Greg Bean
      Coda We'd all feel better if the punishment fit the crime There was a while in the last decade when, in addition to my newspaper work, I wrote mystery novels. Four of them were published by St. Martin's Press, and are currently out of print.
More ...

Smoke ban would be unfair for nonlocals
      Keyport's proposal to ban smoking while children are in the car may be well intentioned, but it's also on shaky ground when it comes to fairness and enforcement. The Borough Council introduced an ordinance last week that would ticket drivers $75 for violations. It would be a secondary o...
More ...

Your Turn
      State's affordable housing crisis must be addressed In 1975 the New Jersey State Supreme Court mandated that affordable housing had to be available in every community in this state. Since then, the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) has had responsibility for establishing rule...
More ...

Note to Readers
      Because of the Independent's deadline constraints, the results of Tuesday's Board of Education and school budget votes could not be reported in this week's edition. Please read next week's issue for full coverage and results from the local races.
More ...