Topics in Brief
A Community Bulletin

Quaker Road (County Route 533) will be closed. Thursday, August 20 and Friday, August 21, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Mercer Road and Quakerbridge Road. The detour route will be Mercer Road to Province Line Road to Quakerbridge Road. The roadway will also be closed in one lane with alternating traffic on Wednesday, August 19, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is to allow for construction of a new water main. The scheduled closure is dependent on weather conditions and other unforeseen factors.

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) recently launched an interactive map on his website allowing Central New Jersey residents to track the more than $270 million that has been allocated to county and municipal governments, school districts, area businesses, nonprofits, and universities in the 12th Congressional District from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The interactive map, which will be updated as new funding comes to the region, can be found at Holt.house.gov. “This map is an easy, transparent way for taxpayers to see how their community is benefitting from Recovery funding,” Mr. Holt said. “This is real funding that is helping to create and save real jobs and rebuild the economy of the 44 towns and five counties that comprise the 12th Congressional District.” Examples of funding benefitting Central New Jersey includes $4.76 million for Rutgers University and $6.23 million for Princeton University to conduct science and medical research sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. In addition, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has received $13.8 million for a variety of initiatives in fusion energy research and for infrastructure improvements at the lab.

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is encouraging residents to participate in a new refrigerator and freezer recycling program launched by New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program. Residents who recycle their unwanted refrigerators and freezers will receive $30 and free removal of their appliance as part of a new program. The purpose of the program is to give an incentive to residents to replace their older, energy-consuming refrigerators and freezers with more energy-efficient models. Federal standards require new refrigerators and freezers to use less energy. Newer units may use as much as 450 kilowatt hours per year compared to older units that may use up to 1,500 kilowatt hours per year. “By participating in this program, residents will save on their electric bill, receive cash and help protect the environment,” said Mr. Hughes. To schedule the pick up of a refrigerator or freezer, residents can call (877) 270-3520 or visit www.NJCleanEnergy.com. Residents who participate in the program will receive a check for $30 within 90 to 120 days after the collection of their appliance. Appliances need to be in working order and have an inside measurement of 10 cubic feet or more. Residents may have up to two units removed per household. For more information, contact the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities at (973) 468-8515.

The Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area (NHA) is in the early stages of developing its federally mandated management plan. To help ensure that the plan reflects the resources, needs, and challenges of all Revolutionary War-related sites and organizations in New Jersey, they are asking representatives of historic sites or organizations on behalf of that site or organization to fill out a short online survey at http://surveyor.monmouth.edu/crossroads. The survey will take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete, depending on the organization/site’s level of activity. The Crossroads Association’s purpose is to establish a network of related historic sites and other resources to depict all aspects of New Jersey during the American Revolution in ways that enhance public understanding about the people, places and events that transformed the course of American and New Jersey history.

Respondents are being asked to reply by August 23. The survey is being administered by the Monmouth University Polling Institute. For additional information, contact the institute at (732) 263-5860 or polling@monmouth.edu.

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