Home Care In Howell, NJ

HOWELL, NJ — Nothing Bundt Cakes is the nation’s largest specialty cake company, but it takes the hard work and vision of local entrepreneurial bakers to bring the cakes to the public.

Another location for the franchise is coming - in a few months - to Aldrich Plaza in Howell, bringing a sweet new retail category to the Monmouth County shopping center.

Nothing Bundt Cakes offers handcrafted bundt cakes in a variety of flavors and sizes, such as bite-sized Buntinis, miniature Bundtlets, and 8- to 10-inch Bundt Cakes.

The bakeries also offer retail items including party supplies, decor and gifts.

Ava Hesse and her mother, Terri, are the very busy hands behind the future opening.

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The two are hoping to open their second bakery - they currently have one in Toms River - at Aldrich Plaza in 2024.

The 2,500-square-foot space will replace the former Howell Academy of Dance location and it is still in the permitting process, Ava Hesse said. So customers will have to wait a little while for the hand-crafted desserts shaped in the distinctive bundt dome.

"We have owned the Toms River bakery since April of 2022," said Ava. "We fell in love with the cake and brand, and we are very excited for the opportunity to expand in New Jersey."

She said they "take pride in using our bakeries to spread joy and support our communities through cake donations and fundraising."

Also, the tireless duo is opening a location in Brick Plaza in 2024 - probably on a similar timeline to the Howell bakery, she added.

Founded in 1997, Nothing Bundt Cakes currently operates about 500 bakery locations in more than 40 states and Canada. The cakes are handcrafted in every bakery, the company says.

There are 11 bakeries in the chain in New Jersey, including one in Shrewsbury managed by another operator.

“Dessert-inspired concepts are a hot retail category,” said E.J. Moawad, Levin Management Corporation “Within that segment, Nothing Bundt Cakes is an established, growing national brand with a strong following, and it’s a great addition for this center.”

And a really tasty one, too - especially for shoppers hitting the many other stores at Aldrich Plaza.

Anchored by Walgreens, Aldrich Plaza is home to Retro Fitness, My Salon Suites (opening soon), Salon Centric, Norman’s Hallmark, RE/MAX real estate, AT&T, Big City Bagels & Salads, Bubbakoo’s Burritos and GNC.

Plus, neighborhood services, such as a dentist, pizzeria, Chinese restaurant, optician, liquor store, karate studio, coffee and ice cream shops, and a dry cleaner, among others, round out the tenant mix.

Aldrich Plaza, says Levin Management of Plainfield, serves a residential population of nearly 164,000 people within a five-mile radius. The average household income is $171,000 within a one-mile radius, Levin says. The daily traffic count passing the property exceeds 38,000 vehicles.

There are spots remaining at Aldrich Plaza, including a 30,430-square-foot, in-line space and a 2,640-square-foot former restaurant pad site. A 10,000-square-foot proposed pad site is also available.

LMC Leasing Representative Kendal Hand-Freda and Senior Leasing Representative Moawad arranged the 2,500-square-foot lease. Mark Stanislawski of The Retail Strategy represented the tenant, the Levin company said.

HOWELL, NJ — A proposal for a 203,802-square-foot warehouse/with office on Victory Road is once again on the Planning Board agenda for this Thursday, continued from prior dates.

And Howell NJ First, an organization that has opposed "mega-warehouse " applications here and elsewhere in town, is encouraging residents of the area to turn out for the hearing.

The AAVRHW Property - or Victory Road - application calls for 25 loading dock spaces, two drive ramps, 68 trailer parking spaces, as well as 73 passenger vehicle parking spaces, according to the application.

The matter was first scheduled before the board in November 2022 and has had many continuations, although there also has been past testimony and many exhibits and site plan drawings submitted for various aspects of the project.

You can refer to the Planning Board agenda to links to the exhibits, including a rendering of the proposed building.

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

The meeting is Thursday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Township Hall on Route 9.

The application came up at a Township Council meeting last week when several residents expressed opposition to the plan, particularly because of the truck traffic the warehouse will create.

The people who spoke said not only is safety an issue, but so is quality of life.

"This is a small farm road," one resident said.

While the residents urged the Township Council to change the zoning in the area to prevent warehouse development, town planning professionals noted this application was already underway and would not be affected by any future zoning changes.

However, Director of Community Development and Land Use Office Matt Howard said the township and the board are continually reviewing the Master Plan to consider revisions throughout the township.

The residents in the area have retained a lawyer to fight the application, attorney Stuart J. Lieberman of Princeton.

The firm represents 10 Howell residents as objectors, and it also retained two expert witnesses who testified on environmental engineering issues and traffic issues.

Marc Parisi, of Howell NJ First, said the environmental engineer testified that the proposed development is on a property with a high water table, and as a result will need to bring in 80,000 cubic yards of fill to raise the ground up - that's 6,000 dump truck loads to bring in the fill, the expert said.

Parisi said that if the site is approved, there are concerns about storm water drainage.

One exhibit cited by the developer in the application indicated brooks in the area would accommodate drainage.

Parisi said the traffic engineer testified about an S curve on Victory Road, which would be reduced to 25 mph in that area. The shoulders of the road would be widened. He said trucks would be directed to Route 547. But he said there isn't an easy T intersection there and turning would require a wide swing.

Parisi said the county lists Route 547 in that eastern part of the township as a scenic road. But he said the character of the road would change with the warehouse traffic.

"It's important the community is present and engaged in what is happening. The time to get involved is now," Parisi said, urging attendance at the meeting Thursday.

He said residents in the areas of Oak Glen and Maxim Southard roads will all be affected.

A large portion of the existing woods would be removed for the warehouse/office building. Access will be provided via two new full movement driveways along Victory Road and a 30-foot-wide circulation aisle around the eastern, southern and western sides of the building, according to the application as presented on the agenda.

Other improvements listed by the developer include concrete sidewalks, curbing, ADA curb ramps, storm water management as well as new landscaping and lighting throughout.

The site is at Block 41, Lot 17, Victory Road.

HOWELL, NJ — Al Miller is one of five candidates, including one write-in candidate, seeking three full-term seats on the Howell Board of Education in the Nov. 7 election.

Miller is the current president of the Howell Board of Education and has served on the school board for 12 years. Other incumbents seeking re-election are Denise M. Lowe and Ira Thor.

Martianne Degliuomini is seeking her first term on the board, and a write-in campaign is being run by candidate Eleonora Calo.

Miller, of the Ramtown section of the township, says he always has taken comments and opinions of parents in the district very seriously and would like to see more parents share their ideas.

His campaign link is www.facebook.com/AlMiller4HowellBOE.

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

In these profiles, candidates provide voters with background about themselves and their positions on the issues, as they see them.

Read more from Al Miller:

Background:

Candidates were asked to provide their professional or volunteer information, school board experience, campaign links, and personal background.

I am married with two daughters who went through the Howell Township School districts.

I am a retired Emergency Medical Technician from the NYC Fire Department Emergency Medical Service. This allows me to bring my knowledge in safety to the district.

I am the past president of Southard Elementary School, past president Middle School North PTA, past vice president Aldrich Elementary PTO, as well as a former active member of Middle School South PTO, Howell HS PAT and Howell HS Band Parent Association.

With serving on these PTA/PTO board and/or being involved in the parent organizations, I was able to see and hear the concerns of the parents and the importance of the parents' voice. This is something I take very seriously at every Board of Education meeting and every committee meeting I attend.

We need to have more parents to come out and share their ideas, concerns and comments with our board. Parental involvement and voice are an essential part of a child’s education. I also was a religious education teacher at St. Veronica’s Church.

Top issues:

Candidates were asked about the important issues in their district, and how the school board can address them.

One of the issues facing the district is also an advantage. That is the upcoming addition of the full implementation of the preschool 3- and 4-year-old program.

While this program will bring free preschool to our 3- and 4-year students and get them the early education they deserve and need, it will have an effect on our current student population. We will need to “repurpose” two buildings to make them Early Learning Centers and return to a K-5 model.

We will also need to do a reconfiguration of our school district so this will affect even some middle school students as we “right size those buildings.”

Our last reconfiguration lasted nine years and the students who entered kindergarten will have left our district in 8th grade knowing their path. So, the promises the district made were able to be kept. In this plan, those promises of entering preschool and leaving 8th grade on the same path will also be our goal.

Policy 5756:

Candidates were asked if they wanted to comment on state Policy 5756, which provides guidance regarding transgender students, including communication with parents. Some districts in the state are repealing or amending the policy.

As a candidate, and not speaking for or on behalf of the board: Recently the State Deputy Attorney General James Michael admitted in court that Policy 5756 is not a mandatory policy in school districts. The Howell Board of Education current policy company mislabeled it as a mandatory policy.

So, the district, as well as others, now are in the process of considering abolishing it. I do support abolishing it. If the district abolished it, they would still continue to uphold state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

I would like to see a General Parental Notice Policy. That policy would notify parents if the child’s social/emotional health is adversely affected. If a child feels unsafe at home, districts have the appropriate staff, resources and referrals to assist those students. Parents' voice and involvement are an essential part of every child’s education.

Candidates for Howell Board of Education: (Full term, vote for three)

There are no open spots for the Freehold Regional Board of Education from Howell this election year.

Note: Candidates who have not received their request for profile information from Patch should check their spam folders or can contact Pat McDaniel at [email protected] for the email with candidate questions.

HOWELL, NJ —The Township Council will meet as planned Tuesday night, despite the earlier snowfall, and will hear a presentation about a construction-waste transfer station that could be built in the southeastern part of the township.

And a local advocacy group is urging residents to attend the meeting to hear details and express their opinions.

A presentation about a Resource Engineering settlement with the township is on the agenda and the issue concerns the Howell NJ First organization, which is opposed to the transfer station on Route 547 at Randolph Road, members say.

The public part of the meeting is at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. You can see the full agenda here.

You can read a brief history of the project - more than seven years of it - on the Howell NJ First social media site here.

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In 2020, members of the council, including Mayor Theresa Berger, expressed concern about traffic from trucks hauling construction waste to the site for processing and eventual removal - all as a way to deal with a "construction boom" in Lakewood. And Monmouth County said in a 2009 Waste Management plan (endorsed in 2016) that such a facility was not necessary, Howell NJ First says.

The then owners of the company sued the county, and Howell intervened in September 2020 to protect its residents' interests, according to the Howell NJ First chronology.

In June 2022, Resource Engineering was sold to Resource Transfer Group, Howell NJ First said.

The advocacy organization is very concerned about potential truck traffic, said member Marc Parisi. He said there could be "300 to 500 dump trucks a day" coming to the southeastern corner of the township - and others were concerned that the trucks may not always be covered and could leave dangerous debris in the area.

Resolution 24-67 will be before the council later in the meeting after the presentation "accepting and authorizing execution of a settlement agreement with Resource Engineering." It is part of the consent agenda.

But Parisi said any vote on accepting the settlement should be taken at another time, after the public can fully comment on the settlement and the effect truck traffic could have on the area.

And he said he is urging residents to attend Tuesday night's meeting.

According to the resolution, the township is involved in litigation in Superior Court with Resource Engineering regarding potential construction and maintenance of a fully enclosed transfer station to be located in the township.

"After numerous settlement discussions, conferences with the court and all counsel, a proposed settlement agreement has been drafted which the township professional and administrative staff find to be acceptable as to form and content," the resolution says.

The township believes that the adoption of the agreement is "appropriate and in the best interest of the township and its citizens."

A vote to approve the settlement is expected. A copy of the agreement is on file at theOffice of the Township Clerk and can be viewed during normal business hours, the resolution says.

The resolution also "authorizes and directs the Mayor, Township Clerk, and Township Administrator to execute any and all necessary documents in order to implement the intent of this resolution."

Katelyn Morales of Howell has been hospitalized since June, being treated for a rare form of cancer. But at home, the community rallies.

Patch Staff

|Updated Fri, Oct 6, 2023 at 5:19 pm ET

HOWELL, NJ — The Howell community is banding together behind teen Katelyn Morales, as she makes her way through intensive treatment for a rare form of cancer.

Her family, friends and students at Howell High School are raising funds in various ways.

And under the "Fight for Kate!" banner, they are also expressing their personal support of Kate, 14, after she was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma.

One such close family friend is Shannon Sullivan. She and others have established a GoFundMe site to help the family with extensive medical bills. Kate has been in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia since June.

"Kate's mother Tabatha is one of my best friends and Kate and my daughter Morgan have been friends all throughout school," Sullivan, of Howell, said.

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

Here is part of her message to the community:

"We need your help in raising funds to help Katelyn Morales during her fight against cancer. . . . Doctors say her form of cancer is rare, which took months to diagnose and is very difficult to treat. She has been receiving radiation, chemotherapy treatments, blood transfusions," she says.

Sullivan said that, in addition to chemotherapy and radiation, Kate needs physical rehabilitation. Her mother stays with her at the hospital to help her as she goes through treatment and its side effects.

"There is nowhere else she would want to be," said Sullivan of her friend.

With all the medical and associated expenses, and an anticipated long hospital stay, all donations are welcome, Sullivan said. Again, you can go to the site here.

"Kate was looking forward to starting high school and her joy in life has always been soccer, track, and spending time with her family and friends. But now she must focus on getting better, which is going to be an ongoing and difficult battle. Her treatment will be a two-year long and very expensive journey," the message on GoFundMe said.

Katelyn’s father is with Kate's two siblings at home while her mother is with her 24/7 at the hospital, the site notes, and she is not able to work right now.

"Without the ability to work, all of her bills and expenses are piling up. Please consider donating to support Kate and her family. Every little bit helps and no amount is too small. It takes a village, and this village needs your help.#cancersucks! #fightforkate!"

T-cell lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the white blood cells and is very uncommon, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Kate's sister Madison Morales, also an athlete like her sister, says Kate is a "true warrior."

Madison has joined an American Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser "to celebrate survivors, remember those we've lost, and offer up support to anyone in our community who's been affected by it," she says on the site.

"The funds I'm raising will sustain critical research and provide services for people trying to cope with their cancer experience. Believe me, every dollar really does count, so I'm asking you to please donate today," she says on the site.

The Kicking Cancer relay is scheduled for next June, according to the site, and is accepting donations here.

And Sullivan said that last Wednesday, at Howell High School, students wore special T-shirts to raise funds for Kate, saying "We Fight for Kate."

Sullivan said there has "been an outpouring of support. It shows how good people are."