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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Rickey Patat, of Great Kills, spotted the whale last week as he sailed his boat in Raritan Bay and caught it on video.
“I find them almost every time I go out on my boat,” he said. “I always alert the Coast Guard and report the status and condition of the whale to the best of my ability.”
The Advance quoted Mendy Garron of NOAA’s Mammal Response Program in Gloucester, Mass as saying that whales have been spotted in both the Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays.
A substitute teacher at Matawan-Aberdeen High School was arrested on Thrusday and charged with engaging in sexually explicit conversations with two female students, ages 15 and 17.
Philip Riveley, 29 of Woodbridge, was charged with two counts of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $150,000 cash bail.
The arrest is the result off an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Bureau and the Matawan Police Department. The Woodbridge Police Department assisted in Riveley’s arrest.
If convicted, Riveley faces a prison term of five to 10 years.
Senator Cory Booker is lending his star power and fund raising prowess to the Democratic Freeholder candidates who are looking to unseat Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich in November.
Booker is headlining a July 25 fundraiser for Larry Luttrell and Joe Grillo at the Wall Township home of Gary and Linda Faraci.
All of Monmouth County’s Democratic mayors, including Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning are listed as hosts of the fundraiser on the event’s invitation.
Accused rapist is founder of a youth advocacy organization
Darnell Lewis recruiting youth to make the right choices in Newark, August 2010. photo via I.M.P.A.C.T.’s facebook page
A substitute teacher and assistant football and basketball coach at Red Bank Regional High School is facing charges of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child after it was learned that he engaged in sexual intercourse with a 16 year of girl in his Red Bank home, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced from Afghanistan yesterday.
Gramiccioni is on a six month deployment with the Naval Reserve JAG Corps.
Darnell Lewis, 37, is charged with three counts of second degree Sexual Assault and one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on $200,000 bail with no 10 percent option, as set my Superior Court Judge Angela White Dalton. He is to have no contact with the victim, should he make bail, according to White Dalton’s order.
Described as a hall monitor, substitute teacher and coach by Gramiccioni’s statement, Lewis recently resigned from Red Bank Regional and has not returned to the school.
Lewis is the founder of I.M.P.A.C.T., an organization he founded in 2010 that purports to help people make better choices.
