Joe Woerner resigns from Asbury Park Council to focus on his son’s health

Asbury Park Councilman Joe Woerner announced his resignation from the city’s governing body this evening in a poignant post on facebook wherein he publicly disclosed his family’s struggle with his son Michael’s genetic mutation which was diagnosed the month following his election in 2014.

Michael’s condition has recently taken a turn for the worse.

Woerner’s posted as follows:

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“A-Team” sues to overturn Asbury Park elections

UPDATE: AsburyParkSun reports that if the Monmouth County Board of Elections decision to not count the disqualified Vote By Mail ballots is overturned, that a runoff election between Mayor John Moor and Remond Palmer could be triggered.

Asbury Park Mayor-elect John Moor told MMM that he was informed by City Attorney Fredrick Raffetto this afternoon that the City has been served with a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of both the municipal and Board of Education elections that were held on November 4, 2014.  According to Moor’s recalculation, the plaintiffs are Remond Palmer, the “A-Team” candidate for mayor and Arva Council, an “A-Team” candidate for Board of Education.

Moor said that his understanding is that the plaintiffs are seeking to have the results of the election overturned and for the 353 Vote By Mail ballots disqualified by the Monmouth County Board of Election to be counted.

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Crime in Asbury Park, Part One: Understanding the Problems of Our Youth

By Joe Woerner

Consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey, the crime on our streets has been more than ever on the minds of residents. In an effort to continue the discussion already underway in our community I will be sharing a few ideas that have helped me better grasp the issue as well as suggesting some possible actions. In a series of three letters I will address the fundamental underpinnings of crime, enforcement, and how to better support our community members.

Aristotle said, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” To understand our crime issue, we must first understand the devastating role poverty plays in our community. The socio-economic and emotional impacts of poverty directly correlate with insufficient family and community support. This absence of adequate support limits options and makes it near impossible for our young people to succeed.

The Center for Disease Control publishes risk and protective factors for youth violence. The risk factors, such as low parental income and diminished economic opportunity, read like a laundry list of Asbury Park’s problems. Poverty not only increases the risk factors but also decreases protective ones. Our youth live in broken homes, substandard housing, and without basic services like simple healthcare. As a result many turn to gangs for protection, financial opportunity, and a sense of belonging. This American Life did a two-part special on Harper High School (part I & part II) in Chicago that illustrates the lack of options for poor minority youth in urban areas like Asbury Park. For too many, gang involvement and violence are a given, not a choice.

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