Keansburg residents are going to see a 17-cent tax increase

The economy is slowly shaping how residents should plan their finances during the upcoming year. Keansburg Borough are going to see a 17-cent tax increase. According to Financial documents this would be an increase more than 17 cents per every $100. For more on this article click the link above.

And the count goes on...

The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders election this year goes on as counting continues. Either Republican John Curley or Democrat Amy Mallet will receive the nod in the wake of the Nov. 4 election, which proved to be one of the largest in area history.

Click on the headline to go to The Courier Online.

Monmouth evacuation discussed

Monmouth County recently discussed evacuation plans at a Middletown event. Please click on the headline to go to the story at The Courier Online.

Democrats win majority in Highlands Borough Council

Newly elected democrats Rebecca Kane and Christopher Francy voice their agenda for the Highlands community. To read more click on the link above.

Election Results

Atlantic Highlands- Borough Council
REP Peter Doyle 1328 27.95
REP John C. Archibald, Jr. 1368 28.99
DEM Paul J. Cavise, Jr. 1001 21.07
DEM Elizabeth J. Van Deventer 1051 22.12
Write-in 3 .06
Total 4751

Hazlet- Township Committee
REP Christopher Forgione 3231 35.31
DEM James DiNardo 4026 44.00
IND John J. Conti 1892 20.68
Write-in 2 .02
Total 9151

Highlands- Borough Council
REP Frank Nolan 989 22.54
REP Nancy Thomas-Burton 1056 24.07
DEM Rebecca Kane 1225 27.92
DEM Christopher Francy 1116 25.44
Write-in 1 .02
Total 4387

Keyport- Borough Council
REP John M. Ambrose 1287 21.50
REP Clemente Toglia 1188 19.85
DEM Joseph E. Sheridan 1790 29.90
DEM Susan Mary Sefcik 1718 28.70
Write-in 3 .05
Total 5986

Matawan- Borough Council
REP Tom Fitzsimmons 1948 26.08
REP Joseph P. Urbano 1874 25.09
DEM William Malley 1698 22.73
DEM Robert T. Bunyon 1665 22.29
INDC Denis Brady 276 3.70
Write-in 8 .11
Total 7469

Middletown- Township Committee
REP Pamela Brightbill 19961 30.73
REP Tony Fiore 19000 29.25
DEM James Grenafege 12970 19.97
DEM Patricia Walsh 12972 19.97
Write-in 48 .07
Total 64951

Union Beach- Borough Council
REP Michael Harriot 1612 38.36
REP Louis S. Andreuzzi 1524 36.27
DEM Kenneth G. Connors 1044 24.85
Write-in 22 .52
Total 4202

Hazlet Fire Dept. and First Aid & Rescue Squad Raise Money

The Hazlet Fire Department and First Aid & Rescue Squad, along with the Raritan High School Booster Club, and raises money for 3 St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. For more information, click on link above.

U.S. elects first black president

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has defeated Arizona Sen. John McCain in the presidential election of 2008. Click on the headline to go to the story at AP.

Burry, Mallet win in the Beach

Union Beach has reported that Republican Freeholder Director Lillian Burry and Democratic challenger Amy Mallet have won in the borough. Burry garnered 1125 votes, Mallet earned 1123, Republican John Curley has knotted 1110 votes and Democrat Glenn Mason has tallied 1064 ballots.

Meanwhile, John McCain defeated Barack Obama in the presidential race there, 1482 to 1182. Republican Senate candidate Dick Zimmer won his contest with incumbent Frank Lautenberg in the borough, 1196 to 1096.

Republican incumbent Mike Harriott and his running mate, Lou Andreuzzi deafeated Democrat Ken Connors. The Republicans tallied 1553 and 1461 votes, while the Deocratic challenger knotted 1003 votes.

Campaign staffers say looking to victory

Courier Editor Somdatta Sengupta took the trip to Freehold to interview staffers at the Mallett-Mason campaign at Democratic Headquarters to see what expectations they had for Election '08.

Falk says voter turnout is strong in Monmouth

Courier Publisher Jim Purcell interviewed Board of Elections Chairwoman Leah Falk on Nov. 4 about this year's voter turnout.

Election worker: ‘People’ the best part of the job

By KELLY LORELLI-SMITH
Correspondent

This is Beverley Roman’s first presidential election as an election official—and she loves it.

Roman said the best part of being an election official for Keansburg’s District No. 2 is “meeting the people.”

There are 1,109 voters in District No. 2, which votes at the Newpoint Comfort Fire Company, on Carr Ave. The 871 voters from District No. 6 also vote at Newpoint Comfort.

“It’s been a lot of fun this year,” Roman said. She noted that voter turnout has been especially high this year, with about 30 percent of District No. 2’s voters casting their ballot by 1 p.m.

This year was especially exciting for Roman, who has lived in Keansburg for 30 years. But, because she was born in Canada, it was necessary for her to reapply for U.S. citizenship after new restrictions on immigrants following 2001.

Consequently, Roman became a U.S. citizen for the second time just last year. “It’s really great to be taking part in this election,” she said.

Roman works for an area retailer and has been volunteering as an election official for the past four years. She is also a grandmother to five grandkids and a great-grandmother to one.

“This election is a wonderful chance for them to get to learn about the American system of government,” she said.

Roman noted that, this year, younger voters have been a big part of the large voter turnout.

Roman said she loves the people she works with at the district and that fun is definitely a part of the job. Yet, in a larger sense, she is just glad to be a part of what has turned out to be a very special election season in American history.

Change in America

Aberdeen has never had so many voters in all the years they have seen. Many people are ready for change want Barack Obama. "I have had enough of Bush and enough incompetency," Anonymous sources said. "
"I voted for Obama because I hope he will do everything he said he will do," Aberdeen Resident,Ilene Flaherty said.
Many people voted for Obama compared to John McCain; six out of eight people said they were voting for Obama because they wanted change and wanted a democrat as a president the comments of these people remain anonymous.
"I voted for McCain because he has a lot more experience and also he is against abortion," Aberdeen Resident, Claire Flaherty said.
The two people that said they were voting for McCain because he has more experience under his belt. The other six people said they were ready for some serious change.

Cocuzza: ‘McCain will take this year’s election’

Union Beach Councilman Charlie Cocuzza is out in the streets of the borough making the case for the Republican ticket this year.

“I’m trying to get people out there to vote,” Cocuzza said. “I think John McCain has made a good case over the past several weeks where it regards the direction he wants to take the country.”

Cocuzza said McCain has found a strong voice to make it clear than his administration will be America’s best bet for the future.

“The only poll that matters is the one that is taken after the election,” Cocuzza said. “There are all kinds of polls out there and they cannot be trusted. Today, this poll by the voters is the one that counts.”

Cocuzza confirmed that voter turnout in Union Beach is high. There are approximately 3,600 registered voters in the Bayshore town. According to Cocuzza, he expects a records turn out in Union Beach.

By way of predictions, the long-time Bayshore Republican said he expects McCain to win today, and for the county to vote Republican for the freeholder ticket this year.

Morehead: ‘This is the year things change’

Middletown resident Matthew Morehead is the chairman of the Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats. According to Morehead, his organization, which includes 50 young people from the Brookdale Community College Democratic Club, numbers 150 people.

“The youth vote is the vote of this year, and I think the youth will make it known they do not like what has been going on in Washington, or in Monmouth County,” Morehead said.

Morehead said his group and the Brookdale Young Democrats have been organizing for this year’s election for over a year.

“This year the Bayshore Young Democrats and the Brookdale Democrats helped register more than 1,000 people to vote,” Morehead said.

While the youth vote has often been courted in previous years, many experts say it has never been fully realized nationally, and especially not locally. “The difference this year is that it is not indicator where youth is showing up, but many of them. Even early polls in other states show a record youth turnout,” Morehead said.

Morehead credits the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president. “There are also the issues of the war, college tuition, housing and the job market that are compelling young people to do their part in deciding America’s future,” he said.

Morehead said he predicts Obama will win the presidency, that there will be major Democratic gains in the U.S. Senate and Congress, and he expressed great confidence in the Democratic ticket in Monmouth County.

“I think this is the year when things change,” Morehead said.

Election Day Traffic

There are no traffic obstructions on Routes 35 or 36 at this time, according to Middletown and Hazlet police.

Decision '08

Check back to this widget throughout the day for updates to the presidential race. Local information will also be posted here as well as at Read All About It, Sable Minded and Courier Online.