Chiropractor in Belford, NJ

It’s that time of year again as the Belford Brewing Company prepares to host the happiest four days of the year during the annual Oktoberfest celebration, aptly named ‘Belftoberfest.’ The four-day event will be held Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1. The brewery is located at 84 Leonardville Road, Belford, NJ 07718. Event hours are as follows: Thursday, September 28 and Friday, September 29, 5-10pm; Saturday, September 30 12 Noon-8pm; and Sunday, October 1, 1-6pm. The event is open to the public, and there is no admission fee for the event itself or the event activities including games, competitions and music.

Owners Kevin & Mike Enny noted this year is particularly joyous since it is the 10^th anniversary of the celebration, which has evolved into a popular four-day event attended by guests hailing from throughout the tri-state area. A German-style showcase of seasonal beers, ‘Belftoberfest’ will feature a selection of 16+ ‘Jersey Fresh’ craft beers on tap and for take away including Belftoberfest Märzenbier, Hefeweizen Bavarian Wheat Ale, Dunkel Lager and Hund Altbier, just to name a few. The regular menu of unique craft beers created by the brewery will also be available. To memorialize the 10^th anniversary of the celebration, the brewery is selling a commemorative ‘Belftoberfest’ 20-ounce beer stein which includes the first fill of any of their beers for $20. Subsequent fills are $6 all weekend long with purchase of the stein.

In addition to the beer, there are plenty of activities to keep the crowds happy. German-style music from Thursday through Sunday will add to the already festive atmosphere. German bands Jingleheimer will perform on Friday night, and Lucky 5 Oktoberfest Band will perform on Saturday afternoon. Stein holding competitions will be held throughout the weekend with prizes awarded to the winners. Corn hole games will also be held behind the brewery.

On Saturday afternoon a special guest will tap a cask of a popular beer, and discounted pricing will be in effect. Local Belford eateries are also celebrating the Oktoberfest season by creating menus with a German twist. Food will be available for purchase at the eateries and is always welcome in the brewery tap rooms.

The telephone number for the Belford Brewing Company is (732) 769-7168. Regular non-event operating hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 5-8.00 p.m.; Saturdays from 2-6 p.m.; and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The brewery is also available for special events, fundraisers and private parties. More information on the Belford Brewing Company and the full menu of beers is available on the website, www.belfordbrewing.com, and the brewery Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/belfordbrewingcompany.

About The Belford Brewing Company

The Belford Brewing Company operates a storefront location in the historic area known as Campbell’s Junction, a unique business district which was once a trolley transportation hub. Always family and pet-friendly, owners and brothers Mike and Kevin Enny are proud Belford natives. The Belford Brewing Company is Middletown’s first brewery and opened on August 1, 2014, International Beer Day. Somewhat different from other breweries who traditionally do not maintain a storefront presence, both Mike and Kevin cited the historical roots of the community when starting the business. Everything right down to the names of the beers has a story and a special meaning. The brewery offers 30+ different beer labels, which are rotated on a regular basis and refer to places that actually exist in Belford or have been part of the fabric of life. Crowweed Stout, Wares Creek Pale Ale, and Lobster Pot, while only a few examples of the full beer menu, are also the three beers the brewery was founded upon. “Belford is our home, and there is a lot of history here,” noted Kevin. He added, “It was very important for us to open here in our hometown, to create a sense of community with a storefront that people in the neighborhood could walk to, and to pay tribute to the people, places and stories that have built this community.”

BELFORD, NJ — Middletown is a town that like its beer.

But nothing could prepare John Cocozza when he saw people lining up at 9 a.m. this morning for the opening of his business, Ross Brewing, in Port Monmouth.

"I said, 'We don't even open until noon!'" said Cocozza Friday afternoon, grand opening day, and seeming like he'd imbibed more coffee than beer. "People have been coming by all week asking if we are open. First of all, I'm so grateful to the Middletown community because, as a business owner, you work and you work and you work to open a business and sometimes you don't know if people will come. So to see this many people is amazing. Thank you to Middletown."

So far, the top two questions he's been asked are: "Can I bring kids? Can I bring dogs? Yes and yes!"

The line of cars went past The Dunes condo Friday afternoon, as hundreds of Middletown residents lined up to check out the new brewery.

"It's just nice to have a new place nearby, a nice place to sit outside and have a beer," said Craig Sanford, 48, a Port Monmouth resident who lives close enough to walk. "It's nice to have any new business in Port Monmouth and Middletown."

Blame the lines on the 90-degree day. Or well, it is beer. Or maybe it's just Middletown's eagerness — and happiness — to see someone putting money into its Belford section, a part of town that was devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

No matter the reason, Ross Brewing is the place to be Friday night and all weekend long in Middletown. They have two food trucks outside — tacos and lobster rolls — and will have live music on the dock from 7-10 p.m. Friday, 1-3 Saturday and 2-5 p.m. Sunday. They open tomorrow at 12 noon and same time Sunday. Due to New Jersey's strict brewery laws, they are not allowed to serve food. You can bring food with you, order and have anything delivered or use UberEats or DoorDash. Ross Brewing has many local menus on hand.

Of course there's the existing Belford Brewing right around the corner on Leonardville Road, which first opened in 2014. It was Belford Brewing that first brought the craft beer industry to Middletown.

But Cocozza said Mike and Kevin Enny, the brothers who own Belford Brewing, welcomed him and a new brewery to the area. The two breweries have even shared hops when one runs out.

Cocozza bought the building from Shoal Harbor Lobster Co. in 2020 and spent the past two years gut renovating it — which including removing three large pools for the lobsters. He donated them to the seafood co-op.

The brewery will have 15 different beers on tap — Cocozza got his start brewing beer out of his garage in Little Silver — and has outdoor seating in the front and a lovely waterfront area in the back. There are future plans to open a tasting room and an event space overlooking Belford Seafood Co-op, but beyond that Raritan Bay.

He said a Middletown-based florist, Full Sun Floral, already contacted him about taking promotional photos at his waterside dock.

"She said you're definitely going to have engagement parties here and maybe even weddings," he said. "When the sun starts to set and it's all pink and orange over Raritan Bay, you just have no idea how beautiful it is."

The brewery is called Ross Brewing Co. and they are located at 909 Main St. in Port Monmouth.

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FREEHOLD - Seastreak will resume ferry service from the Bayshore to Jersey City on Jan. 23, officials said Thursday, adding a route that was halted after it took over the Belford Terminal operation from NY Waterway.

The decision will give commuters a faster option to get to Jersey City and address what Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said was a glitch in the transition from NY Waterway to Seastreak.

"We had one glitch," Arnone said during his State of the County address. "It was the ridership to Jersey City that (NY Waterway) provided and (Seastreak) didn’t. I’m happy to say at the end of this month that will now happen again. That route will be picked up."

Atlantic Highlands-based Seastreak began operating the Belford-to-Manhattan ferry route from the Middletown terminal on Dec. 5 after winning a county contract that had belonged to NY Waterway since the service began in 2001.

The change capped a bruising fight between Monmouth County and NY Waterway. The county said NY Waterway's bid wasn't compliant with the terms of the contract and awarded it to Seastreak. NY Waterway disagreed, but it lost its complaint in court to put the contract out to bid again. It has appealed the decision.

Seastreak now operates 22 daily trips between Monmouth County and the east and west sides of Manhattan. And it said Thursday it would add daily trips to Paulus Hook in Jersey City, which had previously been served by NY Waterway.

The transition didn't sit well with some NY Waterway passengers. They said fares are higher; a 40-trip book of tickets costs $720 on Seastreak, for example, compared with the previous cost of $645 on NY Waterway.

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Arnone during his speech said the contract hadn't been put out to bid for 20 years, and it stood to reason that fares would be higher to reflect increases in everything from fuel to labor.

Meanwhile, some Belford Terminal passengers said they have run into service disruptions with Seastreak that were rarities with NY Waterway.

Seastreak spokesman James D. Barker said the disruptions were largely weather related. In one case, a storm surge caused debris to get stuck in an engine, forcing the company to find a replacement. And it would continue to invest in its fleet, either with maintenance or new ferries.

"We're confident riders out of Belford will experience the great service that riders in Atlantic Highlands and Highlands have come to know," he said.

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The addition of the Jersey City service will make for an easier commute for passengers such as Philip Frasciello, who had been taking NY Waterway from Belford to his office in Jersey City once or twice a week.

When Seastreak took over, Frasciello, 56, of Atlantic Highlands, considered taking the train or driving before deciding the time he saved taking the ferry was worth the money. He took Seastreak from Belford to Brookfield Place Terminal and then spent an extra $7 or so to take NY Waterway one way to Paulus Hook.

He hoped there would be enough demand to warrant Seastreak's decision to resume service to Jersey City.

"It's like anything else," he said. "When you have something that’s taken away from you, you’re not too happy.”

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Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

Seastreak will begin operating out of the Belford Terminal in Middletown on Dec. 5, Monmouth County and company officials said Tuesday, in a move that allows the ferry provider to expand its reach both in Monmouth County and New York City.

In unveiling its schedule and prices, Seastreak said it will offer 22 daily trips among Monmouth County and the east and west sides of Manhattan — along with a slight discount for daily passengers traveling solely from Belford.

“The new contract between the county and Seastreak will provide significantly more options to residents traveling to and from New York City,” Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said in a statement.

The contract nearly clears the way for Seastreak to take over a route that had been operated by NY Waterway for more than 20 years. NY Waterway has appealed a state Superior Court judge's decision upholding the contract.

While the case continues in court, Monmouth County and Seastreak are moving ahead.

Seastreak will continue NY Waterway's routes and connect Belford with the West Side, while it will continue its existing routes connecting Atlantic Highlands and Highlands with the East Side. The company will begin a free shuttle service between Atlantic Highlands and Highlands, and Belford. It means a passenger can leave from, say, Atlantic Highlands, return to Belford, and still get back to their car.

Seastreak's new schedule doesn't include a stop in Jersey City that NY Waterway provided, which would leave those passengers searching for alternatives. Seastreak officials didn't respond to requests for comment.

Seastreak will use one ticket and prices vary. For example, a 40-trip book will cost $720. Seastreak will offer Belford-only passengers a discount on one-way and round-trip tickets. For them, a one-way ticket will cost $24 instead of $28, while a round-trip ticket will cost $48 instead of $49.

"Our team looks forward to working with Monmouth County to serve the county’s residents and provide the Belford commuter community with the same high level of service and commitment that the company has provided to its riders for over three decades,” John J. Bevins, Seastreak's vice president of operations, said in a statement. “We are committed to providing safe and reliable transportation in the years to come and thank our riders for their continued support.”

The transition would end NY Waterway's 20-year run operating the Belford-to-Manhattan route. NY Waterway bid on the contract, offering a lower price than Seastreak, but Monmouth County officials ruled it didn't comply with the mandate that it get a $2 million performance bond, ensuring it could continue the service in case it ran into financial trouble.

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NY Waterway filed a lawsuit, arguing the Request for Proposal was confusing, and it had a letter of credit instead that essentially provided the same assurance. State Superior Court Judge David Bauman sided with the county, ruling the proposal clearly spelled out that the bond was mandatory.

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NY Waterway is appealing the decision and has asked Bauman for a stay to prevent Seastreak from starting the service until the Appellate Division can rule on the case.

Bauman has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 28, a week before the Seastreak service is set to begin.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.

Two-minute read

FREEHOLD - Monmouth County didn't act improperly when it awarded a contract to Seastreak for the route between the Belford Terminal in Middletown and Manhattan, a state judge ruled Wednesday, setting the stage for the ferry operator to take over the route from its long-time operator as soon as Dec. 1.

Superior Court Judge David Bauman denied a request by NY Waterway to rebid the contract because of what the company said was a flawed process.

The decision puts Seastreak a step closer to taking over the ferry service that NY Waterway had operated since the route began 20 years ago.

It leaves NY Waterway customers with an unusual prospect. Even though the county put out the contract to a competitive bid, it wound up awarding it to Seastreak, which proposed fewer trips and higher prices, because it found NY Waterway's proposal noncompliant.

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Seastreak, which already ferries passengers among Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Manhattan, had been set to take over the route at the end of October. But the county two weeks ago extended NY Waterway's contract until Nov. 30 — with an option for Dec. 31 — to give the county and Seastreak more time for an orderly transition.

“The county is in receipt of the decision and we are looking forward to reviewing it," Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said in a statement Thursday. "We will continue to work with Seastreak and NY Waterway to ensure a smooth transition of ferry service at Belford.”

Officials from Seastreak and NY Waterway didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ferry operators were bidding on the route for the first time since its inception. Weehawken-based NY Waterway was the only contender in 1999 when it was awarded the route's first contract: Five years with three five-year renewals.

The process didn't go as planned. In their proposals, Seastreak offered 11 daily trips during weekdays with a ticket price of $28 one way, while NY Waterway offered 16 trips a day during the week for $21.50 each way.

But the county said NY Waterway was noncompliant because it didn't submit a Consent of Surety, acknowledgement that the company had a bond to ensure the service would continue in case it ran into trouble.

NY Waterway officials sued, saying it had a letter of credit from a bank instead of a bond that would prove its financial stability, but Bauman denied its request for a temporary injunction, saying the requirements were spelled out clearly in the proposal.

After limited discovery, NY Waterway returned to court three weeks ago for a hearing in which it delved deep into state public contract laws. It argued the county didn't comply with a procedural requirement that's necessary when public agencies bid what's known as an "extraordinary unspecifiable service."

The requirement? An administrative official needs to file a certificate with the governing body that describes why the contract is considered an extraordinary unspecifiable service and evaluate the bids. In this case, NY Waterway said, Monmouth County didn't do that.

Bauman, however, wasn't swayed. He said the contract wasn't strictly an extraordinary unspecifiable service; it also included elements of competitive contracting.

"It is apparent that the procurement process crafted by the county incorporated critical features of competitive contracting," he wrote.

Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com.