A Case For Keeping The John L. Montgomery Care Center County Owned

By Jennifer Gregory, CTRS

I am writing this letter in response to the countless articles written by the Asbury Park Press, their editorials, the treatment of Monmouth County Employees and the family Members of the Monmouth County Care Centers.  I am an 18 years employee of Monmouth County and I work at the John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold, NJ.  We are a long term Care facility that takes care of Monmouth County’s most vulnerable young citizens. There are 62 residents under the age of 59.  Currently, our youngest resident is just 17 years old.  I mention the age of our population because several of your articles have pointed out how many empty Medicaid beds are available in other private Monmouth County Nursing Homes that our residents could easily be transferred to, should Freeholder Curley succeed in Closing, Selling, or Privatizing the John L. Montgomery Care Center.  These “typical” other private nursing homes are perfectly fine for your average geriatric residents but are not suitable alternatives for residents of John L. Montgomery.  Our residents are in their teens, twenties, thirties, and forties, who are not grandparents or your elderly parents but they are your children, your brothers, and your sisters…  They are not looking to reflect on their lives but looking to live their lives to the fullest with the possibility of new experiences, friendships, and futures.  That is what Monmouth County provides its citizens with at the 5 Star Rated John L. Montgomery Care Center.

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2 Weekends of Tri-State Theatre Festival

2 WONDERFUL WEEKENDS OF ONE-ACTS

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Kolibas Elected Hazlet Board of Education President

William Kolibas Jr

William Kolibas, Jr was unanimously elected President of the Hazlet Board of Education on Monday evening, according to a statement by Superintendent Bernard F. Bragen, Jr Ed. D.

Kolibas replaces Stephen F. Willig who stepped down after serving on the Board for nine years due to conflicts with his work schedule.

Lauri O’ Leary was elected to replace Kolibas as Vice President.

The Board is seeking a replacement for Willig and hope to appoint the new member at its November 17, 2014 meeting.  Interested parties should contact Board Secretary Chris Mullins, CMullins@hazlet.org or 732-264-8401 ext. 1109.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, September 26-28, 2014

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, September 26

• Englishtown Swap Meet & Auto Show – MORE INFO
• Dinner with the Boys at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• The School for Wives at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• I Ought To Be In Pictures at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO
• Open House Square Dance (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Juke Joint Jonny & Friends (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Atlantic Highlands Mayor’s Ball – MORE INFO
• Casino Night (Ocean Twp) – MORE INFO
• New 2 You Kids Consignment Sale (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Cardboard Box City & Fundraiser (Tinton Falls) – MORE INFO
• 25 Years of Brookdale’s Architecture Program (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Lone Shark at The Saint (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Pop-Break.com Anniversary at The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Teen Suicide Prevention Forum (Rumson) – MORE INFO
• Energy Assistance Day (Keansburg) – MORE INFO
• Live Harness Racing at Freehold Raceway – MORE INFO
• D-Day Exhibit at NJ National Guard Militia Museum (Sea Girt) – MORE INFO
• Walking Lantern Ghost Tours (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Souper Groove 3 Music & Camping Festival (West Freehold) – MORE INFO
• Asbury Park Ghosts & Legends Walking Tour – MORE INFO
• Bluegrass Mini Golf at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO
• Downtown Freehold Farmer’s Market – MORE INFO
• Kids Night Out (Fair Haven) – MORE INFO
• Yoga for Adults (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• NJ Run for the Fallen (Holmdel) – MORE INFO

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A Bad Situation

Sorrentino Brothers Indicted For Tax Exvasion

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Middletown Committeeman Gerry Scharfenberger cutting the ribbon at the TV personality’s Middletown tanning salon

Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame and his brother Marc have been indicted on federal charges of failing to pay taxes on $8.9 million income from promotional activities, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. The brothers are expected to surrender to IRS Criminal Investigation Agents in Newark this afternoon prior to an appearance before in U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Mannion.

Both brothers are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Government and with filing false tax returns for 2010 and 2012.  The Situation faces an additional charge of failing to file a tax return for 2011.

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Money Magazine Honors Middletown (Again)

Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray, right, and Committeeman Tony Fiore at Memorical Sloan Kettering’s ground breaking last week.

Monmouth County’s largest municipality, Middletown Township, has yet again been named one of the best places to live in the United States by Money Magazine.

Strong economics, a clean environment, a highly educated and stable population, low crime and an abundance of leisure, cultural and recreational opportunities clinched the honor for the Township that has also been named the best run municipality in New Jersey by MoreMonmouthMusings for eight consecutive years.

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Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Phase II of Child Advocacy Center

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Boser, Sue Rekedal, Multi-Disciplinary Teams coordinator at the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Dr. Martin Krupnick, Chairperson of the Friends of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Freeholder John P. Curley, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.

The Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, a partnership between the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, a local non-profit named for the facility and the National Children’s Alliance broke ground on a $1.6 million addition to the facility in Freehold this afternoon.

The brainchild of former Prosecutor John Kaye, the facility provides a physically and psychologically safe place for victims of child abuse and their families to receive treatment that is coordinated with the investigations into their abusers in such a way as to prevent and reduce the traumatic effects of the investigations into the devastating events they have already suffered.

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Attention County Workers: The Freeholder Meeting is not in Fair Haven!

CWA Local 1075 is calling on Monmouth County workers to gather in Fair Haven on Tuesday evening to protest for a fair contract.

Contract negotiations have been going on for two years, according to the CWA 1075 website, and County workers have had enough.

Here’s the problem:  The Freeholders are meeting at the Hall of Records in Freehold.

I was going to write a snarky post making fun of the union for sending their members to the wrong location, but after verifying that the meeting is in Freehold with Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Freeholder Tom Arnone, they both asked me to get the word out that the Freeholders want to hear from the membership.  They have moved the meeting to Judge Cleary’s Court Room in order to accommodate the larger than usual crowd that is expected.

The meeting was moved back to Freehold weeks ago. Where the communication breakdown happened is unknown.

So share this post and spread the word….the Freeholder Meeting is on Tuesday September 23, not on its usual Thursday night because of Rosh Hashanah, and the meeting has been moved to larger quarters, Judge Cleary’s Court Room , 1 East Main St, in Freehold.

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Gopal: Essex County is the model he wants for Monmouth County

These men want to turn Monmouth County into South Essex County.
CD-4 Candidate Ruben Scolavino, Larry Luttrell, Senator Cory Booker, Joe Grillo, Congressman Frank Pallone, NJ Democratic Chairman John Currie and Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal.  photo via facebook

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal said that Essex County’s Government is the model he hopes to impose on Monmouth County should he ever win control of the Board of Freeholders.

Gopal and his freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo ventured north to Essex this week, hat in hand for money to fund their quest to transform Monmouth into South Essex, according to a report on PolitickerNJ.

“They have done an extraordinary job in Essex County as far as managing a county government, and it’s all Democratic,” Gopal said. “It’s a model for Monmouth to hope to achieve one day.”

Let’s take a look at what that means.

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Lucas Found Guilty

Andrew Lucas

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas has been convicted of all the charges against him by a federal jury in Trenton, according to a report in The Asbury Park Press.

The jury deliberated for three hours after a two week trial before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson.

Lucas, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced to federal prison on January 20, 2015.  He remains released on $500,000 bail, subject to home confinement and electronic monitoring, according to Matthew Reilly, Deputy Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Lucas could face over 60 years in prison for his wire fraud, making an illegal monetary transaction, loan application fraud, making false statements to the Internal Revenue Service, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification of records in a federal investigation convictions.

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