Dem Freeholder, Surrogate candidates were recruiting interns at Middletown High School North

photo via Middletown High School North’s website

The Monmouth County Democrat candidates for Freeholder and Surrogate were recruiting 14 and 15 year old high school students to be interns for Chairman Vin Gopal’s organization when they made a campaign appearance at Middletown High School North earlier this month.

According to an email from Gopal to members of the Middletown Board of Education and Superintendent William George Ed. D, the Democrats’ Campaign Coordinator, Meaghan Mahoney reached out to Assistant Principal Tyniesha Douglas on August 10 asking if she could advertise open intern positions to the student body and requesting to address a Government, Law and Public Policy Pathway (GLP3) seminar.  Douglas responded the next day offering to arrange for Mahoney to meet the class and asking her to bring possible candidates.

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Seidle gets 30 years for fatal shooting of ex-wife

FREEHOLD — After Sgt. Philip Seidle and his wife split up, one of his primary complaints was that she wouldn’t let him see their nine children enough. More than a year now after gunning Tamara Wilson Seidle down in a broad-daylight fatal ambush on an Asbury Park street, Seidle on Thursday was sentenced to 30 years… Read the rest of this entry »

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What’s the concern about Eatontown mayor’s job?

By Art Gallagher

Eatontown Mayor Dennis Connelly

The Asbury Park Press is peddling a story about Eatontown Mayor Dennis Connelly’s recent employment as the manager of the Motor Vehicle Commission office in Freehold.  But other than a gadfly’s complaint about the position being a patronage job, The Asbury Park Press did not back up their sensational headline, Concern raised over Eatontown mayor’s new job, with any concerns.

What is the concern?  It is a patronage job.  If a Democrat is elected governor next year, Connelly, a Republican, will be out of the job.  A Democrat will be appointed to that job.  Will The Asbury Park Press be concerned then?

Connelly did not try to hide that he had taken a job with MVC.  He announced it on facebook.

Last year, Freehold Borough Councilman Kevin Kane was a Democratic candidate for County Clerk.  He got trounced by Clerk Christine Hanlon, the incumbent Republican.  Four months later Kane landed a $65,000 per year job for Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.  Kane is boosting his pension credits from being a part time councilman with his new job.  The Asbury Press did not express any concern about Kane’s new job.  The Jersey Jounal/NJ.com was concerned.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2016

By Greg Kelly

Like this?

Friday, Sept. 30

• Damn Yankees at Algonquin Arts Theatre (Manasquan) – MORE INFO
• August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe at Allaire Village – MORE INFO
• Monmouth County Job Fair at BCC (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Post Mortem at Navesink Arts Center (Highlands) – MORE INFO
• Handmade Jewelry Collection (Shrewsbury) – MORE INFO

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Sea Bright’s Rebuilding Will Move Forward

The Borough of Sea Bright will be able to move forward with plans to move their municipal operations out of a gymnasium, their library out of a church and police, fire and EMS services out of trailers.

By a 2-1 margin, voters of the tiny seaside borough approved three bond questions on Tuesday and authorized the borrowing of $5.8 million for the replacement of municipal infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

Hopefully the borough will no longer need to sell beach badges in the winter.

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Belmar voters overwhelmingly reject “Matt’s Law”

Belmar Mayor “Lawless Matt” Doherty

By a margin of 829-292, Belmar voters repudiated the hubris of Mayor “Lawless Matt” Doherty on Tuesday.

In a special election to decide the validity of the pay to play/ethics law that the borough council approved shortly after Doherty became a candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder last Spring voters said NO to the mayor’s attempt to change the rules for his own ambitions.  Doherty, a Democrat, had claimed that the new law had nothing to do with his candidacy for Freeholder. Rather, it was designed to make it easier for Belmar Republicans to raise money.

The law, which had it been approved by the voters, would have allowed Doherty to conceal contributions to his campaign for Freeholder in the amount of $300 or less and to accept donations from liquor license holders, developers and other vendors and professionals with business before the Borough and still take official action on that business.  The existing pay to play/ethics ordinance in the borough prohibits those activities.

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Sheriff Golden Announces New Storm Evacuation Program: KNOW YOUR ZONE

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden announced the KNOW YOUR ZONE program today in Avon-by-the Sea.

A tiered coastal evacuation plan, KNOW YOUR ZONE, identifies specific coastal evacuation zones  (A, B, C and D) which helps emergency management officials target evacuation orders to those areas that are at the most risk, based upon threat, strength, direction and forecasted storm surge. The public outreach and educational program, Know Your Zone, is designed to educate residents, businesses and visitors on the coastal evacuation zone in which they live, work or vacation.

Not to be confused with flood zones, which are insurance designations and building codes determined by the National Flood Insurance Plan, the tiered system creates 4 distinct evacuations zones A, B, C, & D and will allow for a clearer and more decisive messaging, when evacuations are needed.

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Pallone will debate Sonnek-Schmelz

Plainfield Today photo

Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ-6) is accepting his opponent’s challenge to debate.

Matthew Montekio, Pallone’s campaign manager, issued the following statement to MoreMonmouthMusings in response to the public challenge issued by the Republican challenger earlier today:

Congressman Pallone looks forward to the opportunity to debate. The Congressman continues to travel around Monmouth and Middlesex Counties talking directly with voters about the concerns of our community.

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Arnone: Casino referendum is bad for Monmouth County

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone today announced his opposition to the public question that would amend the New Jersey Constitution to allow casino gambling in Northern New Jersey.

“My first responsibility as a Freeholder is to make sure Monmouth County’s interests are my top priority,” Arnone said in an announcement released by ‘Trenton’s Bad Bet,’ the group that has been campaigning against the constitutional amendment, “Unfortunately, the ballot question on casino expansion is misguided, shortchanges our horse racing industry, and favors a small group of out-of-state, special interests.”

“In no way does this legislation help Monmouth County,” Arnone concluded.

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Gopal blames County Republicans, MoreMonmouthMusings for Middletown High School North controversy

Monmouth Democratic Chairman “Goofy” Gopal and Belmar Mayor “Lawless Matt” Doherty also blamed a protest at a campaign fundraiser on the Monmouth GOP and this website

In an email to the members of the Middletown Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. William George, Monmouth County Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal blamed the controversy about his candidates for Surrogate and Freeholder campaigning in a Middletown High School North honors Government, Law and Public Policy Program (GLP3) seminar on the Monmouth County Republicans and this website.

“I feel sorry for the school district that the County Republicans and a local blogger are trying to create a witch hunt and create an issue that does not exist,” Gopal wrote in his email last evening.

There he goes again. Whenever things go wrong for Gopal he blames the Republicans, this website and the boogeyman. 

That’s one of the reasons why we call him Goofy.

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