The HOWELL Times
Vol. 23 - No. 50
In This Week’s Edition
Memorial Day BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 7-10
Inside The Law Page 13
Dear Pharmacist Page 13
Classifieds Page 15
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
Musicians Welcomed At Businesses’ Front Steps For “Porch Fest”
By Andrew Rice FREEHOLD - For the fourth year in a row, Porch Fest returned to downtown Freehold, lining up Main Street with local musical acts and various vendors for people to enjoy as they walked through Freehold’s downtown restaurant district. Several organizations and businesses hired local artists to perform on their doorstep, hoping to draw a crowd so they could promote their organizations or businesses to people in town while creating a space for members of the community to gather and enjoy each other’s company. Many of the porches hosted several acts throughout the event to draw in listeners who enjoy different genres. One of the main gathering places for the vendors was right in front of the Hall of Records on Main Street. The different types of vendors who attended
Photos by Andrew Rice (Above) Foodstock performs on a porch on Main Street for Porch Fest. (Below) A crowd gathers in front of the Cigars on Main Street building to watch Six Ways to Nowhere perform. the event included those who sold different types of music memorabilia, from stuff such as records to old promotional posters of bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In addition, several local businesses had a setup in this area as well, including Essential Life Chiropractic and
Wellness, and Cream Ridge Winery, a small, handcrafted winery in Cream Ridge. A few of the local bands and solo acts that perfor med from the
porches on Main Street included Food Stock, Jennifer Karma Music, and Josh Zuckerman. Six Ways To Nowhere (Porch Fest See Page 2)
Fundraising Walk Leads People In The Right Direction
By Chris Lundy JERSEY SHORE – The weather was brisk as people hit the Seaside Heights boardwalk for a fundraising walk to help people strengthen their homes against the elements. While the Northern Ocean Habitat For Humanity is known for providing houses to families in need, they also have a vibrant Critical Home Repair program. This makes repairs for people who haven’t had the financial
ability. Weather-proofing is just one part of it; they also do safety improvements. One of the Critical Home Repair recipients from the past, Janice, shared how the program has enabled her to remain safe and independent in the neighborhood she’s accustomed to. “The repairs Habitat did make me want to stay in my home. I love my house now. I have a beautiful door, a warm roof, (Walk - See Page 2)
Photo courtesy Northern Ocean Habitat For Humanity The Northern Ocean Habitat For Humanity Walk To Build brought volunteers and staff together for a good cause.
May 23, 2026
Overcrowded Meeting Shuts Down
By Andrew Rice HOWELL - If you have ever shown up to a Township Council meeting, you likely didn’t see more than roughly 20-30 people sitting in the audience. That is the reality of most town meetings in Howell. However, this was not the case for the May 12th Township Council meeting, which had to be postponed after it had started due to occupancy issues that violated the municipal building’s fire code. Not only did the main meeting room overflow its allowed occupancy, but the overflow room exceeded its maximum capacity as well, forcing the council to call off the meeting. A large majority of those who attended the meeting belonged to the town’s Orthodox Jewish community, as they showed up to the meeting to speak about their concerns about a few of the land use ordinances that were on the agenda. The ordinances that they were most concerned with were Ordinance 26-12 and Ordinance 26-13. 26-12 addresses changes to private garages on residential lots and residential driveways, while 26-13 amends zoning requirements for accessory buildings and miscellaneous structures. The sentiment among those who attended the meeting who were against these ordinances was that they made it harder to do their religious practices. Those who were for these ordinances support them because they don’t want to see Howell’s residential zones become commercialized and overcrowded. Residential zoning issues have become a hot issue in Howell, with residents showing up to previous meetings to raise concerns about backyard religious structures that have been showing up in their neighborhood and drawing large crowds. On top of that, Howell Town Council meetings have caught some attention recently, with stories coming out on various statewide news platforms, such as News12 New Jersey, about how exactly Howell is planning to address houses of worship in residential neighborhoods. At the last town council meeting, there was discord over an ordinance that would see Howell reduce its zoning requirements for (Meeting - See Page 2)
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