Home Care In Millstone, NJ

After two generations in business, an iconic Italian market and butcher shop in the Garden State is closing its doors for good.

And this is where you could substitute "iconic" for the word "stereotypical" -- but in the absolute best way possible.

This shop wasn't something that just sold a specific type of food because it happened to sell really well.

This place was authentic to its core.

Our culinary travels take us to, dare I say, Central Jersey, where a business that has a nearly 5-star Google review is closing after 45 years.

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Before revealing the business, let's paint a picture with some of those reviews:

Now that you are hungry, perhaps you can make one last trip to A&S Salumeria on Route 33 in Millstone Township.

The owner of the business recently took to Facebook to share his news:

After 45 years in the business (21 of them in Millstone Township), I've decided to put down the knives and hang up the apron. What a ride it has been. I've met thousands of beautiful people along the way. Many of my customers and employees have become more than acquaintances but lifelong friends that mean the world to me.

The owner has decided to retire because "I have Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) and over the past few years I've come to realize that my condition has been deteriorating to the point where doing the job that I love so much has basically become difficult to the point that I've had to make this decision."

This is a business, as they put it, where you talked about, "different types of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, how to make that prime rib roast, or talking about the old neighborhoods that we grew up in."

A&S Salumeria says it is fully stocked for the upcoming holiday weekend, however, Memorial Day Monday is their final day.

If you're [not] busy and have some free time, stop on by the store for an awesome Italian Sub, a delicious steak, a fresh mozz, or a quick "Goodbye."

Address: 480 State Route 33, Millstone Township, NJ

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — A new "massive" winter storm system approaching Somerset County is expected to drop excessive rain on Tuesday leading to significant flooding in the area.

The National Weather Service projects the Raritan River in Manville and Bound Brook, the North Branch Raritan River on the Branchburg and Bridgewater border, and the Millstone River in Blackwells Mills are all expected to hit "moderate" flood levels by Wednesday morning.

The Raritan River in Manville is expected to hit the "minor flood stage" by 1 a.m. on Wednesday at 14 feet before rising to 17 feet around 7 a.m. Wednesday. It will then continue to rise to 18.5 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday before dropping back down on Thursday.

The Raritan River in Bound Brook will follow a similar timeline hitting a high of 32.3 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday - which is just below the "major flood stage" of 33 feet.

The North Branch Raritan River on the Branchburg and Bridgewater border is projected to hit a high of 13.2 feet by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, which is the "moderate flood stage."

The Millstone River is expected to hit the "moderate flood stage" at 12.8 feet by Wednesday at 1 p.m. However, unlike the rivers above, the river will remain in the "moderate flood stage" through Thursday.

The winter storm is expected to roll in during the latter part of Tuesday and continue into Wednesday. Heavy rain will fall with 1 to 3 inches expected and up to 4 inches possible in some areas.

Couple that with snow melt and moderate to major river flooding is possible.

Forecasters are saying that excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Area creeks and streams are running high and are expected to flood with more heavy rain.

In mid-December, heavy rain caused flooding and rivers to hit "major" and "moderate" flood stages in the county. Read More: Rushing Rivers Flood Roads, Parks In Bridgewater: Videos, Photos

Residents are reminded to "Turn around, don't drown."

Here is a look at the weather ahead:

Monday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 23. Calm wind.

Tuesday: Rain, mainly after 1 p.m. High near 48. East wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. Breezy, with a southeast wind 20 to 25 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Wednesday: Rain before 7 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. High near 50. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32.

March 21, 2023

MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP, NJ (MONMOUTH)–Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the nation’s leading luxury massage and facial spa franchise, announced today the opening of its newest location in Millstone. Located along Route 537 in the Millstone River Mart shopping center at 508 Monmouth Road, the new Hand & Stone is owned and operated by experienced local businessman Kasam Basha, a New Jersey native who has lived in Millstone for over a decade.

An avid athlete, Basha experienced first-hand the value of massage after neck surgery several years ago. “Once I became a Hand & Stone client myself, I understood the benefits of the services they provide. For me, it went beyond relaxation to help me get back to playing the sports I love. Now I have the opportunity to bring this incredible brand to my community, making affordable massage and skincare treatments accessible and convenient for everyone,” said Kasam Basha, owner of Hand & Stone Millstone.

Basha’s partner, Jeanine Pugh will be running the daily operations of the spa. She is a licensed massage therapist and has worked with nearby Hand & Stone locations for the past six years. Pugh said, “I love this company’s focus on the latest innovations in wellness and premium skincare services. Bringing an established brand to Millstone and helping to improve the lives of our neighbors is a dream come true for me.”

Like all Hand & Stone spas nationwide, the new Millstone location offers advanced skincare and spa services that incorporate new technologies at the forefront of the wellness market to enhance each guest’s overall experience. These advanced services include Decompression Therapy massage, Cryoskin, Diamond Glow facial, NuFACE microcurrent facial and LED Phototherapy facial, as well as innovations such as CBD oil enhancements and partnerships with award-winning skincare lines Dermalogica® and ClarityRX (CBD offerings vary by market).

The newest Hand & Stone in Millstone also brings high-quality professional massage services, including Swedish, Himalayan Salt, Sports, Deep Tissue, Oncology and Prenatal massages to the local community. Guests can visit the new spa to enjoy Hand & Stone’s signature hot stone massage and best-in-class facial treatments tailored to each individual’s needs or skin concerns, with a wide-range of services available for women, men and teens.

All Hand & Stone services are performed by experienced licensed estheticians and massage therapists. The brand’s commitment to guest experience has translated to an unparalleled level of expertise at each location, supported by best-in-class training and ongoing education resources. At Hand & Stone Millstone, members will have access to a team of wellness experts who specialize in providing exceptional skincare and massage treatments.

The Millstone Hand & Stone spa is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information about Hand & Stone’s massage and facial services or to schedule an appointment, call 609-598-9935 or visit handandstone.com/locations/nj-millstone-jackson.

PHILADELPHIA – Last April, Liam Murphy missed the Penn Relays with an illness. He was getting sick a lot, feeling run down and disappointed in his progress as a member of Villanova University’s storied men’s track & field program.

“I definitely wasn’t committed to fully training hard and doing all the things I could have been doing,” Murphy said.

So the Millstone resident and Allentown High School grad laid out a plan with Villanova’s head coach Marcus O’Sullivan, a former world-record holder and Olympian in the mile. It centered around getting more sleep, eating better and a laser-like focus on training.

“He said, ‘It’s up to you if you want to commit, but you have the potential to be really good,’” Murphy said. “I reevaluated what I was doing and changed my habits.”

More:Penn Relays: Rumson-Fair Haven girls blaze top NJ time; Ajee' Wilson wins with style

Furious sprint, 24 hours after anchoring Villanova distance medley

Did he ever. Murphy is enjoying a breakout junior year that reached new heights Saturday when he anchored Villanova to victory in the 4xmile at the Penn Relays. And he didn’t just break the tape. He roared back from ninth place to first during a furious sprint over the final 150 meters. This was 24 hours after anchoring Villanova’s distance medley to second place with a 4:03 split for 1600 meters.

“It was surreal,” Murphy said. “(Friday's distance medley) didn’t really come out the way we wanted – I was in a similar spot and I unfortunately lost. I think I went (to kick) too early. Today the plan was definitely to wait.”

So he waited, and waited, and waited. At the end of a tactical anchor leg (his victorious split would be 4:10), there were seven runners in the lead pack as they rounded the final turn.

“I got a little nervous that I was too far behind,” Murphy said. “I trusted what my coach was saying – relax and be the last one to go –and it worked out.”

Sub-4 mile bucket list achievement

It worked out. You can say that for everything Murphy’s done since the summer. Banking eight hours of sleep per night, he became:

-- The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional champion in cross country.

-- Big East gold medalist in the 3000 meters indoors.

-- A member of the sub-4 mile club. He ran 3:55.58 indoors.

“That definitely felt special,” he said of breaking 4 minutes. “Probably the biggest thing everyone talks about in distance running in trying to go under 4. It was on my lifetime bucket list. It’s cool to be able to check that off.”

More:Here are the Teams of the Week for 10 high school spring sports - Week 4

Add a Penn Relays victory to the list. Murphy ran at the prestigious meet as a junior in high school but didn’t fare well, finishing eighth in the 3000. It was canceled the next two years due to the pandemic, then he was ill last year. It looked like the stars never would align for him at Franklin Field.

Murphy made them align. His comeback in the final lap was a year in the making.

“A coming-of-age moment,” O’Sullivan called it.

One of the biggest prizes in all of track & field is a Penn Relays wheel – a huge, round, ornate wooden plaque awarded to winners of the championship relay races. This was Villanova’s 95th wheel. Murphy has earned his place in the Wildcats pantheon and learned a valuable lesson to boot.

“There are a lot of ups and downs that come with running,” he said. “It’s very easy to lose confidence. But if you put in the work, it adds up. It will definitely pay off.”

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at [email protected].

It’s not every day you can witness the restoration of nature that human beings extinguished hundreds of years ago. Last week, on an excursion with members of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, I had the opportunity to witness something extraordinary — American shad and other fish migrating up the Millstone River.

In 2017, after nearly a decade of scientific investigation and advocacy by The Watershed Institute, the Weston Mill Dam in Manville was removed from the river 4 1/2 miles downstream from where we witnessed the shad. A dam near that location had existed since about 1750, blocking the migration of shad and other fish, altering natural river and sediment flows, degrading water quality and posing a serious danger to boaters and anglers.

The shad’s return to the Millstone is a spectacular success story. But the story is by no means complete because another dam stands in the fish’s way. In fact, the shad we found were practically butting their heads against the Blackwells Mills Dam, which is currently the last complete blockage between Raritan Bay and Princeton.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries Service, along with New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Natural Resource Restoration and State Park Service all share our goal of removing the Blackwells Mills Dam, which would open up another 9 miles of Millstone River spawning grounds to the shad. Sadly, our efforts to remove the dam have been stalled by disagreements between government agencies.

One remaining impediment

Momentum has been building to remove the structure for more than a decade. The Watershed Institute has collaborated with all necessary regulatory agencies since 2008. We worked to establish funding and secured most of the permits and approvals to remove the dam.

Regrettably, a disagreement with the United States Geological Survey’s New Jersey office regarding replacement of a 1930s-era flow gauge upstream from the dam has at least temporarily blocked the goal of restoring American shad and other migratory fish. We have proposed options for replacing the gauge and have even secured funding to do so but have been met with delays and inaction. The goals of collecting accurate data on flows in the river and removing the blockage to migratory fish are not mutually exclusive.

So, who can make this project happen?

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection owns the Blackwells Mills Dam, and the dam is contained entirely within the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. The decision on whether to remove the dam is within the DEP’s authority. It is crucial for the agency to take action and make a decision that aligns with the goal of restoring American shad and other migratory fish, improving water quality in the river and removing a danger to recreationists.

The recent return of American shad and other fish to the Millstone River should serve as strong motivation for prompt action and collaboration between all relevant parties to ensure the restoration of this precious natural resource.