A Case For Keeping The John L. Montgomery Care Center County Owned

By Jennifer Gregory, CTRS

I am writing this letter in response to the countless articles written by the Asbury Park Press, their editorials, the treatment of Monmouth County Employees and the family Members of the Monmouth County Care Centers.  I am an 18 years employee of Monmouth County and I work at the John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold, NJ.  We are a long term Care facility that takes care of Monmouth County’s most vulnerable young citizens. There are 62 residents under the age of 59.  Currently, our youngest resident is just 17 years old.  I mention the age of our population because several of your articles have pointed out how many empty Medicaid beds are available in other private Monmouth County Nursing Homes that our residents could easily be transferred to, should Freeholder Curley succeed in Closing, Selling, or Privatizing the John L. Montgomery Care Center.  These “typical” other private nursing homes are perfectly fine for your average geriatric residents but are not suitable alternatives for residents of John L. Montgomery.  Our residents are in their teens, twenties, thirties, and forties, who are not grandparents or your elderly parents but they are your children, your brothers, and your sisters…  They are not looking to reflect on their lives but looking to live their lives to the fullest with the possibility of new experiences, friendships, and futures.  That is what Monmouth County provides its citizens with at the 5 Star Rated John L. Montgomery Care Center.

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Kolibas Elected Hazlet Board of Education President

William Kolibas Jr

William Kolibas, Jr was unanimously elected President of the Hazlet Board of Education on Monday evening, according to a statement by Superintendent Bernard F. Bragen, Jr Ed. D.

Kolibas replaces Stephen F. Willig who stepped down after serving on the Board for nine years due to conflicts with his work schedule.

Lauri O’ Leary was elected to replace Kolibas as Vice President.

The Board is seeking a replacement for Willig and hope to appoint the new member at its November 17, 2014 meeting.  Interested parties should contact Board Secretary Chris Mullins, [email protected] or 732-264-8401 ext. 1109.

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, September 26-28, 2014

By Greg Kelly

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Friday, September 26

• Englishtown Swap Meet & Auto Show – MORE INFO
• Dinner with the Boys at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO
• The School for Wives at TRT (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• I Ought To Be In Pictures at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO
• Open House Square Dance (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Juke Joint Jonny & Friends (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Atlantic Highlands Mayor’s Ball – MORE INFO
• Casino Night (Ocean Twp) – MORE INFO
• New 2 You Kids Consignment Sale (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Cardboard Box City & Fundraiser (Tinton Falls) – MORE INFO
• 25 Years of Brookdale’s Architecture Program (Lincroft) – MORE INFO
• Lone Shark at The Saint (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Pop-Break.com Anniversary at The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO
• Teen Suicide Prevention Forum (Rumson) – MORE INFO
• Energy Assistance Day (Keansburg) – MORE INFO
• Live Harness Racing at Freehold Raceway – MORE INFO
• D-Day Exhibit at NJ National Guard Militia Museum (Sea Girt) – MORE INFO
• Walking Lantern Ghost Tours (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• Souper Groove 3 Music & Camping Festival (West Freehold) – MORE INFO
• Asbury Park Ghosts & Legends Walking Tour – MORE INFO
• Bluegrass Mini Golf at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO
• Downtown Freehold Farmer’s Market – MORE INFO
• Kids Night Out (Fair Haven) – MORE INFO
• Yoga for Adults (Red Bank) – MORE INFO
• NJ Run for the Fallen (Holmdel) – MORE INFO

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Monmouth County Breaks Ground on Phase II of Child Advocacy Center

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Boser, Sue Rekedal, Multi-Disciplinary Teams coordinator at the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, Dr. Martin Krupnick, Chairperson of the Friends of the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, Freeholder Deputy Director Gary J. Rich, Sr., Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, Freeholder John P. Curley, Freeholder Serena DiMaso and Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux.

The Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center, a partnership between the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Board of Chosen Freeholders, a local non-profit named for the facility and the National Children’s Alliance broke ground on a $1.6 million addition to the facility in Freehold this afternoon.

The brainchild of former Prosecutor John Kaye, the facility provides a physically and psychologically safe place for victims of child abuse and their families to receive treatment that is coordinated with the investigations into their abusers in such a way as to prevent and reduce the traumatic effects of the investigations into the devastating events they have already suffered.

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Attention County Workers: The Freeholder Meeting is not in Fair Haven!

CWA Local 1075 is calling on Monmouth County workers to gather in Fair Haven on Tuesday evening to protest for a fair contract.

Contract negotiations have been going on for two years, according to the CWA 1075 website, and County workers have had enough.

Here’s the problem:  The Freeholders are meeting at the Hall of Records in Freehold.

I was going to write a snarky post making fun of the union for sending their members to the wrong location, but after verifying that the meeting is in Freehold with Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Freeholder Tom Arnone, they both asked me to get the word out that the Freeholders want to hear from the membership.  They have moved the meeting to Judge Cleary’s Court Room in order to accommodate the larger than usual crowd that is expected.

The meeting was moved back to Freehold weeks ago. Where the communication breakdown happened is unknown.

So share this post and spread the word….the Freeholder Meeting is on Tuesday September 23, not on its usual Thursday night because of Rosh Hashanah, and the meeting has been moved to larger quarters, Judge Cleary’s Court Room , 1 East Main St, in Freehold.

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Lucas Found Guilty

Andrew Lucas

Former Manalapan Mayor Andrew Lucas has been convicted of all the charges against him by a federal jury in Trenton, according to a report in The Asbury Park Press.

The jury deliberated for three hours after a two week trial before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson.

Lucas, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced to federal prison on January 20, 2015.  He remains released on $500,000 bail, subject to home confinement and electronic monitoring, according to Matthew Reilly, Deputy Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Lucas could face over 60 years in prison for his wire fraud, making an illegal monetary transaction, loan application fraud, making false statements to the Internal Revenue Service, aggravated identity theft, obstruction of a grand jury investigation and falsification of records in a federal investigation convictions.

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Report: 38% of New Jersey Households Are Not Meeting Basic Needs

You can’t have everything you want (or need) in ALICE’S New Jersey

1.2 million New Jersey households, including 890,000 households with employed adults (28% of the states population) are not making ends meet, according to a report released by the United Way of Northern New Jersey.

The working poor are dubbed as Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed (ALICE) by the UWNNJ.  These are families of four earning less than $62,000 and single adults earning less than $28,000…the income levels needed to provide housing, food, child care, health care and transportation in New Jersey according to the report.

The report says that 53% of all jobs in New Jersey pay less than $20 per hour or $40,000 per year.

71% of ALICE households are white.  31% are in the prime wage earning years of 45-64.

85% of New Jersey’s 560 towns have 20% of their population struggling to survive.

The study is based on data through 2012 and does not fully measure the impact that Superstorm Sandy had on New Jersey’s economy.

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Need help around the house? Call Larry and Joe

If Democratic freeholder candidates Larry Luttrell and/or Joe Grillo come knocking on your door any time in the next seven weeks…invite them in and put them to work!

The Democrats’ campaign is not only fraudulent phone calls, defaming good county employees, and lying about the ethics of distinguished public servants.  They are also offering to do household chores for voters as they go door to door.

Yesterday in Aberdeen, Luttrell helped a voter take down a tree!

In Howell last week, Grillo came across a voter who is a customer of his family’s tile business. Giuseppe sealed the guy’s grout for free!

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Greg’s List: Things to do in Monmouth County this weekend, September 12-14, 2014

By Greg Kelly

Friday, September 12

• Dinner with the Boys at NJ Repertory Theatre (Long Branch) – MORE INFO

• The Sound of Music at Count Basie Theatre (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• I Ought To Be In Pictures at First Ave Playhouse (Atlantic Highlands) – MORE INFO

• Belmar Pro Surfing Competition – MORE INFO

• Count Basie 365: The Gambone Project (Red Bank) – MORE INFO

• Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead at BCC (Lincroft) – MORE INFO

• Used Book Sale at Red Bank Library – MORE INFO

• Comedian Kevin Meaney (Freehold) – MORE INFO

• Harry Chapin’s Music: Lies & Legends (Ocean Grove) – MORE INFO

• Work: A Series of One Act Plays at Grange Playhouse (Howell) – MORE INFO

• Garden State Line at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Terry Bozzio at The Saint (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• John Eddie at The Wonder Bar (Asbury Park) – MORE INFO

• Growing Older, Staying Healthy (Howell) – MORE INFO

• Computer Skills for Job Hunters (Shrewsbury) – MORE INFO

• Meet Artist Robert Mueller at Monmouth U (WLB) – MORE INFO

• D-Day Exhibit at NJ National Guard Militia Museum (Sea Girt) – MORE INFO

• Bluegrass Mini Golf at Monmouth Park (Oceanport) – MORE INFO

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Wall Teacher Indicted On Sexual Assault Charges

A 24 year old Wall Township English teacher was charged under a three count indictment this afternoon with Aggravated Sexual Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Second Degree Sexual Assault.  Kalee Warnick is alleged to have conducted a sexual relationship with a 15 year old male student, referred to as J.M in the indictment, between January and July 2013, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

If convicted, Warnick faces up to 30 years in prison, lifelong parole and Meghan’s Law registration.

Warnick was arrested in July of 2013, shortly after the relationship was exposed. She was released on $50,000 bail.

The alleged victim’s attorney James Magg said his client had been through a terrible ordeal, according to published reports at the time of Warnick’s arrest last year.

Warnick’s attorney , Alton Kenney, said she plead not guilty, “because she is in fact, not guilty.”

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