New Jersey

TRENTON - Gov. Christie's decision to hold special elections as soon as legally possible to replace the late Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg threw the political world into disarray Tuesday and left politicos from all corners with something to gripe about. On a hectic day that also happened to be the day of the New Jersey gubernatorial primary, the Republican governor held a Statehouse news conference to announce an Aug. 13 primary and Oct. 16 general election for Lautenberg's Senate seat.

WASHINGTON - His colleagues said they would miss Sen. Frank Lautenberg's sense of humor, his tenacity, and his dedication to New Jersey. Democrats may also miss Lautenberg's reliable support in a chamber where their majority is now likely to be slimmer for at least months, and perhaps much longer. Immigration reform, which Democrats hope to bring to the Senate floor this month, could be the first test of their party's ability to move its priorities with one less vote. "He was a solid, staunch, and faithful servant for the Democrats, and that vote's gone," said Matthew Hale, a Seton Hall University political science professor.

If New Jersey doesn't buy vacant land now, it will be gone in two decades. That's when geographers predict it will become the first state designated as "built out. " That means no room for new structures, just impervious surfaces diverting storm water into basements, or worse. Before that happens, New Jersey voters should have a say in whether they must live in an overdeveloped state where rainstorms bring the threat of destruction and death. Voters should decide whether the state dedicates more public funds to preserving open space and lessening the impact of flooding.

Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern (27-3) vs. Hunterdon Central (21-8) at Monmouth: Vikings senior righthander Alex Bussison, who is likely to take the mound, pitched a three-hitter in a 4-0 win over Williamstown in his last outing in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals on Tuesday. Hunterdon Central, the No. 9 seed in the Central Jersey Group 4 tournament, has won 12 in a row. Burlington Township (15-7) vs. Northern Burlington (22-4) at Rider: These Burlco Liberty Division rivals split in the regular season, with the Greyhounds winning, 4-2, on May 7 and the Falcons winning, 3-1, on May 13. Likely pitching matchup: Burlington Township junior righthander Dave Viselli (4-3, 2.80 ERA)

TRENTON - Seth Grossman is already talking about his candidacy in the past tense, and the election isn't until Tuesday. Such is the quixotic quest of a Republican seeking to topple GOP hero Gov. Christie. Perhaps you had no idea that there is a gubernatorial primary in New Jersey on Tuesday. And you likely had no idea that Grossman, a 64-year-old Atlantic County lawyer and former freeholder with tea party views to the right of Christie, is on the ballot. Even if he knows he's not going to win. "It's been a real ordeal - but it's been a real education," Grossman said last week.

The apathy that generated a dismal 9 percent turnout in Philadelphia for Pennsylvania's primary election last month will likely be evident again when New Jersey voters take their turn at the polls Tuesday. Most New Jersey incumbents are unopposed within their parties, or they face opponents whose lack of name recognition and campaign funds doesn't add up to a winning combination. Many voters may choose to wait for the shootout in November. But the shooting has already started. Governor Gov. Christie's campaign has been airing TV ads for weeks attacking his prospective Democratic opponent, State Sen. Barbara Buono (D., Middlesex)

Way back in 1965, Steven Van Zandt, a teenager growing up in central New Jersey, went to see a rock band for the first time. The Jersey band playing at the Matawan-Keyport Roller Drome would change the life of the man later known for his roles with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and in HBO's The Sopranos , not to mention for his own Sirius XM radio channel, the Underground Garage. It was the Rascals, the 1960s hit-making quartet whose four original members - singers Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, drummer Dino Danelli, and guitarist Gene Cornish - have reunited, as a result of Van Zandt's persistent prodding, after 40 years apart.

Seven months after the second-most-costly storm ever to strike the U.S. mainland particularly lashed the Jersey Shore, a new survey has found that only a little more than half the residents in coastal areas have taken any action to prepare for the next Superstorm Sandy. And that number that worries local emergency management officials, who say they are urging residents to prepare now for when disaster strikes again. While 58 percent of those surveyed by the American Red Cross and the Weather Channel said they were concerned about a repeat of last year, only a third have a plan that involves communicating with family members should they become separated and knowing where to go if they are evacuated, according to the study, released Friday at Red Cross headquarters in Washington.

WITH ALL of the ups and mostly downs so far this season, there has been a torrent of discussion in town about the Phillies' future and whether we should raise the white flag and trade Chase Utley, Domonic Brown or even Cliff Lee. Like many others, I often complain about how much I miss the baseball of my youth, before free agency, when players could spend their entire career with one team. The fans thought of them as old friends and they almost became part of our lives. Many folks my age decry the fact that almost no one plays his entire career with one team.

By Tom Gilbert and Kelly Mooij For more than half a century, New Jersey voters have repeatedly demonstrated overwhelming support for open space, farmland, and historic preservation funding, passing 13 out of 13 ballot measures since 1961. Moreover, recent surveys indicate that support remains strong today. A survey last month of 600 registered likely voters found that 75 percent support dedicating one-fifth of 1 cent of state sales-tax revenues to fund open space and preservation programs.