Everyone we know and speak to knows or loves someone in Keyport, Union Beach and Hazlet. The grief sitting in the quiet streets of these towns is a weight that no residents should ever have to carry alone. When neighbors look around and witness young lives, cherished family members and loyal pets cut down by aggressive illnesses linked to a suspected cancer cluster near the old Aeromarine landfill site, the sorrow is real, heavy and unrelenting.
For months, as independent data and community members have tracked hundreds of distressing diagnoses, navigating official channels has often felt like running into a wall. While state agencies like the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) release reports disputing direct pathways-and local reporting has sometimes struggled to pierce through institutional noise-independent voices and dedicated watchdogs like Bill Wolfe (through platforms like Wolfenotes) have worked to bring transparency to the surface.
When decades of political “kicking the can down the road” leave residents feeling abandoned by the very systems designed to protect them, where do they turn?
Our deepest collective vision for this region must not be defined by industrial neglect. We envision a future built on clean, sparkling waters freely flowing without a trace of industrial legacy. We envision vibrant, safe neighborhoods where children, families and beloved pets can grow old in good health, and thriving local wildlife continues to mirror the natural resilience of our sacred coast.
Change does not come solely from fighting what is broken. Let this necessary change stem from actively celebrating what is precious!
On December 6th, the community is gathering for a special Community Concert dedicated to celebrating life, honoring our resilience and existing in unbreakable unity. Featuring local live musicians and spoken-word artists from right here along the Bayshore, this gathering is a reclamation of our space, our voices and our future.
Come as you are, bring your active hope, and join with your neighbors. While the machinery of bureaucracy moves too slowly, love and community move faster.