LAKEWOOD — The township has exceeded 100,000 residents, making it the eighth largest in New Jersey, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent data. The Ocean County town now has approximately 100,758 residents, according to the bureau’s data from 2016. That’s a 1.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. Very few local municipalities are…
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First mounds of sand pumped ashore to start massive beach replenishment project
ORTLEY BEACH — The first mounds of sand for one of New Jersey’s largest beach replenishment projects started being pumped onto Ortley Beach this week as Shore towns on the northern Ocean County peninsula, which for decades had fought hard against engineered beaches, relented after Hurricane Sandy. After having at least two projected start dates fall…
Rullo: Guadagno "Sold Her Soul"; Secures Powerful Lakewood Orthodox Bloc Vote
LAKEWOOD-The influential political power brokers of Lakewood Township, the Lakewood Vaad, have announced Kim Guadagno as their candidate of choice for governor of New Jersey in Tuesday’s Republican primary election.
In a report yesterday on the political news website, Ocean County Politics, editor Gavin Rozzi broke the news through a video published by Lakewood’s “First Amendment Activist” of a robocall sent out by Rabbi Yisroel Schenkolewksi, one of the Vaad’s religious and political leaders.
In the call, Schenkolewksi urged Lakewood’s Orthodox voters that a vote for Guadagno, Lakewood’s large bloc vote remains powerful.
“Let us stop those who are trying to divide us and weaken us,” Schenkolewksi said.
Guadagno’s opponent in the election, Ocean County resident Joseph Rullo wondered what offers or promises Guadagno made to Lakewood in return for the endorsement.
“It’s so corrupt how one guy can cut a deal to get 13,000 votes for promises after elected in Lakewood,” Rullo said. “Kim sold her soul….Lakewood is a sanctuary city with no rules.”
The news also doesn’t sit well with voters in the Republican stronghold of Ocean County where an ongoing confrontation exists between Lakewood’s growing Orthodox Jewish population and the surrounding gentile townships of Jackson, Brick, Toms River and Howell where Rullo is showing strong against Guadagno and the other Republican establishment candidates.
In a new SaveJersey poll, a shore area conservative blog site, Rullo is leading the pack with 41% of voters. Rival conservative Steve Rogers polled with 22% with Guadagno and her establishment arch-nemesis Jack Ciattarelli trailing with just 14% and 16% respectively.
In the latest Shore News Network poll, consisting mostly of Ocean County residents, Rullo received 51% of the votes and Guadagno 27.8%. Ciattarelli (8%), Singh (7%) and Rogers (5%) all trailed.
Rullo hopes his conservative platform and open support of Donald Trump resonates with the New Jersey voters on Tuesday. He backed the president in last November’s election and has been a staunch supporter of Trump since his announcement in 2015.
Rullo said he feels most of New Jersey’s Trump supporters will be behind him, while Guadagno, Ciattarelli and Singh compete over the balance of the establishment type voters in the state.
One Injured as Man Jumps Out of Window to Escape Lavallette Condo Fire
by Al Della Fave, OCPO
LAVALETTE-On Thursday, May 25th 2017, at 1:21 am, The Lavallette Police Department and Fire Department were dispatched to a structure fire at 1806 Grand Central Avenue. Upon arrival, emergency personnel observed the second floor of a two story, multi-unit dwelling condominium structure was fully involved in fire. Both Seaside Heights and Seaside Park Fire Departments assisted with fire suppression.
RELATED NEWS >> Lavallette Police Officer Under Fire by Toms River GOP Smear Campaign
Despite the intensity of the flames responding units found upon arrival, the fire event produced one minor injury. A 45-year-old male was transported to Community Medical Center for non-life threating injuries sustained when jumping from the second story to escape the extreme fire and smoke conditions.
The subsequent investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes/Arson Unit, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation Unit and Lavallette Police Department determined that the area of origin was on the exterior of the south side of the structure, along a balcony style walkway on the second floor. The point of origin is on top of outdoor carpeting that lined the floor of the walkway in between unit #7 and unit #8. The cause of the fire is deemed accidental and improperly discarded smoking material cannot be eliminated as the cause of the fire.
https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreHurricaneNews/videos/1592115787474594/
Reagan's 11th Commandment All But Forgotten in Toms River GOP Primary
TOMS RIVER-Republicans in Toms River have long adhered to the 11th commandment, an often spoken, unspoken rule that is cherished by many party loyalists. It was created by GOP’s most revered leader in its over 150 year history, President Ronald Reagan. Reagan invented the idea of the 11th commandment during his 1966 campaign for governor of California.
“Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican,” he said.
In recent weeks, that commandment has been shattered and is now scattered in broken pieces across the township’s bayfront and oceanfront properties as the hotly contested ward 1 Republican primary election has turned into a knock ’em dead, mudslinging bloodbath.
In what is being described as a hit piece, issued by Toms River’s establishment Republican Club against Lavallette police officer Justin Lamb, elected Councilman George Wittmann is the latest in a line of party Republicans coming out against Lamb.
Wittmann said Lamb was unqualified to be a councilman over a 2015 dispute he had with a Toms River Police Officer over a noise complaint at an Ortley Beach residence where Lamb was in attendance.
According to a police report, also released by the Toms River Republican Club, Lamb had a disagreement with a Toms River officer, however no complaints or charges were ever filed and the matter was never revisited.
Lamb said the incident was a non-issue and just another attack in a barrage of negative campaigning against him by the Republican establishment to keep him from getting the party’s nomination.
“This release by my opponents, just the latest in a long line of mud-slinging and dirty campaigning, was not a surprise. I spoke out against the deficit in their carefully crafted budget, and they scrambled to amend the budget and close the gap,” Lamb said. “I spoke out against the extravagant and opulent firehouse proposal, another backdoor tax increase, and in an historic voter turnout – and a very lopsided vote – our community shut those plans down. It appears that I carry the voice of the people, the township council follows my lead, and my opponents have no real ideas of their own.”
After that vote, establishment Republicans called the residents of Toms River anarchists for voting against the lavish $14 million facility and blamed Lamb for influencing the vote.
Lamb added that since he started campaigning on local issues, the Toms River Republican Club has been relying on personal attacks and mudslinging. Lamb also questioned the club’s use of what he described as party attack dogs, while his opponent, Maria Maruca has remained mostly silent during the campaign.
“With less than three weeks to the primary election, the GOP establishment is running out of time to derail my campaign with dirty politics,” Lamb added. “My opponent remains bizarrely silent during this campaign, and I’m still not sure that she has a plan. Her attack dogs keep barking insults, but we will continue to rise above it. They want to keep their status quo, but I want reform. I want us to do better.”
“I will continue to stay on-message and to fight for the issues that matter in our community. I will continue to discuss plans to curtail unnecessary spending, decrease property taxes, and fight an overwhelming heroin epidemic in my neighborhood of Gilford Park,” Lamb said. “While the establishment strives to keep Ward 1 stuck jogging in place, I will continue to work on ways to move forward for a better Toms River.”
The 11th commandment, issued by Reagan is important during political primaries, because the former President felt if Republicans attacked each other during their primary elections, those attacks would be used against them during the general election against their Democrat opponents.
In March, during a gubernatorial showcase hosted by the Ocean County Republicans, Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore reminded those candidates of the 11th commandment before they spoke to the audience and those involved in the current mudsling were all in attendance.
NJ Attorney General Will Pay You $25,000 to Snitch on Corrupt Politicians
TRENTON-Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced two new initiatives to fight public corruption, including a reward program offering up to $25,000 for tips from the public, as well as a program that offers lower-level defendants in a corruption scheme the potential to avoid prosecution if they reveal the crime to the Attorney General’s Office so more culpable defendants can be prosecuted.
New Jersey has tough anti-corruption laws that provide mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment and parole ineligibility for people who commit crimes that touch upon their public office or employment. The Attorney General’s Office has utilized these laws in recent years to prosecute major cases involving elected officials, government employees and companies receiving public funds. A critical challenge, however, is securing the initial leads that allow such crimes to be uncovered and prosecuted. The new programs are designed to encourage those with information on corruption to come forward.
“It’s a troubling reality that along with the many public officials and employees who carry out their duties with integrity, there are some who abuse their authority and corruptly exploit their positions for personal gain,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We know these bad actors are out there, and we’re casting a wide net to catch them with these two new programs. For members of the public who have personal knowledge of corruption and are fed up with it, we’re offering an added motivation for them to turn their anger into action.”
“Our whistleblower program strategically allows secondary players in corruption schemes to come clean and avoid prosecution,” Porrino added. “Whether we’re talking about a skilled public worker assigned to act as a personal handyman for his boss, or a contractor asked to pay bribes to a local code inspector, or a corporate employee pressured by executives to make illegal political contributions, we’re offering a way out of such predicaments for those who come forward first and are less culpable.”
“These new programs offer strong incentives for people to come forward confidentially and help us root out public corruption, whether they’re tipsters from the public seeking a reward, or public workers or others seeking to extricate themselves from a corrupt scheme,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “By offering the programs for a limited time, we’re looking for swift results, and we will vigorously pursue every lead.”
“By implementing the Anti-Corruption Reward and Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Programs for a relatively short time frame, we are hoping for quick and decisive action by anyone with knowledge of public corruption by elected officials and government employees,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The goal of the initiatives is to encourage those to come forward with information that will eventually lead to the prosecution of anyone who engages in these corruption schemes.”
Attorney General Porrino announced the following programs to promote reporting of corruption cases:
Anti-Corruption Reward Program
- The Attorney General’s Office is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for tips from the public leading to a conviction for a crime involving public corruption. The reward program will be funded by the Attorney General’s Office using criminal forfeiture funds.
- Individuals applying for this reward must provide information about a crime that has not previously been revealed to law enforcement and they must not have participated in the crime.
- The reward limit for any case is $25,000. In most cases, only the person who first reports the crime will receive the reward. However, where two or more people provide different information that is material to successfully prosecuting the case, the reward may be apportioned.
- The reward is not available to government employees who learn of the crime in the course of their employment if they have an official duty to report such crimes.
Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program
- This program encourages eligible individuals or corporations to self-report their involvement in criminal activity, in return, in appropriate cases, for an agreement by the Attorney General’s Office to waive prosecution of the whistleblower.
- Individuals interested in participating in the program can choose initially to report information anonymously and/or through an attorney to determine whether they are a likely candidate for waiver of prosecution under the program. They can then decide whether to proceed with the formal application.
- The program is restricted to lower-level participants in a crime who provide information that enables the Attorney General’s Office to charge higher-level defendants. The whistleblower must provide truthful and complete information and must cooperate as required by investigators.
- An individual will not be eligible for the program if he or she is an elected official, had a controlling role in the criminal scheme, or enlisted another party to participate in the scheme.
- The whistleblower may be subject to forfeiture of public employment depending on the circumstances.
- Corporations may apply for the Whistleblower Program only where the criminal activity at issue was committed by employees of the corporation, without the knowledge, acquiescence or participation of the high-level employees, officers, directors or shareholders seeking waiver of prosecution for the corporation, and only where the corporation took prompt action to terminate the illegal activity or report it to law enforcement once it was discovered.
The programs are intended to encourage individuals who have information on public corruption to come forward promptly, so they will be open for a limited time. Both programs will expire on Aug. 1, 2017.
The Attorney General’s Office will keep the identities of applicants to the programs confidential to the fullest extent possible, subject to any statute, rule of court, or judicial decision to the contrary which may require disclosure to certain parties, including, in certain circumstances, a criminal defendant. Applicants to each program may be interviewed by detectives at the discretion of the Division of Criminal Justice. The applicant may also be required to give his or her verbal statement under oath and sign a written memorialization of his or her statement.
Additional information about the two programs can be found posted with this press release on the Attorney General’s Office website: www.njpublicsafety.com.
Individuals may report information and apply for the Anti-Corruption Reward Program or Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program by one of the following methods:
- Call the DCJ hotline 866-TIPS-4CJ to speak with corruption detectives 24 hours/7 days a week;
- Visit www.njdcj.org to submit an online report;
- Write directly to DCJ at the following address:
New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety
Division of Criminal Justice
25 Market Street
P.O. Box 085
Trenton, NJ 08625-0085
Attention: Anti-Corruption Reward Program OR Anti-Corruption Whistleblower Program.
Ortley Beach Lord House Station Rededicated
The Toms River Township council and mayor attended the Lord House re-dedication ceremony and plaque unveiling in Ortely Beach last Saturday.
“The Friends of Ortley Beach researched the history of the Ortley Inn and organized the event. Edie Segree and Barbara Biedenbach of the Lord family were in attendance,” the township said.
Originally established as the Ortley Inn in the late 1880’s, the Lord House was destroyed by fire in 1922. The Lord family purchased the rights to the business and built a single-family home. The Township acquired the land in the 1960’s and constructed a parking lot. The lifeguard station was added later.
Photo: Handout Photo/Toms River Township.
Guadagno: Christie would make a good FBI director
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…
Agudath Israel Files Lawsuit Against Jackson Township for Religious Discrimination
JACKSON-A series of laws and ordinances enacted by the township of Jackson in recent months has led to Agudath Israel of America filing a religious discrimination lawsuit against the town.
In March, the township passed two ordinances aimed at limiting the building of schools and banning the construction of school related dormitories. Township officials cited quality of life concerns for the residents, but Agudath Israel claims the ordinances were adopted to hinder the constitutional rights of the influx of Orthodox Jewish residents to the township.
“The adoption of the Ordinances was motivated by discriminatory animus against the Orthodox Jewish community, they treat religious educational institutions differently and worse than various nonreligious assembly and institutional uses, they unreasonably limit and exclude religious educational institutions from the Township, and they make housing unavailable within the Township based on religion,” Agudath Israel claims in the legal filing.
The organization, which represents Jewish interests nationwide said Jackson Township’s elected officials have been trying to “Build a Wall” around the township to deter Jewish residents from moving there.
“The Ordinances are the latest action taken by the Township in a long campaign to erect a wall on its border with Lakewood Township, where many Orthodox Jews live, in order to discourage them from moving into Jackson,” the lawsuit continued.”
The lawsuit also claims that Mayor Michael Reina told residents not to sell to Jewish residents.
“Its Mayor has told residents ‘Don’t sell’ to the Orthodox Jewish community, its township council president said that a suggestion that Orthodox Jews move into communities such as Jackson was ‘reprehensible,’ and referred to the community as a ‘threat’ to Jackson, and noted that the Township Council ‘is on the same page”’ with a community that harbors substantial hostility toward the Orthodox Jewish community,” the lawsuit claims.
In the meetings Shore News Network has covered, Reina always made it clear that the township has no right to restrict who can and can’t buy homes and said if residents were concerned about the home sales, the only option was to not sell their homes. Reina often told distraught residents that they lived in America and it’s not anyone’s right to tell another who they can and can’t sell their homes to.
The lawsuit also targeted Republican Councilman Robert Nixon who said of the growth of the Jewish population in town, “The threat can be eliminated if people held their ground and refused the offers being made on their properties and remain committed to Jackson Township and their neighbors.”
Nixon has been on the frontlines of the township’s battle against the Orthodox Jewish growth in the township.
Jackson Township officials have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
The 35 page filing released today by the Lakewood Scoop can also be found on our Shore News Network and JTOWN Magazine Facebook pages.
Suspected Point Pleasant Aspiring ISIS Terrorist Stabbed Mom's Dog Because it was "unclean"
A Point Pleasant man who was accused by the FBI of providing material support for ISIS was caught after police were called on a report that he had stabbed his mother’s dog and threatened to kill her.
According to the Point Pleasant Police Department, officers arrived at the residence for a report of a male subject threatening to kill the family dog.
Responding Point Pleasant Police officers set up a perimeter around the residence and attempted to make contact with the male resident.
“During our attempt to negotiate, 20 year old Gregory Lepsky emerged from the residence and was taken into custody,” police said.
According to a report in the Asbury Park Press, Lepsky told first responders he wanted to kill the dog, because under his view of Islam, the pet was dirty.
He also stabbed himself. Lepsky was transported to Brick Hospital to be treated for a self-inflicted laceration.
The family dog was located within the residence alive, however, sustained a significant laceration to his back. The dog was immediately transported to an area veterinary hospital.
A large knife was recovered from the suspect’s bedroom that was believed to have been used in the attack on the dog. Detective Scalabrini of the Point Pleasant Police Department charged Gregory Lepsky with Terroristic Threats 2C:12-3a, Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose 2C:39-4d, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon 2C:39-5d, Criminal Mischief 2C:17-3a and Animal Cruelty 4:22-17c(1).
Through the course of this investigation, information was developed to connect Mr. Lepsky with ISIS and a potential plan to build and use a pressure cooker bomb. Detectives from the Point Pleasant Police Department commenced a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
Gregory Lepsky, 20, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, will appear in federal court today to face allegations that he planned to construct and use a pressure cooker bomb in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Lepsky is charged by criminal complaint with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
During searches of computers and other digital evidence linked to Lepsky, law enforcement found evidence of Lepsky’s plan to build and detonate a bomb as part of his support for ISIS. During several social media communications, Lepsky told others that he intended to fight on behalf of ISIS, and that he would, if necessary, become a martyr by driving a “bunch of explosives” to where the “enemies” could be found and blowing himself up.
Law enforcement also located a series of instructions that had been published online by another terrorist group that gave specific, step-by-step instructions on how to build a pressure cooker bomb, which coincided with the delivery to Lepsky of the pressure cooker a short time before his arrest. In addition, law enforcement recovered a message forwarded by Lepsky from another ISIS supporter stating that if a westerner could not travel to Syria to fight for ISIS, he could conduct a terrorist attack in his home country using improvised explosive devices.
NJ Governor Christie Vetoes Dem Bill that Sought to Block President Trump from Being on 2020 Ballot
TRENTON-A bill approved by the legislature in the blue state of New Jersey that could have kept President Donald Trump off the ballot in the Garden State in 2020 if he doesn’t release his tax returns.
“This legislation would prohibit general election candidates for President and Vice-President from appearing on a ballot in New Jersey unless they file a copy of their federal income tax returns for the five most recent years with the Division of Elections and would also prohibit any elector from voting for President or Vice-President unless the candidate complies with the bill’s requirements. This is clearly unconstitutional. The United States Constitution sets the rules in this regard to prevent politics like this bill,” the governor told the senate on May 1st.
The Presidential release of tax returns is a relatively new practice in the history of the United States with President Richard Nixon. No law requires anyone running for office to release their tax returns.
“Unwilling to cope with the results of last November’s election, the Legislature introduced this unconstitutional bill as a form of therapy to deal with their disbelief at the 2016 election results, and to play politics to their base. Any claim to the contrary is belied by the press releases its supporters issued immediately upon its final passage and the plain language of the bill,” the Governor continued.
Tax returns are now an issue in the 2017 election to replace Governor Christie with Democrat millionaire Phil Murphy’s refusal to release his own tax returns. Murphy, in December held a brief viewing of his returns for reporters, but under the law aimed at Donald Trump, Murphy’s “viewing” would not have satisfied the law vetoed by the Governor.
Ocean County Governor’s favorite, Republican Joseph Rullo, an avid constitutionalist said Democrats should start worrying about fixing the problems before them and less on individuals’ income tax returns.
“The Democrats front runner hasn’t released his tax returns only allowing reporters a peek at a designated time,” Rullo said. “I will not release my tax return as a private citizen. The state has more worries than mine and Trumps tax returns like fixing New Jersey.”
Rullo has been a staunch supporter of Trump since his candidacy began and blasted the attempt by the Democrat majority legislation to use their office to make a political move against the President.
There is currently no law that requires any candidate for office to release his or her tax returns.
Lakewood charity raised millions without registering with state, report says
LAKEWOOD — A Lakewood charity that raised $4.6 million over five years didn’t register with the state as required by law, according to a report on APP.com. Services for Hidden Intelligence is the fundraising arm of the School for Children with Hidden Intelligence, whose director was indicted earlier this year on charges of theft and money…
More than Half of New Jersey Republican Voters Undecided for Next Governor
TRENTON-A new Quinnipiac University poll released this week shows that 51% of New Jersey’s Republican voters don’t know who they are going to vote for on June 6th as their party’s choice to succeed Governor Chris Christie.
Of the remaining 49% of decided voters, 23% said they are voting for Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, who served as Lt. Governor under Christie for the past seven years.
North Jersey assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli was showing at 12% in the poll and Ocean County candidate Joseph Rullo had 3%.
“The news that they’re supposed to elect a governor this year doesn’t seem to have gotten through to a lot of New Jersey voters,” said Maurice Carroll, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.
The poll was not good news for the Lt. Governor’s prospects of being the next governor with more than half of her party still not on board with her candidacy.
The poll also revealed that Democrat candidate Phil Murphy would “trounce” Guadagno. In the poll Murphy received 50% when people were asked, “Who would you vote for today?”
Guadagno received just 25% of the overall vote from those polled, with 21% saying they either don’t know or don’t care at this point.
Joe Rullo Challenges New Jersey's Assault on Gun Rights in Jackson Township
JACKSON-New Jersey candidate for Governor and Ocean County resident Joseph Rullo spoke Wednesday night in front of a standing room only crowd at the Jackson Township based Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club about the citizens’ right to carry and conceal in the Garden State.
Jackson Township is New Jersey’s third largest municipality by square miles with over 100 square miles of land, most of protected pinelands and wetlands, making it one of the top hunting destinations in New Jersey.
It’s a town where each deer season cars and trucks line the roads near the thousands of acres of protected open space. It’s one of those few places in New Jersey where a deer stand in the woods or a duck blind in an old cranberry bog is a common sight.
Rullo spoke to some 300 of those avid hunters and gun rights advocates at the club’s regular meeting.
Rullo took aim at Democrat politicians such as Senator Cory Booker, the former mayor of the City of Newark, where violent crime in that city is five times greater than elsewhere in the state for promoting restrictive gun control laws that Rullo said only empowers the bad guys.
During his speech he also took aim at the length of time it takes for law abiding citizens of New Jersey to obtain a firearms permit.
“In this town, you can’t get your gun permit approved in six months and that is inexcusable,” he added. “As governor I will work immediately with the New Jersey State Police and chiefs of police to help make the process quicker and give them the resources they need.”
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno was also in Rullo’s crosshairs. At the March 8th Ocean County GOP nominating convention, Guadagno bragged about being a female armed with a gun, a right she shares with few other women in the state.
“Never underestimate a woman with a bulletproof vest who carries a gun,” Guadagno bragged before her opponent Jack Ciattarelli and the Republican establishment present at that event. Rullo agreed with the Lt. Governor, every woman should be allowed to arm and protect herself, not just the political elite.
“Everyone should be able to carry a gun in New Jersey, Kim,” Rullo said in front of the Jackson gun club. “But we don’t even know where the hell you stand on the second amendment…we don’t know where half of them stand.”
Rullo said that the government is so worried that everyone will apply for conceal and carry permits, but said that isn’t the case, instead said even if few people actually applied, it would be a deterrent because criminals and terrorists won’t know who is armed and who is not.
He doubled down on his commitment to conceal and carry, saying if elected governor he will turn down his right to be protected by armed security if the average resident can’t be afforded the same protections.
“I will not be protected by guns financed by taxpayers when the people of NJ are sitting ducks stripped of their rights to conceal carry,” Rullo said today. “I will hire my own personal protection if it is necessary with my salary. The irony is I believe my life has been in more danger as a candidate with so many controversial issues.”
“I have over 100,000 social media followers from all my pages pages combined and as many candidates receive threats during the campaign,” he added. “I don’t have the state police watching over me at most events if the Lt. Governor is not at the event.”
140 Lakewood Teachers, Faculty Receive Rice notices
LAKEWOOD-The besieged Lakewood school district suffered another blow this week after 140 public teachers and faculty members received a Rice notice regarding their future employment in the district.
The story was reported on the Lakewood Scoop this morning.
Laura A. Winters, the district Superintendent sent the letter on Tuesday, stating the district will be holding a meeting at 6:30pm on Monday, May 8 and, “will discuss and may recommend action(s) which may be of interest to you.”
Teachers may opt for the meeting to be held in a public meeting. Teachers were asked to sign the form and return it to the superintendent.
The district is facing a $15 million budget shortfall and may end up laying off at least 100 teachers according to previous reports.
RICE notices inform public employees of an impending meeting to discuss an worker’s employment.
Establishment Republicans in Toms River Launch Attack Against Primary Challenger Lamb
TOMS RIVER-A press release issued by the Toms River Republican Club, the political powerbrokers of the community, criticized fellow Republican opponent Justin Lamb, just days after Lamb thanked the town council for holding the line on taxes in 2017.
Lamb, an Ortley Beach resident and Lavallette police officer running against incumbent Maria Maruca in the June 6th Republican primary criticized the township council, calling the all-Republican council out for raising taxes in previous years, but backtracking on a 2017 hike after his open criticism.
The township council, in April submitted a new budget that lowered spending by nearly an additional $1,000,000 after Lamb’s criticism.
The township establishment Republicans grilled Lamb for only criticizing the municipal budget while making no comment on a school board tax hike.
“Lamb pans the zero tax increase by the Republican Kelaher team, fails to criticize the HUGH[sic] tax increase levied by dem controlled BOE,” a statement issued by Toms River Republican Club Chairman Robert DiBiase read. “Members of the Toms River Regular Republican Club are pushing back against political newcomer, Justin Lamb.”
Lamb responded quickly to the attack by the Republican power base.
“This unfounded criticism does not surprise me in the slightest,” Lamb said. “Regardless of what a local club spokesman may opine, I have not slammed a zero percent municipal increase, rather I’ve questioned the township council’s leadership prior to my announcement and the tendency to react hastily to the challenging issues facing Toms River.”
“His candidacy is fundamentally questionable,” DiBiase said. “I see no measure of credibility here, his actions so far seem intentioned only to help Democrats in November.”
Lamb responded to say the township Republicans, including the club chairman, who he noted is also employed by the township, are trying to squash his right to legally challenge them in a Republican primary election this June.
“I find the attack on my eligibility to run for office, a right bestowed upon me through the United States Constitution, completely baseless,” he added. “I’ll continue to focus on the real issues our community faces and not on personal attacks. I will keep driving the agenda going forward and hopefully, the so-called Republican establishment will continue following my lead on addressing these issues.”
Lamb, a Republican is running against incumbent Maria Maruca in the June 6th Republican primary for Toms River Township’s Ward 1 council seat.
Governor Christie Visits Toms River to thank Chief for Medicine Collection Activities
https://www.facebook.com/tomsriverpolice/photos/pcb.1484906988187679/1484906414854403/?type=3
Governor Chris Christie spoke at headquarters today about the opiate crisis. He was joined by Mayor Tom Kelaher, Ocean County prosecutor Joe Coronato, and Police Chief Mitch Little. They spoke about project medicine drop and how people can dispose of unused medication in a safe way. Anyone who wishes to get rid of unused pills can bring them to Toms River police headquarters. Plans are in the works to have Walgreens Pharmacies state wide become a secure collections site. The Governor praised Toms River Police Department as being at the forefront of collecting these medications and keeping them out of the hands of those wishing to abuse them. Last year we collected 2,000 pounds of unused medication form residents through our onsite collection box as well as community outreach events.
Brick May Offer New Liquor License to New Laurel Square Tenant
In a recent “Facebook Live” session, Brick Mayor John Ducey gave residents a hint of two new projects involving liquor licenses within the township.
First, Ducey said a food store tenant who is moving into the now vacant former Pathmark space at Laurel Square could be in the market for a liquor license.
“We’re waiting for confirmation whether or not the food store wants a liquor license, if they do we’ll put one out for sale, it will fill two of the store fronts at the former Laurel Square Pathmark,” Ducey said.
Ducey also hinted that a new restaurant could soon occupy the former Joe’s Crab Shack restaurant at the Brick Plaza.
“They [New Pathmark Tenants] did contact some people in town to see if they were selling them,” Ducey said.
Ducey said the tenants also contacted the owners of the license belonging to Joe’s Crab Shack, but were rejected because they have plans to open a new restaurant at the site, utilizing that liquor license.
Brick Township Bans Puppy Sales from Puppy Mills
BRICK-The township council passed an ordinance that effectively bans the retail sale of puppies and kittens township wide.
The township amended a previously written ordinance that restricted the sale of dogs and cats and removed language that allowed for the sale of the pets by pet stores, kennels and licenced breeders.
The law in the township now prohibits the sale or transfer of animals who were breeded for sale, but allows the sale and transfer of rescues or donated pets.
Prior to the amendment, there was a legally existing non-conforming use claws in the ordinance that was stricken from the township code by the council vote.
The ordinance was a result of residents complaining about purchasing sick animals bred in puppy mills and through an effort by the Puppy Mill Awareness Campaign, a campaign sponsored by the Friends of Animals United, NJ.
The Brick Shorebeat today published a comprehensive news article regarding the ordinance passage.
Freehold Borough school district to sue state over lack of school funding
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…