Frankenstorm Sandy

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Christie Administration Issues Generator Safety Advisory Ahead of Hurricane Sandy

State Fire Officials Warn of Electrocution Risk from “Backfeeding” of Power Lines

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III today issued a warning to residents regarding the potential dangers of portable generators and “backfeeding” during power outages. An increase in the use of generators is expected with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy in the coming days, raising the importance of educating New Jerseyans on their proper and safe use.

Portable generators, widely used when power lines are down, can prove fatal to homeowners, utility workers and even your neighbors when used improperly. A generator connected to a home’s wiring or plugged into a regular household outlet can cause ‘backfeeding’ along power lines and electrocute anyone who comes in contact with them – even if the line seems dead.

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Governor Christie Directs Cabinet to Make All Necessary Preparations for Coordinated Response to Hurricane Sandy

Urges Residents to Take Commonsense Precautions as Movement
of Sandy Continues to be Tracked

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today directed cabinet officials to mobilize preparations for a coordinated response to the potential October storm that is trending towards an impact on the East Coast. The Governor also urged New Jersey residents to take the time now – ahead of the storm – to activate and supply their family preparedness plans and to closely monitor the track of Hurricane Sandy.

“While Sandy’s exact track is still uncertain, New Jersey has the potential to experience a major impact from high winds, heavy rain, flooding and power outages,” said Governor Christie. “That’s why it’s important from the State level on down to prepare in advance of this serious storm. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Survival Guide is available to residents online with important information about emergency preparedness. Now, ahead of any potential impact of Sandy, is the time for families to ensure they are prepared and are tuned in for the latest path of the storm for our coast. I encourage all of our families to stay informed, get ready, and reach out to those you know who may be isolated, or in need of extra assistance during adverse conditions.”

The State Emergency Operations Center was activated at 8 a.m. today to coordinate preparations related to the storm.

New Jersey residents can maintain situation awareness in the following ways:

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APP endorses Claire French for Clerk

Could they possibly endorse Curley and DiMaso for Freeholders too?

The Asbury Park Press has recognised the fine job Republican County Clerk M. Claire French has done over the last ten years and endorsed her for a third five year term.

The Neptune Nudniks got this one right.  They dismissed Democratic candidate Michael Steinhorn as someone who “has little to recommend him for the job,” despite the fact that he exposed the statistical anomaly of the Monmouth GOP winning the first general election ballot position in 30 of 33 years and that they like his proposal to that the clerk’s office provide mobile services to seniors and veterans.

Given their logic in endorsing French, it will be fascinating to see how they endorse at least one of the Democratic Freeholder candidates, as I expect they will.

The Democratic Freeholder campaign has been so anemic that I suspect many readers don’t even know who is running.  Despite the Monmouth Dems outraising the Monmouth GOP through September, there is little evidence that Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal and his team are trying to get their nominal slate elected.   Publicly Democratic leaders say the right things about supporting their candidates. Privately they seem resigned to a Republican blow out.

The Democratic candidates are William Shea and Kevin Lavan.  Shea, as Amy Mallet’s running mate, lost to Freeholders Lillian Burry and Gary Rich last year. He is challenging Freeholder Director John Curley for a full three year term.  Lavan, who lost his run for Assembly to Declan O’Scanlon and Amy Handlin in the 13th district last year, is running against Freeholder Serena DiMaso for the remaining one year of Rob Clifton’s term.  Clifton resigned upon being sworn into the State Assembly.

Shea and Lavan were not even on the same page when the Nudniks interviewed all four candidates in September.  Shea recklessly proposed a 20% across the board spending cut from the county budget without backing up how he would do it.   Lavan said “maybe” depending upon the results of an audit.

Yet, the Nudniks loath single party control of any governing body (except the federal government when it is in Democratic hands) and has a historical bias against “Club Monmouth” as they frequently call the Monmouth GOP.  They seem to forget that all of the Monmouth Republican county office holders and all of Monmouth GOP leadership has been replaced since Operation Bid Rig, except Claire French who they just endorsed.  The GOP holds all five seats on the Freeholder Board.

Will the APP editorial board affirm the nudnikness and endorse Shea or Lavan?  We’ll find out soon.  Either way, it won’t matter on election day.   It might matter to their own crediblity if the actually endorse the best people for the job and get over their own biases.

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The state of the Senate race

The Star Ledger’s Brian Donohue, and his cats, pretty much sum it up.

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The gift of life

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is hosting a blood drive this afternoon at her legislative office in Freehold.

The address is 35 West Main Street, Freehold Borough.  The blood drive is scheduled from 1PM till 6PM.

Juice and cookies will be served.  Lives will be saved.

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Anna Little: “I just want to do the right thing”

In a remarkable interview with NJ.com, 6th district congressional challenger gives insight into her transformation from a rising GOP star to a fringe candidate.

“I had been a mainstream Republican candidate, but unfortunately I was not allowed to be myself. I am a traditional lady – I am pro-life, I am Catholic, and I am proud of it,” Little said. “Any political party, if it’s top-down driven, they want you to fit their mold. I don’t fit anybody’s mold. With the Tea Party people, I can be me. And I just want to do the right thing.”

Anna Little in her Woodbridge campaign office during her NJ.com interview. Photo credit: Mark Bonamo/NJ.com

The obvious implication is that those who didn’t “allow” her to be herself don’t want to do the right thing.  That’s her ethos.  On the wall next to her desk in her campaign office is her slogan,

“NEW JERSEY & POLITICAL CORRUPTION: PERFECT TOGETHER.”

Little was a mainstream candidate.  A good one at that.  In early 2006 the Monmouth GOP County Committee, suffering from the aftershocks of Operation Bid Rig, tabbed the little know Highlands Councilwoman and her “do the right thing” message to complete Amy Handlin’s seat on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders when Handlin was sworn into the State Assembly.

During her fall campaign to defend the seat, then GOP County Chairman Adam Puharic, a proud pro-life Catholic, called Little “a Rock Star.”   Against an anti-war, anti-Bid Rig tide, Little was a rare Republican victor on election night of 2006. Within weeks the proud pro-life Catholic Puharic was plotting to get Little off the Republican ticket the following November.

Puharic and the Monmouth GOP did send Little packing from the Freeholder Board one year after she emerged like a Rock Star.  The Highlands GOP welcomed her home an nominated her for mayor after the incumbent unexpectedly resigned his candidacy.  The Highlands voters welcomed her home with a victory.  Three years later, rather than run for reelection Little ran for Congress.  She narrowly won the Monmouth County portion of the 6th district in a huge pro-Republican tide election.  But she lost Highlands.  Republicans swept every ballot position in Highlands in 2010, except the top one…Little’s.  Highlands voted for Frank Pallone in 2010 rather than their incumbent mayor.

Little responded by calling Highlands employees, council members and voters stupid.

If you don’t support Anna Little unconditionally and give her what she wants when she wants it, you’re either corrupt or stupid.  That’s her message.  Her lack of mainstream support has nothing to do with her being pro-life, Catholic or a traditional lady.  There are many pro-life, Catholic, traditional ladies thriving politically in the mainstream NJ/Monmouth GOP.

The list of former Little supporters who have mysteriously become corrupt or stupid is long and growing.   It is not an accident that those who know her best, the voters of Highlands and the Monmouth GOP who nominated an unknown political neophyte instead of Little in the congressional primary, have withdrawn their support.

And it’s not because they are corrupt or stupid.

It is, in large part, because she says they are corrupt and stupid when they dare to question her.

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Monmouth Court House Will Reopen Tomorrow. Bomb Threat Was An Apparent Hoax

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said that the K-9 search for explosives in the Court House this afternoon came up negative and that normal operations will resume tomorrow.

A male caller using a cell phone in Freehold Borough called 9-11 at 12:40 this afternoon and said that there were pipe bombs in the Court House that would explode this afternoon.

Investigators from the sheriff’s office and the prosecutor’s office are investigating the call.

Golden said there is no indication that the incident is in anyway related to the unsolved chemical/environmental event that closed the Court House for a week last June.

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Bomb Threat Closes Monmouth County Court House

All bomb threat called into 9-11 early this afternoon has closed down the Monmouth County Court House for the rest of the day as bomb sniffing dogs are searching the building.

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Camp Evans Designated as National Historic Landmark

Smith assisted to get federal designation; Helped Save Camp in 2004

WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. – Camp Evans, the former Army post in Wall Township, N.J. and site of top secret work that helped win World War II, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Interior as one of only 26 new sites receiving national historic landmark designation, announced Congressman Chris Smith.

“Having been to Camp Evans numerous times and worked with the leadership of the non-profit organization InfoAge dedicated to the preservation of this site—I am aware that it may be the most significant historic location associated with the development of radar,” said Smith, who in April urged the National Park Service to approve this designation and to do so in a timely manner. “The top secret American research conducted right here in Monmouth County helped win battles on the warfront and save American lives. The new designation will forever secure Camp Evan’s much-deserved prominence in the history of our national defense and security, as well as honor the thousands of people from the New Jersey and New York areas who worked there practically anonymously to protect the nation and especially our troops. An added bonus is that the federal designation will open doors to grant funding and attract visitors who want to learn more about the fascinating history of Camp Evans.”

For more than a decade Smith helped prevent the closed site from being auctioned off to developers, and worked with the Army to clean up and preserve the site. InfoAge hosts many events at Camp Evans that are open to the public. Click here to see a list of events.

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the naming ceremony of Camp Evans. 2012 also marks the 100th anniversary of the site serving as a Marconi Wireless Station. The designation of Camp Evans as a National Historic Landmark on these important anniversaries will have a strong symbolic impact for the individuals who have worked since the Army’s withdrawal to maintain the historic and cultural significance of the site,” Smith wrote. Click here to read Smith’s letter.

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