A new program by the Middletown Veterans Affairs Committee will add deeper meaning and clarity to the remembrances of the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.
For years, many communities, including Middletown, have named streets after fallen heroes. Now in Middletown there will be a commemorative sign under the official street signs that identifies the hero, their branch of service and the conflict in which they were sacrificed.
Wednesday afternoon in Port Monmouth, Congressman Chris Smith joined Mayor Stephanie Murray and Committeeman Tony Fiore joined Veterans Affairs Committee Members James Guerrieri, and Tom Garretson and William Bouw in honoring the life and heroism of Army Sgt Richard Belicose who died as the result of injuries sustained in Vietnam in May of 1967. Sgt Belicose’s brothers Ron and Robert were on hand for the ceremony.
ASBURY PARK — For weeks, I’ve been blasting the A-Team slate for taking custody and control of hundreds of vote-by-mail/absentee ballots, with their supporters and paid operatives delivering them to voters. The voter then completes the ballot and mails it back for counting — or the A-Team delivery person can even take them back. It’s absurd.
The A-Team led by Mayoral candidate Remond Palmer is on track to deliver 500 of these ballots, known as vote-by-mail [VBM] ballots. That’s the election right there. Of course, this law was originally for invalids or shut-ins who had trouble getting their mail and wanted an absentee ballot. The A-Team is trying to drive hundreds of votes through that loophole.
I’ve consistently said they’re doing it wrong. In fact, we went down this road last year, with the Board of Elections disqualifying 250 ballots the A-Team organization delivered to voters in the 2013 election. A Judge agreed and said the applications for the ballots were flawed and the ballots can’t be counted.
Monmouth County Democratic Freeholder Candidate Lawrence W. Luttrell, like all bullies, can dish it out but he can’t take it.
The litigiouslunger has spent two years campaigning for Freeholder (he came in last in 2013 and is heading that way again this year) by lying and distorting the records of his opponents, particularly over the farmland preservation deal involving Andrew Lucas. Yet when the truth about his own inglorious past gets revealed, Luttrell threatens legal action.
At the candidates forum sponsored by Lincroft Village Green last week in Middletown, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry was so upset that Luttrell blamed her for Operation Bid Rig that she would not shake his hand after the debate. “You’re taking this stuff too personally,” Burry reported Luttrell as saying.
At issue are Monmouth GOP radio ads and robo calls that refer to Luttrell and his running mate, Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo, as “Lawbreakers” and announce that Luttrell’s law license was “suspended” and “taken away.”
Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Tinton Falls Council President Gary Baldwin
Tinton Falls Mayor Gerry Turning and Council President Gary Baldwin threw their support behind Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich in the Freeholder’s bid for reelection next Tuesday.
“Monmouth County has been Tinton Falls partner in controlling the cost of government and in revitalizing our economy in the wake of the great recession and the closure of Fort Monmouth. Lillian and Gary has been right there in the lead,” Turning said. “I have worked with Lillian at Fort Monmouth and with Gary on solutions for the homeless. They are great people who are tremendously committed with a great work ethic. I find them very committed and deserving of reelection.”
Congressman Chris Smith, center, meet with Middletown Administrator Anthony Mercantante, Public Works Director Ted Maloney, Mayor Stephanie Murray and Committeeman Tony Fiore (right) in the Township’s new Emergency Command Center on the 2nd Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.
Congressman Chris Smith visited Howell and Middletown Townships on the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy to assess the progress of recovery and determine remaining needs to be fought for in Washington.
Smith joined Mayor Bill Gato and Deputy Mayor Rob Nicastro at the Mariners Cover community along the Manasasquan River to the the sites of four demolished homes that had been damaged by Sandy and Hurricane Irene in 2011, and one remaining home that is slated for demolition. The homes were purchased by the township with state and federal funding.Disney Princess Chambre de rebond
In Middletown, Smith joined Mayor Stephanie Murray, Committeeman Tony Fiore, Administrator Anthony Mercantante and Public Works Director Ted Maloney in the Township’s Emergency Command Center from where Fiore directed the rescue and recovery efforts two years earlier in the aftermath of the storm, before touring three sites in the Township still in need of federal support. While in the command center Smith recalled that NBC’s Andrea Mitchell showed up and asked to interview him. “I told her to interview Fiore because he was the one doing the work. She refused, so I spent the interview talking about him and the amazing work he was doing protecting the lives and property of his community.” Fiore was Mayor during the recoveries of Hurricanes Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012.
Juanita Lewis, seated left in the beige pants and dark blouse, and Ed Zipprich looking lonely, at their Broad St, Red Bank campaign headquarters this evening.
Red Bank Council Members Ed Zipprich and Juanita Lewis, both of whom were out of town and too busy to debate their Republican challengers Sean DiSomma and Linda Schwabenbauer last night at the West Side Community Group’s 18th annual forum, were back in town this evening, nearly alone in their Broad Street campaign headquarters with four volunteers.
Zipprich and Lewis have yet to respond to DiSomma and Schwabenbauer’s offer to host a Tele-Town Hall debate for Red Bank voters this weekend.
Zipprich and Lewis invited 230 people to come to their headquarters for phone banking tonight. Two people RSVP’d via facebook and as of about 7PM, four people showed up.
150 people showed up to hear the candidates debate last night. Zippy and Lewis should have been there.
Reflections on Lillian Burry by the person who knows her best
By Capt. Donald L. Burry, USCG (Retired)
Many of you now know that Lillian Burry and I have been married for more than 50 years. Through the disagreements and pleasant happenings I have learned much about her dedication and commitment to our County. If I may, I would like to express my observations with respect to Lillian’s political and community activities. This will take a while and I hope you might have time for my thoughts.
Beginning back in the days of our Matawan Borough life, Lillian started her career in political and social community commitment. Preserving the 80+ acres around Matawan creek; saving the historical Borrowes Mansion; obtaining Federal funds to purchase and convert the old Central Jersey Bank building into an Improved Borough Hall; spearheading the efforts to stop dumping and storing waste oil in Burnt Fly Bog and having it declared a Federal contaminated site; establishing a chapter of League of Women voters; elected to the Matawan Borough Council; Appointed to the Monmouth County Planning Board; Appointed to the Monmouth County Library Commission; and other less well known activities were her passions. I was a sales rep for the Rohm and Haas Company. My travels afforded her time, in my absence, to raise our daughter and to be politically and community involved. This was the beginning of Lillian’s political career. Additionally Lillian became involved in Real Estate sales. Colts Neck Realty became a new passion.
We have been hearing about the Lucas Farm deal for about 4 years now, especially around election time. I wonder why that is? With this letter, I will try and explain what has transpired.
First, let me explain why I believe I know how this unfolded. I was friendly with Mr. Lucas, when the Farm became available. He thought about buying it; placing the property into the States Farmland Preservation Program. One of the first actions he took was to question the State’s Ethics Board to see if it was ok. They wrote back (he read me their response) that there was nothing illegal or unethical about what he was doing, However, it might be better, politically, if he waited until he was out of office. He chose not to.
He acted then, because the property was zoned for residential use, and homes could be built on the property, adding to the congestion on Route 522A, not far from his home and farm.
This property was also viewed by the County as a prize because of its size and location since 2008. (“Target Farm List update” Sept 17, 2008).
Another Myth was that Andrew voted for this property. The Township vote took place on May 11th, 2011. The vote was Green, Maskowitz, Holland yes, Roth no and Lucas recused himself (from the Manalapan Township meeting notes). Jack McNaboe and Susan Cohen did not vote on the Farmland acquisition, they were not elected at this time.
Republicans challenge incumbents to debate this weekend
Red Bank Councilman Ed Zipprich
Red Bank Council members Ed Zipprich and Juanita Lewis were no shows at the 18th annual candidates forum hosted by the Westside Community Group, according to a report on RedBankGreen.
Republican challengers for Borough Council Sean DiSomma and Linda Schwabenbauer fielded questions from the standing room only crowd of about 150 at the River Street Commons senior housing center on Catherine Street. DiSomma offered Zipprich and Lewis’s chairs to members of the audience.
Mayor Pat Menna, a Democrat running unopposed for reelection, showed up half way through the two hour forum. RedBankGreen reported Menna was at a campaign fundraiser at the Oyster Point Hotel for the first hour of the debate.
DiSomma, who is also Chairman of the Red Bank Republican Committee, told MMM that Zipprich and Lewis are afraid of facing the voters and are hoping that they can run out the clock of the election without defending their records.
“The Westside Community Group offered Zipprich and Lewis three different dates for the forum,” DiSomma said, “they cancelled last week’s Council Meeting, as they have done for 5 of the last 6 pre-election council meetings. If I had their record, I would want to hide too.”
DiSomma noted that under Zipprich and Lewis, Red Bank’s debt has increased 22% and spending has increased 28%. “Lewis doesn’t attend council meetings,” DiSomma said, “she literally calls in her votes on important matters to the people of Red Bank.”
A new program by the Middletown Veterans Affairs Committee will add deeper meaning and clarity to the remembrances of the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.
