Our friend Mike Halfacre lost his father Robert yesterday at age 84 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
A loving son posted this obituary on facebook this morning:
Robert E. Halfacre, formerly of Chatham, Massachusetts, Flemington, New Jersey and Fair Haven, New Jersey died on October 28th in Gainesville, Florida, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 84.
Bob was born and raised in Palmerton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Tabor Academy before joining the United States Navy and serving in the Pacific Theatre through the end of World War II. After an Honorable Discharge, he attended and graduated from Lehigh University in 1950 with a degree in Metallurgy Engineering. He later earned his MBA from SUNY Buffalo. He spent his professional life with NJ Zinc, American Metals Climax and US Bronze Powders, in such diverse places as Blackwell, Oklahoma, Lewiston, New York and Flemington, New Jersey.
Bob was laid off in the economic downturn of the mid-1970’s. Not content with searching for another job in metallurgy, he purchased a commercial fishing trawler, the “Yellow Bird” and at the age of 50 learned how to lobster and scallop out of Chatham Harbor on Cape Cod. He worked the sea until well into his 7th decade, and when the scallops were overfished, he adapted and became a gill netter.
The “Perfect Storm” of October 1991 destroyed the Yellow Bird and Bob adapted again, and taught himself the art of fiberglass, completely rebuilding the Yellow Bird. He eventually sold the Yellow Bird and became one of the most sought after glassers on the Cape. He continued glassing until his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s at the age of 80.
He was also a private pilot, and enjoyed flying his Cessna 182 all over the country and “island hopping” through the Caribbean all the way to Brazil.
Bob is predeceased by his parents, Ethel Wood Halfacre and George F. Halfacre, Sr. He is survived by his brother, George F. “Fritz” Halfacre, Jr. and his wife Reene, of Allentown, PA; his sister Patricia Bischoff and her husband David of Maine; his children, Susan Halfacre, and her husband Buck Curtin of Gainesville, FL; Karen Foxworth and her husband Spencer of Little Silver, NJ; Jeffrey Halfacre and his wife Christine of Centreville, VA; Michael Halfacre and his wife Tricia of Fair Haven, NJ and Jason Halfacre and his wife Danielle of Santa Cruz, CA; fourteen grandchildren, one great-grandchild and many nieces, nephews and friends from all over the United States.
After a private service, his cremains will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
Governor Christie killed it, according to the Neptune Nudniks in their editorial, A death blow for prosperity, by killing the ill conceived ARC tunnel project that would have boosted New York’s economy while New Jersey tax payers paid the open ended bill.
What a bunch of hyperbole.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that Monmouth and Ocean counties don’t have a reliable and trustworthy news organization to serve the region, the head Nudnik wants to export his special brand of propaganda throughout the nation. Hollis Towns, the Executive Editor of the Neptune Nudniks was recently elected president of the Associated Press Managing Editors.
“I’m thrilled to be elected president of an organization with such a rich history and bright future,” said Towns, 46. “I plan to build on the successes of the past year by growing the membership, extending our reach and launching an important national reporting project with The Associated Press.”
Good grief. Did the APME members read his rag before electing him? This nudnik is going to launch an important national reporting project with the internationally syndicated Associated Press?
The way things are going, The Soprano State will have more sequels than Sly Stillone’s Rocky movies.
Just in the last month we had Toms River Regional School District Superintendent Michael Ritacco’s indictment for taking millions in kick backs. We’ve seen Frank Pallone, Steve Rothman, Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg put Americans’ health at risk in exchange for campaign contributions. We’ve seen Rush Holt exposed promulgating phony science to bamboozle Congress out of out of millions of dollars for his employer, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
There’s more material to come, perhaps as early as this afternoon. MMM is fact checking a tip on a pay to play scheme by a Monmouth County elected official who has a stack a soap boxes he’s broken while preaching against such behavior. We’re told the APP has had the same tip for a few days. We got it last night. Maybe they’re still fact checking too. Stay tuned.
Tonight: Sprint to Victory Reception @ Bar Anticipation, Belmar.
Please join Assemblyman Dave Rible, Senator Sean Kean, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Chairman Joe Oxley for a Victory reception honoring Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Rob Clifton, and Mayor Tom Arnone. Cost: $60 per person or reservations or 5 for $250. For more information, call (732)701-0009.
Saturday: If you haven’t marched with Anna’s Army yet, this is your last chance until her 2012 reelection campaign.
They saved the best for last. With respect to our friends in Manalapan, the Battle of Monmouth will be in Long Branch on Saturday. The Patriots will meet at The Windmill, 200 Ocean Ave, North, Long Branch from 8:30am-10am before heading out to knock on 5,629 doors in Frank Pallone’s hometown. Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno will be marching with the troops on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, an old fashioned Hot Dog Rally at Middletown GOP headquarters, 340 Route 35, from 12-2. Come out and support Gerry Scharfenberger and Kevin Settembrino for the final push of their great campaign.
If you miss Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno in Long Branch in the morning you can catch her at Monmouth County GOP Headquarters in Freehold, 16 West Main St, at 12:30.
Sunday: Pancake Breakfast with the Neptune Twp Republicans. Featuring Anna Little, Shaun Golden, Rob Clifton, Tom Arnone and Warren Lapp.
“Anna Little understands that medical decisions are the most personal decisions in our lives, and should be kept between doctors and patients,” said Dr. Alieta Eck, President-elect of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), who announced the endorsement on behalf of the AAPS. “Anna understands that the government takeover of health care will be damaging to our citizens’ abilities to choose their own doctors, make their own medical decisions, and receive the quality care of their choice.
“Government bureaucrats simply don’t know what’s best for patients,” continued Eck. “They cannot. Only patients and their doctors should make those decisions. Ann Little understands that, and Frank Pallone clearly does not. That’s why endorsing Anna Little was an easy decision.”
“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons,” said Little. “They’re battling on the front lines of health care every day, and they know better than most just how destructive ‘PalloneCare’ is going to be.
“We need to repeal this bill as soon as possible – that’s why I’ve signed the Independent Women’s Voice ObamaCare Repeal Pledge, and that’s why I’m committed to fighting with everything I’ve got to get this law overturned once I get to Washington.
“If you think we’re headed in the right direction, then Frank Pallone is your man,” said Little. “But if you think we’re moving in the wrong direction, then I need your vote – because you cannot change Washington without changing the people we send to Washington!”
New Jersey Senator Tom Kean, Jr was on hand to introduce Little.
The gap that Scott Sipprelle needs to close in order to return Rush Holt’s career to plasma has widened from 5% to 8% in the last two weeks, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this afternoon.
Holt has widened his support in Middlesex County to 10%, 52%-42% vs a 4 point margin, 50%-46% in the earlier poll. Sipprelle still leads among Independents in the district, but only buy 11% vs 15% two weeks ago.
“While he’s not out of the woods yet, Rush Holt appears to be solidify his standing among voters in this district,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
That’s a puzzling conclusion from Murray, given that Holt’s support has remained constant at 51% in the two polls Monmouth conducted. “Undecided and other” have doubled as a percentage of respondents in the current poll, from 3% to 6%. Among Independents, “undecided and other” has increased from 7% to 9%. Rather than Holt solidifying his support, it would appear that Holt’s negative ads have been taking on toll on Sipprelle’s support and/or that Scott has failed to give Independents a reason to come out for him over the last two weeks.
The most surprising number both of Murray’s NJ-12 polls is Sipprelle’s favorability rating. In the October 13th poll, 41% of the respondents did not know enough about Scott to form a favorable or unfavorable opinion, including 44% of Independents and 24% of Republicans. In today’s poll, the “no opinion” number dropped only 2 points to 39%, including 42% of I’s and 24% of R’s. This is particularly surprising given Sipprelle’s radio and TV advertising throughout the summer and fall.
Just as Holt is “not out of the woods,” Scott has not been knocked out and can still win this race, though time is running short. Fast, and expensive adjustments are necessary for him to win.
Scott needs to “let it hang out” and let the Independent voters know the more human side of himself. Elections are not won on debating points. To a large extent they are won on likeability. Scott has been argumentative and a bit strident since the second debate. He’s argued with Holt’s commercials and he’s argued with the Asbury Park Press. He’s been defending himself instead of convincing the voters he’s going to fight for them. The “I don’t know and I don’t care” clip from the second debate that Holt is using on TV hurts. It shows a side of Scott that those who challenged him back in convention season saw a great deal of, but that the electorate does not need to see in the closing days of the campaign. A feel good, emotion provoking TV spot with his family and voters could turn the tide. It would have to be written, produced and booked tomorrow, but Scott has the resources to make that happen.
Focus on increasing the turnout in Monmouth County where Scott has a 60%-35% lead, according to Murray. Let Holt have Trenton and the rest of Mercer. Any resources spent there are a waste at best and possibly counterproductive in the last four days of the campaign. Close the gap with Middlesex Independents with the new ad. Play it during NFL games if there are spots available.
