Middletown Has An Outbreak Of Cooperation

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden issues the Oath of Office to Middletown Mayor Tony Perry while Allannah Perry holds the Bible. Jan 6, 2019

A simmering political and legal battle between the Middletown Board of Education and the Middletown Township Committee was extinguished on Sunday morning when both boards tabled conflicting resolutions regarding the date of the annual Board of Education elections.

The Township Committee had a resolution on its agenda to move school elections to April.  The BoE scheduled a Special Meeting to pass a resolution to keep their elections on the annual general election ballot in November.

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Hibell Calls Shenanigans On Walsh Abusing Her Board of Education Post, Exploiting Kids

Committeeman Rick Hibell

Middletown Township Committeeman Rich Hibell accused his Democrat opponent, Board of Education member Danielle Walsh, of abusing her position of on the BOE by officially recognizing her campaign volunteers for academic acheivement and for the widespread use of photos of Middletown school children for political purposes without their parents permission.

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Democrats seek to take over Middletown Board of Education

BoE Member Danielle Walsh said to be hedging in her Township Committee race

NJEA funding Dem related BoE slate through Giaimo’s Assembly account

When Democrat attorney Tom Giaimo lost to Amy Handlin and Serena DiMaso last year for State Assembly, he did not close his campaign account.  Rather, he kept raising money, most of it from the NJEA’s political action committee and politically connected lawyers like himself.   He used the cash to repay a loan to himself and to fund his Middletown Board of Education slate of Giaimo Fox and Wright.  Giaimo’s Assembly account and the joint Middletown Board of Education account have the same Democrat treasurer.

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Dem Freeholder, Surrogate candidates were recruiting interns at Middletown High School North

photo via Middletown High School North’s website

The Monmouth County Democrat candidates for Freeholder and Surrogate were recruiting 14 and 15 year old high school students to be interns for Chairman Vin Gopal’s organization when they made a campaign appearance at Middletown High School North earlier this month.

According to an email from Gopal to members of the Middletown Board of Education and Superintendent William George Ed. D, the Democrats’ Campaign Coordinator, Meaghan Mahoney reached out to Assistant Principal Tyniesha Douglas on August 10 asking if she could advertise open intern positions to the student body and requesting to address a Government, Law and Public Policy Pathway (GLP3) seminar.  Douglas responded the next day offering to arrange for Mahoney to meet the class and asking her to bring possible candidates.

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Monmouth Democrats threaten to sue over the Middletown High School North story

For the second time in less than a month, the Monmouth County Democrats have threatened to sue MoreMonmouthMusings.

Earlier this month Maggie Moran, former Governor Corzine’s campaign manager and Deputy Chief of Staff and the wife of Belmar Mayor “Lawless Matt” Doherty threatened to take legal action against us if we did not correct or retract a story wherein we claimed she worked for Ashbritt, the company that made millions cleaning up the Jersey Shore after Hurricane Sandy and the company Belmar hired after Dirty Doherty fired a local clean up contractor.  We responded by publishing her lawyer’s letter and proof that Maggie worked on behalf of Ashbritt, in the form of marketing materials with Maggie’s name and phone number on it.

Yesterday, Monmouth County Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal, threatened to sue, not about something we wrote, but about something we might write.

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Monmouth Democrats were invited to campaign at Middletown High School North during school hours

Second Middletown Teacher caught engaging in Democrat partisan activity during school hours this year

A photo of Monmouth County Democrat candidates for Surrogate and Freeholder speaking to a seminar of Middletown High School North freshmen and sophomore participants in the school’s honors Government, Law and Public Policy Program (GLP3) Pathway was posted on the campaign facebook page of Surrogate candidate Vincent Solomeno last Tuesday with the caption “Thrilled to join Matt Doherty and Sue Fulton for Monmouth County Freeholder 2016 and speak to students about county government at Middletown High School North.  Get involved!”

None of the three candidates have any experience in county government.

The seminar was supervised by Patti May, a teacher who is a Democrat candidate for Borough Council in Eatontown.  Monmouth County Democrat Chairman Vin Gopal held a fundraiser for the teacher at the Jumping Brook Country Club in June.

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Middletown Teacher Who Played Anti-Trump Video In Class Apologizes, Asks Supporters To Stand Down

Joe Ventre

Joe Ventre, the Middletown High School South history teacher who sparked controversy in the community when he announced to the media that he was forced to resign over showing an anti-Trump video in his classroom and then rescinded the resignation has issued an open letter via a newly created twitter account wherein he  apologizes to the community for playing the “profane and inappropriate” video to his students.

Ventre said that he had no intention to cause any harm and that it is appropriate for parents and students to question his judgement. He absolved parents, students, the Board of Education and the administration of any fault in the matter which he said was entirely his responsibility.

The young non-tenured teacher apologized to “anyone injured or erroneously portrayed” by the incident, especially “any students and parents who expressed concerns.”  Ventre asked his supporters not to protest on his behalf with the Board of Education.  His letter can be viewed here or on twitter.

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Middletown Board of Education Member Branded Unethical

Joan Minnuies

Middletown, NJ- Board of Education Member Vincent Brand has accused his fellow Board Member, Joan Minnuies, of using her official capacity on the Board for the benefit of her daughter’s employment at Middletown High School North and of using her position to recruit Middletown North students to volunteer at her granddaughter’s birthday party in exchange for a letter stating that they performed volunteer hours.

Minnuies says that Brand’s accusations, which were lodged as an Ethics Complaint with New Jersey’s School Ethics Commission, are “bogus” and “political motivated.”   Minnuies is standing for reelection next Tuesday.

According to Brand’s complaint, Minnuies opposed efforts by Dr. William George, Schools Superintendent, to hire a new business instruction teacher, Miss Devan Crimi, at MHSN because Crimi is also an “elite” lacrosse and field hockey coach who was an Academic and Athletic All-American in lacrosse while a college student at Adelphi University.  Minnuies daughter, Jenna Minnuies Jackson, is employed by the school district as a coach of field hockey, bowling and lacrosse.

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8.57% Turnout for Middletown School Borrow and Spend Referendum

4,109 of 47,906 registered voters in Middletown Township went to the polls yesterday to vote on a $32.2 million spending measure for repairs to the township’s schools.  The referendum passed 2,951 to 1,158 with 43,797 abstentions.   Mail-in and provisional ballots are not included in these unofficial figures provided by Monmouth County Clerk M. Claire French’s office.

The Middletown Board of Education is now authorized to borrow $19.3  million for school maintenance and repairs.  $12.9 million for the project is expected to come from 20 Regular Operating District (ROD) grants from the New Jersey Department of Education.

In an OpEd posted on Middletown Patch, School Board Member Vinnie Brand made the case for the referendum, arguing that the grants are a rare opportunity which give the board an opportunity to make the “critical need” repairs for 60% of cost while passing 40% off to statewide taxpayers.  Brand noted that interest rates are low and that labor rates are “more reasonable.”

Middletown resident Chris Fotache countered Brand’s argument in an OpEd on MMM submitted yesterday as the polls opened.  Fotache argued that the Board of Ed did not publicize the referendum in order to assure a low voter turnout that would favor the referendum.  He alleged fiscal mismanagement and duplicate spending on repairs and planning fees.

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Why I am voting NO on the Middletown Board of Education Election March 11 (Today)

By Chris Fotache

The Middletown Board of Education is attempting to borrow $32 million through a voter referendum on Tuesday March 11, 2014. You have probably not even heard of this because they are doing their best to keep it a secret so that only the school PTA’s and PFA’s (their cheerleaders) are the only ones who come out to vote. They have them brainwashed that this is such a great idea. What many people fail to realize is that the BOE spent $8 million over the last 2 years replacing roofs that needed to be fixed. This was done with extra money left over in the budget. And it was done with only 1% tax increases over the last 3 years. Why now does this new BOE need to pay an architect $1.3 million to do this work all over again? They paid this very same architect over $200K over the last year to do this same exact work. Why are they paying them again???

The answer is they can’t explain it. They refuse to answer any questions. They say vote for it because it’s for the kids. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE HEARD THAT BEFORE?

While it’s important to have the schools safe and running in a functional manner, the new Board’s level of mismanagement, misinformation, and incompetence is staggering. These repairs will get done whether the referendum passes or not as it’s the Boards’ obligation to do especially since the repairs are now public.

The board owns 11 properties in town worth millions that they could sell to fund these fixtures. Why are they not selling them and asking the tax payer to fund this. If the referendum fails, they will be forced to sell some and use that money to fix the schools AT NO COST TO THE TAXPAYER.

Don’t forget that not so long ago, a $78 million referendum was passed to upgrade schools. So if they were mismanaged in the past, what guarantee do we have that these $32 mil won’t go to waste?

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