Weiner Watch

How long does he last?

How long before Anthony Weiner resigns from congress?

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Primary Election Tomorrow

By Art Gallagher

While there are some important legislative primaries elsewhere in the state —Democratic heavy weights Senator Ray Lesniak and Assemblyman Joe Cryan could be kicked out of the legislature — primary day is expected to be very quiet in Monmouth County.  

Too quiet.  On the municipal level one of the major parties is not fielding a full slate of candidates in 24 of 41 towns with elections. 

On the legislative level, the biggest question in Monmouth is will former Assemblyman Dan Jacobson file to run for Assembly as an Independent in the 11th legislative district.  My guess is that he will not.  Rather, I predict Dan will throw the support of his newspaper, the tri-CityNews, behind Republican Mary Pat Angelini and Democrat Marilyn Schlossbach in the November general election.

In the 13th legislative district, the Democrats do not have a candidate for Senate on the ballot.  Former Hazlet Mayor Chris Cullen received the Democratic nod at the party convention in April but did not file his petitions.  Cullen is expected to get the nomination via write-in ballot.

Republicans are not running full slates for municipal offices in Belmar, Freehold Boro, Lake Como, Manasquan, Roosevelt and Shrewsbury Township.

Democrats are not running full slates in Allentown Boro, Brielle, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Farmingdale, Interlaken, Little Silver, Millstone, Neptune City, Oceanport, Rumson, Sea Girt, Shrewsbury Boro, Union Beach, Upper Freehold and West Long Branch.

Republicans have primary contests in Sea Girt and Interlaken.  Democrats have a contest for an unexpired council seat in Highlands.

With so little interest in municipal government, what is is real resistance to consolidating all of these governments?

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Tornado Watch

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for 12 New Jersey Counties including Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Mercer, Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex, Warren, Somerset, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester.

The tornado watch is in effect until 8PM this evening.

  URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 411
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   100 PM EDT WED JUN 1 2011
  
   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
   TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
  
          CONNECTICUT
          MASSACHUSETTS
          WESTERN MAINE
          NEW HAMPSHIRE
          NEW JERSEY
          SOUTHEAST NEW YORK
          SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA
          RHODE ISLAND
          COASTAL WATERS
  
   EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 100 PM UNTIL
   800 PM EDT.
  
   TORNADOES…HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND
   GUSTS TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
   AREAS.
  
   THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75 STATUTE
   MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
   PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF AUGUSTA MAINE.
    FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
   OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).
  
   REMEMBER…A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
   TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
   AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
   THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
   AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
  
   OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 410…
  
   DISCUSSION…SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY OVER
   PORTIONS OF VT/NY/PA AND TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS PORTIONS OF NEW
   ENGLAND…NY/PA/NJ THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS
   HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THIS REGION WITH DEWPOINTS WELL INTO THE 60S
   AND MLCAPE VALUES OVER 3500 J/KG.  THIS COMBINED WITH STRONG
   WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND INCREASING SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL
   POSE A RISK OF SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL…DAMAGING
   WINDS…AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.
  
   AVIATION…TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
   SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
   WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
   500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 28035.

Per TornadoSafety.com:

If a tornado “watch” is issued for your area, it means that a tornado is “possible.”

If a tornado “warning” is issued, it means that a tornado has actually been spotted, or is strongly indicated on radar, and it is time to go to a safe shelter immediately.
Be alert to what is happening outside as well. Here are some of the things that people describe when they tell about a tornado experience:

• A sickly greenish or greenish black color to the sky.
• If there is a watch or warning posted, then the fall of hail should be considered as a real danger sign. Hail can be common in some areas, however, and usually has no tornadic activity along with it.
• A strange quiet that occurs within or shortly after the thunderstorm.
• Clouds moving by very fast, especially in a rotating pattern or converging toward one area of the sky.
• A sound a little like a waterfall or rushing air at first, but turning into a roar as it comes closer. The sound of a tornado has been likened to that of both railroad trains and jets.
• Debris dropping from the sky.
• An obvious “funnel-shaped” cloud that is rotating, or debris such as branches or leaves being pulled upwards, even if no funnel cloud is visible.

If you see a tornado and it is not moving to the right or to the left relative to trees or power poles in the distance, it may be moving towards you! Remember that although tornadoes usually move from southwest to northeast, they also move towards the east, the southeast, the north, and even northwest.

Encourage your family members to plan for their own safety in many different locations. It is important to make decisions about the safest places well BEFORE you ever have to go to them.

IN HOMES OR OTHER SMALL BUILDINGS:

The best places are:

• In a storm shelter specifically designed for that use–within the basement or outside the home entirely. Some companies manufacture pre-fab shelters that you drop into a hole in the ground, and that blends in with home landscaping(some more, some less).
• In a basement, away from the west and south walls. Hiding under a heavy work-table or under the stairs will protect the family from crumbling walls, chimneys, and large airborne debris falling into the cellar. A family in the April 8th, 1998 tornado in the Birmingham, Alabama area survived because a hutch toppled and was held up by the dining room table they were under. That hutch helped deflect the debris that would have struck them. Old blankets, quilts and an unused mattress will protect against flying debris, but they should be stored in the shelter area. Precious time can be lost by trying to find these items at the last minute.
• In a small, windowless, first floor, interior room like a closet or bathroom. The bathtub and commode are anchored directly into the ground, and sometimes are the only thing left in place after the tornado. Getting into the bathtub with a couch cushion over you gives you protection on all sides, as well as an extra anchor to the foundation. Plumbing pipes may or may not help hold the walls together, but all the extra framing that it takes to put a bathroom together may make a big difference. If there is no downstairs bathroom and the closets are all packed with “stuff,” a hall may be the best shelter. Put as many walls as you can between yourself and the tornado. In a pinch, put a metal trash over as much of you as you can. It will keep some flying debris from injuring you. Even that may make the difference between life and death.Wherever it is, the shelter should be well known by each member of the family. If you and your family will conduct annual emergency drills(fire, tornado, etc), everyone will remember what to do and where to go when a tornado is approaching–automatically and without panic. Choose a friend or family member in another part of town or elsewhere to be a “contact person” that will be called by everyone should the family members become separated.
  http://www.hsus.org/disaster/tips.html

  The Red Cross suggests that you assemble a “disaster supplies kit” that you keep in your shelter area. It should contain:

  • A first aid kit with essential medication in addition to the usual items.
  • A battery powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
  • Canned and other non-perishable food and a hand operated can opener.
  • Bottled water.
  • Sturdy shoes and work gloves.
  • Written instructions on how to turn off your homes utilities.

  IN SCHOOLS
  Leave auditoriums, gyms, and other free-span rooms, exiting in an orderly fashion. Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor, but avoid halls that open to the outside in any direction. If there are no interior hallways, avoid those that open to the southwest, south, or west, since that is the usually the direction the tornado will come. Stay away from glass, both in windows and doors. Crouch down, and make as small a “target” as possible. If you have something to cover your head, do so, otherwise, use your hands. Don’t assume that there will always be a teacher or other adult there to tell you what to do–if there is, you should follow their direction, but you need to know these things too.
  Peak time for tornadoes to strike varies from region to region. In some southeastern states, early morning tornadoes are almost as common as late afternoon ones. In western and northern states, peak hours are from 3 to 7 PM, just at the end of the school, but including the hours of afterschool activities.

  http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/~doswell/tstm_camping_safety.html TO AND FROM SCHOOL, WORK, OR AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES:

  If really severe weather is expected, your school may be dismissed early in order that you can reach home before the worst of the weather reaches the area.
  If you are on foot or riding a bike, it is doubly important that you go home immediately, and not linger with your friends. If caught in the open, you should seek a safe place immediately. The chances of encountering falling trees, power lines, and lightning is greater than encountering the tornado itself. The basement of a sturdy building would be best, but lying flat in a ditch or low-lying area may be the only thing available. A culvert in a ditch MAY be a good choice if there is no rain, but if there IS rain, flash flooding may be more dangerous and likely than the tornado.

  If you are in a car, and you can see a tornado forming or approaching, you should leave the car and take shelter as above. You may think you can escape from the tornado by driving away from it, but you can’t know what you may be driving into! A tornado can blow a car off a road, pick a car up and hurl it, or tumble a car over and over. Many people have been killed in cars while they were trying to outrun the tornado, and although it is sometimes possible to escape, it is generally not a good idea. The photo to the left shows you what can happen to a car that encounters a tornado.

  A few years ago a fellow contacted us and tell us his experiences with the Wichita Falls tornado of 1979. When he was a young man, he outran the Wichita Falls, Texas tornado in a car. He survived, but many people that day tried the same thing and were killed.
  You can read his story here.)

  An underpass may seem like a safe place, but may not be. While videos show people surviving under an underpass, those tornadoes have been weak. No one knows how survivable an underpass is in a strong or violent tornado. The debris flying under the underpass could be very deadly… head for a ditch.

  IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS:

  Interior rooms and halls are the best locations in large buildings. Central stairwells are good, but elevators are not. If the building loses power, you may be in the elevator for a long time. Stay away from glass walls and windows, no matter how small.

  MOBILE HOMES:

  Most tornado deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. If you live in a mobile home park, you should find out from the manager where you should go in the event of a tornado–but don’t wait until you really need the information–ask him/her on a nice day! Mobile home parks may have a designated tornado shelter, or a steel reinforced concrete laundry room. If they don’t, you need to find another substantial structure that you can reach very quickly. You may have only seconds to get to it. The photo below shows what an 60-80 mph wind can do to to a mobile home. At 100 mph, they may start to disintegrate.
  Two articles that explore the stay in a “mobile home or leave in a car” debate were published recently on the web–one by Dr. Thomas Schmidlin of Kent State University is called Closet, Car, or Ditch? The Mobile Home Dilemma During a Tornado. The other, The Alternate Dilemma: How to Explain and Encourage Counterintuitive Behavior is by Rocky Lopes of the National Headquarters of the Red Cross. They are interesting and informative reading.

  SHOPPING CENTERS, HOSPITALS, AND FACTORIES:

  Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums, theaters, and warehouses. Crouch down and cover your head. Deaths have occurred in large, single story department stores. They have occurred inside the building when the roof or wide span brick walls, which collapsed. A corner would be safer than the middle of the wall. A bathroom, closet, office, or maintainance room with short walls would be the safest area, especially if it was on the north or east side of the building.

  Is it likely that a tornado will strike your home or school? No. But being ready for the possibility will keep you safer!

  Deaths and injuries from tornadoes have dropped dramatically in the past 50 years. Casualties numbers are holding steady as scientists learn more about tornadoes and develop the technologies that detect them sooner. Forecasters must continue to improve techniques because the population is increasing. The National Weather Service, Storm Prediction Center, and television and radio weather people have taken full advantage of the advancements in tornado prediction to improve warnings.
  In addition, many people generously donate their time and expertise to help protect their neighbors and communities in another way–by tornado and severe storm “spotting.” “Spotters” combine an interest in the weather, a willingness to serve and often, ham radio experience to make tornado prone areas safer for all. Spotting can provide a focus to a person’s interest in the weather, and ham radio helps you meet other like-minded people. It is not often that something that starts out as a hobby can potentially do so much good. If you are interested in Skywarn training and becoming a spotter, check out the National Skywarn page.

  The Tornado Project salutes both the professional and non-professional for their work!

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A Dumb Poll

By Art Gallagher

Fairleigh Dickinson University released a PublicMind poll this morning that indicates that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez would beat bio-tech entrepreneur John Crowley in a hypothetical matchup for the U.S. Senate election that will happen next year by a margin of 45%-26%.

50% of the respondents have never heard of Menendez. 

The Hudson County Democrat first went to the Senate in 2006 to complete Jon Corzine’s term after Corzine became governor.  He was elected to his own term over State Senator Tom Kean, JR the following November.  Prior to being appointed to the U.S. Senate by Corzine, Menendez represented the 13th congressional disrict in the House of Representatives for 15 years.

50% of the voters don’t know Menendez.   The conclusion of the poll should be that the PublicMind is empty.

84% of the respondents said they never heard of Crowley.  Why would they?  He’s a private citizen who has never run for office.  He is an impressive figure, to those who have heard of him.  He was written up in the Wall Street Journal eight years ago and there was a movie, Extraordinary Measures, starring Harrison Ford about his efforts to find a cure to a disease that inflicts his children.   Brendan Fraser played Crowley in the movie.

Extraordinary Measures was not exactly a blockbuster.  It didn’t make Crowley a celebrity.   Maybe if FDU polled Menendez against Fraser it would have been a closer poll.  Maybe not.  If they polled Menendez against George of the Jungle or Dudley D0-Right, film characters Fraser played in the 90’s, it might have been closer.

Menendez outperformed Crowley so handily in the PublicMind Poll released today because he was identified in the questions as the incumbent and as a Democrat.   If the question had been, “Who do you favor for U.S. Senate in 2012, Robert Menendez or John Crowely?” without identifying Menendez’s status as incumbent or either man’s party affiliation, the results would have been very different.

If FDU PublicMind follows their usual pattern, they will shortly release match ups between Menendez and other GOP potential contenders for the 2012 U.S. Senate race.   The polling was done between May 16 and 22.  They release the data and their conclusions piecemeal. 

With the exception of polls that rate the executive, the President and the Governor, the conclusion will most always be that the public is not paying attention.

MMM demonstrated that conclusion in March when we conducted person on the street interviews to see if members of the public could possibly care about “continuity of representation,” the abstraction that Rutgers professor and legislative map selector Alan Rosenthal invented to justify gerrymandering. 

We repost the video of those interviews today for your amusement and dismay:

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His Sacrifice Must Not Be In Vain

By Art Gallagher

This Memorial Day has a special meaning to me, and the hundreds of participants at the Battle of the Bulge Survivor Reunion and Monmument Rededication Ceremony that took place last Thursday at the Thorne Middle School in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.

The event, which included a general assembly of the student body at Thorne and over 86 veterans of the Battle of the Bulge was organized by Edith Nowles of Brielle.  Nowles is the sister of Cpl. Horace Marvin “Bud” Thorne, namesake of the school, who was post-humanously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism in the battle that cost him his life.

There was so much to be impressed with and moved by at this event. From the pride and happiness of the veterans present to the attentiveness and enthusiasm of the students, staff and faculty.  From the courage of the eigth grade nominee for the Corporal Thorne Award who got out of her wheel chair and walked with assistance to accept her citation from Freehold John Curley and to join her fellow nominees on stage to the ovation her fellow students gave her when she did so.

Hopefully this slideshow will give a sense of how special the event was:

One of the most moving elements of the Reunion and Rededication was that all present got to “meet” Cpl. Bud Thorne.  A video biography of Thorne, his life, heroic death and legacy,narrated by his sister Anita, that was originally produced for the 50th anniversary of the Thorne Middle School was shown to the assembly.

By virtue of the generousity of Edith Nowels, MMM is able to share the video with you.  I encourage you to take the 12 and 1/2 minutes it takes to view it.  It will make Memorial Day personal.  It will give you an even greater sense of who the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom were and are:

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Monmouth Legislators Speak Out On Abbott Ruling

By Art Gallagher

Several members of Monmouth County’s legislative delegation have come out strongly in condemnation of today’s NJ Supreme Court Decision mandating that the State spend an additional $500 million dollars to fund Abbott school districts.

Senator Joe Kyrillos:

“The Court has no constitutional authority to order the Legislature or the Executive branch to spend tax dollars as they have in this decision. The Majority’s opinion is made all the more illegitimate by the fact that this case was heard by only five judges, only three of which concurred with the Majority opinion and only two of which were approved by the Legislature through advise and consent.”

“The former Abbott districts spend more money to educate students than anywhere in America, and yet have not made any measurable progress in student achievement in thirty years. The Court’s decision today perpetuates that failure at the expense of the taxpayers of New Jersey, who are paying the highest property taxes in America because of an unequal and ineffective school funding policy.”

“Quality education will come to our most disadvantaged communities through reform, not unaccountable and unchecked spending. A thorough and efficient education will come when we change our education system to reward teachers based on merit rather than longevity and hold schools accountable for student achievement.”

Senator Kyrillos was the only member of the state senate to vote against granting tenure to Associate Justice Jaynee Lavecchia, who wrote the Court’s majority opinion. LaVecchia received tenure on November 14, 2006 in a 38-1 vote.

Kyrillos’ 13th district includes Keansburg, an Abbott district.

Senator Jennifer Beck:

“Today, The Justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court became legislators – this decision is a textbook example of judges legislating from the bench. By ordering the State to fund the 31 school districts, formerly known as Abbott districts, to the tune of $500 million, the Supreme Court has grossly exceeded its function as non-elected officials. The Governor presents a budget, and the Legislature passes it. The people of New Jersey elected these officials to make such decisions, but today the Supreme Court is overriding them all.

 

“I echo the dissenting decision written by Justice Rivera-Soto, who stated, ‘When, as here, there is grave doubt concerning the propriety of a procedural maneuver employed, it ill-becomes the Judiciary — the unelected branch of government — to engage in an unseemly power-grab under the guise of unnecessary constitutional adjudication.’ Justice Rivera-Soto is spot on, the court has stretched way beyond its constitutional power this time.

 

“The Abbott v. Burke decision was rendered in 1985, since then New Jersey has been funding these Abbott Districts year in and year out with little to no sign of improvement. Today, Abbott Districts are not the only areas in need of help. Here in Monmouth County we have the Red Bank Borough and Freehold Borough school districts that are both underfunded by more than 20% according to the School Funding Reform Act of 2008, Freehold Borough is struggling just to keep its head above water. We need to account for these type of needy suburban districts as well.

 

“Simply put, the Abbott decision is outdated and out of touch with the current demographic reality in New Jersey. The entire school funding formula needs to be rethought and recalculated. The additional money being put into many of these former Abbott districts is not bringing about the results that were hoped for. We need to reform education; more money is not the answer. The Court’s decision today is indicative of the fact that the Court is not interested in solving the problem and it is not the Court’s place to spend the taxpayer’s money.

 

“I fully support the goal of providing every child in New Jersey with a quality education, but how we do that is the responsibility of elected officials, not the courts, to determine.

Beck’s new district, the 11th, includes Abbott districts Long Branch and Asbury Park.

Senator Sean Kean:

 

“The New Jersey Supreme Court has overstepped its authority by assuming the budgetary role that our state constitution reserves for legislators,” said Kean. 

 

 

 

 “After decades of failure, I find it difficult to believe the Supreme Court does not recognize that money alone will not improve educational outcomes or turn bad schools into good schools,” said Kean. “The Supreme Court’s order to send another $500 million to chronically failing school districts will only drive up property taxes across the state, while perpetuating a disproven education philosophy that continues to fail students year after year.”

 

Instead of ordering the appropriation of even more funds to districts that have already wasted tens of billions without results or accountability, Kean suggested the Supreme Court would better serve students by removing itself from the education debate.

 

“Legislators from both parties have put forth a number of bold education reforms that would provide all students, regardless of where they live, the educational opportunities they deserve,” added Kean. “After decades of failure, perhaps it’s time for the Supreme Court to step aside and allow the Legislature to enact reforms that actually have a chance of working.”

 Kean noted that New Jersey already spends more per student than any other state, and state residents already pay the highest property taxes in the nation. Some recent reports have indicated that the former Abbotts, which are funded almost entirely through state education aid, already spend more than $20,000 per student annually.

Kean’s current district, the 11th, includes Long Branch and Asbury Park.  He is running for Assembly in the new 30th district, which does not have an Abbott district.

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande:

“Once again the New Jersey Supreme Court has overstepped its bounds and attempted to legislate from the bench on the issue of education funding.”

 

“Put aside for a moment the fact that, despite pouring billions of dollars into Abbott Districts, performance in those districts has not significantly improved. The New Jersey Constitution specifically tasks the Legislature with providing a thorough and efficient education to the children of New Jersey. The Supreme Court wouldn’t take a budget passed by the Legislature and say ‘you need to spend $500 million more’. Why they insist on usurping the clearly enumerated powers of the Legislature is beyond me.”

 

Casagrande is the sponsor of ACR 184, which proposes an amendment to Constitution specifying the Legislature’s right to determine how to provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools.

 

Casagrande concluded by saying “Our school funding system is so antiquated that even proposals to fix it have become outdated. Six years ago, the state developed objective metrics with which determined 13 of the 31 Abbotts would no longer qualify, yet the Supreme Court is forcing us to send additional funds to places like Hoboken, which is one of the wealthiest municipalities in the state. The Court should allow the Legislature to do its constitutional duty and come up with a school funding plan that guarantees all children an opportunity for a quality education.”

Casagrande will be representing Long Branch and Asbury Park as in the Assembly when reelected in November.

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State Supreme Court Rules For Full Abbott Funding

By Art Gallagher

A divided State Supreme Court ruled 3-2 this morning that New Jersey tax payers must continue to fund the so called Abbott school districts according to former Governor Corzine’s School Funding Reform Act of 2008.   The Court’s decision can be found here.

Justice LaVecchia, writing for the court:

The funding to the Abbott districts in FY 2012 must be calculated and provided in accordance with the School

HELD: The Appropriations Clause creates no bar to judicial enforcement under the circumstances presented here.

 

 

Funding Reform Act of 2008. Relief is limited to the plaintiff class of children from Abbott districts for whom the

Court has a historical finding of constitutional violation and for whom the Court has had specific remedial orders in

place through Abbott XX.

 

Justice Albin and temporary Justice Stern concurred with LaVecchia.  Justices Rivera-Soto and Hoens dissented.

The Court ordered that the State must increase spending in Abbot districts by $500 million in fiscal year 2012,

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EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS TO ATTEND THORNE SCHOOL WW II BATTLE OF THE BULGE SURVIVOR’S REUNION

When over 60 surviving members of World War II’s Battle of the Bulge reunite on May 26, 2011 at Middletown’s Thorne Middle School, they will be joined by representatives of Belgium and Luxembourg.  Thorne School Principal, Mr. Thomas Olausen, announced today that Mr. Francois Knaff, Consul General of Luxembourg, Mr. Herman Portocarero, Consul General of Belgium and Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Eeecloo, Deputy Military Advisor of the Belgium Permanent Mission to the United Nations, would be attending the event.

The reunion will take place as the World War II Battle of the Bulge Monument, which is presently located at Fort Monmouth, is relocated and rededicated at the Thorne Middle School. 

“It is so very appropriate that these diplomats, representing the countries where the Battle of the Bulge took place, be on hand as we honor these survivors of the battle”, Mr. Olausen noted.  The Thorne Middle School is named for Corporal Horace “Bud” Thorne, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, who was killed in December 1944 during the battle that the monument commemorates.  Surviving members of the Battle of the Bulge, from different parts of the country, will be in attendance.  Principal Olausen further stated: “It is a wonderful honor for us to be able to host these members of the Greatest Generation and their families as we rededicate this symbol which honors the sacrifices made by so many.  It will be a lasting and productive educational tool for our students as well.”

The event will commence at 9 AM in the school auditorium and the Middle School students will read essays especially prepared for the occasion.  The Corporal Thorne Award will be presented to an 8^th Grade Student who exhibits the attributes of Pride, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Excellence, which are the standards of Thorne Middle School’s Character Education Program.  The school’s Chorus and Band will participate in the event. The monument will then be rededicated in an outdoor ceremony.  Following the ceremonies there will be a reception at VFW Post 2179 in Port Monmouth.  Special awards will be given to all of the surviving members of this historic battle who are in attendance.  All World War II Battle of the Bulge survivors and their families are encouraged to register for the event.

The Thorne Middle School is located at 70 Murphy Road in Port Monmouth.  VFW Post 2179 is located at 1 Veterans Lane, also in Port Monmouth.  For more information and to register for the event please contact (732) 233-9443 or (732) 747 0160.

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Congratulations Tony Howley

MMM congratulates Tony Howley on his election as Chairman of the New Jersey Young Republican Federation.

Howley was elected this afternoon at the federation’s semi-annual convention, hosted by the Middlesex Young Republicans at Rutgers University.

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Who wears pants during a full body massage?

By Art Gallagher

Wei Wang, a massage therapist from Ocean Township, has been in custody at the Monmouth County Jail since Friday for putting his hands down the pants of a female client during a “full body massage,” according the Asbury Park Press.

There has to be more to this story than has made the paper.

Wang was charged with criminal sexual contact.  His bail was set at $5000.

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