Remembering Tara Ryan

Tara Ryan. Photo courtesy of Ken Braswell, ShoreGrafx.com

By Art Gallagher

Tara Ryan, 63, of Highlands, succumbed to complications of diabetes on Friday, April 1. Tara was with her loving husband Joe Killeen, and other family members when her time came.  Her family and the Highlands community are mourning her loss and celebrating her remarkable life which was devoted to improving the lives of others.

A one term borough councilwoman, Tara was a community leader in Highlands throughout her 21 year residence in the borough.  She was courted by both parties to run for council many times before finally agreeing to run as a Democrat in 2012.

She served on the Board of Education of Highlands Elementary School and the Highlands Zoning Board for many years.

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Monmouth Dems Have A Freeholder Primary

Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal blames MMM publisher Art Gallagher for his primary fight

By Art Gallagher

Monmouth Dem Freeholder candidates Brenda Sue Fulton and Matt Doherty face a primary challenge from Bernie Sanders supporters Angelica Ashford and Laury Wills

The two Democrat nominees for Monmouth County Freeholder will be decided by voters in the Democrat Primary on June 4 as two candidates affiliated with the Bernie Sanders for President campaign filed to run for the nominations on Monday in Freehold.

Angelica Ashford of Manalapan and Laury Wills of Little Silver will be running against Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty and Brenda Sue Fulton in the Democrat primary.  Doherty and Fulton are the choice of Monmouth Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal and will be bracketed on the primary ballot with the Hillary Clinton for President campaign.

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19 Year Old Fireman Charged With Fair Haven Arson

Nicholas Joyce, 19, a volunteer Fair Haven firefighter, was charged with second degree Aggravated Arson on Saturday after an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Fair Haven Police Department indicated that he started a shed fire behind the United Methodist Church on Friday afternoon, according to an announcement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.

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Doherty to withdraw from Freeholder race

Mayor Matt Doherty and Governor Chris Christie walk the Belmar boardwalk. Photo Credit: Tim Larson, Governor’s Office

Belmar, April 1- Mayor Matt Doherty will withdraw as a candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder and resign as mayor of the borough to become Deputy Mayor of Jersey City, according to a confidential memo obtained by MoreMonmouthMusings.

For years, Doherty has declined to run for Freeholder because, like his friend Governor Chris Christie, he prefers to be #1 rather than one of group. He agreed to Monmouth Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal’s plea that he run this year because he needs a quick exit from Belmar where he knows the gimmicks and tricks he has employed as mayor will blow up next year and cause massive tax hikes. Doherty calculated that this would be the year for him to win on a county level because Hillary Clinton, he thinks, do very well with Monmouth County voters and he will benefit from her pant suit tails.

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Sea Bright Library Features Organ Music The First Saturday Of Every Month

Councilman Charlie Rooney and the Pipe Organ of the Sea Bright Methodist Church,home of the Sea Bright Libray

Sea Bright- When Councilman Charlie Rooney was working with the Sea Bright United Methodist Church to have them host the borough’s library after Hurricane Sandy, he was struck with the beauty of the chapel and especially the pipe organ that majestically rises behind the altar.

Rooney learned that an organ’s pipes will deteriorate if they are not played, and the church’s organ wasn’t being used much. To preserve organ and enhance the community, Rooney arranges for an organist to play for an hour on the first Saturday of every month.  This Saturday, April 2, Jeff Cupp of Ocean Grove will be playing the organ from 11 a.m. till noon.

Rooney said that even though Cupp was an organist at the church during the 70’s and 80’s, that he will be playing more than chruch music this Saturday.

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Monmouth Freeholders Cut Taxes and Spending

DEMOCRATS TRY TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT

Freeholder Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Serena DiMaso at the Asbury Park St. Pat’s Parade

The all Republican Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved a budget which included a $18.2 million spending cut and a $4.5 million property tax cut last Thursday.

“This budget reduces the tax impact on residents and businesses and returns the amount to be raised by taxation to the 2010 level,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone. “In January, I called for a roll back of last year’s 1.4 percent tax increase and we have achieved that.”

“Cost cutting and belt tightening over the past six years and the sale of the two County care centers have made it possible for this Freeholder Board to present a budget that resets our spending to below the 2007 amount,” Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso said.

Monmouth County’s government now spends $5.5 million less on salaries than it did in 2008 and has 1000 fewer employees than it did seven years ago when the Republican Party won control of the Freeholder Board back from the Democrats.

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Congressman Smith To Host Military Academy Information Session

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepare to survey Hurricane Sandy damage. November, 2012

Congressman Chris Smith is holding a Service Academy Information night for high school and college students who are interested in attending one of the United States’ military academies.  Students, their parents, educators and counselors who reside in New Jersey’s Fourth Congressional District are welcome to attend.

The event will be held Thursday, April 21, 2016, from 5:30 to 7:30 in the lower level of the Wall Township Municipal Building, 2700 Allaire Road, Wall NJ.

“Throughout my tenure in Congress, I’ve had the honor and privilege of nominating many outstanding young men and women for acceptance into our nation’s military academies,” said Smith.  “With the United States’ continued fight against terrorism throughout the globe and its commitment to defending our homeland and protecting national security interests abroad, recruiting top-notch talent for our all-volunteer armed forces is critically important.”

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Rible: Let Towns Use Affordable Housing Money To Get The Lead Out Of Water

Assemblyman Dave Rible visiting fourth grade students at Spring Lake Hts Elementary School

Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, the Democrat leaders of the New Jersey Legislature, called for a tax on water for fund the repair and replacement of the state’s aging and lead contaminated water infrastructure.

Assemblyman Dave Rible, the Republican Conference Leader in the lower house, said raising taxes is not the answer.  Rible is introducing a bill that would allow municipalities to contribute the monies now earmarked for affordable housing construction to instead by dedicated to a fund to be used to remediate lead contaminated properties.

“While we need to address the serious issue of lead contamination in our communities, raising taxes is not the answer,” said Rible.  “This bill would provide vital funding for rehabilitating lead-contaminated properties without forcing taxpayers to dig deeper to pay for these projects.”

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Big Fat Greek Fest in Atlantic Highlands

Town and Surf Diner and our sponsor Atlantic Cinemas are teaming up this weekend for two nights of Greek dancing, Greek food and the newly released My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 on First Avenue in beautiful downtown Atlantic Highlands.

Town and Surf’s will have an all Greek menu from 5-11 on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey will perform immediately after the 7 p .m. and 10 p.m. shows of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 at the theater.

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Pryor Wins Neptune City Special Election, Monmouth GOP prevails over bus loads of Democratic canvassers

Neptune City Councilman Richard Pryor, center, celebrates his reelection with Neptune City and Monmouth GOP leaders. Click photo for larger view

The streets of Neptune City were reminiscent of Newark, Jersey City or Chicago on election day Tuesday as out of town canvassers worked the town to get Democrats to come out and vote in a Special Election for a Council seat that was vacated as a result of a tie vote last November.

The State Democratic Party emailed Democrat activists statewide, imploring them to knock on doors and make phone calls in Neptune City, “because it is the home of Monmouth County Freeholder Director and Republican Leader Tom Arnone, who previously served as mayor.” U.S. Senator Cory Booker made a robocall for the Democrat candidate. An estimated 30 out of towners were bused in on Tuesday to to find Democratic votes to drag to the polls.

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