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Kislak sells 16K SF mixed-use property in Hunterdon County for $1,275,000
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Kislak Commercial Real Estate Services, the commercial sales and leasing affiliate of The Kislak Company, announced the recent sale of Echo Hill Plaza, a 16,000-square-foot mixed-use commercial retail and office building at 1128 Route 31 in Lebanon for $1,275,000.
Kislak marketed the property on behalf of the seller with commercial sales and leasing associate Sara Soliman handling the assignment, and she also procured the purchaser.
The parties were not disclosed.
“This was the buyer’s first acquisition of a building of this size, facilitated through an I.R.C Section 1031 exchange and supported by seller financing. The offering presented an attractive investment opportunity and although the process involved various complexities, we worked through them diligently to ensure a successful closing,” Soliman said.
Echo Hill Plaza, formerly the Van Cleef Engineering professional building, boasts a prime location with stunning wooded views, ample natural light, and a well-maintained structure.
The property has a mix of excellent tenants and is strategically positioned near Route 78, making it an attractive investment opportunity. The building is situated in a high-traffic area, with an average of 25,000 vehicles passing by daily.
Soliman also secured a new beauty bar tenant for the property.
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Former recreation director sentenced to probation for theft – Star News Group
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BRICK TOWNSHIP — Former Brick Township Recreation Director Daniel Santaniello, 46, of Brick Township, was sentenced to a three-year probationary term in connection with his former position after his previously entered guilty plea to theft.
Santaniello was required to resign from his position with Brick Township and forfeit any and all future public employment.
The former recreation director was also previously required to pay full restitution in the amount of approximately $9,260.
Santaniello pled guilty before Judge Guy Ryan on Dec. 10. Judge Ryan was also the sentencing judge.
This charge is the result of a joint investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Economic Crime Squad, Brick Township Police Department, Brick Township Police Department Internal Affairs Unit, and Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau.
The investigation revealed that in his position as Director of Recreation, Santaniello was responsible for issuing permits to private organizations for utilizing the township’s recreational facilities, including the township’s various softball fields. Private organizations wishing to utilize the fields were charged fees for their usage.
The investigation further revealed that Santaniello required certain organizations wishing to utilize the township’s fields to pay him directly in cash, rather than issuing checks to the township.
Instead of depositing the cash into the township’s accounts, Santaniello kept the monies for himself. In order to conceal his theft, Santaniello provided the private organizations who paid him in cash with fraudulent permits.
This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.
Check out our other Brick Township stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Ocean Star—on newsstands Friday or online in our e-Edition.
Subscribe today! If you’re not already an annual subscriber to The Ocean Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.
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Retailer Survey Shows Favorable Outlook Entering 2025
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General Business
On Jan 31, 2025
According to North Plainfield-based Levin Management Corporation’s (LMC’s) 14th annual Retail Outlook Sentiment Survey, store managers have entered 2025 with a favorable attitude fueled by strong annual and holiday sales volume. In fact, three quarters (75.7%) of respondents report they are optimistic about performance in the coming year – a new survey high.
“Tenants in our leased and managed shopping center portfolio had a strong year, with our survey findings mirroring reports of record retail spending and better-than-anticipated holiday seasonal sales in 2024,” noted LMC’s Matthew K. Harding, chief executive officer.
More than three quarters (76.1%) of LMC poll participants say their 2024 annual sales reached the same or a higher level than 2023; just under three quarters (73.6%) indicate same-or-higher holiday sales year over year. These percentages compare to survey trailing averages of 61.6% and 66.0%, respectively.
Just as positive outcomes beget positive outlooks, embracing change and creating new opportunities for customer engagement are keys to ongoing success in the retail environment, Harding noted. To that end, about 45% of LMC survey participants say their company recently adapted – or has plans to adapt – its business model to maintain or improve competitive advantage.
“Retailers are working to meet consumers where they are today – and that means creating a distinctive brick-and-mortar shopping experience,” Harding noted. “Our survey respondents ranked customer service and support, and the social experience of in-person shopping as the top two advantages of physical retail over its ecommerce counterpart. Their most popular enhancements fit in that context.”
- 72.3% of adapters are placing more training and focus on customer experience.
- 36.9% of adapters are increasing their emphasis on community programs and engagement.
- 32.3% of adapters are working on new or updated customer loyalty/incentive programs.
The survey also asked retailers about the adoption of artificial intelligence technology. “While AI plans didn’t make our ‘top three’ adaptations in this year’s Outlook survey, the shift in that data point is well worth a mention,” Harding said. “In our 2024 Outlook, 14.6% of our adapters reported new plans involving AI. This year that number more than doubled, jumping to 29.2%. We look forward to taking a deeper dive into that topic in our Mid-Year Survey, which focuses on technology in the retail space.”
Industry Drivers and Growth Plans
For the second consecutive year, inflation/rising prices topped the list of drivers LMC survey participants feel will have the biggest impact on their retail or service business over the next 12 months. At the same time, inflationary increases seem to be easing somewhat, with 24.2% of respondents saying they did not raise prices last year, up from 22.5% and 18.8%, respectively, in LMC’s two prior Outlook surveys. Of those who did raise prices in response to inflation last year, 25.4% expect to raise prices further in 2025, down from 30.4% and 34.7% in the two prior Outlook surveys.
The economy/consumer confidence ranked second among anticipated 2025 industry drivers. Shifting consumer expectations and shopping patterns came in third, displacing supply chain/inventory availability, which had been a “top three” driver since 2022.
LMC’s Outlook survey also asked tenants about their plans for growth in the coming year. In the latest poll, 40.9% of respondents say they are hiring; 17.0% anticipate expanding, renovating or reformatting their location; and 22.0% expect to open additional locations in 2025.
To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.
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Office of Planning Advocacy Sets Public Meetings on Draft State Plan – Morris County, NJ
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Published on January 31, 2025
Feb. 28, 2025 Public Meeting Scheduled in Morristown
The New Jersey Office of Planning Advocacy, in coordination with the County of Morris, will hold a public meeting on Feb. 28, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon regarding the draft preliminary State Development and Redevelopment Plan (State Plan) and the process by which public and private interests will be able to provide input.
The meeting will take place at the Morris County Administration & Records Building, 10 Court St., Morristown, on Floor 5 inside the County Commissioners’ public meeting room. In the event of a weather emergency, the alternate meeting date will be March 7, 2025, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The meeting also may be attended via Zoom; however, only in-person attendees will be able to comment during the meeting.
The purpose of developing a State Plan is to coordinate planning activities and establish statewide planning objectives in the following areas: land use, housing, economic development, transportation, natural resource conservation, agriculture and farmland retention, recreation, urban and suburban redevelopment, historic preservation, public facilities and services, and intergovernmental coordination.
The purpose of the meeting is to educate the public on the draft preliminary State Plan and the process by which the public as well as state, local and county officials and other interested parties will be able to learn about, comment on and discuss the proposed draft preliminary State Plan.
The Feb. 28 public meeting on the State Plan will focus on the 11 municipalities for which the County of Morris is acting as a liaison and regional negotiating entity with state officials developing the State Plan. The municipalities include Lincoln Park, Pequannock, East Hanover, Florham Park, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Randolph, Long Hill and Madison.
Anyone unable to attend the meeting in person may submit comments or feedback via a State Plan project email established by Morris County: stateplan@co.morris.nj.us.
Comments may also be submitted directly to the Office of Planning Advocacy by completing a survey or emailing stateplan.comments@sos.nj.gov.
A copy of the State Plan can be accessed via the following link. The legal notice about the meeting, along with the Zoom link, is available here.
The New Jersey Highlands Council will also host an informational meeting on Feb. 20, 2025, at 4 p.m. at the Highlands Council offices at 100 North Road (Route 513) Chester, N.J. That meeting will focus on the 28 municipalities in Morris County as well as municipalities outside the county for which the Highlands Council is acting as a liaison and regional negotiating entity with state officials developing the State Plan.
The Morris County municipalities include Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chester Borough, Chester Township, Denville, Dover, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Mine Hill, Montville, Morristown, Mountain Lakes, Mount Arlington, Mount Olive, Netcong, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Riverdale, Rockaway Borough, Rockaway Township, Roxbury, Victory Gardens, Washington and Wharton.
For more information about this meeting, contact the Highlands Council at (908) 879-6737 or via email at highlands@highlands.nj.gov.
A copy of the State Plan can be accessed via the following link.
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Matisyahu to Play Two Nights at Debonair Music Hall with Duvbear opening
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(TEANECK, NJ) — Black Box Studios, The Elated System & Debonair Music Hall presents two special nights with Matisyahu, ft. opener Duvbear, at Debonair Music Hall on March 25-26, 2025. Creativity is like a fire in a fireplace: You have to tend it or it will go out. For nearly two decades, Matisyahu has kept his creative spirit aflame by evolving his sound, melding genres, and testing the limits of the musical traditions that have inspired him. Doors open at 6:30pm. showtime is 7:30pm.
His latest release, Hold The Fire, and its leadoff single “Fireproof” takes inspiration from a fire dream inspired by Matisyahu’s Old Testament religion, which has meant so much to his spiritual and creative life since his recording career began in 2004 and his breakout track “King Without a Crown” blasted into the Billboard charts in 2005.
In a roundabout way, those same Old Testament roots springboarded Matisyahu’s music career. Growing up outside New York City, the young Matthew Miller followed jam bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead. Then, in Bob Marley and reggae, he found that the messaging of Rastafarianism was sourced in part from that same Old Testament. The sound that emerged on his first albums—including his first two studio releases as well as 2005’s Gold-certified Live at Stubb’s—embraced both the spirit of reggae and his spirituality and roots in Judaism.
Buoyed by hits like “King Without a Crown,” albums like the Grammy-nominated and Billboard No.1-ranked Youth in 2006, and the Gold-certified 2009 antiwar hit “One Day” (streamed over 150 million times on Spotify alone), he toured extensively through the second half of the aughts with a high-energy stage show that has since grown to include more improvisation. All the while his music expanded into a shapeshifting collision of reggae, hip-hop, alt rock and boldly inventive pop.
Today, he continues to be inspired by evolving musical trends, finding linkages and loops between eras and genres. Matisyahu’s spirituality has evolved in parallel with his music, though his Jewish heritage remains a central theme throughout his life and music. The EP, Hold The Fire (released February 2024), also finds him reflecting on celebrity and artistic success. For Matisyahu, “the unbelievable and miraculous feeling of being connected to our people” is what keeps the creative fire alight.
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Tickets are $65 general admission/$85 reserved (all ages are welcome). Tickets are available for purchase online. Debonair Music Hall is located at 1409 Queen Anne Road in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Opening act Duvbear is a 18 year-old artist whose music captures the essence of his life experiences. His songs delve into personal struggles and the ways he overcomes them, all while weaving in his deep connection to Jewish spirituality. As the son of Grammy-nominated reggae artist Matisyahu and having an older brother (Laivy), he is following in his footsteps. Duvbear is carving out his own path, declaring his independence and committing to a unique musical identity.
Black Box Studios is some-time event producer and the area’s only collaborative performing arts school and cutting-edge professional theater, est. 2007 by Englewood’s Matt Okin: The Elated System is the Englewood, NJ-based trans-cultural think tank and mixed-media film production studio of electro-acoustic composer/visual artist Danny Howard Hamilton. Together, Black Box & Elated recently wrapped up a year+ of special appearances by both secular and Jewish-interest music and comedy acts in Teaneck, which included sold-out performances from comedian Elon Gold; The Aryeh Kunstler Band; Israel Portoy; Soulfarm; J-Sketch Comedy; Distant Cousins; the redevelopment of The Rock Musical SOUL SEARCHING; James Maddock; Willie Nile; Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham in Edward Albee’s FRAGMENTS; The Cure’s Reeves Gabrels and his genre-free improv rock outfit Doom Dogs; comedians Jim Florentine, Don Jamieson, and Mark Riccadonna; Dog Party, and more.
Debonair Music Hall is a live music venue that brings the best national touring acts and local bands to Teaneck, NJ. Enjoy delicious food and drinks while you experience the electrifying energy of live music.
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Dr. Waltraut T. Buser
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Dr. Waltraut T. (Heinrich) Buser passed away peacefully on January 24, 2025 at her home in Wall Township after a long journey with dementia. Waltraut was born in October 1929 in Munich, Germany, and faced the challenges of a difficult yet loving childhood in the years during WWII. After receiving her Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Munich in 1956, she emigrated to the United States in 1958 with her husband Rudolf, where both started as research physicists at Camp Evans. After the birth of her second child, Waltraut became a full-time mother and raised four children in ‘Little Bavaria’, her beloved house and property. Later in life she started to teach, first as a substitute teacher at Wall High School and then as a math and physics professor at Brookdale Community College and Georgian Court University. Waltraut was a passionate environmentalist who found joy in the great outdoors, especially hiking, skiing, and canoeing. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of all things plant-related and was well known for her unique beach plum and wild cherry flavored vodkas as well as and her jams and jellies made from fruits and berries sourced from her and Rudolf’s expansive organic garden. Waltraut loved music, played the piano and accordion, and was a long-time member at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Choir in Manasquan, and also sang with the Georgian Court Chorale.
Waltraut is survived by her four children, Claudia, Christopher, Carolyn, and Cornelia and their spouses, 10 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and her brother and sister who reside in Munich.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manasquan with Pastor Mary Farnham presiding, on Saturday, May 31st at 11 am, and a private burial will follow in Munich, Germany.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to either of her two favorite charities (American Friends Service Committee or Friends of the Parks of Monmouth County) or your favorite charity.
Cremation was private and held under the direction of O’Brien Funeral Home, Wall.
To send condolences please visit http://www.obrienfuneralhome.com.
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Top 5 Kansas City Scouts of All-Time – The Hockey Writers – Hockey History
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The Kansas City Scouts existed for all of two seasons in the National Hockey League. 160 games played, but a mere 27 wins. The team scored a total of 374 goals in that time – just a little bit more than two goals per game. Meanwhile, the Scouts allowed a whopping 679 goals against, or an average of more than four a game. Such a lopsided goal differential, and the losses understandably piled up.
The Scouts finished second to last in both 1974-75 and 1975-76. Not exactly thrillsville. That does not mean though that there were not some diamonds in the rough.
Kansas City drafted an eventual 350-plus goal scorer. They plucked a Stanley Cup champion off of the “Broad Street Bullies” in the 1974 NHL Expansion Draft. The Scouts even acquired a goalie who would go on to win both the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy. Ultimately though, the (very) modest amount of talent that Kansas City did possess was not enough to withstand 1970s NHL powerhouses like the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins.
The Scouts became but a fleeting memory. During the summer of 1976, the team relocated to Colorado to become the Rockies. Even in Colorado the team only managed to remain viable for six seasons before moving to New Jersey where they have remained ever since as the better known and far more renowned Devils.
But let us not close the page on the Scouts so quickly. It has been more than 40 years since their last NHL game at the old Kemper Arena. We have the luxury of hindsight now, and can take a look back at the team’s top performers.
THW ranks for you the five most proficient players in the brief history of the Kansas City Scouts.
5) Gary Bergman
Golden oldie Gary Bergman was 37 years old when he became a member of the Scouts. The team acquired him on Aug. 22, 1975 from the Detroit Red Wings, along with netminder Bill McKenzie in exchange for goalie Peter McDuffe and center Glen Burdon. Bergman had already played 11 seasons in the NHL prior to the trade, and solidified himself as an earnest, hard-nosed blueliner who could also chip in offensively.
The 1975-76 NHL season was Bergman’s final one in the NHL and his lone season for the Scouts. It would also end up being one of his finest performances, solidifying him as the best rearguard to wear the Scouts uniform.
Bergman played in 75 of the team’s 80 games that season. In the process, he tallied five goals, 33 assists and 38 points. That led all Scouts defenders in scoring, and saw Bergman finish third overall on the team among all skaters. Those 33 assists were his most in a season for his entire 12-year career.
Furthermore, Bergman was an important role model for a very young Scouts hockey club.
4) Simon Nolet
The Scouts did themselves well at the 1974 NHL Expansion Draft. After they and their fellow newcomers, the Washington Capitals, selected goaltenders through the first four selections, it was Kansas City that made Simon Nolet the first skater selected with the fifth overall pick. Nolet, who was fresh off of a Stanley Cup victory with the 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers, became the Scouts inaugural team captain.
Nolet was a decent goal scorer, with four seasons of 16 or more goals for Philly. Captaining the Scouts, he had a career-year in 1974-75 as he set all career highs in goals (26), assists (32) and points (58). Those totals saw Nolet lead or tie for the team lead in each category.
Nolet scored the first goal in Scouts history – an Oct. 9, 1974 tally against the Toronto Maple Leafs and goaltender Doug Favell. He would be named to the 1975 NHL All-Star Game as the sole representative for Kansas City.
Despite Nolet being one of the more skilled Scouts, he would end up being traded along with Ed Gilbert and a 1st-round draft pick on Jan. 8, 1976 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition to receiving Chuck Arnason and a 1st-round pick of their own, the deal brought heavily feared pugilist Steve Durbano to Kansas City, and was designed to add some much needed toughness to the team’s roster.
Nolet’s 36 goals in a Scouts uniform are third-most all-time, while his 83 points are second-highest.
3) Denis Herron
Perhaps no player was more important to the Scouts than goaltender Denis Herron.
Having initially gone with the maligned netminding tandem of Michel Plasse and Peter McDuffe, Kansas City knew they had to get better in the goal crease and fast. The team sent Plasse to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 10, 1975 to receive Herron and defender Jean-Guy Lagace. A commendable trade by the Scouts, no doubt.
Herron proceeded to play 22 games for the team after the trade, going 4-13-4 as his record. He stopped 687 shots of the 767 that he faced, and compiled a .896 save percentage in return – a far from terrible number on such a challenged team. Additionally, Herron’s 3.75 goals-against average for the Scouts that season is the only GAA to be below 4.00 in the team’s history.
Finding their cornerstone, the Scouts saw Herron become the NHL’s busiest goaltender in 1975-76. He led the entire league in both shots against (2,211), and more importantly, saves with 1,968 while playing 64 games. Subsequently, Herron earned a record of 11-39-11.
For a Scouts team that went 12-56-12 overall, were it not for Herron, those wins and ties totals would have easily been in the single digits.
He would go on to play 10 more seasons in the NHL, winning the Vezina Trophy in 1981 and the Jennings Trophy in 1982, both while with the Montreal Canadiens.
2) Guy Charron
Guy Charron is probably the most skillful player to have worn the Scouts uniform. In what was a rare instance of the team utilizing some zeal, Kansas City obtained Charron and Claude Houde from the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 15, 1974 in exchange for Bart Crashley, Larry Giroux and Ted Snell. The Scouts won the trade hands down, as Crashley, Giroux and Snell all had careers that never materialized following the transaction.
Charron, on the other hand, would proceed to generate five straight seasons of 35 or more assists. He went 13-29-42 in scoring in 51 games after arriving to Kansas City in December to finish second in points behind Nolet.
Settled in with his new team, Charron became the Scouts quintessential player in the 1975-76 season. Going 27-44-71 in scoring through 78 games, he led the club in all three major offensive categories. Charron’s 44 helpers were the first of three 40-assist seasons in his career.
Additionally, he is the Scouts all-time leader in assists (73) and points (113). Charron is the only player in the team’s existence to reach or surpass the 100-point plateau while wearing the Kansas City uniform.
1) Wilf Paiement
Possessing the second overall pick of the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft the Scouts chose Wilf Paiement to become their mainspring.
It should be no real surprise that Paiement sits at the top of our list. As a rookie in 1974-75, he played in 78 regular season games, led the team with 101 penalty minutes and tied with Nolet in the goal scoring column (26). His 39 points as a rookie place him at fourth for scoring.
Paiement missed some time in his sophomore season of 1975-76, but he continued what would become 11 straight seasons of 20 or more goals. Playing in 57 games of the 80-game scheduled, Paiement finished second on the Scouts for goals (21) and points (43). He would represent Kansas City at the 29th NHL All-Star Game played in Philadelphia on Jan. 20, 1976.
Paiement’s 47 goals and 222 penalty minutes in a Scouts uniform are both records for the team’s 2-season history. The solid right winger would have an NHL career of 946 regular season games, across seven different teams. Paiement completed his career in 1988 season having scored 356 goals in total. He was also the last active player to have suited up for the Scouts at the time of his retirement.
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Demand Accountability with Immediate Removal of Camden School Board President Wasim Muhammad
We, the undersigned concerned citizens of Camden, New Jersey, are writing to demand the immediate removal of Camden School Board President Wasim Muhammad. Under his leadership, the Camden School District has failed to meet the educational needs of our children, resulting in a significant decline in the quality of education and a failure to support our teachers and staff.
The role of the school board president is to guide the district toward providing the best possible educational opportunities for Camden’s youth. However, Wasim Muhammad’s tenure has been marked by a lack of accountability, poor decision-making, and a disregard for the voices of students, parents, and educators. His failure to act in the best interests of the Camden community has had a direct negative impact on our students’ success.
We are calling on Vice President N’Namdee Nelson, the City of Camden School District, and all Advisory Board members to take immediate action and remove Wasim Muhammad from his position as School Board President. Our students deserve leadership that prioritizes their education and well-being.
The current state of the Camden School District demands urgent attention, and the removal of Wasim Muhammad is an essential step toward restoring accountability, trust, and the quality of education our children deserve.