Home Care In Freehold, NJ

Have you always dreamed of becoming the next Joey Chestnut?

If so, there's no need to make the trek to Coney Island for Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest this Fourth of July. Jersey Freeze in Freehold Township is seeking competitors for its first contest, which will take place during the restaurant and ice cream shop's annual party to view the fireworks at nearby Freehold Raceway.

"Every year, we always have a huge party in our parking lot ... with hundreds of people," said Matt Cangialosi, co-owner of Jersey Freeze. "It's our biggest night, so we look for things to keep people entertained from 7 until the fireworks."

More:Jersey Freeze in Freehold: How a teen worker became the owner

They offer face painting and dancing and thought "What else can we do?" he said. "We love the Nathan's hot dog contest, and everyone's here anyway ..."

Details are still being ironed out, but Cangialosi said the plan is to invite 10 competitors to eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes (Chestnut ate 62 in that timeframe during Nathan's contest last year). The contest will most likely take place about an hour before the fireworks begin.

There will be a cash prize for the winner, and proceeds from contest-related sponsorships will be donated to the East Freehold Fire Department.

If you're brave enough to take on the challenge, reach out to Jersey Freeze on Instagram or email [email protected]. Potential sponsors should message event co-organizer Michael Sclafani on Instagram.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

A family-owned nursery and garden center in Freehold Township is selling 128 acres of land to one of the largest homebuilding companies in the nation, paving the way for a sprawling subdivision and affordable housing development.

The Brock Farms property at the intersection of Monmouth Road and Siloam Road is slated to be purchased by Hovnanian Enterprises, according to a purchase agreement.

The open space will be turned into a subdivision called the Preserve at Freehold, with 128 single family rate market homes and 32 duplex affordable homes, according to planning documents and sources familiar with the agreement.

“The purchase agreement was entered into in the spring of 2022,” said Michael Weisslitz, division president at K. Hovnanian Northeast Division.

Weisslitz said the sale is pending and the company has yet to close on the property.

The agreement includes five lots on Block 91 in Freehold Township. Property records show the lots are owned by E. Brock Limited Partnership and E. Brock Limited, based in Colts Neck.

Ed Brock Jr., Linda Brock and Ed Brock Sr. are the longtime owners of Brock Farms Nursery and Garden Center, a Freehold-based, family-owned plant nursery and garden center with a second location in Colts Neck, according to the Brock Farms website.

Brock Farms’ Freehold location on Route 9 is at a separate location and is not part of the sale with Hovnanian Enterprises.

The owners did not respond to multiple requests to comment.

Hovnanian Enterprises designs, constructs and markets housing in 128 communities in 14 states, according to its website. The company’s homes are marketed and sold under the trade name K. Hovnanian Homes. It’s among the largest homebuilding firms in the country, with a total revenue of $2.92 billion in 2022, according to the company.

K. Hovnanian has housing developments throughout New Jersey, including projects in Asbury Park, Far Hills, Farmingdale, Howell, Manalapan, Morris Township, Wall and Wharton.

If approved, the Preserve at Freehold would be K. Hovnanian’s second housing development in Freehold in recent years. The company also built the Brooks at Freehold on Three Brooks Road, which features 51 single-family homes. The development began selling units in December 2023.

The proposed subdivision on Monmouth Road and Siloam Road would also help the township meet its obligation to provide affordable housing.

In 2020, Freehold adopted an ordinance to help meet its affordable housing obligations. Officials identified the Brock’s parcel at the corner of Route 537, otherwise known as Monmouth Road, and Siloam Road as one of the possible locations for affordable housing.

MORE: N.J. real estate forecast shows home prices still rising in most towns. See latest list.

The application for the Brock Farm subdivision is under review by the planning board, said Weisslitz, the division president of K. Hovnanian Northeast Division.

Hovnanian had not received a date to appear before the planning board as of last week, Weisslitz said.

The subdivision must also be approved by the Monmouth County Development Review Committee. It has the authority to review all major subdivisions in Monmouth County and site plans affecting county roads and drainage facilities or properties owned or maintained by the county.

Located in Monmouth County, Freehold Township is crisscrossed by several major highways, including Route 9 and Route 33. The township is home to the Freehold Raceway and the Freehold Raceway Mall, the state’s third-largest mall.

Two-minute read

Asbury Park Press

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - School administrators are investigating a cybersecurity incident that forced the district's schools and offices to close on Monday, officials said.

Assistant Superintendent Dianne Martello Brethauer, assistant superintendent for Freehold Township Schools said on the social media platform X Sunday night that schools would be closed for the day due to "technical difficulties related to a cybersecurity event."

School board members had little information beyond what the district said. And they didn't yet know how long the district would be closed.

School closed:Freehold Township schools closed Monday because of 'cybersecurity event'

Michael Amoroso, president of the Freehold Township Board of Education, said Monday morning that he had little information beyond the school's statement and didn't yet know how long the school would be closed.

When will Freehold Township go back to school?

"There’s an ongoing investigation," Amoroso said. "We’ll certainly make an announcement about (Tuesday's schedule) when the time comes. There’s people working on it throughout the day.”

The school district serves students kindergarten through eighth grade in Freehold Township. It had nearly 3,500 students in the 2021-22 school year at five elementary schools, two middle schools and an early childhood learning center.

Cyberattackers try to gain access to information — bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers — that is kept on organizations' computer systems, essentially by trying to steal money from other accounts or by collecting a ransom.

They often gain access to the system by convincing users to click on a disguised link.

The attacks aren't uncommon. CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township about a year ago said it briefly diverted ambulances and alerted some 600,000 customers that their information might have been compromised because of a cyberattack.

CentraState cyberattack:Why are hospitals so vulnerable to hackers?

Schools under attack

Educational and research institutions were the most targeted industry in 2022, with nearly 2,300 attacks each week, according to a report by Check Point, a technology company.

Another report by technology company Sophos found 80% of lower education providers had cyberattacks in 2023, up from 44% two years earlier. Nearly all of the schools regained their data in part because 73% reported they had backups. But 47% also said they paid a ransom.

Last March, the New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell said it had high confidence that educational institutions worldwide would be attractive targets for cyberattacks.

"Students are spending more time online than ever before, using technology to complete homework, communicate with peers, and engage with teachers and school staff," the agency said. "As we become more (dependent) on technology, cybercriminals are becoming more advanced and evolving their cyberattacks techniques, and they will continue to target universities and school districts as many of them do not have adequate resources, funding, or staffing to properly protect and defend their networks."

Analysts said the Freehold Township schools breach is a reminder for organizations to back up their data and train their staff to be aware of tactics used by cyberattackers.

"They don't just look at a school, they don't just look at an industry, they go across the board," said Bruno Tirone, president and chief executive officer of MRA International, a Long Branch-based cybersecurity company.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter at the Asbury Park Press who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at [email protected].

One of the best parts of the holiday season is seeing the festive decorations that people put up in their yards.

While people seem to enjoy the inflatables, I’m a sucker for a nice light display. For me, that’s the quickest way to get into the Christmas spirit.

One neighborhood in Freehold, New Jersey has gone above and beyond. If you happen to find yourself in the area around the holidays it’s worth the trip.

While I usually wait until Christmas Eve to check out the display off of Georgia Rd, I decided to drive through a little early this year because I just couldn’t wait to see what the residents put together.

The display has gained such popularity in the area that when I went through I was behind at least six cars (that I could see) and there were several cars behind me taking in the views.

I can’t stress this enough: the pictures can’t possibly do it justice, you have to see it for yourself, but here’s a taste of what you’ll see in the neighborhood.

Each house is decked out to the nines.

Take a look at that tree in the window!

These lights make it look like there are small fireworks going off in the middle trees.

To see the display for yourself, you’ll have to go to Brandon Blvd right off of Georgia Rd in Freehold, NJ, not too far from Route 9.

For more crazy Christmas displays (and to find out how you can win $1,000), keep reading:

LOOK: 25 over-the-top Christmas displays from across America

To help get everyone in the mood for the upcoming holiday season, Stacker compiled a list of some of the most over-the-top Christmas displays across America.

Want a chance to win $1,000? Show us your holiday lights!

Enter here.

Favorite holiday movies from your childhood that will never get old

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Turkey Swamp Park campground opens for the season on Monday, April 1. And that means camping in a beautiful setting - yet close to home - is coming your way, the Monmouth County Park System says.

Located at 200 Georgia Road in Freehold Township, the campground features 64 wooded campsites - 52 that can be reserved and 12 available first come, first served. All campsites are pull-through and offer water and electric hookups.

And this is all amid a natural setting of trails on 2,388 acres of pitch pine and oak trees, many species known to be in the Pinelands.

For campers, there is also drinking water, a dump station, picnic tables, modern restrooms with hot showers and laundry, as well as fire rings for charcoal cooking and campfires.

Families can appreciate quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The rate is $44 per night for a tent or recreational vehicle/trailer site.

Find out what's happening in Freeholdwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The campground also offers three cabins. These cabins have two rooms and feature a double bed and two sets of bunk beds as well as lights and electrical outlets.

Outside each cabin is a water spigot and picnic area with fire pit. The cabins also offer air conditioning. One of the cabins is ADA accessible. The cost of each cabin is $83 per night or $415 per week, according to the county .

Turkey Swamp Park features a 17-acre lake where visitors can bring or rent canoes, kayaks, rowboats and paddleboats. Rentals are available weekends starting Saturday, May 4 and daily starting Saturday, June 15.

Visitors with a New Jersey fishing license (under age 16 license not required) can try their luck with the bass, crappie, catfish and bluegills that call the lake home.

The park also offers picnic areas with charcoal grills, four playgrounds, over eight miles of multiuse trails, and plenty of open space.

Reservations are available for stays of at least two nights (Friday through Sunday) and are accepted through an online reservations system available on the Campgrounds page at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com, in person at the Campground Office located in the park’s Oak Point Shelter Building, or by calling 732-462-7286. MasterCard, Visa and Discover accepted.

For more information about the campground, please call 732-462-7286.

For more information about the Monmouth County Park System, please call 732-842-4000 or visit www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. For persons with hearing impairment, the TTY/TDD number is 711.