Fix your own roads in New Jersey? Rod Stewart fixed his

Rod Stewart, the world-class Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician was fed up. The road where he resides in Harlow, Essex England was in disrepair and had many potholes. After neighbors complained to the county road repair department nothing was done. An ambulance blew a tire on the way to attend to a medical emergency, Rod said he couldn’t navigate his Ferrari down the street without damage to the expensive car, and residents and passersby were ”busting” up their cars on that road. So what’s a millionaire to do, well he rounded up some other neighbors and his boys, called in gravel truck, and paved the road themselves.

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Now you would think that this very generous act of community service and involvement would be appreciated by county Essex, Nope. They were upset because they didn’t want other residents going out on other roads and repairing them on their own. The county officials said it wasn’t safe and proper traffic management was not in place. I think it’s a great idea.

Photo by Jamar Penny on Unsplash

Can you imagine if we repaired our roads here in New Jersey? Most of our residents come from the “get it done” mold. With higher-income neighbors helping to defray the cost and others chipping in on the labor, roads here in New Jersey would get paved.

I’m talking about the streets where you live not the Parkway or Turnpike or major thoroughfares, just the streets where you live. It would also leave you with a sense of pride and accomplishment that you took the lead in fixing what the county or town couldn’t get around to. It’s a farfetched idea with many parts to figure out and let’s face it 99% of us here in

Rod Stewart - Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

New Jersey doesn’t have Rod Stewarts' money but there are many here in New Jersey who can find the resources and we certainly have those who lend their time and man and woman power to fixing their New Jersey roads. Something to ponder.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

Every NJ pizza joint Barstool's Dave Portnoy has reviewed

Dave Portnoy, commonly known as El Presidente, is the founder of Barstool Sports. Somewhere along the way, he decided to start reviewing local pizzerias, and the concept took off. Here is every New Jersey pizzeria Dave has stopped in, along with the score he gave them.

Best coffee shops & cafes near NJ beaches

When it comes to food, New Jersey is known for many things such as pizza and pork roll. Don't count us out when it comes to coffee.

With all the hustle and bustle involved in the average New Jersey resident's day, coffee is essential. It doesn't matter whether you're living in the cities of North Jersey or the vacation spots at the shore.

In fact, as the former owner of two Jersey shore coffee houses, Coffee Dot Comedy in Sea Isle City and the Daily Grind in Ocean Grove, I know firsthand how much people at the Jersey shore love their coffee.

With respect to that, I asked my social media following where the best coffee houses at the Jersey Shore were, especially since my two places no longer exist.

Below is what they came up with. (And see this other article for their coffee shop and cafe recommendations for Central Jersey.)