Middletown Board of Education Member Branded Unethical

Joan Minnuies

Middletown, NJ- Board of Education Member Vincent Brand has accused his fellow Board Member, Joan Minnuies, of using her official capacity on the Board for the benefit of her daughter’s employment at Middletown High School North and of using her position to recruit Middletown North students to volunteer at her granddaughter’s birthday party in exchange for a letter stating that they performed volunteer hours.

Minnuies says that Brand’s accusations, which were lodged as an Ethics Complaint with New Jersey’s School Ethics Commission, are “bogus” and “political motivated.”   Minnuies is standing for reelection next Tuesday.

According to Brand’s complaint, Minnuies opposed efforts by Dr. William George, Schools Superintendent, to hire a new business instruction teacher, Miss Devan Crimi, at MHSN because Crimi is also an “elite” lacrosse and field hockey coach who was an Academic and Athletic All-American in lacrosse while a college student at Adelphi University.  Minnuies daughter, Jenna Minnuies Jackson, is employed by the school district as a coach of field hockey, bowling and lacrosse.

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Family dog dies in Wall house fire

WALL TWP. — A family dog died in a fire that gutted the inside of a house on Friday, police said. Police responded to a home on Leslie Street shortly before 4 p.m. for a report of a structure fire at a private residence. The residents were not home at the time of the fire, but… Read the rest of this entry »

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Zombie pub crawl, parade draws hundreds to Highlands

HIGHLANDS – When organizations decide to hold an event for the first time, they often don’t know what kind of turnout to expect. Fortunately for the Highlands Business Partnership, an inaugural event it held on Saturday was not dead at all. In fact, it was “undead.” The inaugural Highlands Zombie Parade & Pub Crawl drew hundreds… Read the rest of this entry »

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Long Branch Roommates Busted For Drugs, Weapons

Robert Stohlin, facebook photo

4,000 bags of heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, $8,000 in cash,a .22 caliber handgun, 9mm replica handgun and several knives were seized on Thursday when the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office’s Gang Bureau and the Long Branch Police Street Crimes Unit arrested Robert Strohlin, 46, of 177 West End Ave,  and his roommate Syr Berry, 47, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Strohlin and Berry’s arrests was part of a months-long investigation into illegal drug distribution in Long Branch.

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Gopal: Marlboro is in play

With only $3,000 cash on hand, as of September 30, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal seems to be abandoning his strategy of concentrating on LD 11, and now appears to be focused on protecting his turf in Marlboro.

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Larry “The Lunger” Luttrell Resurfaces, Attempting To Thwart News Of Marder’s Ethics Violations

When we last heard from Lawrence “The Lunger” Luttrell, the three time election loser, was scurrying into obscurity while threatening to sue the Monmouth County Republican Committee for a radio ad that claimed his law license was “suspended” when in fact he had been ruled ineligible to practice law.

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To our knowledge, no one has actually investigated whether or not Luttrell actually practiced law during his ineligibility.  He claimed he was unaware that he had been ruled ineligible, so maybe he did perform legal work when he was not legally authorized to do so. That would be a problem.

Now, nearly a year later, Luttrell has resurfaced in an apparent attempt to keep the voters of Marlboro in the dark about Councilwoman Randi Marder’s ethics violations and worse, the waste of $16,000 of Marlboro tax dollars that Mayor Jon Hornik and the Marlboro Township Council authorized to be spent in legal fees to appeal the New Jersey Local Finance Board’s findings that Marder committed eight ethical violations associated with the Township doing business with her husband’s companies.

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The Arnone Report: Hold Up On ADP, All Systems Go On Shark River

By Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

I know there is much speculation recently on the integrity of the Assessment Demonstration Project and I want everyone to know that we hear you and we will support your inquiries. Earlier this year, I along with my fellow members of the Board of Chosen Freeholders asked Matt Clark, Monmouth County’s Tax Administrator, to hold a meeting for all the municipalities to explain the details of the Assessment Demonstration Project. It was our understanding that attendees left feeling more comfortable with what they heard and understood the benefits of the program. As a result of the close working relationships we have throughout the County, numerous Mayors have contacted the Freeholders with concerns over the uncertainty of this program and the recent negative media coverage surrounding it.  While we all did our best to alleviate those concerns, we also understand the difficult position it puts most of them in. After the events the past few weeks, without making judgements on the program, its administrator or county tax board members, we believe it may be best to put this program on hold until all questions are answered and the Mayors can explain the long term tax benefit to the residents of Monmouth County . It is our hope that the timeline of January 1 will remain intact while these issues are vetted, as it gives the municipalities the ability to budget for the following year’s tax appeals. It is our hope that you continue to stay informed and aware of the tax assessment program through your municipality or at the County level.

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Saturday is Make a Difference Day in Middletown

Township Committee Urges Residents to Make Food Donations This Week

Middletown Township is participating in the nationwide community service day, Make A Difference Day, on Saturday October 24.

The Middletown Social Services Department is holding a food and cleaning supplies drive through Friday, October 23. Non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items and paper products are needed to restock Middletown Pantry. The Middletown Pantry, which is managed by the Social Services Department and Middletown Helps Its Own, provides emergency food and household supplies to residents in need.

Donations can be dropped off at the following locations:

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Marlboro GOP Candidates Congratulate Middletown for Taking Action on Property Taxes

Mayoral and Council Candidates Pledge Solutions, Not Grand Standing

Ira Goldberg, Sui Allex and John Dwyer

Marlboro, NJ- Ira Goldberg, the Republican candidate for mayor in Marlboro Township issues his congratulations to Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray and the Middletown’s Township Committee for taking decisive action to bring accountability and fairness to their Township’s Property Tax Assessments in the wake of the Asbury Park Press investigation that shed a scandalous light on the state-mandated Assessment Demonstration Program, the controversial new method of setting property values in Monmouth County.

“While Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik has been political grandstanding in the face of a scandal by calling for the ADP to be suspended without offering a replacement, my friends in Middletown have enacted a solution to inequitable tax assessments and put their own credibility on the line,” Goldberg said, “By firing Realty Data Systems, and bringing the home inspection and data collection functions in house, Middletown has offered a solution to the problem.  That is leadership.”

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State senators get lesson in school overcrowding, underfunding in Freehold Borough

FREEHOLD BOROUGH – State Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Senators M. Teresa Ruiz and Jennifer Beck visited Park Avenue Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon to promote the value of the district’s early childhood education program. The met with teachers and students, watched them read books and heard them sing songs. Then were told that the benefits… Read the rest of this entry »

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