Greg’s List: Things to Do in Monmouth County This Weekend, March 22-24, 2019

By Greg Kelly

Friday, March 22

• Music Café Showcase (Middletown) – MORE INFO
• Icing Bridal Event at Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) – MORE INFO
• Summer of Love IX at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• “The Addams Family” by RFH Tower Players (Rumson) – MORE INFO
• “The Drowsy Chaperone” by RBE Casey Players (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• “Big the Musical” by Spotlight Players (Matawan) – MORE INFO
• “Catchpenny” at Jersey Shore Arts Center (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO
• The Source by NJ Repertory Company (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

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Congressman Smith: Joint Base Projects Are Safe From Cuts For Border Wall Funding

Congressman Chris Smith today announced that the $101.57 million in funding for projects scheduled at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst this year is safe from being diverted to fund the southern border security projects covered by President Donald Trump’s Emergency Declaration of February 15.

“These projects are not at risk,” Smith said after having been assured by the Department of Defense that awards for anticipated construction at the Joint Base are on schedule to be awarded in the current fiscal year. “Nothing at the Joint Base will be cut.”

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Pot Legalizaton Passes in Senate and Assembly Committees

After hours of delays for last minute amendments which caused the suspension of testimony and debate  a legislation that legalizes and establishes a regulatory structure of recreation marijuana passed the Assembly Appropriates Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday night, according to reports on Politico, InsiderNJ and NJGlobe.

Legislation to expunge marijuana convictions, including felony convictions for selling over 5 lbs of pot, passed the committees.  The felony expungement provisions prompted a strong reaction from Republican Senators Kip Bateman (Somerset), Michael Doherty (Warren) and Gerald Cardinale (Bergen).  Bateman said the bill contained “evil.”  Doherty said that the bill is a “deal with the devil.”  Cardinale suggested calling the bill, “the Drug Pusher’s Friend Act.” 

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Sheriff Golden: Murphy’s Pot Bill Is Dangerous Money Grab That Disregards Impact On Local Communities

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden issued a statement today condemning the Trenton Democrats’ marijuana legislation as “poorly written policy by the Democratic majority” “that is aimed at grabbing tax dollars without any regard on the impacts on our local communities!”

Sheriff Golden, also the Monmouth County Republican Chairman, issued his statement in a email to Monmouth Republican elected officials and party leaders.

Golden said the legislation would allow more pots shops than coffee shops in New Jersey and does not provide for licensing of retail establishments or background checks of retailers by law enforcement officers, as liquor licenses require.  He cited published reports that indicate that legal marijuana in other jurisdictions have increased minority arrests and incarceration and increased motor vehicle collisions and fatalities.

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Middletown Mayor: If Pot Is Legalized, It Should Be Regulated Like Alcohol

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry says that if recreational marijuana is to become legal in New Jersey, that its retail sale of should be regulated like alcohol is regulated…with municipalities selling licenses and conducting background checks on the sellers.

The legislation currently under consideration in Trenton, and reportedly agreed upon by Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin amounts to an unfunded burden upon local governments, Perry said in a letter to Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello, President of the New Jersey Conference of Mayors, with copies sent to the 13th District legislators; Senator Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywomen Amy Handlin and Serena DiMaso, as well as Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone.

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Colts Neck Murder Defendant Gets New Attorney, Pleads Not Guilty

Asbury Park Press pool photo

Paul Caneiro, the 52 Ocean Township man accused of brutally murdering his brother Keith and Keith’s family last November before setting their Colts Neck home ablaze in an ill fated attempt to hide his crimes, was arraigned in Monmouth County Superior Court this morning, according to an announcement on Twitter by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Caneiro pleaded not guilty to all 16 counts of his indictment, including quadruple murder, before Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley in Freehold.

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Monmouth Dems and Republicans Endorse Their County and Assembly Candidates

GOP Freeholder candidates Nick DiRocco and Tom Arnone and Sheriff Shaun Golden are running to defend Monmouth’s great quality of life

The Monmouth County Democrats held a mini-convention on Saturday in Long Branch to endorse their candidates for Assembly in districts 11,12,13 and 30 for the June 4 primary.  The also endorsed primary candidates for Monmouth County Sheriff and and two Freeholder seats.

The Monmouth GOP held their annual nominating convention last Saturday, March 9 at iPlayAmerica in Freehold, where over 400 enthusiastic Republican County Committee members came out to endorse their County and Assembly candidates by acclamation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Anna Little is sworn in as a federal Immigration Judge

Anna C. Little of Highlands, was sworn in as a federal Immigration Judge on Friday, March 15, 2019, during an investiture ceremony in the Great Hall of Main Justice in Washington, DC.  Principal Deputy Chief Immigration Judge Christopher Santoro administered the Oath of Office.

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Three Dems to compete for Two Monmouth Freeholder nominations

The Monmouth County Democrats will endorse their nominees Sheriff, Freeholder and State Assembly in Districts 11,12 13 and 30 on Saturday morning, 10 a.m., at a “mini-convention” to be held at the Portuguese Club of Long Branch.

Governor Phil Murphy is in Puerto Rico, sans socks, and will not attend the convention.

This morning I had a very productive meeting at @fortalezapr with @GovMurphy where we discussed possible mutual collaboration initiatives as well as the status of our reconstruction efforts. Thank You Governor Murphy for your interest in the people of Puerto Rico. pic.twitter.com/hhoYtTwx3R

— Ricardo Rossello (@ricardorossello) March 15, 2019

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Probation Officer Treated Woman Under His Supervision As His Masturbatory Toy

Henry G. Cirignano of Wall, the probation officer charged with Official Misconduct and 2 counts of second degree Sexual Assault for coercing a women under his supervision into sexual activity last month, treated his female victim as his “personal masturbatory toy” regularly over a two year period, according to a statement by the victim’s attorneys, Rudikh and Associates and the Law Office of Jordan B. Rickards, Esq.

Cirignano threatened the victim via text message, stating, “As long as you fulfill my needs you stay on the streets.”  When she declined, he texted, “Please report to court tomorrow I think you had a curfew violation.”

The attorneys say that Cirignano gave his victim a choice of being violated sexually or go to prison.  He demanded photos of the victim and texted her photos of himself shirtless and of male genitalia.

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