Monmouth County Police Academy Update: Becoming the best in New Jersey

By Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone

            Under the direction of the current liaison to The Monmouth County Police Academy, Freeholder Lillian Burry along with the help of the newly appointed Director of The Monmouth County Police Academy David Morris and me who currently serves on the Executive Board, The Monmouth County Police Academy is flourishing with numerous activities. Currently the following recruit classes are in session: Basic Course for Police Officers – 84^th Class has a class size of 68; Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II 39^th Class for part time officers. currently has a class size of 64; Park Rangers Recruit Class has 16 officers – 4 from Burlington County and 12 from Monmouth County. As of this writing there are 148 law enforcement recruits being trained at this Academy. These are unprecedented numbers and have required the assistance from various law enforcement entities to ensure quality training. Certainly this has been a logistical challenge, but it has created true partnerships and outstanding commitments by so many.

            Upcoming additional scheduled recruit training classes are Special Law Enforcement Officer Class, Corrections Officers Basic Recruit Class and School Resource Recruit Class. The latter is a one week course held to train officers who work within the various school systems.

            Along with the recruit training classes, the Academy hosts numerous in-service classes for the veteran law enforcement officers. The Academy also continuously updates new training and promotes this through the use of its website, www.monmuothcountypoliceacademy.com and FACEBOOK membership. The Academy is pleased to have representatives from International, Federal, State, County and local law enforcement agencies provide quality training to our constituent base.

            Additionally, The Academy also has private outside vendors who provide valuable public safety training. For example, Meridian Health trains their security personnel here during the summer months. The Joint Insurance Companies provide safety training to veteran police officers.

            The activity levels at the Academy have increased significantly. Compared to 2010 attendance and enrollment are up and revenues have more than doubled. The Board of Chosen Freeholders are committed to continuing to make improvements to the programs being offered at The Monmouth County Police Academy and to the building as well. The Board’s ultimate goal is to see that the Academy becomes the best in the state, and as it appears The Monmouth County Police Academy is well on its way.

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Lucas Farm Purchase Approved By Manalapan, Freeholders

Andrew Lucas will finally get his $1,152,000.

After almost three years since the Manalapan Township Committee Member purchased a 97 acre farm in Iron Ore Road, the Manalapan Township Committe and the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders approved the funding of their respective portion of the purchase of the development rights to the property.  Manalapan is paying $186,969.10 of the purchase price. Monmouth County is paying $277,920. The balance is coming from State coffers for the purpose of Open Space preservation.

Manalapan’s all Republican Committee approved their funds, 2-1, on Wednesday evening, according to ManalapanPatch.  Committeeman Ryan Green voted no. Deputy Mayor Jordan Maskowitz abstained.  Mayor Susan Cohen, the Monmouth GOP Vice Chair, and Committeeman Donald Holland voted to approve the purchase.  Lucas recused himself from the proceedings.  Maskowitz and Lucas are both up for reelection this November.

The isssue was heated at the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders meeting last night, with John Curley accusing his fellow freeholder, Lillian Burry, of colluding with Lucas. Lucas hosted a fundraiser for Burry at the farm in 2011, according to the Asbuy Park Press.   The APP said the exchanges between Curley and Burry were so intense that Freeholder Director Tom Arnone called multiple recesses.  Arnone voted with Curely against the purchased.  Gary Rich and Serena DiMaso joined Burry in voting for the purchase.

Democratic Freeholder candidate Lawrence Luttrell asked Burry to recuse herself.  County Counsel Andrea Bazer advised Burry that she had no conflict that would prevent her from voting.

Former Middletown Democratic Township Commitee candidate Linda Baum also spoke against the purchase on ethical grounds.

The issue has been controversial for years because, while he recused himself from voting as a committee member on the purchase, Lucas participated in deliberations about the transaction.  The State Local Finance Board approved the ethics of Lucas’ participation due to the fact that he sought the advice of the Township’s attorney.  In their opinion, the Finance Board indicated that they would be issuing new rules to cover future similar circumstances.

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Mallet slams Burry, “Club Monmouth” over Brookdale scandal

Burry on Mallet:  “She’s a fraud, she a fraud, a fraud, fraud, fraud!”

Former Freeholder Amy Mallett, a Democrat, laid the blame for the Brookdale Community College scandal that lead to former college president Peter Burnham pleading to guilty to theft by deception and official misconduct earlier this week at the feet of the Monmouth GOP’s “cozy” relationship, “Club Monmouth” with the leadership of college.

In an OpEd piece published in The Asbury Park Press, Mallet took aim at Republican Freeholder Lillian Burry and her campaign treasurer, John Cantolupo who was the Brookdale Board of Trustees’ lawyer at the time Burnham’s lavish contract and spending irregularities were uncovered.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Serena DiMaso measures up well as a freeholder

Takes on the weighty issues

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How Much Are These Commissions Costing Monmouth County?

Are they all necesarry?  What can be privatized?

The thing that I found most disturbing about the Middletown Library story is that Randall Gabrielan, in addition  to being president of the Middletown Library, is a employee of Monmouth County.

In his role as Executive Director of the Monmouth County Historical Commission, Gabrielan is paid almost $36,000 per year and earns pension credits.  I wonder if Executive Director of the Historical Commission is one of the jobs that you can retire from, start collecting a pension, and go back to work the next day.

I don’t mean to minimize the seriousness of the Middletown Library situation.  It is serious.   It’s bad enough that Gabrielan sold his own books and signed his own purchase orders.  Even though the sales did not amount to a great deal of money, what stinks about what he did in Middletown in addition to the obvious, is that the library could have gotten Gabrielan’s books cheaper from Barnes and Noble or really cheap from Abebooks, Middletown Mike’s  favorite book seller, for the library’s shelves. 

I suppose we should be grateful that Mayor Fiore and the Township Committee got wind of Gabrielan’s practice, that has been going on for many years, before he bought Middletown Mike’s newsletter, beautifully bound in brown cloth with gold lettering for $59.00 per copy from Abebooks.

I wonder if the Monmouth County Historical Commission has also been buying Gabrielan’s books.

But I digress.

Why does the Monmouth County Historical Commission have a paid executive director?  How many of the other 25 volunteer county commissions have paid staff? 

The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders are taking their budget meetings on the road this month.  Let’s ask them if there are savings to be had in these 26 commissions.

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Freeholder Serena DiMaso’s First Meeting

Freeholder Serena DiMaso

Freeholder Serena DiMaso will participate in her first regular public meeting of the board tonight at the Hall of Records, 7PM.

There will be a ceremonial swearing of our newest freeholder at the beginning of the meeting.  DiMaso was officially sworn into office moments after she was elected by the Monmouth County Republican Committee on January 14.

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Ryan Green Takes A Shot At Holmdel Township Committee

Serena DiMaso fires back

Manalapan Township Committee Member Ryan Green, a candidate for Freeholder in tomorrow’s Title 19 election, has taken the gloves off in what until now has been a clean and collegial intra-party contest.

Green issued a press release late last night criticizing the Holmdel Township Committee for considering selling land, including land purchased with Green Acres dollars, to close a budget deficit.  Green based his criticism upon a January 6 article in the Holmdel Patch.

Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso is competing with Green, along with Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle for the freeholder seat vacated by Assemblyman Rob Clifton.

“To learn that the Holmdel Township Committee would consider selling one of our most valued resources in Monmouth County, open space, is very disappointing. I have a strong record of preserving open space, as I believe it improves our quality of life. I will never support selling any of it,” Green said.

Green said he believes very strongly that when governing bodies purchase land, especially with Green Acres funding, it should be maintained as open space. He said he has been a leader in preserving open space in Manalapan since joining the Township Committee.

He is also concerned that selling land, as the Holmdel Township Committee is considering doing, is a short-term solution to address Holmdel’s looming budget deficit.

“In order to address budget deficits, we need long-term solutions. We need to prioritize what services are being provided, reduce spending, and find new shared services agreements that can save taxpayer dollars. Once that land is sold, it’s unlikely that Monmouth County will ever get it back,” Green stated.

DiMaso shot back, “If  we sell, it would be 10 acres of a 400 acre facility to a soccer academy. It will be deed restricted for recreational use, so it will remain open space, and its use will not change. The sale will have Green Acres approval.”

“The Plum Lane property that Ryan ‘read’ about was not purchased with Green Acres money. It was donated to the Township and is surplus land.”

“If Ryan wanted to engage in a genuine debate about open space, why wait until the 11th hour with a press release? I saw Ryan on the campaign trail three times this week. He has my number and my email. He could have brought this up anytime. This type of last minute distortion is very disappointing coming from a so called Republican. Maybe Ryan’s ambition and NJEA DNA is more dominant in his character than his status as a Republican, especially one who promised to run a positive campaign.  If he broke this promise to a fellow Republican, what promises will he break to the Monmouth County taxpayer? ”

Update from Ryan Green:

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MMM Year In Review – March

Governor Christie’s flirtation with the national media and GOP fundraisers over running for president started to build momentum during March.  He told reporters in Washington that he wouldn’t be governor in 2014.  He told the National Review’s Rick Lowry “I already know I could win” the presidency.

The Monmouth County Freeholders suspended three SCAT drivers who had called out sick on February 25 but were caught on camera protesting labor reforms in Trenton.  State Senator Joe Kyrillos praised the Freeholders for their action and stepped up his call for civil service reform.

Anna Little told The Auditor that she was thinking of running for U.S. Senate instead of Congress.

Peter Burnham was suspended as Brookdale College President on March 3.   On March 9 Burnham resigned.

Citizen journalist James O’Keefe embarrassed NPR and came to Monmouth County as a Special Guest Speaker at the Bayshore Tea Party Group’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.  O’Keefe ended up being embarrassed himself over the press coverage of the event which included accurate reports that he did not want the event videoed.

Monmouth University Pollster Patrick Murray accurately predicted that Dr. Alan Rosenthal, the tie breaking member of the legislative reapportionment, would choose the Democrats new legislative map.  Murray based his prediction on Rosenthal’s scholarlly work espousing “continuity of representation,” i.e.,  that there is a value to voters being continuously represented by the same legislator after redistricting.

Even though MMM debunked the value of “continuity of representation” and the Bayshore Tea Party Group submitted a constitutional map, Rosenthal did indeed side with the Democrats, thereby assuring Democratic control of the legislature at least until the 2021 election.

After months of reading MMM, former Democratic Assemblyman and triCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson had an epiphany and registered as a Republican.   Jacobson started submitting his weekly columns to MMM and prepared to challenge Senator Sean Kean in old 11th district Republican primary. 

Spring Lake Councilman Gary Rich received the Monmouth GOP’s endorsement for Freeholder.  Rich received 25 votes from the screening committee.  Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas received 23 votes and Wall Committeeman George Newberry received 22 votes.  Howell Mayor Bob Walsh removed himself from contention prior to the committee vote.

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Tea Parties To Impact Freeholder Race

The Monmouth County area Tea Parties are coming together to in order to make their presence felt in the upcoming county committee election to replace Assemblyman-elect Rob Clifton on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

The Bayshore Tea Party Group, the Jersey Shore Tea Party Patriots and the East Jersey Tea Party will hold a joint meeting to endorse a Freeholder candidate on January 10th, 2012, 7PM at the West Park Recreation Center in Oakhusrt, Ocean Township.   The Monmouth and Colts Neck Tea Parties have also been invited to participate.

Bob Gordon, co-founder of the Bayshore Tea Party Group, says that between the groups there are 25 county committee members eligible to vote on January 14th when the county committee convenes to elect Clifton’s successor.  They are potentially a significant voting block.

The Tea Parties extended invitations this afternoon to each of the declared candidates to speak at the January 10th meeting.   Following the candidates presentations and a Q and A, a secret ballot will be taken.  The winner of the groups’ endorsement will be announced upon the tabulation of the ballots.

Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and Manalapan Deputy Mayor Ryan Green have accepted.  Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso is juggling a scheduling conflict.  Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle has yet to respond, according to Barbara Gonzalez, the another co-founder of BTPG.

Gonzalez said she checked the calendars on the Monmouth County GOP Website and the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club’s site before scheduling the event, in order to avoid a conflict.

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DiMaso To Enter The Freeholder Race

Holmdel Mayor Patrick Impreveduto, Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and Senator Joe Kyrillos at a June 2010 fundraiser. Photo credit: livingmedia.com

Holmdel Deputy Mayor told MMM that she intends to inform GOP Chairman Joe Oxley that she will be a candidate for Rob Clifton’s seat on the Monmouth County Freeholder Board this week.

DiMaso said she has garnered the support of many Monmouth County Republican leaders, including Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, and that she is 100% committed to becoming a Freeholder in this, her third attempt at seeking the office.

DiMaso lost the 2005 nomination to Lillian Burry and the 2008 nomination to John Curley.  She said she is excited about the prospect of being Curley’s running mate in November and hopes to have his support at the January 14th Monmouth GOP convention which will elect Clifton’s successor.  Clifton, the current Freeholder Director, is vacating his seat in order to be sworn into the State Assembly, which he was elected to on November 8.

2011 GOP Freeholder contenders: Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas, Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, Wall Committeeman George Newberry and Freeholder-elect Gary Rich. Photo credit Rhoda Chodosh

In what is sure to be an interesting undercurrent of the race to fill the vacancy, DiMaso says she has the support of Howell Municipal Chairman John Costigan.  Howell Mayor Bob Walsh, who has won his races in Howell as an Independent, is the other declared candidate in the Freeholder race.  Walsh sought the nomination in 2011, losing to now Freeholder-elect Gary Rich.

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