New Jersey
Nicol New Jersey ready to play padel, squash and pickleball on this old Fort Monmouth land
Three-minute read
Learn about padel at Padel United in Cresskill NJ: Video
The sport of padel, created in Mexico in 1969, has become more popular in recent years. William Persson, of Fair Lawn, describes the sport.
OCEANPORT — Nicol New Jersey, a racket sports club that offers padel, squash and pickleball under one roof, is just about ready to welcome its first players.
The 20,000-square-foot racket facility, located at the new RiverWalk Center at 850 Oceanport Ave., is expected to have its soft opening this week.
Co-founded by husband and wife team Peter and Jess Nicol, Nicol New Jersey has four indoor pickleball courts, three squash courts and two indoor padel courts. Outdoor pickleball and padel courts are planned as well.
“I grew up playing a number of racket sports,” said Peter Nicol, formerly ranked as the No. 1 squash player in the world. “I played squash and tennis in the same place and it was affordable. It was accessible. It wasn’t a country club.”
The Nicols, who also own Nicol New York City, a squash club in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, are poised to showcase padel at the Jersey Shore, and give racket sports enthusiasts a place to play squash and indoor pickleball too.
“I love this environment,” said Nicol, who says it reminds him of his upbringing in Scotland. “The whole community went to this place to socialize, to maybe eat a little bit, and to play sports. Kids would come play sports and do their homework and parents would be playing on another court while they hung around.”
Padel, the fastest-growing racket sport in the world, originated in Mexico and uses a solid racket. It’s played in doubles. “It’s the perfect combination between squash and tennis,” said Rodrigo Magalhaes, director of rackets.
There are not many padel courts open to the public. In the Jersey Shore area, they are in private hands, Nicol said.
Besides the racket courts, the facility will have a cafe and bar serving beer, wine, cider and smoothies. Customers can either buy a membership or come and pay to play.
“We want to make it like a community,” Peter Nicol said.
There’s also a Spear clinic inside. Spear, a physical therapy provider, has 55 locations, mostly in New York City and four in New Jersey.
Nicol is the first business to open at RiverWalk Center, the new retail plaza under construction along Oceanport Avenue.
Developer Michael Abboud and his development partner, Chris Ilvento, owner of Ilvento Builders & Developers, are building the $25 million project on 12 acres at Parker’s Creek on the Oceanport side of Fort Monmouth.
“There is such a vibe of strong community here,” Jess Nicol said. “I am so lucky to be here.”
There’s a demand for a place like Nicol New Jersey, Peter Nicol said. The Jersey Shore area has a “huge demographic of racket sports players.”
“There’s tennis clubs and tennis courts everywhere,” he said. “There’s that community who wants to play racket sports.”
Jess Nicol said they are connecting with area schools, including the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, that are interested in using Nicol’s squash courts for their racket programs. They also plan to offer summer programs and camps for young players at all skill levels. Coaching also will play a major role at Nicol New Jersey, Peter Nicol said.
“A big part of our business is our junior program,” Jess Nicol said. “Our ultimate mission is to get more people playing racket sports, but it starts with kids and that is our history, that is really how we built our business.”
David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 27 years. He writes APP.com’s What’s Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What’s Going There page on Facebook for updates.
New Jersey
Are all Freedom Fuel locations $3.47? Not anymore
Trump rolls out Freedom Fuel gas stations, what are they?
Trump’s Freedom Fuel is selling gas at $3.47/gal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
President Donald Trump is touting a new fuel option for motorists: Freedom Fuel, advertising gas at a discount price to local consumers.
When the network was opened and announced on July 7, it advertised $3.47 per gallon regular gas at the pumps, a noticeable difference from national and state averages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But is the gas actually as cheap as the 47th President says?
According to some gas tracking platforms, it may not be.
On GasBuddy, a website tracking gas prices across the country with a pricing heat map based on user submissions, some of the Freedom Fuel locations’ pricing appeared to have risen.
Some still sporting the names of what appeared to be their previous sites, like a Gas N Go on Island Ave, the following addresses on GasBuddy match those listed as one of Trump’s 25 gas stations.
The pricing, however, varies:
- 2200 Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 8
- 400 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6243 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6800 E. Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6801 Tilton Rd., Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey – $3.89 as of July 8
- 6501 Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – $3.57 as of July 9
Much about the gas station network remains unknown, like how long they’ll be operating or where stations could be popping up next.
Administration officials told USA TODAY on July 8 that the federal government has no role in the Freedom Fuel Network, nor is it providing it with funding.
The White House also said that “no other entity or person” is subsidizing the cost of gasoline.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY NETWORK
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
New Jersey
Family describes frantic moments delivering baby on the NJ Turnpike
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.
Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.
Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.
He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.
“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.
“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.
New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.
“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.
“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.
“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.
“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.
The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.
“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.
They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.
“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.
New Jersey
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.
There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.
This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.
However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.
Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.
Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank
A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.
Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.
Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.
“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”
“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.
Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.
Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.
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