Memorial Day BBQ? 8 Money-Saving Tricks (Sponsored)

Who’s NOT planning a BBQ this weekend? If the weather holds and you’ve got propane or charcoal, chances are, you’re grilling something with your friends and family. Here, new ideas for keeping your costs down. Sponsored by Home Depot.

Here at Patch, we like to be thrifty, so we talked to two barbeque experts and uncovered some really good ideas to help you save money on your next outdoor party.   1. Start with a marinade. This means planning ahead -- say, Friday. But it’s worth it, says Rick Browne, host of Barbeque America on PBS, because you can pass up that well-marbled ribeye steak and buy a less tender and less expensive choice to grill like a flank steak or chuck steak. Just marinate it or brine for one or two days and then cook long and slow on the barbeque grill to break down tissues but maintain moisture. “You need to include an acid in the marinade, perhaps juice, vinegar or soy sauce, but avoid cola which is so acidic it can turn meat into a soggy mess.” Try…

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When You Need to Paint the House (Sponsored)

Everything you need to know about painting your house: stripping, powerwashing, fixing damaged wood and choosing paint colors. Sponsored by Home Depot.

It’s that time of year again and you’re outside, enjoying your yard. Then you start nosing around—maybe you’re inspecting your plants, or reviewing the condition of your lawn or setting up your sprinklers—and before you know it, reality hits.   You need to paint the house.   A daunting task. An expensive task. A necessary task—because it's not just about how your house looks, it's about your home's value. Neglect is not an option. Take heart, however. Information and resources have never been more easily available to help you through this project.    Know Your Options Your options are to either hire a contractor or paint it yourself. Hiring a contractor is an expensive option, but if it's in your budget and you do the necessary research …

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Hurricane Sandy

Allstate Claim Center Opens at Home Depot in Hazlet

Locations in Hazlet and Brick are now open.

Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company has set up two Mobile Claims Centers to help New Jersey residents in the aftermath of Sandy. These self-contained mobile claims offices are equipped with generators, satellite technology and high-speed internet connectivity so Allstate’s National Catastrophe Team can provide policyholders claim support in areas hardest hit by Sandy. By visiting a Mobile Claims Center, Allstate New Jersey customers will be able to start the claims process and ask questions about their claim. Hours of operation for all the Mobile Claims Centers are Monday through Friday, 8:00am-6:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. The current Allstate Mobile Claims Center locations are listed below: The locations of these …

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UPDATE: Scene Cleared at Home Depot After Suspicious Package Reported

Store was closed for three hours

The Howell Police Department responded to a report of a suspicious package in the parking lot of the Home Depot on Route 9 for what was eventually ruled to be an old shipping box. Detective Sgt. Eileen Dodd said a call came into the department at 12:48 on Thursday for a sealed package that was left unattended in a shopping cart. Dodd said labels on the box showed it had been mailed to a home in Jackson four months ago and further research showed the person it was sent to has since died.  The parking lot, which includes several other businesses like Dunkin Donuts and a Chase Bank was closed off while the businesses remained open for the customers already inside.  Officers from the New Jersey State Police bomb squad responded to the scene to…

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Former Freehold Borough Police Officer Sentenced for Shoplifting

Officer will serve one year of probation and an imposed number of fines.

Former Freehold Borough Patrolman Darnell Esdaile was sentenced Friday for attempting to steal approximately $500 of flooring from a Freehold-based Home Depot, Acting Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced. The Honorable Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr., J.S.C. sentenced Esdaile to one year of probation and imposed a number of fines as part of the conviction. Esdaile, 47, of Freehold, was convicted by a jury of fourth-degree shoplifting on Thursday, June 14. Upon the return of that verdict, Judge Mellaci, pursuant to State law, ordered that Esdaile immediately forfeit his position as an police officer with the Freehold Borough Police Department. Esdaile was arrested in Freehold on Nov.11, 2010 after being detained by Home Depot Loss …

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Freehold Borough Police Officer Found Guilty of Shoplifting

Darnell Esdaile, 46, must immediately forfeit his position as a police officer with the Freehold Borough Police Department.

A Monmouth County jury found a Freehold Borough police officer guilty of shoplifting from the Home Depot in Freehold Township on Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. The Honorable Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr. presided over the trial. Upon the jury’s verdict, he ruled that Darnell Esdaile, 46, must immediately forfeit his position as a police officer with the Freehold Borough Police Department. Esdaile was arrested at the Home Depot on November 11. He was off duty at the time of the incident. He was stopped by Home Depot Loss Prevention officers when he tried to leave the store with just under $500 worth of laminate flooring materials without paying. According to the press release, testimony …

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Planting Your April Vegetable Garden

Early April is the perfect time to plant leafy greens and late April is the perfect time to plant root vegetables.

If you’re thinking of planting a vegetable garden this season, it’s not too late to start! April is the perfect month in New Jersey for planting a wide variety of vegetables, so think about where you want to place your backyard veggie garden while Patch shares some garden know-how. Early April in the Garden State is the ideal time for planting leafy greens, such as spinach, lettuce, endive, cabbage and chard because these vegetables can be planted up to 6 weeks before the last frost (which, in New Jersey, is typically April 1). For spinach, make sure you use a good compost mix and sow the seeds directly into the ground. When the spinach begins to sprout in about a month, then you can add some more composted soil. Lettuce is extremely easy …

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Hurricane Irene

Shoppers Already Stocking up on Storm Supplies

Parking lots at big box stores throughout the region were filling up as shoppers stocked up on supplies before Hurricane Irene strikes.

Parking lots were filling up Thursday afternoon at local supermarkets and home improvement stores as shoppers began to stock up on storm essentials as Hurricane Irene continues to track up the coast towards New Jersey. Long Branch resident Odessa Dangler walked out of the Lowe's Home Improvement store in Eatontown with two plastic gas cans but not the generator she was hoping to find. Dangler, who lost her hot water heater and washing machine in the basement of her Florence Avenue home when it filled with water during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, was not taking any chances. She was coming back later Thursday afternoon when she was told generators would be available at the store. Store manager Ismet Ekin said that store traffic was heavier …

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