Belmar Bonding Defeated In Referendum

Campaign materials for and against the Belmar Bonding referendum. Photo via Thomas Burke’s facebook page

In a stunning rebuke to Mayor Matt Doherty who campaigned hard for its passage, Belmar voters today overwhelmingly rejected borrowing $7 million to rebuild two pavilions on the boardwalk.

Doherty told MMM this afternoon that he expected the turnout would be like that of any general election and that his side spent as much on this Special Election as they have in any general election.  Doherty spent $10,411 in his 2010 campaign for mayor, according to his reports at the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Thomas E. Burke was a leader in the movement to force the referendum and in the campaign to defeat the measure.  Burke told MMM that his side spent between $500 and $1000 and had a volunteer campaign team of about 20 people.

1,797 voters cast a ballot. 1,041, 58%, voted against the borrowing.  There are 4,407 registered voters in Belmar.

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The Arnone Report

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

Recently a Mayor’s Luncheon was held in Belmar for the purpose of giving Belmar businesses a forum to meet and discuss tourism and how it benefits businesses at the Jersey Shore. I was happy to attend and join Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty in greeting the local business owners and to share with them what the County Tourism Division does to promote the industry. The luncheon was held at Ollie Klein’s Waterside Café located on River Road in Belmar.

Additionally, we are currently working toward entering into a shared services agreement with Hightstown to utilize the Monmouth County Vehicle Wash facilities. This is yet another approach to help reduce costs and redundancies in the delivery of public services, while adding some additional revenue for the county to help offset our operational costs. Because Hightstown already has a shared services agreement with Roosevelt Borough for trash collection which is hauled to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center, it makes good sense for them to utilize the county vehicle wash facilities as a value added shared services while they are in the area. Howell Township has just been added to our MODIV property tax assessment shared services system. This system has been recognized for innovation and excellence in public service by the Harvard Kennedy School and Moody’s Investor’s Service for its role in streamlining the delivery and implementation of the tax assessment process. Certain municipalities have seen savings of up to 65% through this shared service.

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Christie: Shark River Dredging Delayed By County and Municipalities

Beck: Federal and State Agencies Haven’t Approved Drying Sites

Governor Chris Christie told his Town Hall gathering in Belmar yesterday afternoon that the dredging of Shark River is being held up because the municipalities along the river and Monmouth County can not agree on a destination for the dredge spoils to be dumped.

The issue has gathered increased public attention in recent months due to a massive fish kill in the river last May.  310 tons of dead fish were removed from the shoreline of the estuary that feeds into the Atlantic through the inlet between Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea and extents 11 miles through Neptune and Wall Townships.

In answering a question from a man who identified himself as Bob from Wall, Christie said that he supports the dredging, fought for money from FEMA to pay for the dredging and would impose a solution on the county and municipalities if he had the authority to do so.  He said he had been briefed on the issue three weeks ago.

Maybe the Governor remembered a briefing from a different dredging project when answering Bob’s question.

Both the Monmouth County and Neptune landfills are willing to take the dredge spoils, according to Senator Jennifer Beck.  The river hasn’t been dredged, Beck said in a phone interview last night, because over the last two decades various federal and state agencies have rejected every proposed location for the dredged materials to dry before being moved to their final disposal site.

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Prosecutor: Belmar Did Not Account For Sandy Relief Gift Cards

$2,550 in gift cards remain unredeemed

Doherty: We were in the middle in the worst natural disaster in the history of New Jersey. Taking care of people trumps accounting principles

Mayor says he will ask ShopRite to replace lost cards

Belmar Borough Administrtor Colleen Connelly posing with cash donations. Photo provided by Councilman Jim Bean

The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has found that the Borough of Belmar distributed ShopRite gift cards purchased with cash donations in the wake of Super Storm Sandy without following generally accepted accounting principles.

In a letter to Councilman Jim Bean dated July 11, Special Deputy Attorney General/Acting Assistant Prosecutor John Loughrey said,  “There is, however, every indication that the cards were not properly inventoried,  adequately managed or or appropriately secured at any point after they were taken into custody of the Borough of Belmar.”  Loughrey’s letter to Bean can be found here.

Loughrey said there is no evidence that any one person or groups misappropriated the Shoprite gift cards.

The Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation on January 31, 2014 after Bean discovered a $9,050 discrepancy in reports of how the cards were distributed. In answering OPRA (Open Public Record Act) requests from Bean,  Belmar Elementary School business administrator Loretta Hill reported that the school received $7,950 in gift cards while Borough Clerk April Claudio said that $17,000 in gift cards were given to the school.

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Christie will hold Town Hall Meeting in Belmar, Weds, July 30

The next stop on Governor Chris Christie’s “No Pain, No Gain” tour on the Jersey Shore will be held in Belmar next Wednesday, 3PM, at the  Huisman Gazebo, 500 Ocean Ave.

Christie kicked off the tour in Long Beach Island on Tuesday where he said he would be proposing a plan to save New Jersey from bankruptcy by the end of this summer. The work-in-progress plan will focus on reducing pensions and benefits for public workers.

“There are going to be some really difficult things,” Christie said. “There’s not a lot of places left to do things except to look at a whole different variety of ways to reduce benefits or to increase contributions by employees.”

Residents can RSVP for the Belmar event to [email protected]

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Summer schedule for drum circles in Monmouth County

All of these circles will be on going all summer long, 
Please use these spaces for drumming, dancing, hooping and and togetherness

Congo Square Drum Circle
Tuesday 6pm-10pm
North Asbury Park Boardwalk
4th Ave Greens Space
4th and Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park

Belmar Boardwalk Drum Circle
Wednesdays 5:30pm – 9:00pm
2nd Ave and Ocean, Belmar

Long Branch Drum Circle 
Saturdays 5pm-9pmWest End Park 
Brighton and Ocean Avenue, Long Branch

For further information call John Eustor at 631-741-2295
If you would like updates and to be placed on the e-mail list,
 write to John at, [email protected]

Don’t forget to Save the Environment and use Resuable Water Bottles!!!!
Enjoy the summer everyone…cause it’ll probably go quicker
 then you think… Blessings, Love & Light- John

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Belmar Arts Council Presents a Weekend of Music-Poetry-Books

The Belmar Arts Council is primarily a volunteer organization that is housed in a building located at the corner of 7th Avenue and River Road near the railroad tracks in the Borough of Belmar. 

It is dedicated to improving the quality of life for our residents, visitors and neighbors by helping the arts to flourish and offering diverse and exciting experiences in both the visual and performing arts for people of all ages 
in a quaint coffee-house atmosphere.

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Christie and Doherty Kick Off Summer in Belmar

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Friday, May 23, Sitting in the Park

Who remembers that song? 
Sittin in the park, waiting for you
Yes, I’m sitting right here
Waiting for you my dear

I sure do.  All winter I wait for the summer concerts.
I can’t wait to pull my chair out, shake off the cobwebs and 
sit and listen to one of our favorite Jersey Shore Groups or a local High School Band.

This Friday, there are two great concerts to choose from

At 7PM, out in front of Hall of Records, located at 
1 East Main Street, Freehold 
Musicians from the Freehold Borough High School
will play in a 22 piece ensemble, headed by music director Eric Gross. 
The Freehold Boro Arts Council will be there and will be 
announcing the 2014 Sunday Night Jazz and Blues Series line up.

Or you can head on over to Pyanoe Plaza, located at 
Main Street & Ninth Avenue, Belmar at 7PM to hear the
 tight harmonies and rhythms of RB EXPRESS

The above information was brought to you by,
Lynn Humphrey Administrator/Owner of
BizEturtle:Events in Monmouth, www.bizeturtle.com
The website fully dedicated to Monmouth County
BizEturtle does not have any information on the above 
subject except what is stated.

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Christie and Guadagno to kick off summer season in Monmouth County on Friday

Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, left, and Governor Chris Christie, on the Belmar boardwalk in 2011.

Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be celebrating the beginning of the summer season on the Jersey Shore with multiple visits in Monmouth County on Friday..

Christie has a busy morning.  He’s scheduled to co-host the Boomer and Carton Sports Radio Talk Show at 8am and be on hand for the ceremonial opening of the Belmar Boardwalk at 9:30.

In the afternoon, Christie cuts the ribbon on Asbury Park’s new boardwalk at 1:30 and then heads to Ocean County to walk the Seaside Heights boardwalk at 3:30.

Guadagno will address the 89th Annual New Jersey State FFA Convention at Monmouth University’s Pollack Theater at 9 am.  Anyone who knows what the FFA is, without using google or another search engine, gets a free subscription to Greg’s List.  Members of the FFA and the Lt. Gov’s staff are not eligible to win.

Guadagno will visit the Keansburg Amusement Park at noon.  She then heads to Burlington County for a Memorial Day Flag Placement Ceremony at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Williamstown.

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