John Loffredo (Forward Asbury Park ticket) and Amy Quinn (One Asbury ticket) are the top guns in the Asbury Park City Council race. That’s not news for me; I’ve known it for years and have let them both know they should be together.
In fact, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that they would run together since it makes so much sense. Had I known they would overlook the obvious I would have lobbied them vigorously over the past 4 years to create a political marriage (or civil union, if that’s your preference).
Just look at the last election. Tickets make it easier for candidates to win, particularly weaker candidates, but Amy Quinn fell just short of being elected while running as an independent. That means she carries a great deal of support on her own, perhaps as much as any individual candidate running this year.
How Loffredo didn’t see the benefits of scooping up Quinn and all her support befuddles me. She was clearly the off-season prize; the league’s most valuable free agent. How Quinn didn’t see the benefits of picking up support from the team who won for the past dozen years amazed me more. It’s like she passed up an opportunity with the Yankees to start her own team. That hasn’t worked out well for the Mets, has it?
Newark Mayor Cory Booker brought his 2014 U.S. Senate exploration to Congressman Frank Pallone’s backyard by endorsing‘Forward Asbury Park,‘ the slate of mostly incumbents running in the May 14 municipal election in Asbury Park.
Booker and Pallone both want U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s job when he retires at the end of his current term. The seat is up for grabs in the November 2014 election. Booker and Pallone are unofficially competing for the Democratic nomination.
Pallone has so far stayed out of the Asbury Park municipal election. Booker’s endorsement is a boost for the ‘Forward’ team. If they win, it will be a boost for him in his contest against Pallone.
UPDATE: Asbury Park Sun is reporting that the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office executed a search warrant on the campaign office of ‘The A Team” this afternoon. The report said that the investigators appeared to be looking for ballots. Read the APS report here.
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MoreMonmouthMusings has confirmed that the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the “A-Team” ticket of Council candidates in upcoming Asbury Park municipal election. That investigation included a visit to the campaign’s Main Street office today.
No arrests have been made.
The ‘A-Team’ consists of five candidates running together for the five council seats, the entire governing body, being contested in the May 14 election. The candidates are former Councilman James Keady, former board of education member Redmond Palmer, Duanne Small, Nora Hyland and Daniel Harris. There are a total of 22 candidates running for the five seats.
After noticing a unusual spike in the request for messenger ballots in the upcoming municipal election in Asbury Park, Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French instituted a requirement that all messengers sign an affidavit certifying that they have met with voters they are assisting; they are related to the voters or are themselves registered voters in Monmouth County; they will not act as messenger for more than 10 voters; they will deliver the ballots directly to the voters and not to any other individuals; and they are not candidates in the election.
Messengers also certify that they are aware that violating the Voting by Mail statute, which governs messenger ballots, is a crime in the third degree, according to a story first reported by Asbury Park Sun.
Since French started requiring the affidavits on April 17, only 5 of 42 messengers have submitted the paperwork and “almost no new messengers” have requested ballots.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office will investigate messengers who do not return the required affidavits.
Asbury Park elects their entire governing body every four years in non-partisan elections. There are 22 candidates competing for 5 seats on the council in the election scheduled to take place on May 14.
Governor Chris Christie will be back on Monmouth County on Monday morning.
At 7 am, the governor is scheduled to appear on MSNBC’s Morning Joe Show which will be broadcast live from the Five Ave Pavilion in Asbury Park.
At 11am, Christie and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan are scheduled to visit businesses and greet patrons along Bay Avenue in Highlands, starting from The Memoria Project in Veterans’ Park. At 11:45, he will hold a press conference at Moby’s, 2 South Bay Ave.
Christie is expected to announce federal approval of $1.8 billion in relief funds for housing, infrastructure and business recovery activities, according to a report in The Star Ledger.
At his press conference in Long Branch on April 18, the governor said he was waiting on federal funds for a grant program that would award up $500,000 to businesses and $150,000 to homeowners.
We often complain about the leftist slant of the mainstream media here at MMM. However, now is a time for those of us who live and do business at the Jersey Shore to say thank you in advance, and least to Comcast’s NBC properties.
NBC’s Today Show is broadcasting from Highlands on Saturday morning (Hint for Greg, put that on the list.) and 300 Comcast and Sherman Williams employees will volunteer to help Highlands business and homeowners rebuild their properties.
On Monday the 29th, MSNBC’s Morning Joe will broadcast from the Fifth Avenue Pavilion in Asbury Park, according to a report on Asbury Pulp.
It’s not just a problem of attracting ‘bennies’ to come back with their money. A few weeks back, a local elected official called me to ask for a recommendation for a Highlands restaurant on the water to hold an event. For years his group gathered at Bahrs. Where can he go on the water now that Bahrs is closed? “Bahrs Landing is Still Standing“, I told my friend.
This kind of news coverage does not happen by accident. I’d bet Christie’s team had something to do with it happening. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him appear on his two favorite morning shows. I’d love to see him in Highlands on Saturday morning, but I would guess he’s more likely to hang with Mika and Joe on Monday. Maybe he will bring his bff Bruce with him.
Cable network HBO is in talks with to bring their hit series Boardwalk Empire to Asbury Park according to a report on AsburyParkSun.
HBO may shoot its popular drama “Boardwalk Empire” in Asbury Park in the future.
The cable network is in talks with the city and boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette to possibly bring the show here, said Madison Marquette’s senior vice president, Anselm Fusco, today.
“We are in conversations with HBO and the city,” Fusco said. “It would be really great. We think it would be fantastic if we could figure it out.”
The show stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, an Atlantic City gangster. Martin Scorsese is the executive producer. Filming of its fourth season has reportedly begun.
The show, inspired by the true story of Atlantic City corruption during prohibition written by Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson seated in Atlantic County, was primary shot in New York City during its first three seasons.
Jersey Jokers Thursdays brings top comics and laughs to Asbury
The summer promises to be funny now that the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park has announced a monthly comedy show. The last Thursday of every month will bring great headliners and laughter to the historic venue. The seminal show will be hosted by Jersey Jokers own, Chris Covert and features Asbury Park native, Kevin Israel, with the Howard Stern Show’s Reverend Bob Levy headlining.
“We’re really excited that the Wonder Bar agreed to host this monthly event,” said Kevin Israel, a local comic who has performed all over the country and been featured on XM/Sirius Radio’s RawDog comedy channel. “Asbury has a long history of arts and entertainment, a successful comedy show is a natural extension of that history.”
“We are very pleased to be chosen as the venue for Jersey Jokers Thursdays,” said Debbie DeLisa, Manager of the Wonder Bar. “We feel this will be a welcome addition to The Wonder Bar Schedule! “
Jersey Jokers is New Jersey based comedy production company that has been producing shows throughout the state.
By some numbers, Asbury Park looks like a waste of time for Republicans. Only 464 of the city’s registered 7,404 voters are Republicans. 2,723 are Democrats and 4,209 are Unaffiliated, according to Wikipedia.
By other numbers, no one in New Jersey should ignore Asbury Park. New Jersey taxpayers fund the city’s schools and municipal government. Trenton sent $57.6 million to Asbury Park for its schools in 2011-2012 and $9.5 million for its current municipal budget.
Spring Lake resident James Lincoln Turner’s Seven Superstorms of the Northeast: And Other Blizzards, Hurricanes & Tempests is a book that Al Gore and his comrades probably don’t want you to read. Tuner writes of devastating storms in the Northeast dating back to the early 1600’s when the Pilgrims were warming the globe with campfires and horse dung was the biggest transportation related pollution. Turner’s book is filled with historical photos of storms that ravaged the Monmouth County towns of Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Red Bank and Sea Bright.
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By Tommy DeSeno
When last we heard of Republicans in Asbury Park, 
is the story of a small town in the shadow a big city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It is an encouraging and inspirational tale that will be a great gift for those of us impacted by Sandy.
is a book that Al Gore and his comrades probably don’t want you to read. Tuner writes of devastating storms in the Northeast dating back to the early 1600’s when the Pilgrims were warming the globe with campfires and horse dung was the biggest transportation related pollution. Turner’s book is filled with historical photos of storms that ravaged the Monmouth County towns of Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Red Bank and Sea Bright.