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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2026
Good Morning, Monmouth County! ☀️
🏖️ New Jersey History: On Oct. 1, 1880, Thomas Edison opened Edison Lamp Works in Menlo Park, now part of Edison Township. It was the first factory in the United States devoted to manufacturing incandescent electric lamps.
Thursday Thankfulness: “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius
Today’s Must Read: Our crew scoured the county to find our 15 favorite coffee houses to celebrate International Coffee Day. (And we loved every minute of it!) (See List)
Scroll down for today’s Trivia question!
365> Monmouth County: Twenty-seven towns were awarded a combined $9.15 million for park improvements. Projects include $500,000 for Abate Park in Millstone, $350,000 for Pride Park in Howell, nearly $315,000 for a mini-pitch at Wilson Park in Freehold Borough, and $453,000 for recreational upgrades at Camp Evans in Wall. (More)
365> Manalapan: A 1764 will written on sheepskin is among more than 50 historic documents transferred to the Monmouth County Archives for preservation. The collection also includes an 1889 estate petition involving Mernetta Revey, whose family was part of Tinton Falls’ Black community. (More)
365> Fair Haven: The public library will close Oct. 5 for 4 to 6 weeks for renovations. Return books in the Borough Hall vestibule or the Eastern Branch. (More)
365> Red Bank: The proposed redevelopment around the borough’s train station has been highlighted in Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s housing strategy as an example of building near public transportation. The project’s first phase calls for 175 apartments in a five-story building and remains under Planning Board review. (More)
365> West Long Branch: Monmouth University’s Anna Moors earned Coastal Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week honors after scoring twice in the Hawks’ 4-0 field hockey win over Hofstra. (More)
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365> Veronica Roth joins Monmouth County Library for an online author conversation tonight, Oct. 1, at 7 pm. The Divergent author will discuss the series and preview her upcoming novel, The Sixth Faction. Registration is required. (Register)
365> Colts Neck Friends of the Library’s Fall Book Sale at the Colts Neck Library on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 am - 3 pm. Admission is free, with a $5 preview hour on Saturday at 9 am; Sunday shoppers can fill a bag with books for $5. (More)
365> Neptune author Latisha Channiel released Still I Rise: A Journey Through Affirmations, her first book. The Red Bank Regional graduate combines writing prompts, emotional check-ins, and reflection exercises in a guided journal shaped by her experiences. (More)
365> Monmouth University’s Kristin Bluemel is one of five scholars shortlisted for the Modernist Studies Association Book Prize. Her book, Enchanted Wood, explores four women wood engravers who helped shape British publishing during the Depression. (More)
365> Ranney School librarian Mike Steele’s debut novel, Not Lucille, received the Imadjinn Award for Best Middle Grade Book. (More)
365> Monmouth University’s Kevin Dooley published The Great Transformation: How Modern Thinkers Reimagined the Classical View of Justice. The new book examines how changing ideas about nature, freedom, and virtue have influenced modern understandings of justice. (More)
365> Lindsay Lohan and Henry Golding will star in Netflix’s Return to You, reuniting Lohan with Mean Girls director Mark Waters. Set in 2008, the romance follows a lonely attorney who mistakenly receives a dying woman’s video message and searches for its intended recipient—her husband. A release date has not been announced. (More)
365> A Knight to Remember stars Julie Gonzalo and James Trevena in a romance about a Chicago museum conservator whose impulsive kiss brings a knight’s statue to life. It premieres Saturday, Oct. 3, at 8 pm on Hallmark Channel. (More)
365> Pumpkin Regatta Romance pairs Mishael Morgan and Corey Sevier as a boat-shop owner’s daughter and a pumpkin farmer trying to resolve their fathers’ feud and restore a town tradition. Streaming now on Hallmark+. (More)
365> The Spirit of Halloween stars Meghan Ory and Kevin McGarry in a story about a Halloween holdout who encounters three spirits. It premieres Saturday, Oct. 10, at 8 pm on Hallmark Channel and streams the following day on Hallmark+. (More)
365> Howell Farmers’ Market at Echo Lake Park on Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 am. Fresh produce, flowers, honey, pickles, and legit local makers, plus a lakeside stroll that counts as exercise. (More)
365> Music on the Porch brings an acoustic duo to Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 1-3 pm. Admission is free. (More)
365> The #THCFreeAmerica Tour is coming to CBA on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6-7:30 pm, for a special community presentation examining high-potency THC, cannabis addiction, cannabis-induced psychosis, and the warning signs parents and young people need to know. (More)
365> Climb Time brings the Monmouth County Park System’s 25-foot climbing wall to Shark River Park in Wall on Friday, Oct. 9, from 3-6 pm. The free activity is open to participants ages 8 and older who are at least 42 inches tall. (More)
365> Keyport’s Concert by the Bay on Saturday, Oct. 10, 12-5 pm at the MiniPark, includes live music, great food, and a beautiful day by the bay. (More)
Email your best guess to [email protected] to be entered to win dinner at this month’s Restaurant of the Month!
Yesterday’s Only in Monmouth: Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown was once the estate of mobster Vito Genovese, who purchased the property in 1935 and commissioned gardens inspired by his native Naples, including a miniature Mount Vesuvius. Decades later, owner Marjorie Wihtol left half the property to the county for park use, and the county purchased the remainder. Deep Cut was dedicated as a public gardening park in 1978.
Which restored oyster schooner is New Jersey’s official state tall ship?
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