Bill Sciarappa went outside Friday morning and got hammered by pollen. “I generally don’t get hit that much, and yet I’m taking a one-a-day” pill for aller- gies, said Sciarappa, Monmouth County agricultural agent with the Rutgers Coop- erative Extension. “You get itchy, watery eyes, nasal con- gestion,” he said. “Even today (Friday), I walked outside and started coughing just from this burst of pollen in the air.” Hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents suffer from hay fever, and this season is shaping up to be one of the worst in years. The late spring has compressed the season, and there’s been little rain to wash the pollen out of the air, according to experts. Sciarappa said “the tree pollen is very large and very obvious, and that does af- fect people, sure. The wild bluegrass and other turf grasses are blooming as well, so ‘tsunami of pollen’ Season looks to be worst in years for allergies TODD B. BATES @TODDBBATESAPP “It’s off the charts. ... It’s just the way the bloom period worked out (with several different species blooming at once).” BILL SCIARAPPA RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION See POLLEN, Page 6A ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM $1.00 LLLLLLLL MONDAY 05.18.15 VOLUME 136 NUMBER 118 SINCE 1879 ADVICE 4C BUSINESS 8A CLASSIFIED 6C COMICS 5C LOCAL 3A LOTTERIES 2A OBITUARIES 9A OPINION 11A SPORTS 1D WEATHER 8D USA TODAY FBI CHECKING CLAIMS THAT JETLINERS WERE HACKED IN FLIGHT PAGE 1B MIDDLETOWN — “A shore icon that should be preserved for future genera- tions.” “It’s part of Middletown’s identity.” “Save the Clown! It’s a historic land- mark!” These are a few of the 450 comments on a petition to preserve Calico, the two-story, grinning, somewhat creepy roadside senti- nel on Route 35. In a few weeks it has garnered more than 1,000 signatures from locals and others who wor- ry that development will send the clown packing. For 59 years, Calico has been watching over this community. Now the community is looking out for him. “For me, he has become the symbol of all the change that’s going on in this town, all the culture and history — everything we stand to lose,” said Margie Rafferty, a lifelong Middletown resident who started the petition and a “Save Calico” Facebook page. “I am amazed at the reaction I’ve gotten. There is just so much passion and love for this 22-foot clown. It’s been amazing.” In Middletown, petition signers aren’t clowning around about saving Calico See CARINO, Page 7A JERRY CARINO CARINO’S CORNER TRENTON — New Jersey’s economic development tool of choice, the corporate tax break: Is it a jobs-cre- ating phenom or a dressed up giveaway, a form of cor- porate welfare? That’s the $5.4 billion question being asked in Tren- ton, amid demands for greater transparency and per- haps even a moratorium on such gratis. New Jersey has awarded that much in tax subsidies to businesses since 2010, with the amount growing each year. The concern among progressive activist groups, in a state that lags the nation in jobs creation and recov- ery after the Great Recession, is whether the subsi- dies have generated the promised number of jobs and the commensurate tax revenues. The answer so far amounts to a confidence-jarring “nobody knows,” despite a 2007 state law requiring an annual accounting. That has led to debate on legisla- tion to put the brakes on such job-creation incentives, at least until the administration of Gov. Chris Christie produces the required economic reports. “It’s a bill to force transparency really on Gov. Christie, because quite frankly five years of ignoring the law and not making sure that the public and people in this state have information about how $5.4 billion is being spent is not OK,” said Dena Mottola Jaborska, deputy director for New Jersey Citizen Action. Q: What’s the criticism? Although New Jersey has awarded $5.4 billion in tax subsidies to corporations since 2010, that doesn’t mean the state has spent $5.4 billion that could have been applied to something else. The program pro- vides tax credits and incentives; it does not actually send money out the door. But it does mean that over the course of time, if the businesses achieve the job and investment goals in their awards, the state will miss out on future revenues as companies cash in their credits — money the state could surely use. A 2007 state law requires annual reports from the state Treasury Department about the past, current and future benefits and costs of the subsidies. It has never been produced. A Senate committee nearly vot- ed this past week on a plan to put a moratorium on any additional incentives from being awarded until the ad- ministration produces the report. A modified bill could re-emerge next month. Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, said the bill isn’t about Christie. “These incentives that I have been the sponsor of starting under Gov. (Jon) Corzine have come under at- Shining a light on billions in tax breaks N.J. business incentives: Do they help or hurt? See BREAKS, Page 6A Some of that attack (on the state’s tax incentives to businesses), if not most of that attack, has been unfair.” SEN. RAYMOND LESNIAK, D-UNION MICHAEL SYMONS @MICHAELSYMONS_ A Triple Crown win could keep racing’s hottest horse out of Monmouth Park’s Haskell. SPORTS, D1 A no-show?
Asbury Park Press front page for Monday, May 18 2015.
TRANSCRIPT
Bill Sciarappa went outside Fridaymorning and got hammered by
pollen.
I generally dont get hit that much, andyet Im taking a one-a-day
pill for aller-gies, said Sciarappa, Monmouth Countyagricultural
agent with the Rutgers Coop-erative Extension.
You get itchy, watery eyes, nasal con-gestion, he said. Even
today (Friday), Iwalked outside and started coughing justfrom this
burst of pollen in the air.
Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyresidents suffer from hay
fever, and thisseason is shaping up to be one of the worstin years.
The late spring has compressedthe season, and theres been little
rain towash the pollen out of the air, according toexperts.
Sciarappa said the tree pollen is verylarge and very obvious,
and that does af-fect people, sure. The wild bluegrass andother
turf grasses are blooming as well, so
