Blue Jersey reports Dave Rebovich passed away

Blue Jersey is reporting that political columnist Dave Rebovich has died. For those interested in politics, Rebovich was a significant voice in the Garden State.

His thoughts will surely be missed and his work was fair and well thought out. Deepest sympathies to his family.

Click on the headline and go to Blue Jersey for the story.

APP goes after court settlement details

The Asbury Park Press is trying to find out about a sexual discrimination case settled between a former employee and the county. If there is going to be candor in public, where it involves public figures, then that is part of the argument.

Whether it is Republicans or Democrats, this information is part of the discussion. The APP is doing some very strong work. Click on the headline and go to the story.

Downed power line closes Leonardville Road after accident

The Leonardo section of Middletown suffered a loss of power this evening, Oct. 11, due to a traffic accident.

A purple Pontiac was traveling west on Leonardville Road when the 17-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle just past Appleton Avenue, police said.

“The car was zigzagging and going fast as it was coming at me. I thought he was going to hit me so I pulled over,” Atlantic Highlands resident Martha Herz said.

Herz was traveling east on Leonardville Road, when she saw the driver hit the power pole, she said. Middletown patrolman James Roese said the driver lost control because of the wet road.

The driver, whose name was not released, suffered injuries to his chest and head due to the airbag inflation, Roese said. The driver was treated by the Middletown First Aid Squad and refused further medical treatment, police said.

The vehicle stuck the base of the power pole and broke it at the base, Roese said. Consequently, the wires fell to the ground and police secured the area, Roese added.

The wires in the transformer atop the pole produced several explosions that neighbors watched from their homes. Herz watched as the wires sparked and exploded over the road, she added.

“It blew about 20 feet. It was blue and it sparkled like a Christmas tree,” Leonardville Road resident Dotti Bork said. Bork watched the light show from across the street with her husband, William, on their porch.

According to Middletown First Aid Captain Robert Pfleger, power will be down in the immediate surrounding areas for a couple of hours. Jersey Central Power and Light (JCPL) will first cease the power to ensure safety, due to the live wires, he said.

“JCPL will cut the power to be safe, then they will secure the telephone pole so it does not fall in the road,” Pfleger said.

Middletown Police, Fire Department, Fire Police and First Aid Squad responded to the event after it was called into the dispatcher at 3:52 p.m., Roese said.

--Alyssa Passeggio
Both photos by Chris Blaszczyk.

Check back to The Courier Blog and Just The News for updates.

M’town: Possible land deal for green acres?/OCT. 11

By ALEXIS NULLE

The Middletown Township Committee passed a resolution to go forward with an application to the Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund (MCOSTF) for grant assistance at a workshop meeting held on Monday Oct. 1.

The governing body discussed the possible purchase of green acres that consists of approximately 60 acres on either side of Kings Highway East between Heritage Drive and Normandy Road. The mayor said there is an operating landscape business that is not included in the purchase. The property in question, commonly known as Block 698 Lot 192 and Block 825 Lot 2Q consists of assessed farmland and open space.

The township, which owns a 50-acre tract of land on Kings Highway East, would like to acquire the property for more open space. The township did not comment on what they would like to do with the land if the property was purchased.

The current green acres property borders the land the township is interested in acquiring. “It actually adjoins this property that we are talking about, but it adjoins it behind where the landscaper’s operation is,” Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said.

When asked by Middletown resident Frederick Wagner how to access the property the township owns, Scharfenberger said, “You can physically access the property from Kings Highway East and also from Florence Road, off of Swartzel Drive, but there is really no formal access to the property”

According to the mayor, the smaller tract of land consists of 15 acres of the land and is currently being used for open space and animal grazing.

“There are virtually no trees on the property and it is directly across the road from the larger piece of property that has a nice old house and barn,” Scharfenberger said.

Scharfenberger said the other parcel of land has approximately 44 acres, which is primarily wetlands.

“A lot of property has wetland issues particularly further back into the property,” the mayor said.

If the township does move forward with the purchase of the property they did not disclose any financial details yet regarding the purchase price.

According to the mayor the township plans to apply for a grant in the amount of $250,000 to the MCOSTF before the township settles into a contract for the purchase of the land located on Kings Highway East.

Middletown resident Don Watson addressed the governing body and questioned how the township would pay for the remainder of the balance if the grant were awarded in the amount of $250,000.

The mayor said that the township normally pays for 50 percent of the cost for open space, while the county pays for the other half.

According to MCOSTF Web site, Monmouth County will fund up to fifty percent of eligible project costs and county funding will be limited to $250,000 per project. Matching funds must be non-county funds.

After a Holland Drive resident voiced support for open space instead of building condos on the property, Scharfenberger said, “They can’t build condos there no matter what. They can build single-family houses on both tracts under current zoning laws.”

“That doesn’t mean that the zoning has to stay that way,” said Watson. “As we see in Navesink, they received permission from the state to use open space land for 180-unit complex.”

Committeeman Thomas Wilkens said, “I just want to reiterate the fact that today we are just looking to authorize the application for grant money.”

The next township meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 15.

This General Election should be about tax money/OCT. 11

How government spends money has got to be the most important thing in this coming election.

Regardless of political parties or affiliations, who has the nicest signs or the best slogans, the issue of public financing is front and center, whether or not the candidates or the electorate like it or not.

From a purely common sense perspective, opening a business in New Jersey is a poor business decision right now. The same can be said for purchasing a home, or acquiring land.

The solution for solving these economic problems can’t be chanting how great the Garden State is for business, despite the reality of the situation.

Business in New Jersey is hammered by over-regulation; endless and repetitive documentation for various levels (municipal, county and state); and zoning decisions that are more rooted in partisanship than common sense. It’s not a big secret anymore — people know. New Jersey has solidly earned its well-cultivated image of disliking business.

So, the burden of funding various levels of government falls on home and property owners. Since this is a “home-rule” state, and that means government is mirrored on every level (local, county and state) so there is practically no synergy between any of them. Every level of government is an ‘island’ and every island is funded by the taxpayers.

Every time any level of government wants to raise taxes, it can without hardly any oversight. Without business propping up the economy, that leaves the taxpayer out there by themselves, waiting for the next assault on their wallets.

Every politician has great ideas about saving money during the election season, and after that season the promises seem to get forgotten and there’s a bigger tax bill because of some ridiculous idea or other during the year.

Right now, I would not invest in the purchase of one more foot of land in New Jersey, not an inch of space more than I have.

The tax rate varies with the whims of partisan politics for whatever party is involved in leadership and the last thing on the politicians’ mind is lowering the tax rate.

Lawmakers at the state level want to talk about ‘side dish’ legislation about smoking or J-walking on Sunday, anything but the real issue of taxation and how government is spending money.

If a candidate cannot tell a taxpayer how they are going to cut taxes, then that candidate shouldn’t be elected, from either party.

The days where residents could afford to cast “knee-jerk votes” are gone if they were ever here.

If every candidate who wins on November 6th is the candidate that has a plan and intention to cut taxes then the voter will do well.

Big Government is not a concept of one party. Sure, the rhetoric about Big Government and making government smaller comes from one party, but the reality is there is no practical difference between the ideologies of the two parties, minus the sidebar issues of special interests.

Whether or not a candidate is for or against a tax cut has nothing to do with any ‘special interest.’ It is a matter of general interest, and it should be the single-most important issue in the campaign.

If this election is not about whether taxes are cut or not is the difference between whether it was worthwhile to taxpayers or just to partisan machines.

Passeggio speaks to friends of late Middletown youth

Courier Senior Staff Writer Alyssa Passeggio has written a good story about Dana Centanni, a Middletown youth, who was recently and tragically killed in an East Brunswick accident. She will be posting this at JustBayshoreNews sometime this morning. The story is a celebration of Ms. Centanni's life, through the eyes of some of her closest friends. Click on the headline to go to JustBayshoreNews.

Marques: It's time to run township like a business

By JIM PURCELL/The Courier/Oct. 11 edition

Hazlet resident Joseph H. Marques, 52, Courtland Drive, is running for a three-year term on the Township Committee.

The married father of two is employed as a sales consultant with Verizon, in Hamilton.

He has earned a bachelor's of science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, as well as a certificate in computer programming from Chubb Institute, in Parsippany. He rounded out his education by receiving a master certificate in information technology and project management from AT&T, in conjunction with Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken.

Marques has made Hazlet his home for 16 years, and said he has a clear vision of what he wants to do in office, if elected during the General Election held on Nov. 6th.

"I want to continue the work that has been started by Mayor Jim DiNardo and the Democratic majority on the committee," Marques said. "In particular, I want to increase the recreational opportunities in town for the kids."

Marques said this can be done while maintaining a low tax rate for residents. "I think we can save more money on the committee for residents," he said.

Marques said his professional experience has been controlling projects. "Government needs to use common sense when it involves spending. Tax dollars need to be spent with a great deal of judgment, especially at a time when the public needs to see elected officials that do not let them down," he said. "This committee is very energetic and enthusiastic about making things better in town. The committee majority, as well as my running mate (Gerard Jaume) and myself, know the tough time residents have been through in recent years and intend on putting that in the past."

The candidate said he believes more efforts have to be made to obtain state grants for various projects in town. "Some things are going to need to be bonded. But the township has to be aggressive about finding whatever grant money is available out there to help support community projects," he said.

Marques noted that, three years ago, during a different Hazlet Township Committee administration, the municipality received a $100,000 grant to clean up the pond inside Veteran's Park. "Only $40,000 of the grant was used and the project was never finished. Now the current administration is making a proposal to use the remaining $60,000 and not lose them. Following through on projects is necessary, in government as well as in life," Marques said.

Hazlet and Business

Marques said there are some empty commercial locations along Route 35 and he wants to explore new ways to attract businesses. In the case of Route 36, Marques said that revitalization is, in his opinion, a likely way to encourage business.

"The committee needs to develop a plan to expand the township's tax base, without creating additional burdens on the infrastructure," Marques said. "I think it's time for Hazlet to start comprehensive planning, looking over a multi-year period."

Marques said he is an advocate of "working smarter, not harder in making good government."

He said many Hazlet residents have to travel to work 54 miles away. Marques said his goal is to attract higher caliber businesses to the township, which can offer actual career opportunities to area residents. "I think Hazlet can attract a mid-sized company that can benefit from being here, and offer more than low-paying jobs to residents. It's just a matter of putting the work in," Marques said.

Marques said attracting business has to be approached like a project in itself. "The only reason Hazlet has not moved forward in the area of business is because previous administrations did not try hard enough," he said. "There's no reason in the world why Hazlet cannot move ahead with business, and that helps to lessen the tax burden on our residents.

Marques said that as well as cleaning up the township's finances, he is looking to clean up Hazlet insofar as community beautification.

"Where it involves public properties and the area around public buildings, I think it is time to follow up on several community beautification projects that have been put off in the past," Marques said.

Part of moving the community forward, Marques said, is motivating residents. "I think I want to spend a lot of time encouraging and supporting community volunteers. These are the people that are really making a difference in Hazlet. I want to encourage more of it, and make sure our volunteer community groups receive all the help that the committee can give them," he said.

Marques concluded that running government like a business includes fiscal responsibility, strong management skills and positive motivation, toward township employees, volunteers and residents.

"I'm looking to build consensus in the community, not divisions. I think Hazlet has had enough of partisanship. It's really time to just work with each other and focus on the town," Marques said.

Passeggio will be putting blog to work posting stories

Courier Senior Staff Writer Alyssa Passeggio is going to post a few of her articles on her blog, JustBayshoreNews, today.

Ms. Passeggio has been turning in a strong body of work recently in the Atlantic Highlands-Highlands area.

Click on the headline and go to JustBayshoreNews.

Independent reports on Keyport waterfront redevelopment

Independent Staff Writer Karen Bowes has written a strong piece about the proposed Keyport waterfront redevelopment. Ms. Bowes has been doing some good work.

Scarlet Knights are working through adversity

Rutgers University's Scarlet Knights are 3-2 so far this season, perhaps not meeting the expectations of some pre-season estimates.

But not so many years ago the football program at the university was on life support and a rubber stamp win against nearly any of its opponents on the college gridiron.

This team may be working some things out this year, but Head Coach Greg Schiano and his team are really doing a great job.

Even good teams lose games now and again, and though Rutgers is dealing with some speed bumps, the reinvigorated Scarlet Knights Football Program is a credit to the state, as well as the university. Click on the headline to go to the NJ.com story.

APP pens piece about Pay to Play

This is another strong article about Pay to Play. This series is something special, and the APP has put out something that absolutely needs to be said.

Click on the headline and go to the story.

Courier Web site still down; we're still working on it

The Courier's Web site is still down (at www.BayshoreNews.com) and being worked on. Sorry for the inconvenience. We are working on it and will have it up as soon as possible. Thanks for your understanding.

Hill, Guadagno camps are mixing it up

The APP is reporting on a sexual harassment lawsuit where Monmouth County Sheriff's Candidate Jack Hill is named as a defendant. The GOP brought up the Hill case. He's a Democrat. The Democrats have brought up an unflattering Law Journal article about GOP Sheriff's Candidate Kim Guadagno.

I have been dealing with politicians in Northern and the rest of Monmouth for a long time. If either the Hill case or the Guadagno matter are as bad as some are saying, respectively, it still wouldn't scratch the surface of some of the flawed natures of some of our elected officials (many still serving) that have unpublicized skeletons regularly clanking around loudly in their closets. The Republicans want to make this election about the lawsuit.

The Democrats might want to make this about a controversial issue involving Ms. Guadagno's past. Maybe these issues do have to be weighed. But if we, as an electorate, just make this about those issues then we're going to miss an opportunity.

There will not be another time to talk about taxes in a real way before this election. Either Jack Hill or Kim Guadagno are going to be the sheriff of Monmouth County. The GOP is not so well loved in Monmouth that Ms. Guadagno cannot lose this election, sexual harassment lawsuit or not. And where it involves the Democrats, they are not so favored by circumstance that a win is for sure, controversial GOP candidate or not.

But one thing is for sure: One of these two individuals are going to be the sheriff. Taxes are out of hand. If these issues are going to get play, fine and well. But there has to be the issue of how much money their respective administrations are going to cost also.

I have tried to focus on money this election, because I am sick of sending so much to the government: Many people are being taxed out of this area and New Jersey.

I'm going to keep that up. I spoke with one of Ms. Guadagno's supporters in Ocean Grove and he asked me about doing another piece in Courier regarding Ms. Guadagno. I said I'd love to: All she has to do is pick up a phone and there it is. That article is going to be about how she intends to save taxpayers money in Monmouth County.

The show is all well and fine. But there is the small issue of Monmouth taxpayers being bled dry that is still a lingering issue for some. Click on the headline for the APP story.

Mulshine pens good column at NJ.com

Star-Ledger lead columnist Paul Mulshine wrote a good column on NJ.com. It's about national politics, but nevertheless is worth reading for political people.

The APP series on corruption is something special

Click on the headline above to go to the APP story discussing how state lawmakers hide clients as part of their alleged "private sector" jobs. This particular installment is worth more than reading; it should be framed.

Courier site temporarily down, working it out

The Courier's Web site at BayshoreNews.com is temporarily down while we are working it out with our hosting company. For those of you who have gone to our site, we regret the inconvenience and will have the site back up as soon as possible. Thanks for your patience.

A Blast from the Past

In Ocean Grove, a store owner still has a Richard Nixon event posted on his storefront window. If you look closely enough, you can find William Dowd on the slate, running for the U.S. Congress.

Sad news for a Lincroft family

Tragedy struck in Middlesex County, when a Lincroft resident died during an accident. Click on the headline and go to the APP story.

The GOP could use more economic fundamentalism

The APP posted this piece about evangelicals in the GOP. It's interesting enough.

Frankly, though, the evangelical strain of the GOP are, in my opinion, the ones who brought that party from being the party of business and commerce, small government and sensible spending, to this 'mean-nothing' faction that is more interested in side issues than economic fundamentals.

I think economic fundamentalism is a lot more important than religious zeal at this stage of the game, where our American dollar is becoming worth about what the old Italian Lira was.

It's speculative about what tradition this strain has in that party, but it certainly has co-opted the center, using an often 'Pop Theology' mantra. If the GOP wants to reclaim its traditional business-friendly reputation, at some point its elected lawmakers have to start demonstrating that.

As for Democrats, I think the more de-centralized nature of that party makes it less a total organization, in the sense of the GOP, than it is a collection of individuals, for the good and bad of that.

Click on the headline for the APP piece.

Monmouth County: Where tax money goes to die

Corruption is the single-worst problem that Monmouth County is facing today. "Corruption" often occurs with tax money, and I think taxes have hit a tipping point in the minds of most people in this county. As for me, I do not want to hear about one more penny of tax money moving upward. In fact, if a candidate on any level is not talking about real tax reductions for residents then they're not really saying much.

Taxes got too high. It went too far. It is just too much. In reality, while I might buy other property in New Jersey, I could not, with any sense of economy, buy another parcel in Monmouth County because there are just better bargains in this state where it involves tax rates. Of course, corruption in New Jersey has made taxation here a national joke. New York City may be expensive, but the tax rate is stable and the property has proven to not devalue with the ups and downs of the market. Upstate New York is a particularly good buy, in my opinion. New Jersey, for all of the great things about it, takes too big of a bite from the wallet where it involves taxation.

But, of New Jersey, Monmouth County and many of its municipalities are just off the hook with the tax rate. It's just not affordable for people who make a reasonable income. Forget 'gated communities,' Monmouth isn't that far from becoming a 'gated county.' Government doesn't have a blank check, and I really think it is time that politicians really get with that. It does not matter what realm of endeavor in government, or what compartment is discussed, there is just so much of the pie that should or can go toward taxation.

Where it involves corruption, there are too many relatives on the payroll, too many contributors to campaigns who are not the low bidders and are getting fat contracts, too many SUV fleet vehicles, too many made-up jobs for political hacks. It has just gone too far. Click on the headline and go to today's APP article about corruption. It's strong and it has meaning. Government here, in Monmouth, has to change. It has to get a lot less expensive, and the same goes for virtually every municipality in the county.

I suggest that some folks have had enough of the 'everything is great here and nothing needs to change.' This political party nonsense is, in my mind, about as played out as it can be; and now there has to be some talk about money and how government is going to spend less of it right here, right now.