Find out who NJ Advance Media thinks will make it to the sectional finals.
Previews, picks for all 24 Tuesday & Wednesday boys lacrosse quarters and semis
Softball: Statement wins, upsets & surprises from Round 1 of the state tournament
Highlighting all the best action from the state tournament so far.
Local heroes: Track & field's multiple-event champions at the county meets
Doubles, triples and even a quadruple gold winner highlighted some great performances at the 2018 track and field county championships.
Driver killed after hitting curb, veering into oncoming car
A person died Tuesday night in Holmdel after their car hit a curb and crossed over into oncoming traffic.
A driver died Tuesday night after a car hit a curb, veered into oncoming traffic and hit another car in Holmdel.
The crash was reported 6:29 p.m. at the intersection of Palmer Avenue and Tanners Landing Way, according to Holmdel Police.
The driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene was southbound on Palmer Avenue when the car hit the curb and crossed into northbound traffic, police said. The driver's name was not released.
The driver of the other vehicle was taken to Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, police said.
Palmer Avenue was closed in both directions for almost four hours while police investigated the accident.
Police are asking anyone with information about the accident to call Holmdel Police Sgt. Vincent Imperato at 732-946-9690 ext. 1731.
Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NJ.com baseball Top 20, May 23: Are these changes just a preview of what's next?
NJ.com's latest rankings.
Driver killed in Holmdel crash identified by police
The 50-year-old struck a curb and then veered into northbound traffic on Palmer Road
Police have identified the driver killed in a two-car crash in Holmdel as a 50-year-old Hazlet man.
William Dillon was driving south on Palmer Avenue when his car hit the curb, crossed into northbound traffic and struck another vehicle, according to Holmdel police.
The driver of the other car, a 68-year-old Union Beach woman, was treated for injuries that police said are not life-threatening.
The crash took place around 6:30 p.m. near the intersection with Tanners Landing Way, close to the Middletown border.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Ex-cop who gunned down ex-wife has a nearly 700-page internal affairs file
The fact was included in new wrongful death lawsuit filed on Monday. Watch video
A former Neptune Township police sergeant who gunned down his ex-wife as she sat helplessly in the driver's seat of her car had an internal affairs file that is nearly 700 pages - and was asked to stay on the force even after he offered to retire prior to the 2015 slaying.
That's according to a new lawsuit filed Monday.
Less than a year after Philip Seidle -- who had already served two suspensions for domestic violence and briefly had his service weapon taken away -- offered to turn in his badge and his gun for good, he used that same weapon to pump a dozen shots into his ex-wife, Tamara Wilson-Siedle, in broad daylight on an Asbury Park street on June 16, 2015.
The new lawsuit, filed by the nine Seidle children, includes explosive new allegations that their 54-year-old police officer father had an internal affairs file that is 682 pages with excessive force complaints starting in 2004.
In one claim, the lawsuit says, Seidle hit a man on a bicycle with his police car and then kneed and kicked him. He also allegedly threw a man on top of a police cruiser and then beat him, punching him in the jaw and kicking him in the ribs.
When coupled with Seidle's long, documented past of physical and verbal abuse against Wilson-Seidle, 51, Monmouth County authorities at the local and county level ignored warning signs that ultimately led to her death, the lawsuit contends.
They also failed to take action after Wilson-Seidle personally visited Neptune police officials, including Chief James Hunt Jr., to "complain about the mistreatment, abuse, threats and behavior" of her estranged husband, the lawsuit states.
Three weeks after a divorce ending a 23-year marriage was finalized in 2015, Philip Seidle chased Tamara Wilson-Seidle as she drove through Asbury Park, eventually ramming her car at the intersection of Ridge and Sewall avenues.
Philip Seidle got out and fired eight rounds through his ex-wife's driver's side window. Two minutes later, in the presence of several Asbury Park police officers, he fired off another four rounds through her windshield.
The couple's youngest daughter, who was riding with her father, escaped into the hands of police during the break in shots fired.
Seidle pleaded guilty on July 15, 2016, to aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment and was sentenced to 30 years in state prison.
An original lawsuit filed on June 16, 2017, was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp because the plaintiffs "lumped" defendants together.
According to this lawsuit, from 2012 up until the date of the shooting, there were at least 12 documented domestic violence or incident calls to police from Wilson-Seidle.
His service weapon was taken away in 2012 after he canceled a dispatch call to police placed by Tamara Wilson-Seidle in regard to domestic violence.
Seidle went to see a police psychologist who declared him unfit for duty. A year later, however, his service weapon was returned to him.
A probe by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office noted that authorities returned Seidle's service weapon after seeking permission from Tamara Wilson-Seidle.
However, the lawsuit says that Philip Seidle would "use physical force and assault her if she complained or took any action to create problems for him at the job, that she would suffer grievous harm as a result including financial ruin."
Seidle would go on to be suspended twice from the force.
Less than a year before the shooting, beset by the ongoing trouble with Wilson-Seidle, Philip Seidle offered to retire.
"But instead of accepting his resignation," the lawsuit states, "knowing of the explosive nature of the couple' confrontations and the history of domestic violence and prior discipline, the Neptune Defendants gave Seidle a free pass and asked him to stay."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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17-year-old boys lax single-season goals record may fall to this attackman
A junior has 114 goals going into Wednesday's games.
This hip N.J. beach is second best in the U.S., magazine says
Apparently, only Pompano Beach in Florida is better.
As beach season approaches, the Jersey Shore is getting its due in the national spotlight.
After Conde Nast Traveler named Cape May the most beautiful place in all of New Jersey, Money magazine has ranked Asbury Park as the second best beach in all of the United States.
"Made famous by Bruce Springsteen, Asbury Park offers the classic combo of beach and boardwalk. Surfers can be seen riding the waves on this mile-long stretch of the Jersey Shore," the magazine wrote.
The article also lauded Asbury Park for its entertainment outside of the actual beach, highlighting the Silverball Museum, Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten and the Stone Pony, the iconic music venue, as places to experience on a poor-weather day or at night.
To determine the ranking, Money "weighed thousands of data points about more than 250 popular beach spots across the world to narrow the list" to seven domestic locations and seven international locations.
According to Money, the average cost of a trip to Asbury Park for two is $2,676, with airfare (not for us New Jerseyans) costing about $293 and a hotel room hitting about $185 per night.
As billions of dollars are being invested in Asbury Park, the Monmouth County seaside city has experienced unmatched growth compared to other Jersey Shore towns in recent years. The music scene remains top-notch, the list of dining options is lengthy and mouth watering, and cool destinations continue to pop up, like the Asbury Lanes revamp and the boutique Asbury Hotel.
Apparently that is not enough to be the No. 1 beach in the United States, which Money determined was Pompano Beach, Florida.
Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jatmonavageNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook
CFO who bilked over $1M from his company is going to prison, has to pay it back
He cashed checks from company accounts to pay for meals at restaurants, rounds of golf, gambling and lottery tickets
The former chief financial officer of an orthopedic care provider in Monmouth and Ocean counties was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison Wednesday for embezzling $1,175,720 from the company.
Harry Wolfmuller, 70, formerly of Belmar, worked for the company from 2007 through 2015, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Federal authorities have not named the company, and it's referred to in court papers as "Company A."
He pleaded guilty this past November to wire fraud, and at the time he lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Authorities have said Wolfmuller cashed checks from company accounts and used the money to pay for meals at restaurants, rounds of golf, gambling and lottery tickets.
None of the expenses were for approved, business purposes, but his own personal gain, the office said.
He then tried to cover up the transactions in company accounting records to make them appear legitimate.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Top N.J. Democrat urges states to refuse giving sports betting 'extortion' money to leagues
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney sent a letter this week about the matter to leaders in all 50 states.
New Jersey's top lawmaker says some of America's professional sports leagues are trying to "extort" money from states looking to legalize sports betting -- and he's asking state leaders across the country not to let it happen.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney revealed Wednesday that he sent a letter this week to governors and legislative leaders in all 50 states urging them not to give the leagues "integrity fees" they are seeking from sports betting revenue after seven years of fighting New Jersey in court.
In the letter, Sweeney notes that the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, along with the NCAA, successfully sued multiple times to stop New Jersey from allowing its casinos and racetracks to allow bets on pro and college sports games.
But the U.S. Supreme Court sided with New Jersey last week, overturning a 1992 federal ban on such wagering and allowing all states to allow sports books.
N.J. may launch lawsuit against NFL, MLB and other leagues that fought sports betting
Now that New Jersey and other states are considering legalizing sports bets, the NBA and MLB have been asking states to give them a cut of the total amount wagered on their games to help them pay for enforcement to prevent cheating and game fixing.
Sweeney, though, said this is a "hypocritical attempt to extort" money from states.
"Now that their efforts have been ultimately unsuccessful they wish themselves to make 'the fast buck' and to 'get something for nothing,'" Sweeney, D-Gloucester, wrote.
"The leagues are asking to be paid to allow games to be played fairly," Sweeney added. "Ironically, they are calling this extortion attempt an 'integrity fee,' even while fully aware that providing participants a stake in the volume of betting would amount to what could more accurately be called an 'anti-integrity fee.'
"And their demand begs the question of what they would now start doing to preserve the integrity of their games that they have not been doing for years," he continued.
Sweeney also argues that Nevada, the only place where full-scale sports betting has been legal, has never given the leagues such a fee.
In a statement, Major League Baseball said it can help states wishing to enact sports betting.
"Our focus is on developing meaningful partnerships with state governments and operators across the country," the statement reads.
"We will use our expertise, rights and footprint to help the states that have smart and modern sports betting laws develop the country's most successful betting markets within a regulatory framework that protects the integrity of our games, which is most paramount."
Spokespeople for the other leagues did not immediately return messages seeking comment Wednesday.
Many states have vehemently opposed such fees, though some have been open to negotiating.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called on Congress this week to pass federal legislation regulating sports betting. That could include an integrity fee.
New Jersey lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation by June 7 to regulate and tax sports betting at the state's casinos and tracks.
The state treasurer said Monday the state is estimating at least $13 million in tax revenue from the wagering in the coming fiscal year.
Sweeney said the state Senate will not include an integrity fee in the bill. The Senate and state Assembly would have to agree on a single measure before Gov. Phil Murphy can sign it into law.
At the same time, Sweeney told NJ Advance Media this week that he is exploring whether the state can sue the leagues for legal bills and back tax revenue from the seven years the issue was in court.
Murphy, a fellow Democrat, was asked during an unrelated news conference if he supports a lawsuit and stands with Sweeney against integrity fees.
"I won't comment of the specifics of the bill other than to say we're working with the Senate president and his team and the speaker's team as we pull this thing together," Murphy said. "I think it'll happen sooner than later.
Murphy also noted that he and Sweeney are having a meeting Friday.
"And that's something we're gonna talk about, among other things," the governor added.
Monmouth Park, a racetrack in Oceanport, said it will be ready to accept bets as soon as Murphy signs the law.
The Borgata, Atlantic City's most profitable casinos, announced this week it will also have a sports book ready to go.
"We are currently in the final design stages of a new venue that will offer an exciting environment for sports fans in the future," Marcus Glover, the casino's president, said in a statement.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook
Plastic or paper? Not a choice anymore under N.J. Shore town ban
Vendors in Monmouth Beach will be barred from providing plastic straws or bags, as well as plastic or styrofoam containers, under a ban effective June 1
In a sweeping measure to address a growing environmental threat along the Jersey shore, Monmouth Beach officials voted unanimously Tuesday to ban single-use plastic bags, straws and food containers, as well as take-out Styrofoam boxes.
"This is right for the Jersey Shore and all towns," said Mayor Sue Howard, who as one of three members of the borough's board of commissioners voted to adopt the ban at a meeting Tuesday night. "Living on the shore you're sensitive to the environment. Not only do we care about where we live, we want to protect that (broader) environment for our children for the future."
The ban prohibits local restaurants, grocers and other vendors from using plastic or Styrofoam for carry-out, take-out or doggie-bag containers, or from providing plastic straws. The ordinance, which was introduced last month and takes effect June 1, includes fines of up to $2,400, though Howard said warnings would be issued for initial violations.
Non-biodegradable plastic products have been washing up on beaches in New Jersey and throughout the world at what environmentalists say is an alarmingly increasing rate, indicating that more and more bags, bottles, straws and fragments are making their way into the ocean via storm drains, inland water ways, dumping or other avenues.
Plastic is the most common form of beach litter and debris found during annual spring and fall beach sweeps by the non-profit group Clean Ocean Action, which reported a 58.75-percent increase in plastic straws found on New Jersey beaches in 2017, an increase consistent with global figures.
Ditch your straw? They keep ending up on N.J. beaches
Rather then sinking to the ocean floor, floating plastic or Styrofoam debris can choke, strangle or otherwise incapacitate sea creatures who ingest or become ensnared in them.
Several municipalities along the Jersey shore have approved or are considering curbs on the use of disposable plastic items, and New Jersey is one of several states weighing a plastic ban.
What stands out about the Monmouth Beach measure, borough officials and environmentalists say, is that it prohibits bags, straws and containers, whether they are made or Styrofoam, rather than any one of those items or materials alone.
"No one was doing all three," said Howard, who has been mayor for 13 years in the officially non-partisan borough, home to about 3,200 residents over 3 square miles on Monmouth County's northern Atlantic coast. "We just though its time to do it all."
Clean Ocean Action's executive director, Cindy Zipf, who was among several environmentalists present for Tuesday night's vote, said Monmouth Beach could serve as a model for other communities.
"Hopefully, this is just the beginning," Zipf said.
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook
Vintage Memorial Day photos from N.J.
A day to honor our fallen heroes dates back 150 years.
It began as Decoration Day and is now known as Memorial Day. By either name, it is dedicated to honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
The Civil War, which ended in 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country's first national cemeteries. History.com notes that "by the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers."
On May 5, 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn't the anniversary of any particular battle.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.
"For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day," notes the website. "But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday."
While not commonly known, each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Take a moment this year - that moment, perhaps - to pay your personal tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom.
Here is a gallery of past Memorial Day parades and tributes from New Jersey, and links to other galleries.
Vintage photos of Medal of Honor recipients from N.J.
Vintage N.J. photos of Memorial Day
Vintage photos of American pride in N.J.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.
Memorial Day 2018 in N.J.: A statewide guide to 20 weekend events and festivals
Concerts, festivals and other events from all over the Garden State to help you celebrate the unofficial kickoff to summer.
Softball Top 20 at playoff time: Ranks shift as teams jockey for section titles
Most of the teams elite teams are preparing for semifinal games.
Here's how much a beach badge costs in every Jersey Shore town, 2018 edition
A definitive survey, from Cape May Point to Sandy Hook.
Passengers escape as bus bursts into flames on Garden State Parkway
The southbound local lanes of the Garden State Parkway in Monmouth County were closed as the bus became engulfed in flames Watch video
UPDATE: All lanes on the Parkway have re-opened as of 12:10 p.m.
No one was hurt when a bus caught fire on the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel on Thursday morning, forcing the closure of the local southbound lanes.
The bus burst into flames around 9:34 a.m near milepost 116.7, just south of the Keyport-Holmdel Road overpass, Sgt. Lawrence Peele of the State Police said.
Al local lanes are closed through the area but the express lanes are open.
The driver pulled onto the shoulder when he noticed smoke coming from the bus, Peele said. The more than 20 passengers aboard escaped safely. Video from the scene shows the charred remains of vehicle.
The bus was registered to Island Charter of Staten Island, New York, the Associated Press said. Island Charter didn't immediately return a call from NJ Advance Media seeking information on where the bus was headed or from where it was coming.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Who will take titles? Previews & picks for all 16 girls lacrosse sectional finals
Analysis and previews ahead of each girls lacrosse sectional final.
Ex- Mets and Yankees star makes sports betting pitch to N.J. lawmakers
Al Leiter was in Trenton on Thursday to lobby with pro sports leagues, NJ Advance Media learned. Watch video
A group of professional sports leagues brought a special guest to Trenton on Thursday in the midst of of an increasingly tense debate over how legal sports betting will unfold in New Jersey:
Former Mets and Yankees star pitcher Al Leiter.
Leiter, a New Jersey native, joined representatives from Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the Professional Golfers Association to lobby lawmakers at the Statehouse for the leagues to have a say -- and a cut of the revenue -- once sports betting begins here, NJ Advance Media learned.
The leagues have run into fierce opposition from state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and other state lawmakers, who have chastised them for seeking money after suing the state for seven years to stop such wagering at its casinos and racetracks.
Sweeney, New Jersey's top lawmaker, has called the leagues' push for a so-called "integrity fee" an attempt to "extort" money now that the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with the state.
Sweeney urges states to refuse giving 'extortion' money to leagues
The court last week overturned a 1992 federal ban on sports betting, opening the door for states across the country to enact it. New Jersey lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation by June 7 to get a jump on other states and begin collecting tax revenue from it.
The leagues are asking states around the country for 1 percent or less of the total amount wagered on all sports games in each state.
Leiter, a two-time All-Star who grew up in Toms River and resides with his family in Summit, visited New Jersey a month after making a similar trip to Connecticut to lobby lawmakers.
The left-hander -- who retired from playing in 2005 and is now a broadcaster for MLB Network -- made an unannounced visit early Thursday and was not available for comment.
But Leiter told reporters in Connecticut last month there's "got to be some regulation and some people watching to make sure that everything is done properly and maintain the integrity of the respective sport."
"Every player knows the severity that if you bet on your sport, it is a death penalty,'' Leiter, 52, added, according to a report by the Hartford Courant. "You know the story about Pete Rose, certainly the Black Sox and Shoeless Joe Jackson.''
Leiter was considered a possible Republican contender for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey in 2013.
Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said he did not meet with the leagues. Nor did state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, the state's second-highest-ranking lawmaker.
Instead, Leiter and the leagues met with sponsors of the sports betting legislation still being ironed out.
Regardless, Sweeney told NJ Advance Media on Thursday he's not backing down from his stance that New Jersey won't give the leagues a cent in the bill.
"I think I made my position real clear," he said in a phone interview. "I can't be any more firm where I'm at."
"They really have a lot of nerve," Sweeney added. "They're not changing my position. They sued us, they lost, and now they want a piece of the action. It's ridiculous."
Sweeney is also exploring whether the state can sue the leagues for legal fees and back tax revenue.
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, a sponsor of the legislation, said he wasn't moved after meeting with the leagues Thursday.
"I always listen. I have an open mind," Caputo, D-Essex, said. "But this time, I agree with Sen. Sweeney 1,000 percent. I don't think leagues are entitled to any integrity fee."
Caputo said he's also "not convinced" the leagues should have a say in how sports betting is regulated here.
The leagues say the fees would help them pay for increased monitoring games to make sure there is no cheating now that betting is being legalized across the U.S.
The leagues also want to form a coalition with sports betting operators and states to make sure proper data is shared and consumer protections are in place -- such as age limits and rules about teams.
"We continue to engage with legislators to discuss a partnership with New Jersey that contains strong protections that safeguard our sport and will help ensure the success of sports betting in New Jersey," Major League Baseball said in a statement Wednesday.
The National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the NCAA -- the other leagues that sued the state -- were not on hand Thursday.
It's no surprise that Sweeney wouldn't be swayed by Leiter. The Senate president is a Cincinnati Reds fan -- and Mets fans remember how Leiter pitched a two-hit shutout against the Reds to win a one-game playoff to reach the postseason in 1999.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
N.J. Shore looking good, say bathers. And experts agree
This winter's nor-easters had a relatively mild impact on beach erosion, a good thing for tourism and safety, experts said during a State of the Shore event Thursday
Jamie Manser had just emerged from her first dip in the ocean this year and, even with Thursday's bracing 60-degree water temperature, it was a pleasure.
"It just feels fantastic," said Manser, 28, of Scotch Plains, standing by the ocean at Asbury Park's 5th Avenue beach.
And as for the overall condition of the beach heading into Memorial Day Weekend, and the unofficial start of summer?
"Being that its the first time I'm here this year, it looks particularly nice," Manser said.
Experts agree, adding that healthy beaches are good not only for the state's $44 billion tourism industry, but also for the safety of swimmers, who are endangered by rip currents.
A few minutes before Manser's lunchtime plunge, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's acting commissioner, Catherine R. McCabe, joined a Stevens Institute of Technology coastal engineering professor, Jon Miller, for a "State of the Shore" event at the Robinson Ale House on Asbury Park's famous boardwalk. The annual event is held in the run up to Memorial Day to kick off the summer water quality monitoring season and to provide an assessment of how Jersey shore beaches weathered the winter.
"We had a relatively mild winter in terms of storms, so mild beach erosion," Miller said. "Any beach erosion that occurred, the sand is real close by in a sandbar offshore, so it's going to come back. So, overall, the beaches are very healthy."
Miller is also a coastal processes specialist for the New Jersey Sea Grant Commission, whose mission includes raising awareness of dangerous rip currents, which occur when beach erosion results in channels that swiftly carry water from breaking waves back out to sea.
Last summer, rip tides contributed to a record eight drownings on the Jersey Shore, said Claire Antonucci, the grant commission's executive director. In response, the commission has launched a campaign titled, "Ocean Hazards: Sharks V. Rip Currents."
"Only six deaths occur worldwide due to shark attacks while more than 100 people per year die as a result of rip currents in the United States," the commission states on the campaign web page.
Hurricane season 2018 predictions
McCabe assured the public that the state would be ever-vigilant in monitoring water quality along the shore, and would close beaches on the rare occasions when the Enterococci bacteria level exceeded 104 colonies per 100 milliliters of sea water in sample testing on two consecutive days. Samples exceeded the bacteria standard in 3-percent of all cases in 2017, according to the DEP.
Funding for ocean monitoring comes from the federal Environmental Protection agency, as well as the sale of New Jersey's "Shore to Please" license plates with its red and white lighthouse. This year, Jersey beachgoers accustomed to banners towed just offshore by small planes will notice a new one: a custom Shore to Please plate reading PLZ BUY ME.
McCabe also said the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy would continue to fight the Trump Administration's plan to permit offshore drilling beyond the state's 3-mile jurisdiction.
Back on the beach, Mercer County Community College sweethearts Joao Romualeos and Faviola Alvarado, both 19, were frolicking in the surf, as the sound of Asbury Park's current building boom echoed from the city's waterfront boulevard, Ocean Avenue.
"I would say it looks good, it looks clean," said Romualeos, who is from Brazil. "The construction bothers me a little bit. But besides that, everything is great. (The beach) is very thick. There's plenty of space for people to lay on."
Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook