$647K In Grants For Monmouth County Road Improvements Secured

…and other Monmouth County Government News

Freeholder Director Tom Arone

By Monmouth County Freeholder Director Tom Arnone

A Monmouth County project will reduce Memorial Drive in Asbury Park from four lanes to two. Monmouth County has received $422,000 from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority’s Local Safety Program to improve Memorial Drive, which carries Monmouth County Road 40-A from Avon-By-the-Sea through Neptune Township and into Asbury Park.

            On behalf of The Board of Chosen Freeholders, I serve as the liaison to the North Jersey Transportation Authority, and one of my duties is to try and receive money. I am very pleased to be able to report that I was successful in doing just that.

            The project, known as a road diet, will also install wider shoulders, bicycle lanes and a center turning lane off Memorial Drive. The Transportation Authority recognized that Memorial Drive, with few signalized intersections south of Asbury Park and poorly-marked crosswalks, was dangerous for pedestrians and other non-motor vehicle traffic.

            In addition to obtaining funding for this project, I am also pleased to report that on behalf of the Freeholders I was successful in lobbying the authority to fund $150,000 in safety improvements at a Howell intersection between West Farms Road and the Squankum-Yellowbrick Road that will include a blinking traffic light and improved pavement markings.

            Other news in Monmouth County – The Department of Public Works and Engineering has received a grant from the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for de-snagging and debris removal at various stream corridors. The Division of Bridges is in the process of completing this project which will result not only in the county receiving $75,000.00 to offset the cost, but will also reduce flooding and damage to our infrastructure.

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Shooting Epidemic In Asbury Park, Community Resignation Setting In

Monmouth County Needs Regional Law Enforcement

There were three shootings in Asbury Park this afternoon, according to a report at NJ.com.

The shooting happened around noon on Mattison Avenue, near Langford Street, Detective Lt. David DeSane said. As of around 2 p.m., DeSane said he did not know the extent of the injuries.

Two people in the area, who asked not to be identified, said they heard four or five shots, but did not know what happened.

AsburyParkSun photo

In the triCityNews last week, publisher Dan Jacobson said there have been four fatal shootings in the city, population 16,132, so far this year.

In their award winning series, Gripped by violence, published last October, four days before Superstorm Sandy, the Asbury Park Press said there had been an average of one shooting per week in Asbury Park through October 25, 2012 and that the city was second only to Camden in terms of violent crimes in New Jersey.  That’s right, Asbury Park is more dangerous than Newark, Trenton and Jersey City, where there were also three shootings today.

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Asbury Park Mayor Campbell Says She Wasn’t Trying To Embarrass Council Members

Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell said she wasn’t trying to embarrass her fellow council members at Tuesday evening’s National Night Out Celebration when she announced their names and asked that they come forward when they weren’t present.

“Everyone was invited, but attendance was not well coordinated,” Campbell said in on a phone call with MMM, “Susan Henderson (Deputy Mayor) told me she didn’t get her email about the event until after she got she home.”

“All the council members except John Loffredo, who was on vacation as I said, attended the event. When they arrived, I invited each of them to speak. Councilwoman Quinn and Henderson did speak. Councilman Moor did not.”

“We’re a council. Whenever we’re at public events, I will invite each member of the council to speak.”

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Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell Throws Council Members Under The Bus

Asbury Park Mayor Myra Campbell went out of way to embarrass her colleagues on the city’s governing body last evening during the National Night Out celebration.

While introducing Congressman Frank Pallone as a candidate for “State Senator” (Pallone is running for the Democratic nomination to succeed the late United States Senator Frank Lautenberg), Campbell went off script with a spiel about the importance of citizens knowing their governmental representatives.

“I represent you as mayor of Asbury Park and I want you to know your other representatives,” Campbell announced to the crowd of a few hundred, “If you are a member of the council, please step forward.

“Susan Henderson, Deputy Superintendent, uh, Deputy Mayor Susan Henderson.  I know John Loffredo is on vacation. Councilman John Moor, are you here.  Amy Quinn?

“I guess they’re not here.  They are your representatives.”

The council members were not scheduled to join the other dignitaries on stage for the kickoff of the event.

Councilwoman Amy Quinn was seen arriving to the celebration about 10 minutes after the formal remarks concluded.

Quinn told MMM that “unequivocally” Moor and Henderson attended after the formal remarks to kickoff the event.

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Crime Stoppers To Reward Anonymous Tipsters Of Monmouth County Crimes With Cash

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced a new partnership Crime Stoppers in an effort to encourage the public to share information with law enforcement.  The announcement was made last evening at National Night Out events in Asbury Park,  Neptune City, Neptune Township and Union Beach.

“Unfortunately people with information about crimes are often reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement because they are afraid of retaliation, they do not care enough to get involved or  they want something in exchange for the information,” Gramiccioni said, “Crime stoppers offers cash, up to $5000, no questions asked, with anonymity as a solution to this lack of information.”

Citizens with information about a crime or fugitive may contact Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-671-4400, which is a confidential telephone tip line; they can text “MONMOUTH” plus their tip to 274637; or the can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com

When a tipster contacts Crime Stoppers via tip line, email or text, the tipster is assigned a confidential code number, which becomes their only identity in the system. At no time does anyone ask a tipster for their name.  When an arrest is made, the tipster will be told to go to the Crime Stopper’s bank in Freehold, provide the confidential code number, and collect the cash.

Gramiccioni asked the the crowd in Asbury Park for information about the September 2009 murder of Red Bank Middle School teacher Jonelle Melton, who was found in a pool of her own blood in her Neptune City home.  He said the investigation has led law enforcement to believe that Melton’s murder was a case of mistaken identify; that the perpetrator went to the wrong home and intended to kill someone else.

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Pallone punts on women’s right to choose to be topless

Congressman Frank Pallone stopped at Asbury Park’s Night Out celebration this evening where Mayor Myra Campbell introduced him as a candidate for “State Senate.”

MMM caught up with Pallone for a brief moment before the formal festivities and asked him to take a question about equal rights.   He said he couldn’t answer whether women should have the right go topless wherever men do because no one had ever asked him that question before.

He said he doesn’t think the New York City woman sitting in Monmouth County Jail for going topless in Spring Lake has much of a case because of laws against indecent exposure.

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Disputed Asbury Park Election Ballots Will Not Be Opened

By Asbury Park Sun

A Monmouth County Superior Court judge has ruled that 252 rejected vote by mail [VBM] ballots in the Asbury Park city council election should not be opened.

The number of ballots at issue were enough to change the election results.

Daniel Harris III, an unsuccessful candidate on the A-Team slate, filed the legal challenge to the May 14 election. His A-Team running mates Jim Keady and Duanne Small were 178 votes away from unseating Mayor Myra Campbell and Deputy Mayor Susan Henderson, the two lowest vote-getters who won seats on the five-member city council.

Harris’s attorney, Kristie Howard of Montclair, said Harris will appeal the decision.

“Definitely. Immediately,” she said.

The 252 ballots subject to the ruling today by Judge Dennis O’Brien were disqualified by the Monmouth County Board of Elections. The board had ruled that handwriting on the applications for the ballots indicated other individuals provided assistance to the voter in filling out the applications.

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Former Asbury Park Housing Director Arrested

Mark W. Holmes

Mark W. Holmes, 52 of Lawrence Township (Mercer County), the former Executive Director of the Asbury Park Housing Authority, was arrested yesterday and charged with Second Degree Theft By Deception, according to a statement released by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiconni.

The charges allege that Holmes, also a former Mayor and Councilman in Lawrence Township, stole in excess of $75,000 while directing Asbury Park’s 587 public housing units.  The funds came from a $99,897 Department of Labor and Work Force Development grant that was intended to pay for computer training and other marketable skills for the public housing residents.

Additionally, Holmes is charged with using the Housing Authority’s debit card and an American Express for personal expenses of almost $20,000 and for submitting reimbursement vouchers for $3,397.28 in expenses he charged to the American Express card.

The investigation was conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office of Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau.  Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey, director of the bureau, is prosecuting the case.

Holmes is currently living in public housing at Golden’s Palace in Freehold.  His bail is $70,000 with a 10% cash option. If convicted, he faces 5-10 years in State Prison.

Official Misconduct was not among the charges listed against Holmes in Gramiconni’s statement. Official Misconduct convictions in New Jersey require minimum imprisonment terms without eligibility for parole.

Holmes resigned his job suddenly in June of 2011.  In July of 2011 the Housing Commissioners asked federal housing officials and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate financial mismanagement under Holmes’ watch. Holmes had held the job since late in 2008.

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Trial Date Set For Asbury Park Ballot Controversy

Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Dennis R. O’Brien has set a trial date of July 16 to determine if the Asbury Park municipal election ballots disqualified by the Monmouth County Board of Elections will be counted, according to a report in AsburyParkSun.

Daniel Harris, a candidate on the United Asbury ticket sued to have 332 vote by mail ballots and 32 provisional ballots that were disqualified for faulty signatures or missing witness/messenger affidavits  counted in the final tally of the election that occurred on May 14.  If the suit is successful, it is possible that members of the new council that was sworn in yesterday could be removed from office and replaced by Harris and/or other members of his ticket.  Two members of the United Asbury ticket, James Keady and Duanne Small, are within 178 votes of unseating Mayor Myra Campbell and Deputy Mayor Susan Henderson.  A pick up of 192 votes would also put Harris on the council and give United Asbury majority control of the council.

O’Brien ordered that the parties exchange the information that the need from each other by the end of the day today and raised the possibility that all 300-odd people who cast disallowed ballots could be called to testify.

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New Asbury Park Government Off To Rocky Start

John Lofreddo, left, Myra Campbell, center and Susan Henderson.
AsburyParkSun.com photo

The hope of a new beginning was replaced with anger today in Asbury Park when the new city council was sworn in.

John Moor, the top vote getter in the May 14 non-partisan election, was expected to be appointed mayor by his colleagues, as is the tradition.  He had the 3 votes he needed on the 5 person council by virtue of his own election and that of two of his running mates, Amy Quinn and Myra Campbell who ran on the One Asbury ticket in the non-partisan election.

Then sometime over the weekend, Campbell split with her running mates and made a deal with returning council members John Lofreddo and Susan Henderson, who ran for reelection on the Forward Asbury ticket, to get the mayoral title for herself.

The mayor’s office in Asbury Park is largely ceremonial in the city’s form of government.  The appointed City Manager, a full time employee appointed by the council, runs the day to day operations of the city. Asbury Park elects their entire council once every four years.

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