County Clerk's Office to renew my passport. While filling out my paperwork, I took off my jacket and placed it on a chair. Well, as you can imagine, I left my jacket there. I figured I would go back sometime to pick it up, but I never did. After a few months, I thought they would have either given it to goodwill or thrown it away. As I was waiting for my absentee application to be processed, I had a lovely woman ask me if I had left my jacket there some time ago and I replied, surprisingly, with a Yessss. She asked if I wanted it back, because they still had it. Lo and behold, she went to the back and brought out my black windbreaker. I was completely shocked and gave her a big hug. I couldn't believe they actually had it! Now, that's customer service!

My apologies

My apologies for not updating the blog in the past few weeks. I celebrated my 30th birthday (Yes, you read that right!  I can't believe it either.) on October 18th with my amazing friends and family. We went to NYC and had a wonderful time. Here are some photos from the weekend:

This past weekend a few of my new British friends (Shout out to Nick, Katrien, Anne & Simon) and I took a road trip up to Boston with a stop in Vernon, Connecticut to see our friend Katie.  It was the first time I've ever been to Boston and we had an amazing time.  I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

They said he was unprepared...

I absolutely love this.  
Get ready for the FINAL DEBATE!  My friends, will McCain go all in and risk it all tonight or will he try to act Presidential for once?
I think we're gonna see Senator 'Get off my lawn' McCain tonight...You Betcha!

Seriously?!

For Halloween, they should take a hayride through a McCain Rally...this is scary!

Wow, just wow!

Now this is the class act John McCain that I respect.  Can we have more of this and less mudslinging?

This is why I love David Letterman...

That one!?

That one!?  Are you serious, John McCain?  That one has a name...he's your colleague - Barack Obama.  Show some decency and respect.  You're sinking faster than a mobster in the East River and this is why.

Let me remind you all of a little joke Senator McCain made about Chelsea Clinton & Janet Reno back in June of 1998:
"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?  Because her father is Janet Reno."

What a maverick!

Hey, can I call you Joe?

"How long have I been at this?  Five Weeks?" - Gov. Sarah Palin

"Palin's answers do not lack confidence, they lack coherence." - CNN's Bill Schneider

Palin is Failing

The horror...the horror.

The Palin - Biden Debate is minutes away and I have been waiting for this moment since Sen. McCain introduced Gov. Palin as his Vice-Presidential nominee. Joe, be gentle, she's had a rough few weeks. What am I saying...GIVE IT TO HER! She stood up at that podium during the Republican Convention and ripped you a new one...don't let her get away with anything!

I-78 is scenic!?! Ha!

Alpha: No scenic labels
Borough council nixes joining other communities in designation for I-78.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

By SARAH WOJCIK
The Express-Times

ALPHA - Efforts to designate Interstate 78 a scenic byway will continue without Alpha's support, Greenwich Township Mayor Elaine Emiliani said Tuesday night.

Emiliani approached Alpha Borough Council representing a group behind the scenic byway proposal. She hoped for a letter of support from council members.

Instead, she received staunch opposition to the idea.

"It was more of a courtesy to have them involved," she said after the meeting. "We can and will proceed without them."

The designation would earn the corridor federal money for safety and aesthetic improvements.

No one on borough council seconded a motion to send a letter of support to the state for the designation.

"I, personally, do not see the benefits of making I-78 a scenic byway," Alpha Councilman Harry Zikas Jr. said

Billboards that dot the interstate were the biggest sticking points between the council and Emiliani. Restrictions on roadside advertising would accompany the byway designation.

Emiliani, noting the high level of crashes on the corridor, suggested billboard removal could benefit traffic safety.

Alpha Mayor Ed Hanics Jr. said the digital billboards Emiliani criticized can serve the public in several ways, including Amber Alerts.

Emiliani agreed, but said state signs at weigh stations can serve the same purpose.

Hanics and Zikas cited heavy signage along the roadway as reasons why designating it a scenic byway seemed silly.

"All you see on one side is walls and then on the other, advertisements for businesses," Hanics said.

Emiliani called these observations the "negatives" on the highway that can be remedied if I-78 were a scenic byway.

"The positives certainly outweigh the negatives for historic value," she said.

Zikas said he saw no redeeming features in giving I-78 the special designation.

"Route 29 as a scenic byway? Certainly; it's beautiful," said Zikas, referring to the state road in Hunterdon County. "But I-78, with 18-wheelers all over the road? No, I'm sorry, I don't see it.

"I'm looking at this realistically. It's just not rolling hills anymore."

Emiliani said she reached out to Alpha to pursue the designation with hopes for neighborly cooperation.

"You're the only town that hasn't bought into this," she told council. "I didn't anticipate it would be this difficult."

Emilani said after the meeting the proposal to designate the interstate has gone before and been accepted by 16 other municipalities among Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

Ok, now my turn (again)...Mayor Emiliani mislead us. Alpha is NOT the "only town that hasn't bought into this". It seems that the Town of Phillipsburg has yet to adopt a resolution or issue a letter of support for the scenic byway proposal. During the meeting, I kept asking Ms. Emiliani if Greenwich benefits from their 'scenic' weigh station right on Route 78, but she kept dodging and wouldn't give me an answer. Well, of course they benefit from it and if Route 78 is designated as a scenic byway, Greenwich gets to keep their weigh station and continue to benefit, but Alpha would lose their single billboard and the lease payments that go along with it. Who wins, who loses?