Overflow crowd urges Freeholders to save Bradley Cove

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Asbury Park — An overflow crowd of Asbury Park residents attended the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting in the city last evening to rally the county’s governing body to save the north end beachfront property known as Bradley Cove.

iStar Financial, the city’s master developer, owns the development rights to the site and has a proposal to build 15 town homes on the property. The Asbury Park Council passed a resolution earlier this month to apply for Green Acres funding to preserve the property.

The freeholders were sympathetic to the public outcry to prevent the development, but made it clear that the ball is in Asbury Park’s court.  Prior Asbury Park administrations sold the development rights to the property and approved a tax abatement to support the development.  Community members are now trying to undue that deal, and seem be hoping that Freeholder Board has the power to make that happen.

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Lillian Burry Opposes Beach Replenishment in Upper Freehold and Millstone

Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry
Photo by Vinnie Amessé © www.amessephoto.com

In a column in the current issue of the triCityNews, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry said that one of her opponents in the coming election was right when he accused Burry of not supporting “agricultural and farmland preservation in “coastal” towns.  “It’s for the same reason I don’t support beach replenishment in Upper Freehold and Millstone. There aren’t any beaches there, just as there aren’t a lot of farms in Red Bank or Long Branch or Asbury Park.”

Burry points out that there in only one parcel in the region qualified for the farmland preservation program, in Long Branch, and that the owner of the property has not applied to sell the development rights to the program which is funded by municipal, county and state dollars.

At issue is beachfront property at the north end of Asbury Park that is slated for residential development.   There is some vocal opposition to the proposed development and Democratic Freeholder candidate Joe Grillo is trying to jump on that band wagon to get traction in his fledgling campaign against Burry and Deputy Freeholder Director Gary Rich.

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Summer schedule for drum circles in Monmouth County

All of these circles will be on going all summer long, 
Please use these spaces for drumming, dancing, hooping and and togetherness

Congo Square Drum Circle
Tuesday 6pm-10pm
North Asbury Park Boardwalk
4th Ave Greens Space
4th and Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Belmar Boardwalk Drum Circle
Wednesdays 5:30pm – 9:00pm
2nd Ave and Ocean, Belmar

Long Branch Drum Circle 
Saturdays 5pm-9pmWest End Park 
Brighton and Ocean Avenue, Long Branch

For further information call John Eustor at 631-741-2295
If you would like updates and to be placed on the e-mail list,
 write to John at, [email protected]

Don’t forget to Save the Environment and use Resuable Water Bottles!!!!
Enjoy the summer everyone…cause it’ll probably go quicker
 then you think… Blessings, Love & Light- John

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Crime in Asbury Park, Part 2 ENFORCEMENT

By JOE WOERNER

Enhanced enforcement is the best first step to addressing our crime issue in Asbury Park. With over 80 police officers in a City that is a little larger than one square mile, we should be better able to police our streets.

What has worked in other communities would also make me feel safer in my neighborhood; a clear strategy to deal with gang violence, police walking/biking the beat more often, and stricter code enforcement. As this is essentially police work, the Asbury Police Department must lead this effort. The development of a comprehensive plan should also involve the City Council, community activists, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office, the State Police, and it must be made public.

As gang members commit our most violent crimes, a specific gang intervention component is key. This strategy must focus on putting the hardcore gang leaders in jail and lower level members into intervention programs outside of Asbury Park. A few model programs suggested by community members that have found success in other urban areas include the Highpoint Interventionstrategy, Counterinsurgency Cops that employ a block-by-block approach, Cities United, and Violence Interrupters.

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Crime in Asbury Park, Part One: Understanding the Problems of Our Youth

By Joe Woerner

Consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey, the crime on our streets has been more than ever on the minds of residents. In an effort to continue the discussion already underway in our community I will be sharing a few ideas that have helped me better grasp the issue as well as suggesting some possible actions. In a series of three letters I will address the fundamental underpinnings of crime, enforcement, and how to better support our community members.

Aristotle said, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” To understand our crime issue, we must first understand the devastating role poverty plays in our community. The socio-economic and emotional impacts of poverty directly correlate with insufficient family and community support. This absence of adequate support limits options and makes it near impossible for our young people to succeed.

The Center for Disease Control publishes risk and protective factors for youth violence. The risk factors, such as low parental income and diminished economic opportunity, read like a laundry list of Asbury Park’s problems. Poverty not only increases the risk factors but also decreases protective ones. Our youth live in broken homes, substandard housing, and without basic services like simple healthcare. As a result many turn to gangs for protection, financial opportunity, and a sense of belonging. This American Life did a two-part special on Harper High School (part I & part II) in Chicago that illustrates the lack of options for poor minority youth in urban areas like Asbury Park. For too many, gang involvement and violence are a given, not a choice.

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Report: Gunfire wounds 2 in Neptune for second consecutive night

Report: Gunfire wounds 2 in Neptune for second consecutive night (via NJ.com)

NEPTUNE – One night after two Asbury Park men were shot in the township, two more people were reportedly shot here on Monday night. Lt. Scott Cox of the Neptune Township Police Department told the Asbury Park Press that the latest shooting occurred…

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Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say

Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – A Long Branch man was charged with possession of a weapon after he led police on a foot chase and tried to get rid of a handgun, authorities said. At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the city’s Street Crimes Unit was on a proactive patrol…

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Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say

Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – Authorities are investigating a shooting that injured three people, including a baby girl, in the city on Monday evening. Shortly after 7:20 p.m. Monday, authorities responded to reports of multiple gunshots on the 700 Block of Comstock…

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Cooking with Marilyn

Jersey Shore restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach invites foodies
and friends to celebrate sustainable cuisine at a special
Earth Day cooking demonstration tomorrow.

Aptly titled “Sustainable Fish, Fowl, Oysters & Veggies,”
at Langosta Lounge, Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Don’t Miss Our Earth Day Edition of
“Cooking with Marilyn” Tomorrow, April 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Featuring:
Forty North Oysters
Honey Tasting Seven Arrows Farm &
Spring Radish, Cream Butter & Sea Salt

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Al Sharpton talks education, justice at Asbury Park conference

Al Sharpton talks education, justice at Asbury Park conference (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – At a conference convened to discuss education, gentrification, the economy and the criminal justice system, Asbury Park’s black leaders say the city’s path deliverance starts at the ballot box Rev. Al Sharpton was in the city to…

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