Week in News: No More Swimming, Bridge Plans, Hockey Championship

Via Middletown Patch

Though officials have promised to do everything they can to delay the sale of the Middletown Swim and Tennis Club, township committee went ahead and introduced an ordinance early this week authorizing the sale of the township-owned club “just in case.” With the club operating at a significant financial loss each year, officials have looked for ways to keep it open but without much success. Public pressure has not proven enough to push Middletown to open up the coffers, either. Though residents have devised business and recruitment plans to keep the club open, it has not been enough to convince the committee, which has promised that the club will not open this year at least.

Via Rumson-Fair Haven Patch

It was a nail biter when Rumson-Fair Haven High School and Red Bank Regional took their ice hockey championship to overtime. Eventually, the Bulldogs broke through and notched the winning goal to claim victory in their Dowd Cup semifinals matchup at the Armory in Red Bank. Hunter Rotchford scored two goals for Rumson-Fair Haven, including the game winner. Sam Maraschio and Josh Soboyu registered goals for the Buccaneers.

Via Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch

Monmouth County Engineer Joe Ettore laid out plans for the replacement of Front Street bridge at a recent meeting. The new $12 million bridge project is being built next to the current one and will include wider lanes, better pedestrian and bicycle access, and a more aesthetically pleasing design. Work is expected to begin on the new bridge in early 2013 and will take an estimated 18 to 24 months to complete. Ettore said bridge construction will halt bridge access for at least four months. The hope, he said, is that the bridge closing will fall after the holiday shopping season and before the summer in 2014.

Via Little Silver-Oceanport Patch

A Bank of America branch nestled in the A&P shopping center is closing its doors after eight years due to poor traffic, a BoA spokesman said recently. The bank elected not to renew its lease because of an evolving customer demand and because of other nearby Bank of America branches in Red Bank, Shrewsbury, and Middletown, among others. The site in the shopping center has been home to a bank for more than 50 years, the first being Howards Savings Bank. Property managers for the site are currently looking for another bank to fill in for BoA, which is slated to depart in April.