OLD BRIDGE-Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry has so far declined to speak to Shore News Network after we broke the story of his plan to shake down the homeowner of a Christmas display in his town, but he has spoken to television news outlets and he says, “I’m not a grinch.”
After being reported on Shore News Network on Tuesday, the story of how the mayor of Old Bridge stole Christmas went viral nationwide. The story was featured on most local television news segments by Wednesday evening in the tri-state area and even made headlines in local newspapers nationwide after the story was picked up by the Associated Press.
Henry went against his township council’s advice to allow the show to go on interrupted after a November 19th township meeting and engaged in a private shakedown with homeowner Tom Apruzzi and the town’s chief of police.
Henry demanded Apruzzi pay the town $2,000 per night to host his annual light show which has been featured year after year on the local television news networks and he was featured on ABC’s holiday special, “The Great Christmas Light Fight” in which competitors from around the country face off to see who has the most extravagant Christmas light display.
Apruzzi’s light show is cherished by many across New Jersey, and even his neighbors, except at least one. Mayor Henry’s home sits just 200 hundred feet from the Apruzzi home and he has been leading the charge in his own great Christmas light fight.