Fishermen want stop sign back, bulkhead improved BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN - A fisherman who lives near the Belford ferry terminal says his life has been ruined by the removal of a stop sign and the deteriorating bulkhead. On June 28, Richard Isaksen, a fisherman with the Belford Seafood Co-op, told the Monmouth County Freeholders that the removal of the stop sign has made it impossible for him to exit his driveway. Also, the lapsed state of the bulkhead has made it difficult for him to make a living. "Line us up and shoot us and put us out of our misery," Isaksen told the board. County officials explained that the stop sign was removed to expedite the ferry terminal traffic during the peak hours of 6-7 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. The stop sign gave him a split second to get out of his driveway, Isaksen said. "Now there's no split second," Isaksen said. "You just stay. They're coming and coming and coming. So I've got to sit there in my driveway, along with all the other people in their driveways. That's a disrespect to the people of Belford." Isaksen said that one day his neighbor took matters into her own hands. "Finally, she rolls down her window and gives them the bird and one person stopped and let her go through," Isaksen said. "I thought that was the greatest thing ever." Isaksen also complained about the state of bulkhead, which he said has been neglected and is effecting his ability to fish and make a living. "You're destroying our lives," Isaksen said. "We haven't got a chance." Isaksen said that Belford always gets the short end of the stick in Middletown. County Engineer Joseph Ettore begged to differ, saying the county has helped Belford by capping the landfill and otherwise helping to revitalize the area. Ettore said he has studied the ferry terminal traffic and has not experienced extensive delays. Also, the area in question around the bulkhead is on private property and the county can't really help. Bertha Thompson of Main Street, Belford, agreed that the removal of the stop sign was "one big crazy mistake." "My husband is a retired fisherman," Thompson said. "His father was a fisherman and his grandfather was a fisherman. The ferry, it's really like a nightmare. Between the hours of 6 and 6:30 [p.m.], don't even think about leaving my house." Freeholder Director William Barham told the Belford residents he would have Ettore visit the area to review the stop sign situation and the bulkhead. "I'll have Joe spend the day with you and address all your issues," Barham said.