The Arnone Report: Year End Reflections and Gratitude

By Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Freeholder

“America is too great for small dreams.” Ronald Wilson Reagan

Freeholder Tom Arone

2014 is coming to a close and I find myself reflecting upon my year as Freeholder of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. I am very conscious of the tremendous support Monmouth County receives from each of the municipalities and residents. I receive phone calls and emails daily from members of local governing bodies as well as from informed conscientious residents. Through this open door policy which is how I choose to run my office, it is apparent that just like me we all share a common interest; and that is to continue to create new ways to maintain Monmouth County as one of the most wonderful places to live. Your unending support has helped me and the rest of The Freeholder Board accomplish many great things, and I would personally like to thank all of our local governing bodies along with our residents for the part each played in making 2014 a great year. Being mindful of the exemplary leadership of not only my fellow Freeholders but of each and every municipal governing body, I consider myself blessed to be working amongst so many hard working individuals whose main goal is always what is in the best interest of the residents.

Monmouth County is made up of an array of dedicated, accountable and knowledgeable people comprised of all those working in the offices and schools to those maintaining the roads in and around the county and everything in between. Each and every one of them takes on the responsibility of getting a job done and doing it right.   For that I recognize and am thankful for all county departments for keeping Monmouth County as beautiful and safe as it is, and for making it the most desirable county to live- in the State of New Jersey.

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The Arnone Report

Freeholder Director Tom Arone

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Our Grow Monmouth Façade Improvement Program continues to be popular. We are still accepting applications and approving projects to help businesses improve the look of their building. We could not be more pleased with how the program is going. As part of the Grow Monmouth Initiative this past weekend there was a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of Little Dog Brewing, a microbrewery located on Steiner Avenue in Neptune City. Along with Mayor Brown, I was happy to attend and cut the ribbon at the brewery’s opening. The Grow Monmouth Business Roundtables will be continuing after the holidays. I look forward to getting back out to discuss the needs of Monmouth County’s business community.

We continue to assist our municipalities with ensuring the safety of Monmouth County and its residents. A few ways in which this is accomplished is through the upkeep of county roads as well as the upkeep of traffic signals. There was a traffic signal activation ceremony conducted a few days ago at the intersection of County Route 40A (Memorial Drive) and Evergreen Avenue in the Boroughs of Neptune City and Bradley Beach.  The Activation Ceremony marked the completion of this much anticipated project.  As liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering, I am happy to have been able to be a part of it from its inception through fruition.

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1st Annual Pound the Pavement for Purple was huge success

By Freeholder Tom Arnone

The 1^st Annual Pound the Pavement for Purple 5K Run/ 2 Mile Walk for Pancreatic Cancer was held Saturday, November 1^st and was a tremendous success despite the unpredictable weather conditions presented by Mother Nature. In fact, I believe the cold temperature along with the wind and rain only contributed in helping to make this race not only a memorable one but an extremely positive and inspirational experience.

First and foremost on behalf of Neptune Township Committeeman Eric Houghtaling and me, we would like to thank everyone who worked so diligently on putting this race together and ensuring its success.  To begin with, a tremendous thank you to the outstanding joint committee mostly comprised of Neptune Township and Monmouth County employees, namely Michele Narciso, Tiffany Bailoni, Sandra Petersen, Carina Santos, Mike Zarro, Fred Rummel and Darlene Di Leo. Thank you also to Gail Temple and my wife Chickie Arnone who also worked hard on the committee.  All of these people were instrumental in helping Committeeman Eric Houghtaling and me bring this effort to fruition.

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A Different Brand of Politics

By Gary Rich, Monmouth County Deputy Freeholder Director

Art Gallagher thinks I’m a winner. Well, sort of. And while I appreciate the (backhanded) compliment, I’d like to pose a few items of food for thought.

Maybe, just maybe, voters really are tired of the game playing and posturing that exists in much of politics. (I think voters across the county sent that message pretty loud and clear with their votes this Tuesday.)

Maybe all they really want is for us to get back to the business of working on the issues that affect them.

Maybe they don’t care how many hands we have shaken or how many babies have been kissed. Maybe they see through that.

Maybe that’s why—despite suffering “from a perception within the Party’s leadership that [I have] skated by on the backs of others” (a perception that Art clearly seems all too eager to perpetuate)—I have now TWICE been the top vote-getter in each of my races for County Freeholder. (FOUR TIMES if you add my convention victory in March and June’s Primary Election.)

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Final: Burry and Rich win with a comfortable margin

With all districts and vote by mail ballots counted, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich have been reelected.

After a major software snafu with the tabulation software that kept election officials up all night, the numbers were reported on County Clerk M. Claire French’s website at 6:13:58 this morning.

147,150 ballots were cast.  Burry 72,050, Rich 72,754, Luttrell 63,922, Grillo 63,102

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MY THOUGHTS AND TODAY’S POLITICS

Reflections on Lillian Burry by the person who knows her best

By Capt. Donald L. Burry, USCG (Retired)

Many of you now know that Lillian Burry and I have been married for more than 50 years.  Through the disagreements and pleasant happenings I have learned much about her dedication and commitment to our County.  If I may, I would like to express my observations with respect to Lillian’s political and community activities.  This will take a while and I hope you might have time for my thoughts.

Beginning back in the days of our Matawan Borough life, Lillian started her career in political and social community commitment.  Preserving the 80+ acres around Matawan creek; saving the historical Borrowes Mansion; obtaining Federal funds to purchase and convert the old Central Jersey Bank building into an Improved Borough Hall; spearheading the efforts to stop dumping  and storing waste oil in Burnt Fly Bog and having it declared a Federal contaminated site; establishing a chapter of League of Women voters; elected to the Matawan Borough Council; Appointed to the Monmouth County Planning Board; Appointed to the Monmouth County Library Commission; and other less well known activities were her passions.  I was a sales rep for the Rohm and Haas Company.  My travels afforded her time, in my absence, to raise our daughter and to be politically and community involved.  This was the beginning of Lillian’s political career.  Additionally Lillian became involved in Real Estate sales.  Colts Neck Realty became a new passion.

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DiMaso: Don’t be fooled by silly season rhetoric

By Freeholder Serena DiMaso

This year’s election season doesn’t carry with it the big ticket names for President or even Governor, but in Monmouth County and Holmdel it certainly does.  Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Deputy Director Gary Rich have worked diligently for the residents of our county.  In Holmdel, our Mayor Pat Impreveduto and Committeeman Greg Buontempo mirror that work ethic and continue to deliver the best quality of life for our beautiful community.

Any one who knows me, knows how often I tell the story of why I chose Holmdel and Monmouth County. BUT,  in case you haven’t heard, here’s the short version, we wanted a place we could raise our children and they could raise their children. We wanted a community that boasted the best school systems, park systems and quality of life in all of New Jersey.  We found it.  It’s all right here in Holmdel Township, Monmouth County. Why?  Because of the leadership of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders and the Holmdel Township Committee.

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Larry Luttrell Lunges At Lillian Burry

Democratic Freeholder Candidate Lawrence Luttrell at Four Seasons debate in Manalapan. photo by Rhoda Chodosh

In a move reminiscent of Congressman Rick Lazio’s aggression towards First Lady Hillary Clinton in the 2000 U.S. Senate debate in New York,  Lawrence Luttrell, a Democratic candidate for Monmouth County Freeholder jumped from his seat and lunged towards Freeholder Director Lillian Burry Wednesday night at a candidates debate at the Four Seasons Club House in Manalapan.

Deputy Freeholder Director Gary Rich and Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo, Luttrell’s running mate, braced themselves to protect Burry as it appeared that Luttrell would leap over them to get to Burry.  Rich and Grillo were seated between Burry and Luttrell.  Luttrell pulled back before going airborne and turned to the debate moderator and shouted, “This is not what I came here for.  If this is going to be a kangaroo court where we don’t follow the rules, I’m leaving right now.”  Luttrell was living up to the name of the paper organization he created with his wife and mother-in-law to sue Monmouth County last year; R.A.G.E.

What apparently set Luttrell off was Burry asking him, “Is your name Pinocchio?”

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Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Phase II of Child Advocacy Center

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Boser, Sue Rekedal, Multi-Disciplinary Teams coordinator at the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Dr. Martin Krupnick, Chairperson of the Friends of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Freeholder John P. Curley, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.

The Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, a partnership between the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, a local non-profit named for the facility and the National Children’s Alliance broke ground on a $1.6 million addition to the facility in Freehold this afternoon.

The brainchild of former Prosecutor John Kaye, the facility provides a physically and psychologically safe place for victims of child abuse and their families to receive treatment that is coordinated with the investigations into their abusers in such a way as to prevent and reduce the traumatic effects of the investigations into the devastating events they have already suffered.

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Attention County Workers: The Freeholder Meeting is not in Fair Haven!

CWA Local 1075 is calling on Monmouth County workers to gather in Fair Haven on Tuesday evening to protest for a fair contract.

Contract negotiations have been going on for two years, according to the CWA 1075 website, and County workers have had enough.

Here’s the problem:  The Freeholders are meeting at the Hall of Records in Freehold.

I was going to write a snarky post making fun of the union for sending their members to the wrong location, but after verifying that the meeting is in Freehold with Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Freeholder Tom Arnone, they both asked me to get the word out that the Freeholders want to hear from the membership.  They have moved the meeting to Judge Cleary’s Court Room in order to accommodate the larger than usual crowd that is expected.

The meeting was moved back to Freehold weeks ago. Where the communication breakdown happened is unknown.

So share this post and spread the word….the Freeholder Meeting is on Tuesday September 23, not on its usual Thursday night because of Rosh Hashanah, and the meeting has been moved to larger quarters, Judge Cleary’s Court Room , 1 East Main St, in Freehold.

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