Dealizt App Yields Real Savings for Monmouth County Consumers

Freehold Family Boosts Local Businesses and Shoppers

By Art Gallagher

A new app developed by a father and son team from Freehold has the potential to save Monmouth County residents real money on our everyday purchases and for local businesses to develop enhanced customer loyalty.

Dealizt was launched late last year by Dan Davidson and his son Justin, both of Freehold. The app has the look and feel of a big, nationwide endeavor, and maybe someday it will be.  In reality it is a small business just like the companies that offer ongoing discounts to new and loyal customers through the app that is available on the Apple Store and Google Play.

So far the app is populated by just under 100 Monmouth County businesses.  Justin tells me that new users are downloading the app at a rate of about 25 per day.

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Monmouth County enters 10 year agreement with Middlesex for Medical Examiners Services

Freeholders in Monmouth and Middlesex counties have entered into a 10 year agreement that has the Middlesex Medical Examiner’s Office performing autopsies for unexplained natural deaths and violent deaths that occur in Monmouth County. The office also preserves evidence, analyzes physical evidence and provides expert testimony in courts of law.

The agreement announced today extends a shared services partnership between the counties that was first instituted in 2009.

Monmouth County taxpayers will save $1 million over the term of the agreement which is part of the Freeholders’ ongoing effort to streamline costs and share services.  Middlesex County taxpayers will see a $1.4 million per year benefit as a result of the agreement.

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Why the great gas decline of the past year is nearing an end

The decline in gas prices has slowed as prices dropped just two cents in the past week, and some gas stations with the cheapest prices could actually see prices start to increase. If there… Read the rest of this entry »

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Physicians Assistant Charged With Selling Phony Scripts

Frank Campione, a 45 year old physicians assistant with a home office in Brick Township, was arrested by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office this week on charges of selling prescriptions for opiates and other drugs, according to an announcement by Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

A four month long investigation revealed that between January 2015 and January 2016 Campione met with individuals in public places and sold them prescriptions for oxycodone and Xanax and other dangerous drugs.

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Monmouth GOP endorses Brent Sonnek-Schmelz to challenge Pallone

Brent Sonnek-Schmelz

Freehold Township- The Monmouth County Republican Committee endorsed Brent Sonnek-Schmelz, a member of the Atlantic Highlands Board of Education, to challenge Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr in the November 8, 2016 election last night during their annual nominating convention at iPlay America.

Sonneck-Schmelz, 39, is an Eagle Scout, attorney, Wharton educated MBA and entrepreneur who announced to the world that he likes to wear short shorts in the summer when he won $100,000 as a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.  He currently works as the General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer of The Soccer Post, a family owned franchise system of soccer stores with 33 locations nationally, and as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of City Sports, a Boston based sports apparel retailer that he is working to relaunch.

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Howard Birdsall Pleads Guilty To Pay To Play Crimes

Howard Birdsall, 72 of Brielle, pleaded guilty today to corporate misconduct for his role in a criminal scheme in which more than $1 million in corporate political contributions were illegally made through employees of his now defunct engineering firm, Birdsall Services Group, in violation New Jersey’s pay-to-play law, according to an announcement by the NJ Attorney General’s Office.

Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Birdsall be sentenced to four years in state prison. He also must pay $49,808 to the state, representing forfeiture of the political contributions that he made on behalf Birdsall Services Group that were reimbursed by the firm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22.

“As the CEO and largest shareholder of Birdsall Services Group, Howard Birdsall reaped major profits from the millions of dollars in public contracts his firm secured each year – contracts that should have been off limits based on the illegal campaign contributions made by the firm,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “This plea should serve as a warning to any corporate officials who would engage in this type of criminal scheme to skirt our pay-to-play law and skew public contracting in their favor.”

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Middletown Recognizes Richard Saker As A Distinguished Citizen

Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, Laura Saker and Richard Saker

Middletown– Mayor Gerald Scharfenberger, PhD. and the Township Committee awarded Richard Saker the Distinguished Citizen Award at the Township Committee meeting on February 15.

Saker, the head of Saker ShopRites, Inc., was honored for his ongoing and significant contributions to the township’s Cultural and Arts Council, the Middletown Arts Center, and Middletown Day. He’s a major sponsor of many township outreach programs including the Welcome Home Picnic for Vietnam Veterans and the Mayor’s Food Basket. He’s also dedicated member of the Economic Development Committee, explained Mayor  Scharfenberger.

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‘It’s been a rough 50 years,’ says sister of cold case victim

FREEHOLD — It’s been a rough 50 years for Frances Klinksky, not knowing who killed her younger sister, Mary. Frances, 71, was only 20 years old when Mary Agnes Klinksky was killed on Sept. 15, 1965. “Even after 50 years, its like it just happened yesterday,” Frances Klinksy said by phone Wednesday evening, having just read… Read the rest of this entry »

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, February 19-21, 2016

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, February 19

• College Men’s Basketball: Monmouth U. vs. Iona (WLB) – MORE INFO
• Chapter Two at Center Playhouse (Freehold) – MORE INFO
• Chris Botti at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) –MORE INFO
• Bad Seed by Monmouth Players (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO
• Homeschool Now USA Information Meeting (Hazlet) – MORE INFO
• Minority Male Initiative Conference at BCC (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• The Dictators NYC: Battery Electric (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Words on Main: Poetry Reading (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

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A Pussy Riot in Asbury Park

By Tom DeSeno

A friend once told me that he snot-chuckles like a 14 year old boy whenever he hears the name of the Russian female protest collective Pussy Riot.   That’s culturally understandable.

Don’t mistake though the seriousness of these women and the issues that surround them.  They are making a fascinating imprint on modern politics, power and protest.

On February 24 the House of Independents, Asbury Park’s new venue that is giving that City the artistic aesthetic it always pretended to have, is presenting “A Conversation with Pussy Riot:  Hosted by John Cameron Mitchell.”

To get a proper perspective of Pussy Riot, you have to realign your point of view from American to Russian when dealing with political terms.  It also helps to look at what they aren’t as much as what they are.

They aren’t a band, at least not in the traditional sense.   There’s music, but it’s not their focus.  It’s not even good music, probably by their own intention.  The music is beside the point of their varied socio-political messages.

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