Dear Citizens of Atlantic Highlands,
Over the past seven years that I have been your Mayor, I have made sure that politics played a very small role in operating our town. The successes we 
have had during these years are 100% due to the fact that I, as Mayor, and most of our Council, have worked together to protect and enhance our town.
I have also never allowed political interference in my appointments and actions. As a matter of fact, approximately half of my appointments have been people who are not registered Republicans.
The County, as is their prerogative, have chosen to support the request of the Atlantic Highlands Chair of the Republican Party to place Jack Archibald as the “Party Line Candidate”. The vote of the local Republican Committee between Lou and Jack was a split vote of 4 to 4. We believe the people should have a choice so the Atlantic Highlands Republican party will have a primary on June 2, 2015.
Lou Fligor is his own man. He is the most dedicated public servant of the people of our town, a champion of our town’s people. He has led the battle to force the Gas Company’s clean-up operations. He spearheaded the committee to dissolve the Atlantic Highlands/Highlands Regional Sewer Authority, which has saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last year alone. Lou is the person we all see working for our town 365 days a year, not just during election time. He is a self-made man, who keeps his actions above political considerations. He is a true, loyal friend to all of our town’s people. Lou wants the job, not just the title as Mayor.
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Posted: May 30th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, Monmouth GOP | Tags: Atlantic Highlands, Atlantic Highlands GOP, Atlantic Highlands Republicans, Fred Rast, Mayor Fred Rast | 7 Comments »
Kerry and Jamie Gowan of Highlands appeared in Hoboken today with U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker as the legislators announced the reopening of thousands of flood insurance claims related to Superstorm Sandy.
Kerry spoke to the gathered press about her family’s ordeal swimming from their home on October 29, 2012, and the nightmare that has multiplied since. She said her flood insurance claim paid about half of what the family was due.
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Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: FEMA, Highlands, Hurricane Sandy, NJTV, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Bob Menendez, Brad Kieserman, Cory Booker, FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Jamie Gowan, Kerry Gowan, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on Highlands Couple Represents Sandy Victims Cheated By Flood Insurance Adjusters
Atlantic Highlands Councilmen Jack Archibald, left, and Lou Fligor, right, face off for the Republican nomination for mayor in the June 2 primary
Partisan primaries in New Jersey are usually very low turnout elections. Mostly they are uncontested, so only die hard partisans, poll workers and their friends who bring them doughnuts bother to vote. In Atlantic Highlands last year, of the roughly 700 registered Republicans, only 101 voted in the primary. Only 68 or the roughly 800 Democrats voted in the 2014 primary.
In contested primaries on a local level, the candidate with the “Party line” on the ballot usually has a huge advantage over a challenger.
The “Party line” advantage is being challenged in Atlantic Highlands in this year’s Republican primary on June 2. Two long term Republican Councilmen are competing to be the Party’s nominee for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Fred Rast, first elected in 2007, is keeping his promise to term limit himself out of office. Councilman Jack Archibald and Councilman Lou Fligor both want to be mayor.
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Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Atlantic Highlands, Monmouth County | Tags: Atlantic Highlands, Atlantic Highlands GOP, France Karras, Fred Rast, Jack Archibald, Jane Frotton, Jim Krauss, Lou Fligor, Mayor Fred Rast, Shaun Golden | Comments Off on “Party crashers” could determine Atlantic Highlands GOP mayoral nominee
STAFFORD — If Joe Karcz had gone with his gut, he’d be home by now, instead of staring at his empty lagoon-front lot in Stafford Township. A disabled construction worker, Karcz, whose home was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge, first thought he’d rehab it on his own, but then decided to get the funding… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Hurricane Sandy, RREM, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Hurricane Sandy, Jersey Shore, Joe Karcz, Monmouth County, Ocean County, RREM, RREM grants, Superstorm Sandy | Comments Off on Sandy victims just want to go home
Federal and state health officials have identified more than 150 people who possibly had contact with a patient who died of Lassa Fever, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. So far, most of those people face no danger, but six are at a high risk of having been exposed, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: New Jersey | Tags: CDC, Centers for Disease Control, Lassa Fever, New Jersey | 3 Comments »
Red Bank Republicans and the business community are opposed to expanding the paid parking zone along Monmouth Street from Maple Avenue west to Bridge Avenue, and along a stretch of Bridge, according to reports on RedBankGreen.
Discussion to end a five year moratorium on parking fees in the area was tabled at Tuesday’s Council Meeting due to the absence of Mayor Pat Menna who is recovering from heart bypass surgery. I wish Menna well and pray for his quick recovery.
I don’t know enough about the western Monmouth Street parking situation to opine, but if the businesses and Republicans think charging for parking is a bad idea, it probably is. The wiring for the parking kiosks was installed in 2012 and 13 new kiosks will cost the borough $135,308. $10,400 per kiosk, installed, sounds to me like more of a ripoff than $1 per hour to park.
What is really dumb about Red Bank’s paid parking is the coin operated meters in the heart of the business district located along side kiosks.
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Posted: May 29th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County, Red Bank | Tags: Monmouth County, no Joe's Cafe, Red Bank, Red Bank Mayor Pat Menna, Red Bank Republicans, Stupid parking tricks | 5 Comments »
Mayor Matt Doherty and Governor Chris Christie walk the Belmar boardwalk in August 2011. Photo Credit: Tim Larson, Governor’s Office
Governor Chris Christie will be in Belmar tomorrow, May 29, to announce the award of a $6.185 million flood mitigation grant and to “kick off the summer in Belmar baby,” Mayor Matt Doherty told MMM.
The Community Development Block Grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development is being awarded through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection after a competitive application process, according to Doherty. The funds will be used for an outflow pipe in Lake Cuomo which will provide flood mitigation for residents of Belmar, Spring Lake and the Borough of Lake Cuomo.
Christie is scheduled to arrive in Belmar at 2:15 p.m. The event will take place on Ocean Avenue at 20th Street.
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Posted: May 28th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Belmar, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: Belmar, CDBG, Chris Christie, Community Block Development Grant, DEP, HUD, Jim Keady, Lake Cuomo, Matt Doherty, Monmouth County News, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Spring Lake | 1 Comment »
PEMBERTON — Navigating New Jersey interests and a likely presidential campaign, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday proposed dropping national Common Core education standards he once supported but have since become a lighting rod issue for Republican voters. The governor, speaking at Burlington County College in Pemberton, declared Common Core is “simply not working.” Christie wants to… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 28th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie, Education | Tags: 2016 Presidential politics, Chris Christie, Common Core, Education | 1 Comment »
Brookdale Community College President Maureen Murphy’s search for her next gig continues.
One of four finalists for the presidency of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, Murphy lost out when the Board of Trustees unanimously chose Dr. Mary Hensly, a 14 year veteran administrator of the Austin Texas Community College District.
Murphy has been the president of Brookdale for three years. In the 16 years since leaving teaching to become an administrator in 1999, she’s held five different positions at four different community colleges. Her contract with Brookdale was extended last October.
Posted: May 28th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Brookdale Community College, Education, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: Blinn College, Brookdale Community College, Climbing and Jumping, Maureen Murphy | 1 Comment »
TRENTON — As Gov. Chris Christie prepares to speak about “academic standards” on Thursday, some education leaders said they are worried he might continue to pull back his support of the Common Core standards, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Christie, a potential candidate for the 2016 Republican nomination for president, is scheduled… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 28th, 2015 | Author: admin | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie, Education | Tags: 2016 Presidential politics, Burlington County Community College, Chris Christie, Common Core, Education | 1 Comment »
have had during these years are 100% due to the fact that I, as Mayor, and most of our Council, have worked together to protect and enhance our town.
