Let's face it: There are a lot of big, big businesses out there. And, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Many of these large businesses provide us with some of our most needed services. Many of them employ our friends, our neighbors, our families–and, for that, we are grateful. Still, there is something about a small business on Main Street, the local place, the place where everyone recognizes your face. You know more of the money you spend there has a better chance of staying in your community. Not only do these places employ your friends, your neighbors, your families, a lot of these …

The amount of happiness you have (or that you're perceived to have) may depend on where you live, at least as far as a recent Monmouth University poll thinks. First released in April, the university's "Garden State's Quality of Life" poll looked at a number of factors in people polled in determining what makes happiness thrive in New Jersey, and where it most likely is to exist. For the full April 2011 study, visit the polling site. Recently, the survey breakdown by region revealed Morris County as the "happiest" county in the state, with our friends way down in Cumberland County ranking at …

Residents of the Chathams recently received their local tax bills, which increased compared to last year. The Chatham Township Committee voted for an Open Space Tax of five cents in April in an effort to keep taxes level, and the Chatham Borough Council passed a budget with a 3.13 tax levy increase, also in April. Chathamites voted to approve the school budget by over 66 percent in April. The school budget included a 2.4 increase in the tax levy. As explained by board members in March, the budget included a 2.7% tax levy increase for borough residents and a 1.8% tax levy increase for township…

President Barack Obama announced an agreement on the debt deal on Sunday, avoiding the nation's first default on loans. According to an article on Politico.com, the deal includes no tax increases while cutting spending by $917 billion over the next 10 years. In return, the debt ceiling will be increased by $900 billion, which will be enough for the government to make it through the end of this year. Chathamites, tell us: What do you think of the debt agreement? Chatham Township resident David Deuchler said he was "disappointed" in the process of reaching an agreement on the debt issue. "It's …