In LD 11, Angelini and Casagrande trailing Houghtaling and Downey

With 158 of 160 districts reporting, incumbent Republican Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande are in danger of losing their seats to Democratic Neptune Township Committeeman Eric Houghtaling and Attorney Joann Downey of Freehold.

Houghtaling is leading with 14,836 votes and Downey has 14,602. Angelini has 14,523 and Casagrande has 14,285.

Republicans are not conceding the race, which they are saying is “too close to call.”

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Democrats Sweep in Atlantic Highlands

Mayor Fred Rast

With all districts reporting in Atlantic Highlands, Democrat Rhonda LeGrice has defeated Republican Councilman Jack Archibald for Mayor, 847 to 559, a 60-40 margin. Archibald only received  233 votes more today than he received in the Republican Primary last June when he defeated fellow Councilman Lou Fligor.

The Democrats also retained the two Council seats they were defending. Incumbent Democrat Roy Dellosso, 916 votes and newcomer Charles Lero, 848 votes, defeated Republicans Jim Krauss, 513 votes and France Karras 489 votes.

Mayor Fred Rast, a Republican endorsed the Democratic slate in a letter than he sent to all voters, at his own expense, late last week.  In his letter, Rast listed a litany of complaints about Archibald and GOP Municipal Chairwoman Jane Frotton. Additionally, he said that during his eight years as mayor, he lead the governing body with a bi-partisan coalition of Fligor, Dellosso, Republican Jacob Hoffman and Democrat Robert Sutton.

Archibald and Republican Peter Doyle have been a functional minority on the Council.  A fact that Archibald confirm during the primary campaign.

Rast had endorsed Fligor in the Republican Primary.

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Dems win in Hazlet

Demcratic incumbents in Hazlet Jim DiNardo and Barbara Ronchetti have defeated Republicans TJ Mann and Bill Shea.

DiNardo won with 1,565 votes, Ronchetti with 1,526, Mann earnd votes 1,1954 and Shea got 1,202.

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DiSomma: Investigate Zipprich’s Use of Red Bank Taxpayers’ Property for Political Purposes

Like Ground Hog Day, Ed Zipprich is flaunting the rules again.  photo via facebook

Red Bank Republican Chairman Sean DiSomma is calling for an investigation into the likely improper use of Red Bank Borough Property, the Parks and Recreation Department’s email list, after a political email, “Election Request from Councilman Ed Zipprich” was sent to Monmouth County Recreation Commissioner Michael Harmon, a resident of Atlantic Highlands who regularly receives electronic correspondence for Red Bank’s Parks and Recreaton Department.

“Desperate people do desperate things.  On the eve of losing control of Red Bank voters’ escalating property taxes, the Democratic Chairman, Councilman Ed Zipprich, apparently decided it was worth the risk of violating New Jersey Election Law, Ethics Law and to potentially commit Official Misconduct by illegally obtaining the Borough Parks and Recreations Department’s email list and using it for political purposes, ” said DiSomma. “On behalf of Red Bank taxpayers, I am calling for an investigation by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.”

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Race to watch: Red Bank

Over the last two elections, Red Bank voters have expressed their dissatisfaction with their municipal government and transformed a Democratic stronghold into a swing town by splitting their partisan preferences in Council candidates.

Tomorrow, Red Bank will either turn over their government to Republican office holders with a 4-2 new majority, split partisan control of the Council 3-3, giving Democratic Mayor Pat Menna a deciding vote, or keep the current status-quo of 4-2 Democratic partisan control with Menna presiding over meetings and cutting ribbons, but having no power over policy.

Democratic incumbent Michael DuPont, 54, is running for his fourth term. Joining his effort to retain Democratic control of Red Bank is Board of Education Member Michael Ballard.  Ballard, 52, replaced former Council President Art Murphy who resigned after a video of a drunken rant of him deriding a small business went viral.

Challenging DuPont and Ballard are Young Republicans Mark Taylor, 37, an attorney and Michael Whalen, 24, an insurance executive.

As the campaign comes to a close, the Democrats seem desperate to maintain control and their composure.

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Old Bridge Man Arrested in Hazlet Bank Robbery

Stephen Fedorka. photo via facebook

Stephen Fedorka, 33, of the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Towship, was arrested on Sunday and charged in the Armed Robbery that occurred at the Santander Bank branch at 2985 Route 35, Hazlet, on Wednesday, October 28, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

The Hazlet Police Department was contacted at approximately 9:46 a.m. on October 28 and responded to the Santander Bank located at 2985 State Highway 35, Hazlet, New Jersey, for a reported robbery. The suspect was described as a white male possibly in his 30’s, approximately 5’9”, wearing dark blue or black sweatshirt and dark colored jeans. The suspect entered the bank and handed a note to a bank teller demanding money and indicating that he possessed a gun. The suspect then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of United States currency.

An investigation by the Hazlet PD, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the FBI lead to Fedorka’s arrest in Hazlet on Sunday morning.
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In Marlboro: Why are the Hornikcrats lying about John Dwyer?

Why are the Hornikcrats politicizing Marlboro’s schools?

What else are the Hornikcrats lying about?

John Dwyer smiling

In Marlboro, the incumbent Democrats, Mayor Jon Hornik, Councilwoman Randi Marder and Councilman Michael Scalea have raised over $70,000 and counting for their reelection campaign. They are spending aggressively in an apparent pursuit to keep anyone other than an approved member of the Hornikcrats from participating in municipal government.

In contrast, the “Positively Marlboro” Republicans are spending less than $13,000 on their campaign, according to their filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

The Hornikcrats have also politicized the highly regarded Marlboro School System by endorsing a slate of Board of Education candidates.

They have further politicized the Schools with two mailers to Marlboro voters in the last week or so, in which they lie about former School Board Member John Dwyer’s role in the property tax increase associated with the School Board Budget.  Dwyer, and Sui Allex, are the Republican candidates running against Marder and Scalea.

Dwyer voted NO on the current School Board Budget.   Here’s the proof:

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Pedophile Gets 12 years

Kevin Motyka. photo via facebook

Kevin Motyka, 24, of Howell Township, was sentenced to 12 years in state prison for sexually assaulting a toddler and electronically recording the act, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Motyka must serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.   He will be subject to the provision of Megan’s Law, Parole Supervision for life and is banned from having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18, pursuant to the sentence imposed by Judge Anthony J. Mellaci, Jr.

A tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led to the arrest of Motyka in February of 2014.

A Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit investigation revealed Motyka sexually assaulted a 2-year-old boy between May and December 2012, and created photographs and video recordings of the attacks. The defendant also distributed child pornography of images that did not include his young victim.

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NJEA funded Democratic PAC rips drug prevention and anti-bullying programs

A Super PAC funded by the NJEA, New Jersey’s largest teachers’ union, and run by U.S.Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s former Chief of Staff, has spent nearly $200,000 so far on television and radio ads to imply that Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-11 Monmouth County) “took” $1 millon in government grants for herself and her staff, rather than help New Jersey schools prevent drug abuse.

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Hanlon unveils Veterans discount program

Asbury Park-Monmouth County military veteran are receiving discounts from local businesses participating in a new program, “Honoring our Heroes” that was announced by County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon in Asbury Park yesterday.

“More than 33,000 veterans call Monmouth County home,” said Hanlon. “We want our Veterans to know that we appreciate their service, so my staff and I have created a Veterans Discount Guidebook that is available to every local veteran who has an Veterans ID card issued by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.”

The 20-page guidebook includes a listing of stores, restaurants and other businesses throughout Monmouth County who are committed to offering product and service discounts to Vets.  The business listing will also be published and updated on the County Clerk’s website.  The guidebook is currently available to Veterans and the County Clerk’s Office in Freehold and the County Connection on Rt 66 in Neptune.

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