Hornik making the rounds, “not actively running for governor”

Just as we predicted at the start of the year, Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik has started his tour of Democratic clubs and committees around the state, not running for governor.

The Star Ledger’s Auditor reports that Hornik spoke to the Warren County Democratic Committee last week, has met with several Democratic County Chairs and plans many other such meetings, not running for governor.

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Marlboro Teen Is Reunited With Parents

Karwan family photo via News12’s facebook page.

Michael Karwan, the missing autistic teenage who was located in Cleveland, Ohio last night, has been reunited with his parents, according to a statement by Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Grammiccioni.

Grammiccioni said that Karwan, 19, was reported missing from his parents’ home on Tuesday, Nov. 19, sparking an intensive search of the region that spread into upstate New York. Over the next week, Karwan traveled by bus from Monmouth County to Manhattan and from New York via Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before arriving in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon his arrival in Cleveland on Saturday, Karwan attempted to check-in to an overcrowded men’s shelter run by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries (LMM), but was referred to the Volunteers of America (VoA) shelter.

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Marlboro Police searching for missing autistic man

Marlboro Police searching for missing autistic man (via NewsWorks)

Marlboro Police are searching for an autistic man who has been missing since late Tuesday night. Michael Karwan, described as a high-functioning autistic 19-year-old, left has house after an argument with his parents, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans…

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Local Finance Board Faults Marlboro Ethics Board’s Investigation Into Councilwoman Marder’s Conflict

The New Jersey Local Finance Board (LFB), a part of the Department of Community Affairs found fault in the Marlboro Ethic Board’s (MTEB) investigation into conflict of interest charges file against Councilwoman Randi Marder.  LBF remanded the matter back to MTEB for “additional investigation and application of the appropriate legal standard.”

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Carol Mazzola Loves Chris Chrisite

Monmouth County’s newest Demcratic office holder, Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola, is not ready to join Mayor Jon Hormik on the Barbara Buono for Governor bandwagon.

“I don’t know anything about her, ” Mazzola said in a phone interview, echoing the sentiments of 82% of New Jersey voters polled by Quinnipiac.

“I love Chris Christie!’ Mazzola exclaimed when asked what she thought about the Governor.  But she stopped short of endorsing the New Jersey head of her former party. “Ask me in the fall when its time to make a decision.”

Mazzola was elected to the Marlboro Township Committee as a Republican in 2009.  She announced earlier this month that she will run for reelection as a Democrat on Hornik’s team.

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Marlboro GOP Bids Carol Mazzola Adieu

“The Marlboro Republican Party was saddened but not surprised to learn that Carol Mazzola has chosen to switch parties to run for re-election. It had become increasingly obvious that Carol had turned her back on her supporters and supported an administration which has given Marlboro residents skyrocketing property taxes and irresponsible spending. If Carol supports an administration which has increased Marlboro’s debt to an all time high, pays legal fees in excess of $1 million per year (more than double what large towns like Middletown are paying), and has essentially looted our water authority by spending its surplus and loading it with $8 million in debt, then she does not represent the values of Republicans in Marlboro or anywhere.

The Marlboro Republican Party intends to field a competitive slate of council candidates this November who share Governor Christie’s fiscally conservative, reform agenda. We will spend the next 10 months pointing out in detail the destructive policies and decisions the Hornik administration has pursued ( and Carol Mazzola has agreed with). The choice will be stark and we believe Marlboro voters are ready to elect representatives who answer to the taxpayer, not political bosses, and who do what’s best for our town, not for themselves.”

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Mazzola Met With Bennett Before Switching Partys

Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting

Carol Mazzola, right, with Selika Josiah Gore and Kim Guadagno during their 2009 campaign. facebook photo

Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola met with Monmouth County Republican Chairman John Bennett prior to announcing her to run for reelection as a Democrat this fall.  Mayor Jon Hornik was present at the meeting which took place in Freehold.

Mazzola told MoreMonmouthMusings that she met with Bennett out of respect for the chairman for whom she has great admiration.  She said that Bennett attempted to pursuade her not to switch partys, but that her mind was already made upInflatable Slide.

The councilwoman, who is seeking her second term on the Marlboro Council, said she’s been struggling with the decision for many months.  “In the end, I know I made the right decision for myself and for the citizens of Marlboro,” she said, “win lose or draw, I know I did the right thing.”

Bennett has not returned MMM’s call for comment.

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Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola Switches Parties

Former Republican joins the Democratic Party.  Says Local Democrats Put People First

Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola has joined the Democratic Party and will seek reelection this fall as a member of her new party, Muncipal Chairman and Council President Frank LaRocca announced today.

“Mayor Jon Hornik and Chairman LaRocca are doing phenomenal jobs,” Mazzola said. “It’s always people first with their team; not politics first. The Council is doing an excellent job and I feel very comfortable being part of their team. They have the best interests of Marlboro at heart.”

Mazzola is the second Republican to switch parties and join Mayor Jonathon Hornik’s and LaRocca’s team since they were first elected in 2007.  Coucilman Jeff Cantor, a former Republican Freeholder candidate, became a member of the Marlboro Democratic team in 2009.

Marlboro GOP Co-Muncipal Chair Selika Joshiah Gore said she was saddened by Mazzola’s decision.

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Hornik: Christie’s playing politics with school safety

By Art Gallagher

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik told NJ.com that Governor Chris Christie is playing politics by not supporting Marlboro’s decision to post armed police officers at each of their schools as a reaction to the Newtown, CT massacre.

“Unfortunately, I believe that if Governor Christie was not contemplating running for President or was not running for re-election, he would be firmly behind [Marlboro’s actions], but politics has had its influence on him,” said Hornik. “Politics can’t come into play when you’re talking about children’s safety. We need gun control in this country, and we need to get rid of assault weapons and multi-bullet clips. I don’t see a need for them, while recognizing the Second Amendment, at all. But the reality is that guns are out there, right now.”

Since the day after the Newtown shooting, Christie has said that he does not think cops at schools are conductive to the learning environment nor are such deployments the answer answer to mass shootings.

At the press conference for the Belmar boardwalk groundbreaking this week, the governor said that he would not take action to stop communities that decide to have police at their schools.

Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger told MoreMonmouthMusings that Hornik’s comments sound political. “Maybe Jon’s running for governor,” said Scharfenberger, “his comments sound just plain silly.  I don’t hear anything political in what Christie said.  He is sharing his philosophy and a lot of people agree with him.”

Hornik told MMM that he’s not running for anything this year. “I doing my job as mayor. No other office excites me. You never know what will come your way, but I am not pursuing anything politically.”

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Hornik: Media was more of a distraction than police were as kids went back to Marlboro Schools

Today was the first day of Marlboro’s Cops in Schools program, the community’s first in the nation response to the Newtown Connecticut School massacre that claimed the lives of 20 school children and 6 adult staff on December 14.

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik told MMM it was just another school day in Marlboro, with the exception of the media presence and attention. “It was a normal a day as the first day back from vacation can be,”said the Mayor, “the police were not a distraction, however there was a significant media presence.”

Hornik said the media attention is a result of the NRA’s call for Cops in Schools nationwide, which happened a day after he announced the township’s decision to protect their school children with armed police.

Sharon Witchel, Director of Community Relations for the Marlboro Board of Education, told Marlboro-Colts Neck Patch that the cost of the 90 day program would be approximately $100,000.

“During the 90-day period, the district will review current safety and security practices and determine future improvements, which will include fiscal considerations,” Witchel said.

Hornik said that township officials and the school board will review the yet to be released incident report from Newtown before making any long term decisions on school security.

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