U.S. should treat veterans with respect
      My nephew, U.S. Army Sgt. Coleman Bean, died earlier this month. He was 25 and he took his own life. More than 300 people attended his memorial service. Many of them had served with in the military. Coleman signed up for the Army on Sept. 5, 2001. He was with the 173rd Airborne, and parachuted into Iraq at the start of the invasion.
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Supporting Race for the Cure helps in ongoing fight against cancer
      On Oct. 5, I will join the 15th annual Komen Central and South Jersey Race for the Cure at Six Flags Great Adventure. I started doing the race in 1998 and since then I have raised over $142,000. As a breast cancer survivor, this is a cause that is close to my heart.
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Howell planning board member clarifies recent statement
      In my recent letter ("Housing for Seniors Should Be Approved," News Transcript, Aug. 27) I had stated, "We do not need more stores on Route 9." This was an error on my part. As a member of the Planning Board, this was not a proper statement. I meant that we do not need retail stores on this one particular site on Route 9.
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For the Record
      A municipality's total debt load is computed based on the equalized assessed value average over the past three years. Manalapan by law may have a total debt load as high as 3.5 percent of that amount. Manalapan's average equalized assessed value for 2005, 2006 and 2007 is $5,716,900,825. Manalapan's total current debt load is one-quarter of 1 percent.
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Memories linger after baseball season's final out
      It was that time of year again. Spring had just about left us and for most boys in Freehold, it meant that baseball would as well. The Little League season had come to an end and as most of its players left Michael J. Tighe Park after the last game of the season, you couldn't help but notice the longing in their eyes.
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Drinking age debate important to future of young lives
      Behind the fusillade of faulty arguments proffered by the Amethyst Initiative in support of lowering the minimum legal drinking age to 18 lurks an inconvenient truth: doing so would only exacerbate the current epidemic of underage drinking, further jeopardizing young lives at a critical juncture in their physical, social, and emotional development.
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Time for Trump to help Marlboro with hospital property
      The journey by Donald Trump to Colts Neck to rescue the Shadow Isle Golf Club serves to once again energize my belief that the entrepreneurial genius of Donald Trump should be asked to come to the rescue of Marlboro in bringing to fruition the disposition of the 411 acres of the former Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital on Route 520.
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