WALL, NJ — Flower power will take on new meaning for Wildflowers Florist on Wednesday, October 24.

Throughout the day, longtime employee Megan Byrne said they will be visiting shopping centers and other busy places, where they will hand out two bouquets of flowers to anyone they meet — one for them to keep and one to share.

It’s part of the nationwide “Petal It ...

FREEHOLD, NJ — A 59-year old woman walking along Route 35 in Neptune early this morning has died as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Sonia Naranjo of Neptune was pronounced dead from her injuries at 12:42 a.m. on October 21 — about 40 minutes after she was struck by a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze in the southbound lane ...

BELMAR, NJ — A two-alarm fire at 1210 Main Street in Belmar yesterday has been ruled accidental, leaving the structure unsafe and its second-story apartments uninhabitable, according to borough officials.

Fire, building and health officials spent today surveying the fire, smoke and water damage left after a two-alarm blaze on October 17 ripped through the building, which housed Sportsnut ...

LAKE COMO, NJ — Since China placed stricter standards on recycling materials it accepts, the effects of those changes continue to hit home, even in Lake Como.

In response, the borough has revised its recycling rules in order to keep a lid on the potential for escalating disposal costs. Residents who do not abide by the following regulations can expect to have their recyclables left at ...

LAKE COMO, NJ — Lake Como officials are urging residents who have illegal sumps pumps to come clean or face fines.

With the continuing heavy rains, water overflowing through manhole covers on certain streets has been caused by sump pumps illegally connected to the sanitary sewer lines, rather than to the stormwater system.

As a result, clean rainwater is being pumped with the ...

TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey will spend $38 million on child care services available to working families, the state Department of Human Services has announced.

The funds are aimed to improve the state's child care subsidy program payment rates, create new incentives to expand infant care, and prioritizes quality care and services, according to Human Services Commissioner Carole ...

Open hours are available from 3 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

BELMAR, NJ — Creativity certainly meets technology at the new Belmar Community Makerspace.

And the public got its first look on October 10 at how this new facility at the Belmar Community Center/Library Annex is making that happen. During an open house, some 50 people ...

BELMAR, NJ — Open gym featuring basketball, dodgeball and indoor soccer for children will be held every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon at the Belmar recreation gymnasium.

From 3:15 to 4:30 p.m., third- to fifth-graders will take over the gym on Wednesdays and sixth- to eighth-graders will call it their own on Thursdays. The sessions are open to students from Belmar Elementary School ...

BELMAR, NJ — Online registration for Belmar Recreation’s youth basketball league will continue through October 31 and can be made by clicking here.

Per-person costs are $55 for students in second through eighth grade for the 2018-2019 season, and $35 for kindergarten and first-grade clinics that will be held on Saturday mornings in November and December.

Late registration will ...

BELMAR, NJ — In between all the rainy days, Lake Como’s “Mommy and Me” play group squeezed in a recent visit to the Ed Brown Playground, next to Maclearie Park along the Shark River.

Featuring airplanes, ramps and a control tower for the youngest aviators, the colorful playground is named in honor of the late owner of the Monmouth Executive Airport, where a playground ...

BELMAR, NJ — The light winds that popped up at times along the oceanfront were not enough to get the Belmar Kite Festival fully off the ground yesterday. But for those flyers who tried repeatedly to get their kites airborne, sheer determination stole the show.

Throughout the daylong event on October 14, even the slightest uptick in the wind speed sent mostly the amateur kite flyers ...

BELMAR, NJ — The Ferruggiaro name has officially returned to the banks of Silver Lake.

The 21-acre park that surrounds the picturesque lake was rededicated yesterday to the late Borough Commissioner John Ferruggiaro — a long-awaited commemoration hosted by Mayor Brian Magovern and the borough council.

Some 50 people, including family members, friends, borough officials and ...

OCEAN GROVE, NJ — Mary's Place by the Sea, a respite home for women undergoing cancer treatment, has partnered with Belmar-based Playa Bowls for a fundraiser in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During October, Playa Bowls customers can support Mary's Place by ordering the "Playa Pink Oatmeal Bowl" with 10 percent of the purchase price going to support the ...

LAVALLETTE, NJ — A New Jersey State Police helicopter flew overhead and U.S. Coast Guard boats were visible in nearby offshore waters as hundreds celebrated the grand opening of a playground recently built in Lavallette Beach in memory of Livingston resident Brendan Tevlin. The tribute comes a little more than four years after he was fatally shot in West Orange.

Firefighters and other ...

BELMAR, NJ — For at least 12 years, members of Belmar’s Volunteer Hook & Ladder Fire Co. know the drill when October rolls around. In observance of National Fire Prevention Month, they invite a special group of visitors to their 11th Avenue firehouse — kindergartners at Belmar Elementary School.

Keeping with that tradition, this year’s class of 5- and 6-year-olds ...

LAKE COMO, NJ — Virginia “Ginny” Kropac achieved a long-desired athletic feat last weekend. She became an Ironman, even though Mother Nature tried to stand in her way.

The Lake Como councilwoman traveled to Chattanooga, Tenn., to compete on September 30 in the Ironman triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run — only to learn that the ...

The pantry is full of fall favorites like squash, onions and potatoes, but busy schedules may have you finding a few things growing in the back of your cupboard. With little effort and a pinch of creativity you can grow these into a very imaginative indoor garden.  

Kids and adults love to watch kitchen discards grow into new plants. According to KidsGardening.org, a national nonprofit, ...

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Italian American Heritage Month was proclaimed by the president of the United States and Congress in 1989. The month is a celebration of the contributions and achievements of Italian immigrants and their descendant to American culture. Any good celebration needs food, so today we're ordering an "affogato."

Affogato is quite simple: a scoop of vanilla ...

BELMAR/LAKE COMO, NJ — TAPinto Belmar/Lake Como is the only all-online, objective newspaper that serves residents, organizations and businesses in both municipalities, reporting news at it happens 24/7.

Accredited by the New Jersey Press Association, it is the official electronic newspaper of both municipalities and is part of the TAPinto network of 75 locally owned and operated online ...