$1 million Powerball ticket sold in Monmouth County

A Powerball ticket from Saturday night’s drawing matched 5 numbers and pays $ 1 million was sold in Monmouth County, according to a report on 94.3 The Point.

The ticket was sold at Soda King in Manalapan.

Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas has not returned a call asking if he was the winner.

“You know if I was the winner, I wouldn’t have called you back,” said Manalapan GOP Chairman Steve McEnery.  That wouldn’t have been conclusive, as McEnery only returns about half of our calls.  “I was in Soda King on Saturday, but already had tickets and didn’t buy any more,” the chairman mused.

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Manalapan School Threat Was False Alarm

Students wreck havoc tweeting

Manalapan Mayor Susan Cohen posted the following message on facebook at 2:25 ths afternoon:

From the Manalapan Police and the Town Committee

 At 11:11 am today March 13, 2013 the Manalapan Township Police were dispatched to the Manalapan High School in reference to a terroristic threat made via Twitter. A male juvenile student of the school sent a Twitter message which contained threats made by him that he intended to bring a firearm to the school and “go hunting”.

The school officials were made aware of the Tweets and immediately put the school into a stationary lockdown and contacted the police. The school officials were able to identify the student who sent the tweets and isolated him without incident. The juvenile was detained and checked by school security and found not to be in possession of any weapons. His belongings and locker were also checked and found not to have any weapons contained therein. This student was arrested on scene and juvenile charges will be signed against him for terroristic threats and false public alarm.

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Democratic Freeholder Candidates Slam Lucas Farm Deal

The Democratic candidates for Monmouth County Freeholder are not waiting to get into campaign mode.

Brian Froelich and Lawrence Luttrell were endorsed by the Monmouth County Democratic Party last Saturday.  Today they issued a statement blasting the “all-Republican monopoly on the Freeholder Board” over the 3-2 split decision to pay Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas $1.152 million for the development rights to his farm.

Froelich and Luttrell also promoted Lucas to a “GOP boss.”

 

“Once again, the all-Republican monopoly on the Freeholder Board has  exercised its power against the interests of Monmouth County residents,” said Froelich. “This time, the Freeholders granted a $1.15  million-dollar payday to one of their own in the guise of ‘farmland  preservation.’ Whether it is preservation bonuses, pension privileges,  or old-fashioned patronage, this Board continues to remind us that  absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

 

“Clearly, there is an apparent conflict of interest with this land deal,” added  Luttrell, a former prosecutor. “This November, Monmouth County residents will have a chance to elect fair-minded watchdogs that will restrain  this biased and unbalanced Freeholder Board. Shame on Freeholder Serena  DiMaso for voting to give taxpayer money away to one of her political  cronies. This needs to change in November.”

General election for Monmouth County Freeholder takes place Tuesday, November 5th.

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Curley: There will be no $1.2 million paid for Andrew Lucas’ property

Freeholder Director John Curley said yesterday that there is no support on the Freeholder Board to purchase the development rights for Manalapan Township Committeeman Andrew Lucas’ 98 acre farm on Iron Ore Road, despite the fact that the purchase, which was approved by the Board in May of 2011,  has been cleared of an ethics violation complaint by the State Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board and was approved by the State Agriculture Development Committee.

“If elected officials want to apply for government money for their properties, they should resign from office,” said Curley, “we should not be using the positions the voters entrusted us with to enrich ourselves.”

“Andrew Lucas has not been forthcoming about the details of his purchase of this property.  The freeholders will not approve this purchase.”

Lucas, Manalapan’s former mayor and a former GOP candidate for freeholder, purchased the farm which had been slated for development in March of 2010 for an undisclosed amount. Soon thereafter he started the process of selling the development rights, for $1.152 million, through funding through the State, County and Township. Lucas participated on Township Committee discussions of his application.

The purchase approved by the Freeholder Board in May of 2011 was held up by an ethics complaint filed by former Manalapan Mayor George Spodak.  The State Agriculture Developement Committee conditioned its funding on an satisfactory ethics review of the transaction.  Local Finance Board Chairman Thomas Neff wrote Lucas last month to inform him that his application had been approved because he consulted with the Manalapan Township Attorney about his application.  Neff’s letter also said that the Board would use Lucas’s case to provide clear guidance to future office holders to recuse themselves from applications that they have an interest in.

Spodak is outraged that Neff and the Local Finance Board cleared the ethics of the transaction.  “I don’t think they even read my 111 page complaint,” said Spodak.  “I sent Neff a letter appealing his decision but have not heard back from him.”

The county monies approved in 2011 for the purchase are no longer available.  An article in the Asbury Park Press said that the county is applying for federal money to fund the purchase.

Curly said the the freeholders have not approved any federal grant application and will not approve the purchase.

Earlier yesterday, Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued a statement condemning the transaction as an example of Republcian cronyism, “Club Monmouth.”  Gopal was critical of Neff’s ties to the Monmouth GOP as evidenced by his $750 to Monmouth GOP Chairman John Bennett’s leadership PAC while Bennett was President of the State Senate. Prior being appointed to his position with the Department of Community Affairs, Neff, an attorney, was an employee of the Republican Senate Caucus.

Informed of Curley’s opposition to the Lucas farm purchase and his representation that the other freeholders, all Republicans, also oppose it, Gopal said, “What has changed since they approved it last year?  Only Amy Mallet (then a Democratic freeholder) voted against it in 2011.”

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Ryan Green Is Running For Freeholder

Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green told MMM that he is a candidate to fill Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton’s Freeholder seat when the Monmouth County Republican Committee holds its election on January 14th.

“I’m throwing my hat into the ring and we’ll see what happens,” said Green, “I think I have a lot I can contribute on the county level.”   He said he was running on his record as an elected official in Manalapan since 2005, on both the school board and the township committee.  ” We haven’t raised taxes in Manalapan over the last two years, a fact that I am very proud of.”

Green said his Freeholder candidacy won’t impact the incoming Manalapan Township Committee’s plan to elect him Mayor in January.  “I’m not counting my chickens before they’re hatched.  Manalapan’s reorganization is before the Title 19 convention.  I have a great deal of respect for all of my opponents in the Freeholder race.”

Title 19 is the New Jersey statute that governs elections. It requires that vacancies for Freeholder be filled via a county committee election.

Green was encouraged by the positive feedback he received at a recent meeting of the Western Monmouth Republican Chairmen.  However, the only chairman’s endorsement he is counting on is that of Manalapan’s Steve McEnry.

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Christie To Hold Town Hall Meeting In Manalapan May 3rd

Town Hall Meeting with Governor Chris Christie

Tuesday, May 3^rd, 2011

WHAT: Town Hall Meeting

WHEN: Doors Open at 2:15PM

WHERE: Covered Bridge Community Center
                1 Amberly Dr.
                Manalapan, NJ

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis and open to the public, but please RSVP by clicking here.

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