Christie’s Long Branch Town Hall Rained Out

Governor Chris Christie’s Town Hall in Long Branch this afternoon has been postponed due to expected back weather.

The Governor’s office said it would be rescheduled soon.

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Handlin Wants SCI To Investigate Allegations That Fulop Planned Traffic Jams At Holland Tunnel and Port Jersey

Jersey City Police Chief Robert Cowan has responded to his announced demotion by Mayor Steve Fulop by alleging that the mayor order traffic jams at Port Jersey and the Holland Tunnel.   That Cowan objected and interfered is the reason he is being demoted, he says, according to reports in the Jersey Journal.

Fulop announced plans to sue the Port Authority of NY/NJ for $400 million. Cowan’s attorney said Fulop’s plan was “designed solely to create havoc for the Port Authority.”

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-Middletown) wants the joint legislative committee that is investigating the September 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures to investigate the allegations against Fulop as well.

In a letter dated today to Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Co-Chairs of the New Jersey Select Committee on Investigation,of which Handlin is a member, the assemblywoman asked that the committee immediately issue subpoenas to Fulop and Cowan

As you know, the mission of the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation is to “investigate all aspects of the finances, operations, and management of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and any other matter raising concerns about abuse of government power or an attempt to conceal an abuse of government power including, but not limited to, the reassignment of access lanes in Fort Lee, New Jersey to the George Washington Bridge.”

Because the allegations against Mayor Fulop raise significant concerns about the repeated abuse of government power directly related to the Port Authority, I respectfully ask the committee to investigate this matter including the immediate issuance of subpoenas to Mayor Fulop and Chief Cowan.

Handlin’s letter can be found here.

Fulop is widely considered to be a contender for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2017, or sooner if Governor Chris Christie does not complete his term.

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Jeffrey Foster resigns from Wall Township Committee

Jeffery W. Foster resigned from the Wall Township Committee last week.  He is applying to be the Director of Public Works for the Township and wants his application to be considered on it’s merits, not based upon his political position.

Jeffrey Foster

Foster was elected to the Township Committee in 2007 and served as mayor in 2012. He has been chairman of the Public Works Committee throughout his tenure.

If only a certain former Manalapan Township mayor had taken the same approach when he wanted to sell the development rights to his farm to the government.

Foster, 59, has been looking to get a municipal public works position for last the last few years.  He applied to be the Director of Public Works in Belmar two years ago. Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty said Foster’s application was given serious consideration. “Jeff would make an excellent Public Works Director,” Doherty told MMM in a phone interview.

Foster has also applied to be an Assistant Public Works Director in Middletown. He sold his auto repair and towing business last summer.  He started working as a maintence worker at the New Jersey Department of Transportation last September.  “They let me use the heavy equipment,” Foster said, “I love this work. ”

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Christie Town Hall in Long Branch on Tuesday

Governor Chris Christie will hold a Town Hall Conversation in Long Branch on Tuesday afternoon July 15 at 3 p.m, according to an announcement from his office.

The first of several stops along the Jersey Shore this summer, Christie will highlight in budget and reform initiatives and answer questions from New Jerseyans.

The event will be at the Long Branch Amphitheater, 17 McKinley Ave, Long Branch.

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Middletown Police Chief Gets $249K “Boat Check”

Middletown Police Chief Robert Oches. Photo courtesy of Middletown Patch

Middletown Police Chief Robert Oches is getting $249,338 for unused sick and vacation time accumulated over his 40 year career upon his retirement at the end of this month.  The payout is at Oches current pay scale, despite the fact that the time accumulated over a 40 year period.

The Township Committee approved the payment, reluctantly because it is required by State Law, at Monday night’s meeting.

Committeeman Tony Fiore said that most Oches’ unused time was accumulated prior to 1996 when the Township Committee passed a 150 day cap on retirement awards.

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Howell man charged with vehicular homicide

Richard Tremblay Jr. Joseph Gonsalves is charged with his death.

Joseph Gonsalves, 20, of Howell Township faces charges of Vehicular Homicide, Driving While Intoxicated, Underage Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Speeding and Failure to Maintain Lane, according to an announcement by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.   Gonsalves surrendered to the police yesterday and is in custody at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $75,000 bail with no cash option as set by Judge Angela White Dalton.

On April 16, shortly after 10 p.m., Ronald Tremblay Jr, 21, also of Howell, was a passenger in the back seat of a car that Gonsalves was driving east on Alexander Ave when the vehicle left the road and struck several trees before coming to rest. Tremblay had head trauma and was found non-responsive in the backseat and died later that night at Kimball Medical Center in Lakewood, according to published reports of the accident.  Another passenger, Brandon Roselli, 21 of Manalapan, suffered minor injuries, as did Tremblay.

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Thornton Replacing Lawson as Monmouth Assignment Judge

Assignment Judge Lawrence M. Lawson administering the Oath of Office to Freeholder Gary Rich, January 2012.

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced yesterday that Judge Lisa P. Thornton will replace Judge Lawrence M. Lawson as the Assignment Judge of the Monmouth County Vicinage, effective September 1, 2014.

Lawson, who has served on the bench since 1987 and as Assignment Judge since 1993, is retiring three years before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Thornton will be the first female African-American Assignment Judge in the history of the New Jersey Court. She served as Rabner’s Chief of Staff when he was New Jersey’s Attorney General under Governor Jon Corzine.

A resident of Neptune, Thornton was appointed to the Court by Corzine in 2008. She earned her law degree from Rutgers-Newark in 1992 while she was employed by Prudential Financial. She was the Municipal Court Judge of Neptune Township from January of 1999 through December 2001. In 2002 Thornton was named special deputy commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance where she served until joining Corzine’s office as senior associate counsel in January of 2006 where she served until joining Rabner in the Attorney General’s Office in September of 2006.

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Christie in Keansburg Monday Morning

MMM photo/Art Gallagher

Governor Chris Christie is scheduled to be in Keansburg on Monday morning, 10:30am, to make an announcement and give updates on the Homeowners’ Elevation Program.

The event is scheduled to take place at a private residence at 57 Beaconlight Ave.

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Ocean Grove Opens Its New Boardwalk

Dr. Dale Whilden, President of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Assoc, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Sen Jennifer Beck, Gov Chris Christie, Congressman Chris Smith and Neptune Mayor Dr. Michael Brantley cut the ribbon of Ocean Grove’s rebuilt boardwalk

After being twice denied funding from FEMA before finally getting $2.4 million on their second appeal, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association re-opened their boardwalk to the public today with a ceremonial ribbon cutting lead by Governor Chris Christie, Congressman Chris Smith, Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Neptune Township Mayor Dr. Michael Brantley and Dr. Dale C. Whilden, President of the OGCMA.

“Today is truly a great day for Ocean Grove, Neptune Township, Monmouth County, and the Jersey Shore, and a critical step forward in our recovery from Sandy,” said Smith.”This boardwalk is an integral part of Ocean Grove the neighboring Jersey Shore community, a fact we reinforced during our efforts to reverse FEMA’s original decision at the local level—and yet another at the regional level—to deny critical funding.”

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Read Murphy resigns from Sea Bright Council

Read Murphy

After 25 years of service over a 28 year period, C. Read Murphy has stepped down from the Sea Bright Borough Council.

Murphy has been contemplating leaving the council for some time.  He informed the Sea Bright Republican Committee he would not seek another term during their candidate selection process last spring, and then had a last minute change of heart and filed to run in the primary.

John Lamia, the candidate selected by the committee to replace Murphy before his change of heart, was the top vote getter, with 63 votes, in the primary.  Murphy and his fellow incumbent, James LoBiondo, tied and there was one write-in vote, which created a vacancy for the second GOP nomination for council.  Murphy also had a write-in vote in the Democratic primary.

For the last several months, Murphy has wanted the borough to hire him as the beach manager, a job he has been performing as a volunteer.  Had he been hired, he would have resigned.   Murphy said the job is still up in the air, but that he resigned for personal reasons and not due to his pending job application.

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