Funding approved for replacement of bridge over Pews Creek
Middletown Committeman Tony Fiore, Congressman Chris Smith and Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray inspect the Bay Ave Bridge on the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2014. MMM file photo
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Monmouth County was informed that it would be receiving a $2 million reimbursement from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the replacement of Bray Avenue Bridge (MT-2) over Pews Creek in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.
The $2,006,208 allocation represents a 90 percent reimbursement for the rebuilding of the bridge that has been closed since the tidal surge created by Superstorm Sandy overtopped the bridge and advanced the deteriorating condition of the bridge significantly.
“Residents and commuters in the Port Monmouth area will be glad to hear this news,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone. “With the financing in place, the County’s Public Works and Engineering staff can now shift gears and move the Bray Avenue Bridge replacement project forward.”
In an area of the Jersey Shore most devastated by Sandy, a power company is forcing many homeowners who rebuilt their houses higher to spend thousands of dollars to also raise the utility poles and electric lines. One homeowner had to pay $20,000, after the stand-off stopped his rebuilding for months, he said. It’s not clear… Read the rest of this entry »
May those that love us, love us. And those that don’t love us, May God turn their hearts. And if He doesn’t turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles So we will know them by their limping. ~Irish Blessing
TRENTON — State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos did not vote to buck the governor today when Democrats unsuccessfully tried to override his veto of the Port Authority legislation. But Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), who had been a personal friend of Christie’s and one of his chief allies in the Legislature, today demonstrated just how much their relationship has deteriorated… Read the rest of this entry »
TRENTON — Despite overwhelming bi-partisan support for a Port Authority reform bill approved in November, the state Senate today failed to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of the bill. After nearly an hour of impassioned debate, Senators voted 25-14 for the override, two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to overturn the veto. State Sen.… Read the rest of this entry »
Selika Josiah Gore is elected unanimously as new Chairwoman
Marlboro GOP Chair Selika Josiah Gore
Marlboro- Christopher Dean resigned as Chairman of the Marlboro Republican committee yesterday. Selika Josiah Gore was unanimously elected by the committee members as the new Chairwoman.
Gore is a wife and mother of two teen-aged boys. An attorney who works as an executive at the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission, she was the Deputy Campaign Manager for Scott Sipprelle’s 2010 run for congress and has considerable experience in state, county and local campaigns. She has served as Vice Chair of the Marlboro Republicans for the last four years.
“I’m honored to have the support of my Committee members, said Gore, “I look forward to working with our county and state partners to continue to build a solid Republican organization in Marlboro. We need to focus on fielding the best candidates to bring our message of smaller government and fiscal responsibility to the people of Marlboro. That is what I plan to do.”
According to published reports and interviews, Suzzane DesMarais has won a six figure settlement, multiple workers’ compensation claims and disability pay resulting from her employment as a part-time Special Class II police officer in Long Branch and Plumsted.
She suffered two house fires in six years. After the second fire, she raised money in the name of Chaos Foundation, named for her chocolate lab that perished in the fire. The New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs does not have a Chaos Foundation listed as a registered charity.
DesMarais, represented by the Shrewsbury law firm Shebell and Shebell, filed suit in Monmouth Superior Court on March second. The former police officer, who worked for MCSPCA as an animal control officer, claimed that Amato regularly sent her racist, sexist and homophobic text messages while she was on the job. She claims that after she complained to Amato’s superiors that she stopped receiving work and that no corrective action was taken against Amato. Amato resigned as the SPCA Police Chief after the suit became public through a story on BuzzFeedNews. Garden State Equality, the gay rights advocacy group of which DesMarais is a member, claims it connected her to BuzzFeed to bring public attention to the lawsuit.
Amato seemed to verify the accuracy of the vulgar and bigoted texts revealed in the BuzzFeed report when he told the Asbury Park Press that they were “jokes between a bunch of guys.”
According to published reports and interviews, DesMarias has been down this road before.
FREEHOLD – A pair of Monmouth County Highway Division employees have been arrested and charged with various drug-related offenses, acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced Friday. Following a two-month investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force into illegal drug activity at the county public works complex on Center Street, authorities executed a… Read the rest of this entry »
Pictured left to right: Kevin Harms, Rob Harms and Jeff Brantly (all from Harms Construction Company, Inc.), Manasquan Mayor George Dempsey, Dan Healey (from Harms Construction Company, Inc.), Assemblyman David P. Rible, Manasquan Councilman Jeff Lee (in sunglasses), Freeholder Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Manasquan Councilman Gregg Olivera (partially obscured), Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Manasquan Councilman Owen McCarthy, County Public Works Director John W. Tobia and County Engineer Joseph Ettore.
MANASQUAN, NJ- The Glimmer Glass Bridge, which had been closed since last August due to significant damage to the bridge deck and immediate safety concerns was re-opened this afternoon, 80 days ahead of schedule. Repairs to the bridge performed by George Harms Construction Co. of Farmingdale were expected to be completed on May 29 as the summer tourist season kicks off.
“Reopening the Glimmer Glass Bridge is a welcome relief to the nearby residents and the communities of Manasquan and Brielle,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “We appreciate all the work done by George Harms Construction to complete this deck replacement project 80 days ahead of schedule.”
“Harms Construction began work in October and worked weekends and overtime to complete the project well ahead of schedule,” said Freeholder Director Gary J. Rich, Sr. “With this being one of the coldest winters in recent memory, this was no small task.”
