NEPTUNE — Officials on Saturday identified the two people found shot to death in a vehicle in Neptune. Township police were called to reports of two shooting victims around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 500 block of Sayre Street, where they found Frantz Paraison 37, of Neptune, and Shaezeel Collins, 37, of Toms River. They were…
Jack Gindi, center, with Joe Grillo, left and Vin Gopal at Congressman Frank Pallone’s 2014 campaign kickoff. Photo via facebook A West Long Branch couple with ties to State Senate candidate Vin Gopal, and two of their Monmouth County based companies have been enjoined from distributing their unapproved injectable skin whitening drugs and other drugs in…
LONG BRANCH-On September 12, 2017 at approximately 2320 hours, 2
FREEHOLD – An Eatontown pediatric surgeon named in a 2-count
by Charles Webster, MCPO FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County grand
TRENTON-The Manalapan based ASE Intensity 12u girls came out winners,
JACKSON-A set of bills sponsored by Jackson’s District 12 Republicans
On 08/30/17, members of Howell Township Police Crime Suppression Unit
From the Desk of Congressman Chris Smith Marking the opening
TINTON FALLS – A man was critically injured early Wednesday when his car veered into the median between the Garden State Parkway’s express and local lanes and overturned, police said. The driver was thrown from the Honda Civic in the 1:06 a.m. crash and taken to a nearby hospital, the State Police said. The man was…
TINTON FALLS – A school bus burst into flames on the Garden State Parkway’s northbound lanes Wednesday morning, but no injuries were reported, the State Police said. The driver was the only person on board and escaped unharmed in the 6:32 a.m. incident near mile marker 105, near the Asbury Toll Plaza, police said. The cause…
HOWELL-This afternoon, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to hold a hearing on a proposed recycling facility to be built on Randolph Road, near the border of Lakewood Township.
Update: The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders have announced Thursday’s hearing will be postponed.
Under the plan, according to testimony by the Monmouth County Solid Waste Advisory Council, the facility will include a 25,000 square foot main building and an 8,000 square foot maintenance garage. A scale house and office building are also part of the proposed waste station.
Many residents are balking over the proposal which will see 1,500 tons of construction debris and recycling waste traverse the sleepy single lane roads surrounding the facility shipped in by large commercial trucks.
Randolph Road is miles from any major thoroughfare in the area, including Interstate 195, Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway, leading many local residents wondering where all of that truck traffic will go.
“My family owns a business located less than a mile from here… 547 is already busy and this will become even more of headache for those who use this road on a daily basis,” said Richard Maida.
The only routes in and out of the facility would mean heavy commercial traffic will traverse local roads though Howell and Lakewood Township. Allenwood-Lakewood Road, Lakewood Farmingdale Road, Squankum Road, Brook Road, County Line Road and others can see large increases in heavy commercial traffic if the Freeholders approve the project at today’s 1pm meeting.
On top of that, the Howell Township watchdog group, Howell NJ Strong published records on Wednesday that showed the firm being chosen for the project, Resource Engineering LLC, based out of a post office box in Farmingdale is owned by Robert French, the husband of recently retired Monmouth County Clerk Claire French, a longtime member of the Monmouth County GOP.
Shore News Network called the Howell Township municipal offices on Tuesday after learning about the application which before our publishing was progressing silently through the approval process.
No Howell officials we spoke to had any information on the project and some were even surprised when we told them what the project consisted of.
Today, we called the office of Freeholder Lillian Burry to ask about the find made by Howell NJ Strong, but a receptionist for the freeholder said Burry was in meetings and probably would not be able to return a phone call before the 1pm meeting. We asked if the item will be still be heard on today’s agenda, and as of 11am, it was.
In a rare move, in a community that has been host to a struggle between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish residents, the two groups came together in opposition against this facility this week after its existence was learned.
The Lakewood Scoop, an online news source for the Lakewood Orthodox Community reported that the project could be the source of a possible recycling war between Monmouth County and Ocean County.
Ocean County receives grants and earns income to offset county taxes through their large recycling network which funds smaller recycling efforts in the local municipalities.
TLS suggested the Monmouth facility would take business away from Ocean County’s public recycling facilities and could end up in increased costs for the county’s operation.
“In addition, this facility would likely process much of Ocean County’s waste – particularly construction and demolition debris – which is currently processed by government contractors along with household waste,” TLS said. “This would significantly raise the cost per ton for Lakewood and other Ocean County townships to process its household waste, which will significantly hurt taxpayers.”
This comment was confirmed with an Ocean County official who wished to remain anonymous.
We attempted to reach Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph Vicari today to speak to him about the potential impact the Howell facility would have on Ocean County, but he was not available and we will update this article as soon as a phone call is returned.
Ocean County and several municipalities within the county operate recycling facilities, which are generally located on major thoroughfares in the their respective communities.
Still, others worried about the project’s link to the former county clerk.
“Crooked as a dog’s hind leg,” said Mark Lynch a member of the Howell NJ Strong Facebook group.
“Nahhhh , no conflict there,” quipped Charles O’Donnell.
“We fought to close the landfill off Allenwood – Lakewood Rd back in the 80’s,” said Debbie Powell, a Howell resident. “They took their time and $$ to only moved down the road to a new location to damage the area like they did back then, don’t let this go in it’s by a natural stream just like the old dump caused the fish to be deformed have tumor’s bad for the environment.”
“Why would MONMOUTH COUNTY include the facility in its Solid Waste Plan and take in 100 Diesel trucks a day mostly from Lakewood in Ocean County,” asked Peter Klymasz. “Seems to reason that Lakewood’s New Hampshire Recycling Plant has plenty of room and a better road system without the creeks under single lane roadways past folks homes.”
The hearing on the project is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 27th at 1pm at the Monmouth County Hall of Records. Residents are invited to come out to express their opinions on this new facility.The construction of the facility will also require traffic safety upgrades on the roadways to accommodate the increase in heavy commercial and truck traffic in that area of the township. A traffic signal and road improvements will be constructed at the intersection of Randolph Road and Lakewood-Farmingdale Road.
The facility will take in a steady stream of construction and demolition debris and operate Monday through Friday from 7am to 5pm and on Saturdays from 7am to noon.
SHREWBURY BOROUGH — The front steps and fence of a a historic building in Shrewbury were damaged after being struck by a car following a crash Sunday afternoon, according to a report on APP.com Two vehicles headed in different directions collided on Sycamore Avenue, sending one of the car spinning through the fence before it came…
BEACH HAVEN — A man pulled a sand shark out of the waves with his bare hands on Sunday afternoon and returned it to deeper waters with the help of a lifeguard on a personal watercraft. The roughly three-foot shark made its way to the shoreline in Beach Haven and drew a big crowd when a…
Editor Update: According to officials, the girl in this story passed on Monday at the hospital.
SANDY HOOK – A young girl had to be revived with a defibrillator Sunday after being pulled from the water by lifeguards at a Sandy Hook beach. Lifeguards immediately began CPR after rescuing the girl, who was taken to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, said Daphne Yun, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. “I…
KEANSBURG– Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the death of a young girl found dead at an apartment complex Thursday morning. Andreas Erazo was arrested and charged Thursday morning, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said. Erazo is due in Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold at 1:30 p.m. Eleven-year-old Abbiegail “Abbie” Smith was found…
MONMOUTH COUNTY — A 1-year-old girl thrown from a vehicle during a rollover crash on the Garden State Parkway on Sunday after she wasn’t properly secured remains in critical condition, authorities said. No charges have been filed against the 42-year-old Ocean Township woman driving the vehicle but the investigation is ongoing, State Police Lt. Ted Schaefer…
MATAWAN — Four firefighters were hurt and a home badly damaged during a fire Monday afternoon, according to APP.com. A neighboring home on Nawatam Way also sustained smoke damage, the report said. No one was home when the fire broke out. One firefighter burned a hand, another an arm while two were treated for smoke inhalation.…
FREEHOLD — The man accused of strangling Sarah Stern during a robbery attempt late last year at her Neptune City home will not take a plea deal, his attorney said on Monday. Liam McAtasney, 19, has pleaded not guilty in the Dec. 2 death of Stern, 19, his childhood friend. He is charged with murder and…
FREEHOLD — A former Crips street gang member told jurors on Thursday he expected his friends, on trial for racketeering conspiracy, would retaliate against the man who shot him and that he became upset when they didn’t. Pedro Rosario said he called James Fair to complain that no one had tried to kill the man who…
New Jersey could be on the brink of its third heat wave of the year — with temperatures soaring to the 90-degree mark and high humidity making it feel like it’s close to 100 degrees — just in time for Fourth of July weekend. “Summer is back,” said Joe Martucci, a meteorologist at the WeatherWorks forecasting…
The father of a Connecticut man found stabbed to death in Oceanport in November has sued a prominent jeweler alleging he helped cover up the crime, according to NYPost.com. Pat Comunale filed a lawsuit against James Rackover, accusing the 57-year-old of “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” and that Comunale’s family suffered “mental and physical anguish” over…
EDISON — An Edison cop was arrested Sunday in Belmar on charges he assaulted an officer and resisted arrest, according to court records. Dmitry Smolkin, who joined the force in December 2015, is scheduled to appear before Municipal Judge Dennis Lavender Wednesday morning in Belmar on the charges, municipal court officials said Wednesday morning. Edison Police…
John Valentin, 50, of Holmdel, New Jersey was behind the wheel of an SUV that crashed into a building in Red Bank, New Jersey on Thursday morning. Valentin is a former stand out baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. Red Bank Green reported that John Valentin and Divina Valentin were in…
BELMAR — An 83-year-old World War I statue has been vandalized, according to Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty. Someone tried to break the soldier’s rifle, which damaged the scabbard and loosened the statue from its pedestal. It’s not known when the “Spirit of the American Doughboy” was damaged. The Belmar Historical Society plans to raise money to…
BELMAR — The 12-year-old girl who drowned in Belmar Thursday night and her 11-year-old cousin who remains on life support after being pulled from the ocean would have attended their last day of elementary school Friday. Instead, Belmar Elementary School is gripped with grief by the tragedy, school Superintendent David R. Hallman said Friday morning. “They’re…
WALL — Wall Township High School will reprint corrected yearbooks for every student after a photo was intentionally manipulated to cover up a junior’s Donald Trump T-shirt, according to the district. Superintendent Cheryl Dyer announced the decision in a letter to parents on Thursday, a week after the district was first alerted to the altered photo.…
TRENTON — If you lined up every person who had been arrested on marijuana charges in the Garden State since 2000, according to a new report from the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, they would stretch the entire length of the New Jersey Turnpike — and into Maryland. The advocacy group found marijuana…
The jellyfish with a dangerous sting that caused a scare on the Jersey Shore last summer, prompting the cancellation of several events, have reappeared in a Monmouth County river, researchers say. Clinging jellyfish – whose sting can cause “excruciating pain”, muscle weakness and serious medical problems, including kidney failure – were observed and recorded in New…
FREEHOLD – A 20-year-old Monmouth County woman was arraigned on multiple charges, included murder and robbery, in a Monmouth County courtroom on Monday morning for her alleged role in a February killing and attempted cover-up. Wearing a maroon, jail-issued uniform and with her hands shackled in front of her, Tinton Falls resident Raquel Garajau, 20, pleaded…
New Jersey residents on Friday should be able to end their week with some pretty nice weather that should carry into Saturday. Friday should be mostly sunny with highs near 77. After 2 p.m., however, there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Forecasters say highs will reach 79 in Vineland, Trenton and Newark. There…
A swimming advisory was issued for five ocean beaches in Monmouth County on Wednesday afternoon due to high levels of bacteria. The five beaches include: Broadway and Spray Avenue, in Neptune Township; Public Beach in Sea Bright Borough; and Brown Avenue and York Avenue in Spring Lake Borough. The statewide agency will check the beaches every…
HOLMDEL — Two alleged robbers tied up a Holmdel couple Saturday night as they rummaged through their personal belongings for items to steal, authorities said. Two township residents, a 45-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man, came home around 10:54 p.m. to two individuals in their townhouse on Banyan Boulevard, said Donna Weaver, a spokeswoman for the…
NEWARK — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno may be distancing herself from Gov. Chris Christie as she runs for the Republican nomination to succeed him, but she didn’t scoff Wednesday at the idea of Christie becoming the new head of the FBI. President Donald Trump on Tuesday fired James Comey as FBI director. Christie has a background…
Police are investigating a shooting in a Jackson Township trailer park where one man was treated in the hospital for a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Police said. just after midnight on May 4, 2017 Jackson Police Officers Kafton, Daniels and Mabey were conducting an investigation in the Luxury Mobile Home Community, located off Toms River Road (Rt 571). While there, the aforementioned officers heard a number of gunshots coming from an adjacent street, Coleman Way, in the community. After arriving on Colemen Way numerous residents were located outside. After speaking with the residents, a description of a male suspect and vehicle possibly involved was obtained.
A short time later, Community Medical Center contacted the Jackson Police Department and indicated they had a shooting victim in their Emergency Room. The victim was identified as a 22 year old male from Neptune NJ. The male was treated and later released with an abdominal wound.
While checking the Coleman Way area, officers located a number of .40cal shell casings on the ground. Officers also identified a mobile home, which was occupied, that had one round which penetrated the home’s exterior wall.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Jackson Police Detective John Rodriguez at 732-833-3008 or leave information on the Jackson Police Department’s Tip Line at 732-833-3032.
FREEHOLD BOROUGH — The borough’s school district intends to sue the Department of Education over millions in state aid the district claims it’s not receiving. A resolution that sets the stage for litigation unanimously passed the Freehold Borough Board of Education at its meeting Monday evening. A lawsuit will be filed in about a week or…
HOWELL — A 25-year-old Marlboro man died after he crashed his car early Sunday while trying to evade authorities, police said. Brian Fani was pronounced dead at the scene after he ran his 2009 Subaru Legacy off the road at a bend in the road on Southard Avenue near the Howell Golf Course, side-swiped a utility…
JACKSON-It’s being called Jackson Crossing 2 and includes a domed multipurpose sports facility. The project as submitted by Cardinale Enterprises of Jackson Township, developer of Jackson Crossing, consists of an indoor soccer dome, and multipurpose turf fields that include one full baseball field, 3 soccer fields and 4 baseball/softball diamonds.
A hearing at the township zoning board will be heard on April 19th at 7pm. A variance is needed to build the 50.5 ft high dome in a zone where there is a 35.5 foot limit.
The proposed facility will be built at the southeast corner of the exit 16 interchange of Route 195, just north of Six Flags Great Adventure.
According to tax records, the the property was purchased on March 29, 2016 for $1.15 million.
DEAL-A plan by the borough council is under fire by the New Jersey Chapter of the Surfrider Organization. The organization is claiming that beaches aren’t the only thing here that need cleaning, but so does a new ordinance that could allocate public funds to beaches that are off limits to the general public.
According to Andrew L. Chambarry, Esq., representing the public, “The Borough of Deal has proposed their most sinister parking plan to date. They want to charge the public for parking passes which would fund the purchase of a beach sweeping machine. The machine will be used to clean beaches that you can’t access.”
At a public meeting on April 5, 2017, the Borough of Deal introduced Ordinance #1143 which would require permit parking during the summer months on five streets (Monmouth Terrace, Monmouth Drive, Hathaway, Sydney and Neptune Ave) with two vital beach access points for a cost of $100 for the summer or $50 per month.
“Mayor Cohen also said, and this is a direct quote from the public hearing, that this ordinance is the lesser of two evils,” said Harry Chambarry. “So he admits that the ordinance is evil.”
A release by the organization read:
At the meeting, Mayor Cohen said it best, “If you want easier public access, you’re going to have to pay!” The Borough wants the public to pay $100 for a parking permit that won’t guarantee a space. They won’t restrict beachfront residents from purchasing permits and parking on the street to keep you away. They won’t admit that restricting parking is restricting access. They have no plan for ADA access or handicapped parking. They have no plan for increased traffic west of Ocean Ave. They want to push Ordinance #1143 through.
Worst of all is the Borough’s reasoning behind the Ordinance. They plan to purchase a $100,000 “beach sweep” machine to clean the beaches. Sounds great right? Wrong. Deal has notoriously horrible public access. Many of the street ends lead to dead-ends where access points should be. These street ends were vacated by the Borough in the 1980’s and early 1990’s to benefit adjacent homeowners and create private beaches. In essence, the Borough wants to charge you for a permit to fund beach cleaning equipment for beaches that you can’t enjoy.
The borough tried to pass similar ordinances in October 2015 and June 2016 restricting access. Those ordinances were tabled after they were met with fierce opposition. Ordinance #1143 is another slap in the face to local taxpayers, given that Deal’s beaches were recently the benefactor of a $40 million taxpayer-funded beach restoration project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
It’s clear to everyone that the Borough intends to keep surfers, fisherman and the general public away from what they consider to be “their” private beaches. We have a right to access and enjoy the shoreline under New Jersey law. We can’t allow the Borough of Deal to restrict access to beaches that we all paid for.
TOMS RIVER — Five property owners were charged Thursday with bilking the federal government out of nearly $300,000 in federal Hurricane Sandy aid for allegedly lying on their applications to get money to rebuild homes at the Shore damaged by the 2012 storm. In four of the cases state Attorney General Christopher Porrino laid out, the…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_images_carousel images=”94577,94578,94579,94580,94581,94582″ img_size=”800×450″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fire has damaged 7 buildings overnight in Ocean Grove. Visit https://twitter.com/neptuneoem to get details on this story.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical
NEPTUNE, NJ – After facing years of setbacks and obstacles, the long-awaited dredging project at Shark River has been completed. Equipment from the project, which included removing sediment and reopening the navigation channels in the Shark River, is being removed.
“I’m pleased to report that with help of local and state partners, Shark River’s navigable channels have been restored to use,” said Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone. “The project’s two phases have restored the full length of the navigable channels.”
“The restoration of state channels to allow safe passage for recreational and commercial traffic is critically important to maintaining our vibrant shore economy,” NJDOT Commissioner Richard T. Hammer said. “I am proud of the efforts of the NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources, working with the county and local officials, to make the Shark River safer to navigate than it has been in decades.”
The dredging project hydraulically removed almost three decades of sediment from the Shark River making it possible for vessels to travel during low tide from the eastern side of the river in Neptune Township to the main channels on the western side in Neptune City and Belmar. Approximately 9,000 feet of navigable channels have been restored.
The sediment was hydraulically dredged and then piped via a secure welded pipeline to mechanical dewatering equipment located in the Belmar Marina parking lot. The dewatered material was then trucked to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center for beneficial use as cover material on the active landfill.
“Last summer this project was suspended by the shutdown of projects funded by the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF),” said Arnone. “I participated in negotiations with the State to restart this project and I plan to keep advocating for the State to maintain and improve this valuable environmental, recreational and economic resource for all County residents.
“Efforts to dredge the Shark River were a long time in the making and I am extremely pleased that our strong coalition of State, County and local leaders effectively advocated and committed funding to the dredging project,” said Arnone. “Twenty years ago, I was a councilman in Neptune City when I began advocating for keeping the Shark River a viable waterway. I kept up the pressure as mayor and finally, as a Monmouth County Freeholder, I am seeing results. Thank you to the NJDOT, the County Freeholders, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Wall, and Belmar.”
“I am pleased to have worked to secure funding for the Shark River dredging which was long overdue,” said Congressman Chris Smith. “The FEMA reimbursement of roughly one third of the project cost made the dredging possible, and will now make for safe navigation in the state channels. As someone who grew up boating and fishing on the Shark River, I know the importance of seeing this waterway improved.”
The dredging project was bid at $7.6 million, began in December 2015 and was performed by Mobile Dredging sand Pumping Co. of Chester, Pennsylvania. County and municipal commitments were as follows: Monmouth County $1.1 million; Neptune City $100,000; Neptune Township $450,000; and Wall Township $315,000. Belmar provided in-kind service for the dewatering process at the Belmar Marina.
“This is really a beginning; it certainly could not have been accomplished without the coordination of the surrounding municipalities, County, and the State to get it off the ground,” Senator Jennifer Beck said. Going forward we must conduct regular maintenance dredging to ensure the viability of this river.”
HOWELL, NJ – Freehold Township High School came up winners in the 2017 Monmouth County Consumer Bowl, a game-show-style competition for teams of high school students held Feb. 14 at the Monmouth County Fire Academy.
Students from seven high schools answered consumer-related questions in a multiple choice and open-ended format to test their knowledge of consumer issues, such as Internet fraud and buying and leasing automobiles.
The six-member team from Freehold Township High School successfully earned its 2017 Monmouth County Consumer Bowl title against students from Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Howell, Manalapan and Raritan and Saint John Vianney High School.
“The best part about this program is that all of our participating young adults gained some knowledge about what it takes to help them be smarter consumers and possibly future consumer advocates,” said Freeholder Serena DiMaso, who was on hand to congratulate the winners. “It is also a great way to promote the County’s Consumer Affairs office, which enforces consumer laws and helps people who suspect they might be victims of unscrupulous business practices.”
In the final round, Freehold Twp. faced-off with Howell High School. Though the scores were close, the Freehold Township team was victorious and won the 2017 County Consumer Bowl for the seventh time in eight years. .
“It’s important that teens understand consumer and business concepts, like credit and identity theft, banking and fraud, marketing and advertising,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the County’s Division of Consumer Affairs. “Consumer Bowl participants are a step ahead of their peers with their knowledge of consumer issues and are well-prepared to tackle issues in the marketplace.”
Team members are Anna Landre (team captain), Matthew Bernstein, Jake LaFronz, Michael Galanaugh and Raiyan Hussain. Their advisor is Dan Cooper; school principal is Elizabeth Higley.
The Freehold Township team now moves on to the regional competition on April 6 with home field advantage because the competition will be held at the Monmouth County Fire Academy. The winner of the regional competition will go on to compete in the 2017 New Jersey State Consumer Bowl scheduled for May in Trenton.
The New Jersey High School Consumer Bowl is a program of the state Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs. It was established in 1997 to help students learn about consumer issues that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Since the County’s Division of Consumer Affairs was established in 1977, the department has handled more than 50,000 complaints and resolved disputes, resulting in savings to consumers of more than $22 million; $9 million has been resolved in the past five years.
Consumer Affairs is a law enforcement agency, created and funded by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. It protects against consumer fraud and dishonest and dishonest business practices by enforcing the state Consumer Fraud Act and many other regulations.
Additional information about fraud and other consumer affairs programs can be found on the County website at www.VisitMonmouth.com, by calling 732-431-7900 or email ConsumerAffairs@co.monmouth.nj.us. The office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The top two contending Republican candidates for the office of Governor in New Jersey, Kim Guadagno and Jack Ciattarelli continue to ignore the growing nightmare facing New Jersey, bail reform.
We’ve asked both campaigns repeatedly to let New Jersey know where they stand on bail reform, but so far, what we received was a new CD release from “Black Train Jack” Ciattarelli mocking Kim Guadagno and more silence from Guadagno who is quickly becoming deserving of her moniker, “Silent Kim”.
The two of them are shining examples of Trenton style politics independent Republicans across New Jersey are sick and tired of. One of them is busy producing music releases (who uses compact discs anyway?), the other making no noise at all.
Here’s what we know about bail reform so far…
TOMS RIVER-Let’s face it, most criminals and drug addicts don’t have long term financial planners and they live life payday to payday to survive. That’s not to say these criminals are not smart. In fact, they are very smart. They know how to get what they need, when they need and however they have to do it.
With changes in New Jersey’s bail reform, many who would be incarcerated until trial, you know those poor individuals who couldn’t make bail under the old system, are getting out of jail just hours after committing their crimes.
They committed those crimes out of necessity. According to local law enforcement authorities most of these criminals commit crimes out of necessity. The need for money to pay for drugs, or they need for money to pay rent. It’s what drives a large portion of the county’s criminals to commit the crimes they commit over and over again.
When they steal your jewelry, your stored away cash or electronics, they aren’t interested in having those items to improve their lives, they steal those items in the hopes of selling them for another heroin fix in most cases.
Criminals also know where to find the easy targets, Ocean County’s 125,000 strong senior population of 65 and overs. 27.7% of Ocean County’s total population are senior citizens.
Senior communities have long been the target of burglars looking for jewelry to pawn so they can get their daily heroin fix. They also know that seniors are a higher score for prescription medication.
In the old days, 2016, many of these criminals who act out of desperation would be held in jail on bail. It was to their benefit and the benefit of the law abiding community outside of jail.
Some say it’s not fair to hold these people in jail while they await trial, but today, the tables have turned. Now it’s not fair to the law abiding population that these individuals are immediately being returned to their communities to commit more crimes.
It has been proven very early on that bail reform isn’t working. Criminals and addicts so desperate for money are being released because a computer says so and because a judge receives a pinky promise from the defendant. That’s all that protects Ocean County’s senior citizens in 2013, a computerized grading system and a promise to not commit more crime and to return to court like a good citizen should.
Except, they’re not going to return to court. They’re not going to stop committing crimes, because in most cases, it’s beyond their own physical and mental control.
While Ocean County’s judges continue this revolving door, they’re only thinking about the rights of the criminals and not the rights of the county’s law abiding residents…especially the senior citizens who are the easy prey for these individuals.
Related stories:
http://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2017/02/how-shore-area-legislators-voted-on-latest-bail-reform-funding-bill/
http://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2017/02/ocean-county-freeholder-joe-vicari-throw-out-bail-reform-and-start-over/
After being governor for 7 years, Chris Christie recently embarked on a crusade to fight New Jersey’s growing opiate addiction problem, which has been growing for many years. Many are now questioning the governor’s motives and doubting his sincerity in the effort. What do you think?
In January, New Jersey legislators were asked to throw $17.6 million dollars into the new failing bail reform system to hire 20 more judges required to manage the system that has been nothing but a revolving door for repeat criminals in the state.
These are the Jersey Shore area legislators who recently voted to spend $17.6 million on continuing bail reform. We have added their phone numbers for those who want to call to express their concerns.
YES – Voted to spend $17.6 million over 2 years to keep bail reform alive.
NO – Voted against spending $17.6 million
ABSTAIN – Did not vote.
Here’s who voted here at the Jersey Shore:
District 13 – Northern Monmouth
YES Senator Joe Kyrillos (732) 671-3206
NO Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (732) 383-7820
YES Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (732) 933-1591
District 11 – Central Monmouth
YES Senator Jennifer Beck (732) 933-1591
YES Assemblyman Joann Downey (732) 695-3371
YES Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling (732) 695-3371
District 30 – Southern Monmouth/Northern Ocean
YES Senator Robert Singer (732) 987-5669
YES Assemblyman Sean Kean (732) 974-0400
YES Assemblyman David Rible (732) 974-0400
District 12 – Western Ocean
YES Senator Samuel Thompson (732) 607-7580
YES Assemblyman Robert Clifton (732) 970-6386
YES Assemblyman Ron Dancer (609) 758-0205
District 10 – Central Ocean County
ABSTAIN Senator James Holzapfel (732) 840-9028
YES Assemblyman Gregory McGuckin (732) 840-9028
YES Assemblyman David Wolfe (732) 840-9028
District 9 – Southern Ocean County
NO Senator Christopher Connors (609) 693-6700
NO Assemblyman Dianne Gove (609) 693-6700
NO Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (609) 693-6700
District 2 – Atlantic County
YES Senator Jim Whelan (609) 383-1388
YES Assemblyman Chris Brown (609) 677-8266
YES Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo (609) 383-1388
District 1 – Cape May
YES Senator Jeff Van Drew (856) 765-0891
YES Assemblyman Bob Andrzejczack (856) 765-0891
YES Assemblyman R. Bruce Land (856) 765-0891
The political landscape in Ocean and Monmouth Counties has been ugly of late, but it looks like it’s about to get uglier as deflated progressives at the shore are backed further into a corner of irrelevance. But one man this week said he intends to bottle up that frustration and unleash it before the 2018 congressional elections.
James Keady a political disruptor, known most for being told to “sit down and shut up” by Governor Chris Christie said this week that shore Democrats and progressives need to begin to organize grassroots efforts and step up political activism if they want to start winning elections in the predominantly conservative region of New Jersey.
“We have momentum. We are on the right side of the issues. We are ready to stand up and be counted,” Keady said. “Now, let’s get down to business.”
What?
Democrats in Ocean and Monmouth Counties hold no higher office outside of a couple of mayors and council seats. It’s unsure what momentum he is referring to.
Keady lost the Democratic nomination for Congressman last November to perhaps one of the worst run campaigns and failed candidates at the Jersey Shore in decades, that of Frederick John LaVergne. Despite LaVergne’s personal bankruptcy and home foreclosure proceedings, Democrats chose him to go to battle against Tom MacArthur last year…and lost miserably. On top of that, Republican Tom MacArthur cleaned LaVergne’s clock in the election booth.
In Monmouth County and Northern Ocean, Congressman Chris Smith won his 18th consecutive election, this year flattening his Democratic opponent Lorna Phillipson by a more than 2-1 margin.
With conventional campaigning ineffective for Democrats, Keady says it’s time to take to the streets to protest, march and disrupt. Keady now hopes to tap into the young leftist activist moving sweeping across urban America in the wake of the Trump presidency.
“In response to our current political reality, many people are finding themselves adopting the role of being a political activist for the first time,” Keady said. “People who have never protested before are marching in the streets. People who didn’t know the names of their elected officials are now calling their offices every day.”
Keady recommended young aspiring leftists should start reading ‘Rules for Radicals’ by Saul Alinsky. He also suggested young liberals connect online with the radical disruptive ‘Our Revolution’ movement.
He also encouraged liberals to get off of Facebook and Twitter and to get out into the streets of the Jersey Shore.
“Realize that we are not going to Tweet or Facebook post our way out of this,” Keady added. “It’s going to take our time, effort, and sacrifice in real life. Make the time and put in the effort to actively be a part of organizing meetings, demonstrations, call-ins, etc.”
Keady offered would-be organizers a script designed to discredit Congressman Chris Smith, a Republican.
Here is a sample script.
YOU: Do you think our Congressperson should live in our district?
NEIGHBOR: Of course.
YOU: Did you know that Chris Smith hasn’t lived in our district since the early 80s? He’s been living in Virginia for so long that his kids get in-state tuition at Virginia schools.
NEIGHBOR: What?! That’s crazy.
YOU: Yeah, he keeps a small apartment in Mercer County so he can have a NJ address. A news outlet did a story about it years ago and the neighbors there didn’t even know that a Congressman lived in the complex, they were shocked.
NEIGHBOR: That’s just wrong.
YOU: Along with him not living here, did you know that he never comes back to the district to hold open, public town hall meetings?
NEIGHBOR: Really?
YOU: Yeah, some friends and I have looked into it and we cannot find any reference of any town hall meetings on record since he’s been in office. Some people think there may have been one in 1991 or 1992, but we can’t find anything about it. We keep calling and emailing his office to get an answer and they won’t tell us when the last one happened and he refuses to commit to a town hall meeting in 2017.
NEIGHBOR: What?! That’s crazy.
YOU: Yeah, isn’t it? Our tax dollars pay this guy’s salary, the least he can do is meet us face to face a few times a year, right?!
NEIGHBOR: Yeah, that’s the least he can do.
YOU: Do you think that there are way too many people in Washington who have been there far too long? Don’t we need some new blood?
NEIGHBOR: Absolutely. That’s why I agreed with Trump that we should “drain the swamp.”
YOU: I hear you. Did you know that our Congressman has been in the same office for 37 years.
NEIGHBOR: What?! That’s crazy.
YOU: Yeah, 37 years. My friends and I think that’s long enough and it’s time we get someone new in there to shake things up. Someone who’s an independent thinker from outside of Washington.
NEIGHBOR: I am down with that.
YOU: I am involved with a group that is working on bringing people together who agree with us that we need new blood in Congress and that at a minimum, our Congressperson should live in our district and should hold regular town halls to listen to the concerns of taxpayers. Would you like to join us one night?
NEIGHBOR: Sure.
YOU: Cool. Why don’t you give me your email address and cell number and I will shoot you a message about the next meeting. If you need a ride maybe we can go over together.
NEIGHBOR: That sounds great.
This last part of the engagement is REALLY important. If we are going to be effective political organizers, we need to be able to get in touch with people. Getting someone’s contact info is as important as it gets. So never, ever, ever skip this step. Even if they aren’t yet interested in coming to a meeting, ask for their info and tell them you would like to reach out to them in the future. Getting email addresses and cell numbers is gold in political organizing.
Keady’s message is inline with the Ocean and Monmouth Democrat’s scheduled meetings to begin enticing local radicals at the Jersey Shore how to become political activists and disruptors, following the model being used at the national level.
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