Clinton Township Newsletter

2 j a n u a r y 2 0 2 2 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M HAPPY NEW YEAR! Ask Officer Raff: Dear Officer Raff, I was invited to a New Year's Eve Progressive Dinner this year – a party where each course is eaten at a different host's house in the same evening. The guests will be progressing from house to house, like a potluck but extended across three or four locations. A signature cocktail will be served at each location. How many alcoholic drinks can a person imbibe within say, a four- or five-hour period in order to stay under the legal limit? Signed, I Wish To Celebrate Wisely Dear I Wish, That's a really good question, and I'm sure a lot of CTNL readers are wondering the same thing. In New Jersey, a person is guilty of drunk driving if he/she operates a motor vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or greater. Even if you do not feel the effects of alcohol, your blood alcohol content may exceed our state's legal limit because everyone's body and alcohol tolerance is different. Also, you can be convicted of DWI or DUI even with a BAC under the legal limit, based upon your level of impairment and manner of vehicle operation. A DWI or DUI conviction can impact your life in a number of ways. Consequences of drinking and driving can hurt your family and relationships, cost you employment opportunities, cause financial difficulties, high insurance rates and possible time in jail. Therefore, the Clinton Township Police strongly urge all individuals to: • Not drink and drive, at all. • Find a designated driver, if you plan to drink socially away from your home. • Or, pre-arrange for a cab, Uber or other car service to drive you home. We want you to enjoy yourself, but we also want you and your fellow citizens to be safe, so please choose wisely. – Sincerely, Officer Raff Dear Officer Raff, My Father-In-Law always brings fireworks to our house for our family's New Year's Eve get-together and, frankly, it bugs me. The kids (both young and old, LOL) really love it. I like it okay but they also make me nervous, safety-wise and, it is my impression that fireworks are illegal in the State of New Jersey. Am I wrong? Signed, Not Loving The Fireworks Dear Fireworks, In June 2017, a law was signed that lifted New Jersey's complete ban on the sale and possession of fireworks. The law created an exemption for certain devices, while keeping all other fireworks illegal in the state. More specifically, our current laws permit devices such as hand-held sparklers and ground-based sparklers, and novelty items, including party poppers and snappers. All other fireworks remain illegal, including all explosive and aerial fireworks such as firecrackers, sky-rockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles and similar devices. The law also restricts the sale of sparklers to only those who are 16 and over. So while some fireworks may be legal, there are many restrictions. In addition, one should always consider local ordinances, including noise ordinances, before setting off legal fireworks. If you will be setting off legal fireworks, please do so carefully; check out this link for helpful information: www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/News/ Consumer%20Briefs/fireworks.pdf. Dear Officer Raff, Is it my imagination, or are there lots more police officers on the road around New Year's Eve in Hunterdon County? Signed, Trying To Go The Speed Limit, I Swear(!) Dear Trying, Nope, it's not your imagination and you're not seeing things… there are more police officers on the road on New Year's Eve and during other major holidays in Hunterdon County, and in most other counties. Many police departments participate in special enforcement campaigns during the holidays. In addition, most agencies recognize the increase in the volume of vehicle traffic during peak holiday travel times throughout the year creates the potential for more traffic problems, violations and impaired operation. The additional officers on the road are there to help keep everyone safe during busy holiday travel seasons. n Officer Raffaella Vastola grew up locally in Kingwood Township, and has been in law enforcement for over 18 years, serving almost seven years with CTPD. She and her husband currently live in Raritan Township with their five children, two of whom serve in the military (Marine Corps and the Navy). Officer Raff thinks Clinton Township is a wonderful place to work, live and raise a family, and she is very proud to serve and protect our community with a dedicated group of men and women who help to keep it that way for everyone. n Do you have questions for our local Clinton Township Police Department? Ask Officer Raff by emailing: ctnl@comcast.net or: rvastola@ctpd.org and add the words "Ask Officer Raff" in the subject line. Locally Owned and Operated by Phil & Diane Koury 185 Center St., Clinton • 735.4499 www.MSIPlumbingAndRemodeling.com 1109 Rte. 31 S. Lebanon, NJ 08833 New Jersey Licensed Master Plumber #8722 908.735.4438 Your Plumbing Experts!

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