Well, it seems as if fall is now officially here! After a hot summer season, these cooler temperatures are a nice relief! I hope everyone is enjoying the season and picking the perfect pumpkins. I have been staying busy and I would like to take some time to share what I have been up to around Monmouth County.
Last Friday, we hosted our annual Shared Services Summit at the Monmouth County Fire Academy. We had a fantastic turnout, with nearly 80 people attending and representing more than 35 municipalities, school districts, fire districts, police departments and other entities throughout the county. Those who attended were able to learn more about shared services available to them through our Clerk’s office, tax board, Sheriff’s office, purchasing department, department of public works, IT department and the fire academy.
Irv Beaver, 73, of Waterview Way, Belford, a long time Middletown Democrat volunteer, activist and County Committeeman, was arrested on Sunday afternoon for stealing and vandalizing campaign signs supporting Republican candidates for local, county and congressional offices, as well as Middetown Board of Education candidates who the Middletown Democrat organization opposes.
Beaver retired from Middletown Police Department in 1988, at the age of 44. On his social media pages, facebook and linkedin, he purports to be an investigator for the NJ Attorney General’s Office.
Currently, City Council candidates in Asbury Park run “at-large.” That means the whole City votes for each candidate.
In a Ward system, the City is broken up into neighborhoods. The people only vote for candidates from their own neighborhood, or Ward. It ensures that each neighborhood is guaranteed a representative on the Council. Newark for example has 5 Wards. You can have a mixed system too, with some Ward candidates and some at-large candidates.
Jessica Grieb in Monmouth Beach this afternoon, on her way to Belmar
A 26 year old recovering addict who is fighting addiction by walking 2575 miles from Fort Kent, Maine to Key West, Florida arrived in Highlands last night and his walking from Highlands to Belmar this afternoon and then from Belmar to Brielle on Saturday.
Jessie Grieb, a native of Spring Lake who now lives in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, was welcomed home by her aunt Karen Grieb Burke last night when she arrived in Highlands from New York City via the Seastreak Ferry.
During a candidates forum last February while competing for the Democrat nomination to challenge Congressman Chris Smith, Josh Welle told Democrat activists that his company, Severn Pacific, Inc., doing business as Crossdeck, was dissolved in the spring of 2017.
But an officer of Harvard Business Services, Severn Pacific’s Delaware business agent told Patch that Welle’s company submitted an address change on March 3, 2017 . The company, which Welle was the CEO of, then ignored multiple notices from HBS to pay its 2017 taxes. The company was finally dissolved last week, after MMM reported the $130,000 past due taxes.
The Democrat and Republican candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder each said they would not accept County funded health insurance if elected to the part time position next month.
Republican candidates, Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger and Hazlet Deputy Mayor Sue Kiley, have long opposed part-time elected officials exploiting the taxpayers by taking excessive benefits. Democrat candidates Larry Luttrell and Amber Gesslein each told MMM that would not accept taxpayer funded health benefits if they are elected.
The Independent candidate, disgraced Freeholder John P. Curley, has been sticking Monmouth County property taxpayers with the cost of his medical care for most of the last two years and he opposed a recent resolution against the practice.
Josh Welle and Amber Gesslein could run for the Dem nominations for Assembly in LD 13 next year.
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin’s announcement that she will not seek reelection next year inevitably creates speculation on who will run to replace her. While party leaders on both sides of the aisle would rather their troops stay focused on the election coming up next month, the jockeying has started given how infrequently a vacancy occurs in the 13th district.
Democrats, who normally lose badly in the district will likely have a contest for the two Assembly nominations next year, given Handlin’s vacancy and Serena DiMaso serving her freshman term. DiMaso put something of a target on her back with the Dems when she made a robocall criticizing LD 11 Assemblymembers Eric Hougtaling and Joann Downey for voting for Governor Murphy’s tax increases. Houghtaling and Downey responded to DiMaso’s robocall with an ethics complaint.
With the Assembly on top of the ballot next year, Dems will likely be motivated and funded, even in LD 13.
Potential Democrat Candidates for LD 13 Assembly in 2019 who are running for other offices this year:
