Acupuncture in Holmdel, NJ

HOLMDEL, NJ — A new pickleball club has officially opened its doors in Holmdel.

Jersey Pickleball Club, located on the lower level of Bell Works, recently held its Opening Day event and was joined by local residents and township officials, such as Mayor Brian Foster, for the opening.

At the inaugural club, players can enjoy state-of-the-art pickleball courts, multiple membership options, and experienced staff to help players improve their game, officials said.

Rental paddles and balls are provided to players at a nominal cost, and private lessons are also offered for those who are interested, according to the club website.

Membership includes privileges such as advanced court time reservations, reduced hourly fees, discounts on clinics and lessons and more. Hours of operation are daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

“Get ready to experience the ultimate pickleball destination, designed for every level of play,” Bell Works said of the club in an online post.

According to the club website, Jersey Pickleball Club was founded by a team of sports-driven entrepreneurs dedicated to boosting pickleball’s popularity.

Director of Operations & Head Professional Thomas Dill leads the charge with “a commitment to offering top-notch playing conditions, complemented by events and tournaments for all to enjoy," officials said.

“Pickleball is more than just a sport — it’s a vibrant social movement. It seamlessly blends athleticism, entertainment, social interaction, and pure fun,” the club said on its website. "No wonder over 45 million people are engaged in playing pickleball today."

"At Jersey Pickleball Club (JPC), our mission is to offer state-of-the-art courts and membership opportunities that cater to everyone, regardless of their budget," the statement continued.

To learn more about Jersey Pickleball Club, you can visit their website.

Jersey Pickleball Club is located in Bell Works at 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel.

Indian Hill was among 11 schools recognized by the board at a recent meeting for being named 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools. See details:

HOLMDEL, NJ — Indian Hill School was among 11 New Jersey schools recently recognized by the NJ State Board of Education for being named as 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools.

On Wednesday, Indian Hill School was among nine New Jersey public schools and two non-public schools honored at the board’s meeting in Trenton.

According to the NJ Department of Education, the Blue Ribbon Award recognizes schools that are either high-performing academically or making progress in closing achievement gaps among diverse student groups.

“New Jersey’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools demonstrate what is possible when educators, students, and communities work together to support academic growth and opportunity for all learners,” Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said.

“The Blue Ribbon distinction honors schools that stand out — whether through consistently high achievement or by making remarkable strides in closing opportunity gaps,” Dehmer continued. “We are proud to continue recognizing schools that strengthen how they serve all students and set a standard for success across our state.”

On Aug. 29, the U.S. Department of Education ended its longtime National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, officials said, which has since allowed individual states to choose whether to continue it at the state level.

For 2025, the NJ Department of Education is recognizing schools that were already selected prior to the U.S. Department of Education’s discontinuation of the program.

Based on this timeline, officials said the process for selecting schools followed previous practices.

The NJ Department of Education reviews data for all public schools in the state and nominates those that meet the eligibility criteria set by the U.S. Department of Education.

All public schools in the state are considered annually for Blue Ribbon nominations, officials said. Non-public schools are nominated by the Council of American Private Education (CAPE).

“On behalf of my colleagues on the State Board of Education, I congratulate the 11 schools being named 2025 New Jersey Blue Ribbon Schools,” State Board of Education President Kathy Goldenberg said.

“These schools have now been well recognized as incredibly high-performing institutions along with their students' exemplary work closing the achievement gap,” Goldenberg said. “This is a major accomplishment for these schools, their administrators and teachers, and, most importantly, our students.”

Indian Hill School celebrated its designation as a 2025 Blue Ribbon School at a special faculty meeting in late September. The other schools named as 2025 Blue Ribbon Schools include:

To learn more about the public and private schools receiving this year’s award, you can visit the NJ Blue Ribbon Schools website.

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Holmdel alum and physician draws on hometown roots and real-world experience to restore fiscal health and prepare students for a complex future.

I first moved to Holmdel when I was 10. I was lucky to grow up in Holmdel when it was a top ten school district in New Jersey - the academic standards were high, driven by a strong parent community. Most people don’t get to say this, but some of the smartest and most accomplished people I know in life are my high school friends- they are physicists, engineers, physicians, journalists, architects, and musicians. What we all had in common was a strong educational background that honed us into exceptional critical thinkers and opened us up to new ideas, cultures, and experiences. By the time I graduated from Holmdel High in 1991, I was more than ready for the roads ahead.

I attended Columbia University, where I majored in Japanese. My first job was in the music industry; I worked for a Japanese music production company and played guitar in a number of different bands- rock bands, metal bands, new wave bands- I even appeared once on Japanese TV in the 90s in an R&B band.

That era came to an end with my mom’s illness and death. At that point, I pivoted. I went to Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and became a physician. Careers took us across the country, but about 10 years ago, my wife and I returned to Holmdel with a young family in tow. We came back for one reason: the schools. We wanted our kids to have the same incredible experience I had.

I’ve been watching the Board of Education since I moved back to Holmdel, and I can’t say I’ve seen leadership that honors the legacy of the district I knew. The projected $2.5 million budget gap threatens teachers, transportation, and academic programs, and is proof enough that we need a new direction. Coupled with ongoing teachers’ contract negotiations and significant disparities in academic performance from school to school within the district, there is a lot to address. More generally, today’s students face new challenges. Technology saturates their world, often at the expense of focus, resilience, and social skills. Rising anxiety, attention issues, and classroom disruptions are real. With AI quickly integrating into tech and software platforms, it’s important for schools to develop real working policies regarding its use. And it is vitally important that students are grounded in critical thinking skills first.

As a physician, my approach to problem-solving is clear: understand the issue at hand, look at the bigger picture, and make collaborative, data-driven decisions. I’d bring that same mindset to the BOE. My career is not just about seeing patients, though. I’ve also overseen the implementation of health software systems that involved many competing priorities and stakeholders, and measurable outcomes. These are projects with budgets in the hundreds of millions to near-billion-dollar range, which require multi-year planning, look-aheads, and constant revision. Those experiences taught me how to plan long-term, make tough choices, and deliver results.

Holmdel gave me an unmatched foundation. I learned how to think and succeed here. I learned how to learn here. I don’t think that going to college or medical school added much in those areas; I had it already. That’s why I’m running for the Holmdel Board of Education. This is my hometown, and I’m grateful for what it has given me. I’ve lived the Holmdel story as both a student and a parent, and I’d like to give back.

I’m ready to get our district’s financial health back on track, support teachers, strengthen academics, and ensure that our kids gain the critical thinking skills they’ll need to thrive.

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