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Todd Frazier Goes to Bat for Toms River School District Referendum

TOMS RIVER-The administration of the Toms River Regional School District is asking voters to approve a $147 million dollar referendum to repair neglected facilities that have decayed over time.  At this time, how the district got there is not as important as how to fix the neglect, but New York Mets player Todd Frazier, a lifelong resident agrees with many in the community that the repairs are needed.

The referendum election is January 22nd.

On the 22nd voters will decide whether or not to approve the funding. In November, voters can decide what to do with the school board members who allowed the district to get where it is today.

Photo: Todd Frazier/Facebook.

New Murphy Administration Law Enforcement Directive Rolls Out the Red Carpet in Jersey for Illegal Immigrants Looking to Escape Deportation

TRENTON,NJ-New Jersey has taken one step closer to becoming a sanctuary state today after State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan  and Attorney General Gurbir Grewal publicly announced new guidelines that will effectively end all New Jersey police collaboration with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).   Under these new guidelines, police officers will be prohibited from checking the immigration status of suspects, even asking them if they are here legally.  It will also bar officers from working directly with ICE officials, according to the statement released today.

It’s being called “The Immigrant Trust Directive” by the Murphy administration’s top law enforcement officials.

Attorney General Directive 2018-6, known as the “Immigrant Trust Directive,” provides that, except in limited circumstances, New Jersey’s law enforcement officers:

  • Cannot stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status;
  • Cannot ask the immigration status of any individual, unless doing so is necessary to the ongoing investigation of a serious offense and relevant to the offense under investigation;
  • Cannot participate in civil immigration enforcement operations conducted by ICE;
  • Cannot provide ICE with access to state or local law enforcement resources, including equipment, office space, databases, or property, unless those resources are readily available to the public;
  • Cannot allow ICE to interview an individual arrested on a criminal charge unless that person is advised of his or her right to a lawyer

Callahan made the clear distinction that state police officers enforce state laws and municipal law enforcement officers enforce local laws that pertain to public safety and should not be enforcing federal laws.   He also referred to federal immigration crimes as “civil immigration law” and said that only federal officers should be enforcing those laws.

https://www.facebook.com/NewJerseyOAG/videos/282769452587762/

As for the police in your community, Callahan said, “They work to provide public safety, not to enforce immigration laws.”

He added that state and municipal law enforcement officers can no longer ask a suspect their immigration status, except in “rare” cases when it is relevant to a specific criminal investigation.

Effectively, New Jersey has made it clear to the federal government that they will resist President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.   The action also rolls out the welcome mat for illegal immigrants can find a save haven, or sanctuary from the federal government here in the Garden State.

“Today’s directive is intended to draw a clear line between the responsibility of New Jersey’s 36,000 law enforcement officers to enforce state criminal laws and the responsibility of federal immigration authorities to enforce federal civil immigration law,” Grewal said. “The directive applies to all state, county and local law enforcement agencies, including police, prosecutors, county detectives, sheriff’s officers, and correction officers, and seeks to ensure that immigrants feel safe reporting crimes to New Jersey law enforcement officers.”

“We know from experience that individuals are far less likely to report a crime to the local police if they fear that the responding officer will turn them over to federal immigration authorities,” said Attorney General Grewal. “That fear makes it more difficult for officers to solve crimes and bring suspects to justice,” he added. “These new rules are designed to draw a clear distinction between local police and federal civil immigration authorities, ensuring that victims and witnesses feel safe reporting crimes to New Jersey’s law enforcement officers. No law-abiding resident of this great state should live in fear that a routine traffic stop by local police will result in his or her deportation from this country.”

According to the Attorney General’s press release, restrictions are even placed on the most violent offenders in New Jersey. With respect to detainees charged with violent or serious offenses – such as murder, rape, arson, assault, bias crimes, and domestic violence offenses – New Jersey law enforcement and correction officials may notify ICE of the detainee’s upcoming release, but may continue to detain the individual only until 11:59 p.m. that day.    Once an illegal immigrant who has committed murder, rape, arson or domestic violence is processed in and out of the jail system quickly through bail reform, the local authorities only  have until noon to hold that suspect for ICE officials.

Callahan and Grewel both pleaded to New Jersey residents that these new rules don’t impact public safety, but most weren’t buying it.

Grewal denied that his directive would impact public safety to residents of the Garden State.

“Let’s also be clear about what we’re *not* doing today, we’re not stopping cops from enforcing state law,” he said. “We’re not preventing officers from enforcing court orders. And we’re not providing “sanctuary” to those who commit crimes in NJ.”

“You’re a traitor to the United States, you swore an oath to defend the Constitution and you have failed in that oath. Resign now and turn yourself in for prosecution,” chirped David Gibson

“Three tiered system in NJ. Politicians and elitists on top,” said Anthony Calandro.  “Illegals and criminals are second tier. And if course we the tax paying law abiding citizens are on the bottom.”

“No one believes the doublespeak you vomit from your boss,” replied Kenneth Edward.

 

Many disagreed with him on the OAG’s Facebook page.

“Don’t believe those who say otherwise,” he concluded, after all, he’s from the government and here to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guadagno: Legalizing prostitution would be better than legalizing pot

In an interview with Bill Spadea on NJ101.5 yesterday, former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno said legalizing prostitution would be less harmful than legalizing recreational marijuana and that doing so would benefit the women who work in the world’s oldest profession.

“Now that I’m not running for office anymore, if they need revenue that badly, let’s legalize a victimless crime and tax it up the wazoo.  What to I mean by that? Let’ legalize prostitution,” Guadagno said.

“It’s better for women cause they’ll get good medical care. We’ll cut off the middleman, if you know what I mean, and it’s between two consenting adults.”

New Jersey Mayor Turns Off the Lights at Popular Old Bridge Christmas Attraction that Helps Disabled Veterans

Old Bridge,NJ-Each year, for the past 15 years, Thomas and Kris Apruzzi have decorated their home in Old Bridge Township for Christmas and each year, many came from miles around to see it.  As time went on, the extent of the Apruzzis decorating began to draw families and children to see the display from the far reaches of New Jersey.    Now, the township of Old Bridge is trying to force the Apruzzis to turn the lights off permanently after fielding complaints from the neighborhood Grinches, one of them being the town’s mayor himself.

Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry, now being called the Grinch of Old Bridge after imposing a $3,000 per night fee on his neighbor who uses his light show to help critically wounded veterans.

As the popularity of the Apruzzi’s home decorations and light show increased, their home became a popular stop on the New Jersey Christmas tree decoration circuit.  The Apruzzis use the light show to raise money for our nation’s veterans through their relationship with “Homes for Our Troops”, a charitable organization that helps veterans rebuild their lives.   The charity builds homes tailored for severely wounded combat veterans and the Apruzzi family uses the display to raise money for the group.

In 2014, the family was selected to compete on ABC’s Great Christmas Light Fight television show.   After their appearance on television, the light show and display became known nationwide and the amount of visitors continued to increase.  The home was such a fan favorite, that ABC planned on featuring the Old Bridge home for their 2019 season of the Great Christmas Light Fight, but because of the huge crowd the display draws, the family declined the offer, out of respect for their neighbors.

One neighbor wasn’t so gracious and Apruzzi said he has been working on a plan to shut him down.  The township received complaints about the annual attraction and on November 19th tried to crack down on the Apruzzis.  First, the mayor proposed an ordinance that would ban parking on the streets immediately surrounding the Apruzzi home, but township council unanimously voted against restricting parking to stop the display, against the advisement of the mayor citing the display as a public safety concern.

Dozens of residents showed up at the November 19th township council meeting where the town agreed to allow the show to go on, but the Apruzzis were asked to meet with Mayor Owen Henry and the township’s chief of police a few days later.

The Mayor, it turns out, lives on the next street over from the Apruzzi home on Central Avenue, operating a construction business, Owen Henry Contracting, out of his home.  Henry’s home is located just 200 feet south of the Apruzzi home.  Henry has expressed his displeasure with the Apruzzi display in public on several occasions.

Going into the meeting scheduled for 5:30 pm on Monday, the Apruzzis thought they would simply be hammering out last minute details with Mayor Henry and the police chief, as the show is scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 1st.  At the meeting last night, Mayor Henry informed the Apruzzis that they would be required to pay the police department $2,000 per night for police coverage throughout the entire event.  Apruzzi felt the last minute request for money was a premeditated move against him by the mayor.

“After the township council meeting, we thought everything was going good,” Apruzzi said. “Then it all just changed when we met with the mayor and police chief and they told us they wanted money for police and transportation.”

In past years, the police department used auxiliary officers to maintain traffic and to provide public safety during the light show.   This year, they would have to pay union negotiated wages to fully trained officers, just as if they were working a traffic detail for a multi-million dollar road project.

Mayor Henry also dropped a second financial bombshell on the Apruzzis in that meeting.   The Apruzzis would be forced to shuttle visitors into the neighborhood from the local school parking lot, since the township made parking on the streets in their neighborhood illegal at last week’s council meeting.  The cost for bussing would be approximately $1,000 per night.    Although the township council agreed not to shut down the event, the mayor’s office imposed a financial burden that has effectively turned off the lights for good, unless the family could come up with $3,000 per night to pay the township.

Tom Apruzzi, so passionate about the light show and supporting the troops said he would fund the first few nights of the display out of pocket, but friends and family have set up a GoFundMe account to try to keep the event running throughout the holiday season.   So far,  they have raised just $235 out of their goal of $75,000 needed to run each weekend throughout the month of December.

“We’re being singled out, we’re the only Christmas display being shut down by the town,” Apruzzi said. “There are other large displays in town, but we’re the only one being targeted.”   Apruzzi suspects that Henry’s neighborhood connection has something to do with it.

Residents reacted to the Mayor’s decision to shut down the lights using financial means against the Apruzzis drew criticism from many townspeople.

“[The] light show is beautiful and it is a shame the town has no spirit of the season,” Tracy Sussman said.

“Very disappointed in our township, this is not right , you guys are amazing! A lot of children will be sad this year, way to go Mayor,” said Doreen, an Old Bridge resident.

“We’ve been doing this for 15 years and now we see not only families coming out, but I’ve noticed people who were kids 15 years ago are now bringing their own kids to see it,” Apruzzi said. “It has become a Christmas tradition in Old Bridge.”

Others posted pictures of their children visiting the Apruzzi home.    For now, the fate of the Apruzzi light show is up in the air. According to the Go Fund Me page,  Tom Apruzzi said he can foot the bill personally for the first few days, it’s unlikely the family can afford the $75,000 fees imposed on them by Mayor Henry and the display could go dark before the holiday seasons begins.   The Apruzzi light show can be seen at 18 Central Avenue in Old Bridge.

 

We have reached out to the township public business administrator, Himanshu R. Shah seeking comment from the township on this story and will update if necessary.