At Lunch Break, we are acutely aware of how poverty affects local children.

Lunch Break welcomes the ongoing dialogue about the impoverished children of Red Bank and will be willing to help in any way we can.

Lunch Break has served low-income families in the Red Bank area since 1983.

Back then, Lunch Break was considered Monmouth County's first soup kitchen.

Today, Lunch Break provides "meals and more" to about 3,000 people a month through hot and bagged lunches, holiday dinners and toys, groceries, clothing, health screenings and referrals.

Last year, Lunch Break served a record number of 26,000 hot meals to hungry children, adults and senior citizens who are struggling to survive in the Red Bank area. Hunger is a year-round problem in our community - something we should keep in mind while enjoying our bountiful summer barbecues.

Once school is out, we expect to see many children waiting in line at Lunch Break for what very well may be their most nutritious meal of the day.

Please help Lunch Break fight hunger in the summer. Consider making a cash donation to Lunch Break at 121 Drs. James Parker Blvd., Red Bank 07701 or via www.lunchbreak.org.

Lunch Break will use your donation immediately for the hot lunch program that feeds hungry neighbors of all ages.

Lunch Break is incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our community.

Unfortunately, hunger doesn't take a summer vacation.

Dan Petrocelli

president

Lunch Break Board

of Trustees

Red Bank

Fight goes on to block development at Hook

The fight to prevent the National Park Service from leasing for 60 years Fort Hancock properties to a for-profit, private developer for use as a commercial business park still is unresolved.

However, the U.S. government is seeking to dismiss the Save Sandy Hook complaint seeking to block the leasing on the basis that Save Sandy Hook hasn't any legal standing, that is, the right to formally object to this improper use of national park land.

Oral arguments are scheduled for June 7 at 2 p.m. in Trenton.

Let's hope that our U.S. Federal District Court system recognizes that national park land belongs to us, the people of the United States, and that as rightful owners, we do have the right to control our property and its usage.

At this time, when rampant development of our precious open spaces here in Monmouth County is occurring all too quickly, to face the possible loss of national park land at Sandy Hook, the Crown Jewel of the Jersey Coast, is almost too horrible to imagine for those of us who are not big money developers.

If any of you who read this update were turned away at Sandy Hook due to the parking lots being full this Memorial Day weekend, be aware that with the projected loss of hundreds of parking spaces that would be dedicated to the use of business park tenants, things will only get worse, unless this abhorrent leasing plan is stopped.

For additional information please visit www.savesandy-hook.org.

Peter P. O'Such Jr.

Fair Haven

Court decision on BLT project welcomed

Although my wife and I no longer reside in Red Bank, we do keep abreast of goings on in and around the town we called home for over six years.

So it was with great interest that we learned of the recent state Appellate Court decision to overturn the Red Bank Zoning Board of Adjustment's approval of Building & Land Technology's condominium/townhouse project proposed for the corners of Monmouth, West & Oakland streets.

This is neither the time nor place to rehash any of the ugliness that accompanied our campaign to have the developer, Pat Nulle, simply scale back the size, density and closeness of the project to our properties. Suffice it to say that had Nulle chosen that route, the project would no doubt have already been completed and units would now be on the market, or maybe even occupied.

Instead, a heavy-handed unwillingness to negotiate and a board seemingly anxious to approve the project created an air of resentment and disillusionment among the majority of the residents, such that they appealed the decision to the county. My wife and I settled with BLT and did not participate in that appeal for a number of reasons. When it was lost, we assumed the project would move forth, and set the precedent for more and larger projects to come. We were only half right. More and larger projects are on their way, but there was indeed another level of appeal of which we were unaware.

The court found that board member Lauren Nicosia had a conflict of interest, which should have disqualified her from hearing this application. The conflict was that her father, retired Judge Benedict R. Nicosia, worked for the law firm of McKenna, DuPont, Higgins and Byrnes, which had a business relationship with BLT.

Michael DuPont, board president and current Borough Council candidate, recused himself because of this very conflict - but with a twist. DuPont offered that he or one of his partners had represented "one or both of the applicants" in the past.

That last part is critical to understanding the nature of how these Zoning Board applications really work. At the time, BLT had signed a legal document claiming to be 100 percent owner of the project, and sole applicant. It wasn't until after the density variance was granted that Palatial Homes (another DuPont client) bought into the project.

I feel, and the court agreed, that DuPont was referring to BLT and Palatial Homes when he said "both applicants." Legally, however, BLT needed to appear to be 100 percent owner of the project, even though Palatial Homes paid some of the fees to the borough in connection with the application.

So this project was discussed among the initial developer, the firm that would eventually buy the project and DuPont (and McKenna?) in advance of it ever coming before the board.

The residents, on the other hand, were given 10 days notice of the project via certified mail, the minimum dictated by law. Had it not been for the tenacity and talents of William Meyer, attorney for the residents, this clear collusion would have gone unchallenged.

To Mr. Meyer and his clients, I offer kudos, and to DuPont, McKenna, Nicosia, Nulle, etc., I say that it's about time someone finally exposed the situation for what it really is: political patronage and the abuses of unchecked power.

Michael W. Reeps

Charlottesville, Va.