Jordan Maskowitz is Manalapan’s new mayor

Manalapan Mayor Jordan Maskowitz

By a 4-1 vote the Manalapan Township Committee elected Jordan Maskowitz to serve as mayor for the year 2014.

Ryan Green, the sole vote against Maskowitz, nominated Susan Cohen to serve a third year as mayor. Cohen declined Green’s nomination and nominated Maskowitz.

Green said Maskowitz lacks the integrity to be mayor.  Green accused Maskowitz of violating the Open Public Records Act and announced he provide evidence of OPRA violations, 50 emails, to the Monmouth County Prosecutor tomorrow.

Maskowitz said that the emails Green was referring to were contract related and not subject to OPRA.

Cohen broke from her prepared remarks to rebuke Green.  She said that Green was grandstanding and that if he believed the law had been violated he should have immediately gone to the prosecutor. Cohen said she would have gone with Green to the prosecutor if she believed there were OPRA violations on the committee.

Green said he had the unanimous support of the Township Committee members to be mayor in 2014, prior to his writing the State Department of Community Affairs and the State Department of Health with concerns over the committee’s negotiations with the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad.

During the public portion of the reorganization meeting, Manalapan Republican Chairman Steven McEnery said that he make a mistake in ever recommending Green for public office.  McEnery said that Green had proven not to be a team player, rather he is only out for himself.  McEnery apologized to the the entire Monmouth County Republican Commitee for recommending Green be elected a freeholder in 2012.

Jack McNaboe was elected Deputy Mayor by a 5-0 vote.

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Burry and Rich take leadership roles on Freeholder Board

Arnone, DiMaso sworn in as freeholders

Shaun Golden sworn in as County Sheriff

Freeholder Tom Arnone, the 2013 Director, turns over the gavel to 2014 Freeholder Director Lillian Burry. Don Burry, the director’s husband, and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande look on with approval.

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County freeholders Lillian G. Burry and Gary J. Rich, Sr. became, respectively, freeholder director and deputy director at the Board’s 2014 organization meeting held on Jan. 2 at Biotechnology High School.

“In the year ahead, I promise to work tirelessly for changes we desire that will make better lives and a stronger economy for the people of Monmouth County,” said Director Burry. “We have much work to do in transitioning Fort Monmouth into an engine for economic growth while restoring services for our veterans, finding a balance between economic development and historic preservation at Fort Hancock, creating a new County Master Plan and completing the County’s Child Advocacy Center.”

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Ryan Green makes Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad A Political Football

Ryan Green. Photo via RyanDGreen.com

The Manalapan Township Committee unanimously approved an agreement with the Englistown-Manalapan First Aid Squad on December 11, 2013 that will permit the previously all volunteer squad that provides first aid and ambulance service for free to Manalapan residents to form an non-profit entity to would hire paid EMTs to supplement the declining ranks of volunteers and bill residents who use the services the amount that their health insurance companies would otherwise pay to private first aid and ambulance companies.

Township Committeeman Ryan Green joined his fellow Republican committee members in voting for the agreement with EMFSA, but then went public with a letter to the editor to the NewsTranscript  in which he criticized Mayor Susan Cohen and Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz for failing to seek input from the public on what Green calls “a major change.”

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Monmouth Prosecutor Announces Promotions, Retirements

(FREEHOLD) Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni has announced a pair of promotions and changes to his executive staff following the retirement of two long-serving front office assistant prosecutors.

Marc LeMieux has assumed the duties of First Assistant Prosecutor and Lori Linskey has been named Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

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Extreme Cold Warnings

Thanks to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office

US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly : The combination of strong winds and cold temperatures will create dangerous wind chill factors tonight and Tuesday. Wind chill factors Wind chill factors as low as 30 degrees below zero can be expected in the far northern portions of the Mount Holly CWA from tonight into Wednesday morning. Wind chill factors from zero to 20 below zero can be expected elsewhere. This could feel like the coldest outbreak for our area in several
years.

Full Briefing Available: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/phi/briefing/packages/current_briefing.pdf

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Education Issues Will Help Shape Christie’s Second Term — and Political Future

Education Issues Will Help Shape Christie’s Second Term — and Political Future (via NJSpotlight)

After four years of political drama involving school reform and education policy in New Jersey, could Gov. Chris Christie’s second term be even more eventful? Three major speeches by the governor over the next two months are sure to highlight education…

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Steve Lonegan on running for Congress in NJ 3

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Lonegan says he’ll run for Congress in South Jersey

Lonegan says he’ll run for Congress in South Jersey (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — Steve Lonegan, the firebrand former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is running for a House seat. Lonegan told The Star-Ledger today that he will run for the South Jersey U.S. House of Representatives seat held by U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan…

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SHAUN GOLDEN SWORN IN FOR SECOND TERM AS MONMOUTH COUNTY SHERIFF

Freehold: Sheriff Shaun Golden took the oath of office for a second three year term as Monmouth County Sheriff on January 2 during the Board of Chosen Freeholders annual organization meeting at the Monmouth County Biotech High School in Freehold. Sheriff Golden was re-elected in November and serves as the 76th Sheriff of Monmouth County. The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office consists of three divisions which include law enforcement, communications and corrections and has 609 officers and employees dedicated to serving public safety needs throughout Monmouth County. Sheriff Golden’s family watches as he is sworn in for a second term as Sheriff by Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno  > “It is an honor and privilege to have been sworn in as the Monmouth County Sheriff for a second term,” said Sheriff Shaun Golden. “I look forward to continuing to serve all who live, work or visit this great county in an efficient and effective manner for another three years.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth County Government Offices Open, State Closed

FREEHOLD, NJ – County’s Public Works crews were busy overnight and all morning with plowing and sanding operations to keep County roads open. Work is ongoing to take care of blowing and drifting snow across roadways.

Monmouth County offices and services are open and operating.

“If you must be on the roads, please exercise caution and give the plows and sand trucks room to do their work,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County Department of Public Works and Engineering. “County road crews are now targeting some trouble spots, so the assistance of motorists is appreciated as they work their way through the storm.”

The exceptions are four branches of the County Library System that are closed today. Those locations are Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Hazlet, Holmdel and Oceanport. All other Library branches are open. However, please call your local branch to check on exact opening times.

All New Jersey State offices, located within Monmouth County, are closed. This includes:

• ·Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold
• ·Probation Offices in in Freehold and Ocean Township

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