Outdoor water ban lifted for some; conservation urged

NJAW customers still under strict non-watering mandate

TINTON FALLS, NJ – The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management, in consultation with New Jersey American Water (NJAW), lifted the outdoor watering ban today for all non-NJAW customers.

However, the mandatory outdoor watering ban remains in effect for all NJAW customers in order to maintain water pressure and supply throughout the lines as repairs continue.

“Even though the ban has been lifted for many residents, public safety officials urge everyone to continue conserving water,” Freeholder Director John P. Curley said. “We look forward to further progress in the days ahead.”

The state of emergency remains in effect for all NJAW customers. The ongoing water emergency means that:

• Customers of New Jersey American Water are under a mandatory water restriction that bans all outdoor water use and encourages indoor water conservation. It is illegal for NJAW customer to water lawns, shrubs or gardens, fill swimming pools and wash cars;
• All restrictions for non-NJAW customers have been lifted, although conservation is urged.
• New sod or newly seeded lawns and planted shrubs can be watered to an appropriate level;
• Indoor conservation measures include refraining from using washing machines and dishwashers, limiting showering times and flushing toilets less frequently; and
• Commercial businesses that rely on water for their operations are not subject to these restrictions.

Because a state of emergency still exists, law enforcement will continue to enforce the ban for NJAW customers.

“Monmouth County residents should be commended for their cooperation and support during this critical time,” Sheriff Shaun Golden said. “Their efforts helped improve the situation enough to remove some of the bans that had been put in place.”   

The emergency was created by the collapse of three large water pipes June 29 at the water company’s water treatment plant at Swimming River Reservoir.

• Tweet

Hanlon Scores More Endorsements For Monmouth GOP Chair

Assemblyman Rob Clifton, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Surrogate Rosemarie Peters and Freeholder Tom Arone, Gary Rich and Serena DiMaso have joined the long line of Monmouth County elected officials who are supporting Christine G. Hanlon in her quest to become the first female Chair of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

They sent the following letter to County Committee members earlier this week:

We are writing today to express our strong support for Christine Hanlon to become our next Republican County Chair.  Reorganization of our party will take place on June 12, 2012 at 7pm at the Colts Neck High School.  We urge you to come to reorganization and cast your vote for Christine Hanlon for County Chair.

Over the years, Christine Hanlon has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to electing Republicans at every level of government.  She served as the Monmouth Coordinator, under Chairman Joe Oxley, for national, state and county races.  Christine was the coordinator for the McCain-Palin campaign in 2008, the Christie-Guadagno campaign in 2009, and our county campaigns in 2010 and 2011.  She also assisted with state legislative campaigns for years.

The success our party has achieved in recent years is due in large part to Christine’s tireless efforts.  She has the unique experience, skills and leadership abilities needed to lead our party into the future. 

Our candidates need a strong leader with unparalleled organizational skills and the knowledge of our county-wide Republican operation.  Christine Hanlon has the experience and the ability to ensure that Monmouth County will remain in Republican control and that our candidates and party have the resources we need to win.

This year, the Democrats will have a new County Chairman and will work hard to win two seats on the Freeholder Board and the constitutional office of County Clerk.  They will also seek to defeat our national candidates by increasing Democrat voter turnout in Monmouth County.  We must not let that happen!  We need to maintain the stability of our organization and continue the progress we have made over the past four years. We must continue moving forward!

We strongly and enthusiastically support Christine Hanlon for Monmouth Republican Chair.  Join us in showing your support for Christine at the Colts Neck High School on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 7pm.

• Tweet

Little: Highlands Voters Unsophisticated

Fresh off her 2010 defeat at the hands of Congressman Frank Pallone, former Highlands Mayor Anna Little blamed the fact that she lost in her hometown by 55* votes on the lack of sophistication of her constituents and colleagues on the borough’s governing body.

Little told Politickernj her Highlands loss “was likely to involve some borough employees” who would could be effected by a layoff plan she had agreed to support.  One month after the election, lame duck Little killed the layoff plan by voting with the Democrats on the governing body over the objections of her fellow Republicans.

“The council is not politically savvy,” Little said, “They were running too.”

“I think there’s some feeling that I left them behind, too,” she said. “I’m their mayor, and I’m off doing something else. (But they don’t understand), everything I do outside of Highlands will relate back to Highlands.”

Little was the only Republican on the ballot in Highlands who lost in 2010.  Republican Frank Nolan was elected Mayor to replace Little.  Shaun Golden was elected Sheriff.  Rob Clifton and Tom Arnone were elected Freeholder.  We’d give you their numbers in Highlands, but the County Clerk’s Office hasn’t gotten around to posting the official election results of 2010 and 2011 on their website.

* News reports at the time indicated that Little lost Highlands by 76 votes.  When mail in and provisional ballots were counted the loss was by 55 votes.

• Tweet

Sheriff Shaun Golden Invited Me To A “Break Out”

I really could have used an invitation like that 10 weeks ago

• Tweet

MMM Year In Review – January

Tony Fiore was sworn in as Mayor of Middletown.  Shaun Golden was sworn in as Monmouth County Sheriff.  Tom Arnone was sworn in to his first term as Freeholder.  Rob Clifton took the Freeholder Oath of Office for the third time.

Despite the hullabaloo New Jersey’s mainstream media and the Democrats made of Governor Christie and Lt. Governor Guadagno being on vacation at the same time during the December 2010 blizzard, Governor Christie’s approval ratings were very strong, 53% favorable, in the first FDU poll of the year.

A severely mentally ill 22 year old man, Jared Loughner, opened fire on a crowd in Tucson, Arizonia.   He killed 6 and injured 14, including Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.  The national mainstream media and Democrats in Congress blamed the massacre on the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.    President Obama was presidential in calming the rhetoric and healing the nation.

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre used the digital pages of MoreMonmouthMusings to knock the wheels off a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker that would have required New Jersey residents register their bicycles with MVC at a cost of $10 per bike, per year.

At a meeting of the Highlands Republican Club, former Mayor Anna Little declared the New Jersey Supreme Court is unconstitutional.   The the club banned MMM blogger Art Gallagher for reporting what Little said. 

Governor Christie held a Town Hall meeting in Middletown.  During the meeting Christie criticized President Obama’s leadership, a theme that became a staple for Christie throughout the year, causing a draft Christie for President movement among  GOP leaders and donors nationally.

triCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson put MMM blogger Art Gallagher on the front page of his paper.

• Tweet

Golden: “Most Reasonable People” Are Complying With Evacuation Orders

Additional Shelters May Be Brought Online

By Art Gallagher

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden told MMM that “most reasonable people” are complying with the voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders in Monmouth County due to Hurricane Irene.   Surfers are a notable exception.

“Surfers will be surfers,” said Golden, “We’re warning them that we will cease rescue operations with the gail force winds emerge.”

Golden said that the shelter at Holmdel High School had 160 people housed.  Almost 200 people were sheltered at Wall High School.  The county is coordinating with the Red Cross to open five addition shelters if needed.  Colts Neck High School will be one of the shelters.  The others will be announced via radio, through municipalities and on the county web site when and if they are about to be opened.

• Tweet

State Investigating Double Dipping Sheriff’s Officers

By Art Gallagher

The Star Ledger is reporting that the Treasury Department has initiated an investigation into sheriff’s officers in Essex, Monmouth and Union counties who are collecting pensions from the state Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS) while continuing to perform as law enforcement officers, but with civilian titles, allowing them to “double dip”….collect a pension and a salary for job that would not allow for collecting a pension if it were properly classified.

Only elected officials are supposed to be allowed to do that in New Jersey.

In addition to the Treasury Department probe, John Scierchio, chairman of the PFRS board of trustees, has asked the Attorney General’s Office to launch a criminal probe into three sheriff’s officers suspected of circumventing pension guidelines, according to the Star Ledger.

The three officers are Monmouth County undersheriff Mickey Donovan, formerly the chief warrant officer, Essex County chief warrant officer John Dough, and Union County sheriff’s chief Harold Gibson.

This issue was first raised publically regarding Donovan, who retired from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in 2005 and was hired as Monmouth’s chief warant officer by then Monmouth County Sheriff, now Lt. Governor, Kim Guadagno in 2008, last October by NJ Watchdog.

NJ Watchdog alleges that Guadagno, as Sheriff, eliminated the chief warrant officer position on September 16, 2008, but then gave Donovan that title a week later, even though he was hired in reality to be the chief law enforcement officer, so that he could collect a pension of $85,000 per year and a salary of $87,500 per year.

In a piece published on April 11, 2011, NJ Watchdog says that Donovan has improperly collected $227,000 in pension payments since 2008.  Additionally, he should have contributed $18,000 to the pension system, according to NJ Watchdog.

Guadagno declined to comment when MMM raised this issue with her when it became public in October.

Shaun Golden, then Acting Sheriff, told MMM in October that he had discussed Donovan’s employment status with state pension official months earlier and offered to make any changes they required.  There were no changes required at the time.  Golden said he told the officials that if they require changes in Monmoth County that they should also look into Essex and Union Counties.

Apparently they did.

Golden announced on February 15, 2011that Donovan was sworn in as undersheriff and is in charge of the law enforcement division.

Undersheriff is a civilian title, not a PFRS job, meaning Donovan, who now makes over $90,000, continues to collect his $85,000 pension.

• Tweet

Runoff Election Will Determine Partisan Control of Manasquan

Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Tom Arnone and GOP Council candidate Bob Ferrante campaign in Manasquan on Sunday

By Art Gallagher

 

Voters will go to the polls in Manansquan on Tuesday to choose a member of the borough’s council.  The November 2 election resulted in a tie, after a recount, between Republican Robert Ferrante and Democrat Owen McCarthy.

If Ferrante is the winner on Tuesday, Republicans will lead the borough council with a 4-2 majority.  Should McCarthy win,  the council will be divided 3-3, with Democratic Mayor George Dempsey breaking the tie.

Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholder Tom Arnone braved the elements today to hit the campaign trail with Ferrante.  Golden said, “We need to swing Manasquan into the Republican column.  The voters deserve a fiscally conservative councilman like Bobby Ferrante.”

• Tweet

Rally With The Governor Tonight

Governor Christie will be rallying Anna Little, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Rob Clifton, Mayor Tom Arnone, Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger and Kevin Settembrino and hundreds of their supporters at Bachstadt’s Tavern, 8 Bray Ave, Middletown. 

The event starts at 7PM. 

In Middlesex County, Governor Christie Stops at the Middlesex County Victory Office with Scott Sipprelle and the Middlesex County Republican Ticket

Start Time: 6:30PM

Location: Middlesex County Victory Headquarters

4095 Route 1 South
Located in the South Brunswick Square Mall
Monmouth Junction, NJ

• Tweet

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

The Asbury Park Press endorsed Shaun Golden for Monmouth County Sheriff today.

They made a reasoned argument and had their facts straight. Their assessment of Golden strengths and his opponents weaknesses were on the mark.

I’d link you to the editorial, but they haven’t posted it on their website, as of 4:15 this afternoon.

• Tweet