While I congratulate and welcome all the candidates in all our Bayshore towns who conducted hard working and time consuming campaigns and are now continuing to ready themselves for the hard work of municipal government after Jan. 1, I’ve already seen where Sea Bright’s winning council members are going to be spectacular, wise, open-minded and most important, eager to keep the public informed and up to date on everything that’s happening.
Sam Catalano has already proven himself on his first term on Sea Bright’s council, and the locals and newcomers know they can get honest answers when they come to him, and intense research if he doesn’t have all the information before going his opinion.. They also know he’s dedicated to keeping the residents informed on everything, whether he likes what he has to report or not.
But Heather Gorman is brand new to the Council and she had an uphill fight to get there. The Republican candidate running with Sam had great qualifications, experience, and was eager to take on the challenge. But because of her other obligations far afield from Sea Bright, it seems voters wanted someone who seemed to be closer to home more often and ready to respond when needed. Heather filled the bill and wanted to take up the challenge and independently seek election.
So I asked both successful candidates the day after election to what they attributed their success, what they did right or wrong, and what they plan to do in the next three years.
Both responded immediately to e-mails to each, and both politely declined to tell me. Both said, in different ways, they would get back to me and answer my questions…..but only after their victory was declared official and polling showed they really had won the election.
A pair of councilmembers who want to keep the public informed, but want to be sure of their facts.
Heather went a step further in describing her hesitancy in talking about the election before it was official. In a lengthy e-mail, she digressed, all the while keeping me informed of the kind of council representative she’ll be. She thanked me for my congratulations, referred me to the Monmouth County results page on NJ.com, and said “I will patiently wait until that time has come.”
But she did share her approach to her goal. She explained that since it was a community campaign, she was grateful for the mentors she had…former elected officials, long-time residents, and appreciated “their institutional and historical knowledge but more importantly their love for the old Sea Bright and Sea Bright’s future.” The result, she said, was “an awesome melting pot of neighbors (with various political affiliations) together who supported and advocated for the campaign.” She went on to praise her husband and family for giving her the support for the time she felt she needed to be highly informed, know the critical issues, and doing more than just listening or speaking out at meetings both in Sea Bright as well as other towns and boards of education.
Then she ended her e-mail with “I truly love where I live, …my neighbors, and all I hope to do is support this amazing, funky town and be of service. “
Welcome to the world of small town politics, Heather. Don’t ever lose your high standards and your willingness to cooperate, share information on what’s going on, and keeping abreast and active in whatever Sea Bright needs to keep it the small town, family-like community it is.
There is something about grandchildren that always makes grandparents happy. Whether they be newborn and adorable or grown and with lives of their own, they are truly special. And when a grandparent gets to reunite with one of them she hasn’t seen in nearly a decade, the joy is overwhelming.
I had all that and so much more in the past two weeks, when my oldest grandson, Jason, and his wife Melissa, welcomed Aria Grace, my Great Grandchild #13. Aria joined big brother and oldest grandchild, James, and sister and Cadence.
Then my fourth oldest grandson, Anthony, a highly successful manager in a highly successful business, told me he wanted to see his cousin, Brandon, and asked me to go with him, I thought life couldn’t get any better.
With my eager assent, Anthony, then took charge of my life for a week. He bought plane tickets for the pair of us, arranged the travel, picked me up and off we flew from Philadelphia Airport to Memphis, Tennessee, the closest airport to son Jimbo’s home in Mississippi. Looking forward to seeing Brandon as well as my son Jimbo and his incredibly talented and wonderful wife, Stacy, put happiness over the charts.
Brandon had lived in Highlands during his grammar school years, then moved out to Wisconsin with his mom and began a new life filled with intrigue and excitement, a lot of sadness and disappointment about being so far from his dad and the rest of the family. So after his dad and wife Stacy moved to Mississippi, far, but still closer to his New Jersey cousins, aunts and uncles, Brandon opted to drive southeast and start life anew closer to his father. We’re all thrilled by the transition and Anthony wanted to be among the first to welcome Brandon to a new life, a new job and a grand reunion with all his cousins on the east coast.
So again, a proud mom and grandma thinks life can’t get any better. But it does.
The reunion of all of us was joyous and magnificent, leaving us with the feeling we had only seen each other a few weeks or months before rather than the number of years it really was.
Celebrating our first evening together at a great Mexican restaurant , we were shocked when yet another grandson popped in at the table. My youngest grandson Angus, a Navy Ensign stationed at Pensacola, Fla for aviation training, didn’t want to miss the reunion, so he drove up from Florida to join in the fun.
We spent the next three days bringing each other up to date, enjoying the charm and creativity of Jim and Stacey’s homes. They have two, both historic structures a very historic town. They are in the process of restoring the second of them to its original beauty, thanks to their hard work ethic, research and Stacey’s incredible creativity.
We opted to stay in a B&B in town, both so I could write about it as well as to give us all a place to spread out and let Anthony practice his culinary skills. The outstanding dinner of the stay was Anthony’s preparation, with limited resources and a new kitchen, of a dinner which featured chicken cordon bleu, herbed rice and broccoli, a meal fit for a king as well as a very proud and happy grandma and two more generations of the family.
The three cousins spent the time reminding me of all the antics they pulled when they were kids in Monmouth County, letting me in on the mischief they had done and kept hidden from me, and sharing the excitements each has experienced in his teen years and 20s before getting together again. We shared opinions on politics and religion, nary a fight nor argument, simply a sharing of opinions and a bit of education for each of us.
And when it was time to get say our goodbyes amid hugs and kisses, laughter and tears, Anthony and I got back to Memphis, the plane and our trip back home, both thrilled and delighted at all we had seen and heard, shared, and did. The cousins all agreed that family get togethers are exciting, fun, educational, and should be held more often.
And now that Brandon is closer to home, we know it will happen so much more often.
“It was a great night and instead of a one vote win, this time, at a 248 vote margin, that is the most in a Mayor’s race since 2001. I’m excited to serve the Borough for another three years. “ was Mayor Carolyn Bouillon’s response when asked how she felt about yesterday’s election.
The Mayor was especially re-mindful of the first time she ran for mayor, at that time, a member of council and going up against longtime incumbent, Richard O’Neil. The vote had to go to a recount, and Bouillon won by a single vote.
Three years later with the margin so much boarder, it reminded her of 21 years ago when O’Neil ran for the position and was opposed by another native son, Joseph Branin. O’Neil won in that election, polling nearly 500 more votes than his opponent.
Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County (HFHMC) dedicated its 60th home at a ceremony last week with thanks all around for the cooperative effort, supporters and volunteers who contributed to the construction of the home on Leonard Avenue in Atlantic Highlands.
The ceremony was attended by the partner family, Habitat staff, volunteers, sponsors, local government officials and community members. The new owners are Johnny and Melinda Rivera and their three children.
Kim Stulb, President of HFHMC’s Board of Trustees, and HFHMC Executive Director, Diane Kinnane headed the brief program that accompanied the official opening of the two family house expected to be ready for occupancy this month. Stulb, a staunch supporter of affordable housing, also represents longtime Habitat sponsor, T&M Associates.
Among those attending along with the Rivera Family, were borough administrator Robert Ferragina, all six Council members, Monmouth County Commissioners Director Tom Arnone and Deputy Director Sue Kiley as well as Rev. Jill Hubbard Smith of Atlantic Highlands & Navesink United Methodist Church who offered a blessing on the house and a Litany of Dedication.
New Jersey Natural Gas’s Tom Hayes, a longtime ally of affordable housing and the HFHMC surprised Kinnane with a donation for HFHMC’s next project, a single family home planned for building on Ideal Ave in Middletown.
Well-wishers and community members brought gifts for the family, including gift cards, supplies for the house and yard, and an original painting of the new home by local artist, Karin Trunz of Monmouth Arts. Former Mayor of Atlantic Highlands, Rhonda Le Grice presented the family with a gift card to Jaspans Hardware Store.
“We are thrilled to be dedicating this home to such a deserving and hardworking family,” said Stulb. “Welcoming a family home and giving them a safe and affordable place to live is such an important part of our mission.”
When selected, Habitat partner families participate in the construction of their home or other Habitat programs and projects. Families are required to perform 200-375 hours of “sweat equity”, depending on family size, prior to closing on their homes. This partner family has broken all records with the number of “sweat equity” hours that they have completed. The family will purchase the home with an affordable, no-interest mortgage.
The residential lot was donated by the Borough and since the project began in September 2021, more than 100 volunteers have worked alongside Habitat construction crew to complete the house.
The new construction is part of the “House that Rock Built” program, a partnership between HFHMC and Beasley Media/95.9 Wrat. which works to secure support for new affordable home construction in Monmouth County. Thew radio station has partnered with HFHMC since 2015 in raising both funds and awareness .
Local organizations and businesses who shared time and skills to make the dream of home-ownership a reality include teams from Alternate Ending Beer, Coastal Habitat, Columbia Bank of NJ, Europastry USA, Hillmann Consulting, Markel Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Park Church, Prodigy Search, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, Tower Hill Church, First Energy Foundation, Geodis, Lowes, New Jersey Natural Gas, One Anchor (Old Castle), Resources Real Estate, T&M Associates, and Valley Bank.
Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities and hope. It is dedicated to having safe and affordable homes locally and worldwide through construction, rehabilitation and preservation by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and providing training and access to resources to help families improve their living conditions.
MAST color guard, commanded by Cadet Sam Puleio of Tinton Falls, marches by
For anyone who has ever seen the cadets in the NJROTC program at MAST, it is easy to see why they are among the best in the nation. For anyone who has spoken with any of these high school kids about any subject from history to current world situations, it’s easy to see why they are ranked in the top ten schools in the state. And for anyone who has ever been out to Sandy Hook on a windy, blustery morning, you have an idea of how cold it is.
But today, instead of keeping my eyes on the cadets during their annual military inspection, a major event of their school year, I observed the parents.
Not only parents. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and neighbors. Close to a thousand of them. They were all there, in place on Pershing Field long before the 8:05 am start of the cadet March onto Pershing Field.
Some were there as early as 6:30 am, wanting to be sure to get a parking spot, bring their lawn chairs and blankets, and get an up close seat for the first step of the day long inspection. Some guests had never been to Sandy Hook at all before, some had never been that far out on Sandy Hook and were amazed there is a former army base there and these kids go to school on a historic site. Some were just proud parents there because they knew how hard these kids had practiced and how important this day was to them.
Since I’ve been to these events before, and since I know some of the cadets, I knew their inspection would go fine. I knew the inspecting officer Major Jason Duehring and other Marines on the inspection team would be blown away with everything they had to observe throughout the day. And I knew that Battalion Commander c/LDR Tessa Campolattaro, that enthusiastic, smart, gentle, wonderful Rumson resident who takes such pride in her work and her position as the head of the Battalion Chain of Command at MAST, would not settle for anything less than perfect in her Command. I also knew she had reason for such confidence. I knew Deputy Battalion Commander c/Lt. Jimmy Treshock had standards just as high…these cadets don’t get these positions simply by being nice kids. And I knew each of the other battalion officers, from the Command Senior Chief and heads of administration, operations, supply, training, drill, academics, athletics orienteering and community affairs through each of the four company’s officers were just as proud of their commands, their attention to detail and their desire to do the right thing. So I knew they would ace any inspection.
Major Duehring inspects Cadet Alexis Walker of Fair Haven, the Battalion Operations Officer, as Battalion Commander Cadet Tessa Campolattaro of Rumson and Cadet Catherine Lopes of Ocean, assist
So it was the parents and friends I wanted to observe.
As they gathered, almost 1,000 in all, overflowing the bleachers and carrying their own chairs and blankets against the wind spinning off the ocean and onto the parade grounds of the historic site, they chatted, they laughed, they shivered, they swapped stories, they made new friends. They called to each other and laughed loud and happy. It was obvious they all wanted to be there.
Suddenly, the word passed. The cadets were coming. They had formed along MAST way two blocks away five minutes before, and now it was time for them to make their appearance.
They came in at the start of the field behind the bleachers and crowds facing there the rest of the action would be taking place.
And a sudden hush fell over the crowd. Those in their lawn chairs and those in the bleachers stood up, turned around, and quietly, almost respectfully and in a bit of awe, watched as some almost 300 young teenagers in crisp and perfect uniforms and shiny black shoes, marched to a drummer to begin their first inspections of the day. There were cameras clicking, tears being wiped from proud eyes, and eager eyes searching for a particular cadet son or daughter. But there was absolute silence. Not a word was spoken as each adult captured his own vision of the young men and women who will be leading our country in a few years. This was a crowd in awe.
Once the line of march passed and entered onto the middle of the field, the crowd turned forward once again and watched as each company lined up, its commanders shouting out orders, probably some parents particularly of daughters surprised at the tone and level of their “officer voices.”
Then came the Official Party, the inspecting officers and Cdr. Tracie Smith-Yeoman, and the National Anthem was sung by a cadet corps. Every man removed his hat, every person stood at attention, veterans and relatives saluted or put their hands over their hearts. The National Anthem really means something to these people who were gathered here.
Major Duehring addressed the cadets briefly…the program only allowed five minutes for his presentation. But he took the time to tell these kids that he knew he had not seen any inspection yet, but already “what I’ve seen already “ was awesome, and that’s why a visit to MAST each year is “always the highlight of my day.”
Cdr. Smith-Yeoman spoke for her five minutes. She already knows how great her cadets are, but she wanted to take some time at first to recognize the Marines and Marine veterans in the audience…after all, today is the 247th anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps. Then she wanted all the veterans in the audience to stand so they could be acknowledged, reminding everyone that Veterans Day, in two days, honors them as well. She thanked them all to the sound of great applause, and went into the crowd to shake the hands of those she could reach, and thank them once again for their service. The retired Naval officer then thanked parents and praised them for the excellence they had given their children. She praised all units, but especially the freshman cadets for coming through Covid, changing schools, adjusting to NJROTC and being prepared totally for the most important inspection of the year two months after first arriving at MAST. She credited the upperclassmen for inspiring the freshmen with their own attention to the honor, courage and commitment that are such a part of MAST’s culture. The crowd applauded for principal Earl Moore and his constant and consistent support of the NJROTC program at MAST which includes every student at the Monmouth County Vocational High School at MAST.
The crowd remained respectful, happy, and anxious to see their special cadet or cadets….some at MAST are siblings or cousins also students there …and watched in absolute awe as the drill team gave its dynamic demonstration of precision, dexterity, and weapon handling.
At the final Pass in Review, when each company presented itself to the Inspection Team, cameras clicked, pride showed, tears were wiped, and parents and friend waved and acknowledged their special cadet, knowing they would get no response from a cadet intent on performing his duty.
When the program was over, precisely 55 minutes after it began, the cadets marched off field and down MAST Way, this time followed by friends and family who knew they would not have a chance to talk to their cadet, but wanting to watch them for the last possible minute before going to their cars and heading home.
The battalion stands in formation on Pershing Field, in the shadow of Building 23, the barracks built in 1899 that is to be converted into the MAST Naval Science building, complete with classrooms, locker rooms, office space, and a drill deck on the second floor
The cadets went on to their other duties for the day, Supply Officer c/LTjg V Walker ready to have her Supply station inspected, and shortly after, all cadets prepared for their personnel inspections three hours later. They would not hear again from Major Duehring until the end of the day when they would get some idea of how they fared.
To the parents, it had already shown.
Patriotism and pride in the United States is alive and well at MAST and with their families
First platoon of Headquarters Company, commanded by Cadet Alex Bruzzese of Hazlet, marches past the reviewing stand with Cadet Jake Lindmark of Atlantic Highlands carrying the guide.
All Photo’s Courtesy of Credit to Cadet Olivia Palutis
Look for a detailed story here soon, but in the meantime, just check out the incredible artwork on the Robert Wilson Community Center in Highlands. It’s actually a community hand-print that can’t be beat in showing what community efforts, and folks working together, can create. The mural is the result of cooperative efforts among the Highlands Borough Arts Council (HBAC) the Henry Hudson Regional School Arts Club, and the Highlands Recreation Committee. It’s all because Highlands Borough Arts applied for and received a terrific grant from the Monmouth Arts and the NJ State Arts Council. The Monmouth and NJ State Arts councils have amazing grants and are very generous when the goal is to bring people together and create an exciting mural and visionary beauty to a borough.
Atlantic Highlands-If there is enough time to correct the error, the planning board will still have its special meeting Monday night to review the mayor and council’s transfer of the proposed redevelopment plan for Mother Theresa school and within a month, give their opinion to the governing body in time for Council’s action at its Dec. 15. Meeting… Busy
A rush indeed for such a major project after more than three years of seemingly nothing much happening. At least that the public is aware of.
Add to that one review and recommendation, since the planning board, without giving a reason, cancelled its regular meeting scheduled for Nov. 3, the items planned for action that night are also being included in the special meeting Monday.
That means, according to the proposed agenda, the planning board will act to approve attorney vouchers for two months, approve minutes from a previous meeting, act on resolutions for the DeMaio property, deny an application for a minor subdivision, act on a resolution for a Fourth Avenue property, grant use and bulk variances, act on a resolution for property on Ocean blvd., grant an extension of a variance approval, and finally, “Review and Comment on the “South Avenue Redevelopment Plan” referred by the Borough Council on November 10, 2022, and proposed for council adoption at its Dec. 15 meeting.
That’s the Mother Theresa school property. That’s the only business for that special meeting that is being advertised for legal purposes. The Agenda also notes that formal action may be taken on that item.
Older than the Country itself, the United States Marine Corps celebrates their 247th Birthday tomorrow, the 10th of November. Click the attached link to view the Commandant of the Marine Corps Annual Birthday Message … and if that doesn’t leave you in complete awe … some quotes about the finest fighting force that has ever graced this planet, and of the brave young men and women, who provide the blanket of freedom that we sleep under.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES
“That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one colonel, two lieutenant colonels, two majors and officers as usual in other regiments, that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken that no person be appointed to office or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea.”
Resolution of the Continental Congress, 10 November 1775
“The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“Once a Marine, always a Marine!”
Master Sergeant Paul Woyshner
“Come on, you sons of bitches-do you want to live forever?”
Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Daly
“Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning.”
Colonel David M. Shoup
“Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.”General Alexander A. Vandergrift
“I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world.”
General Douglas MacArthur
“Retreat Hell! We’re just attacking in another direction.”
Major General Oliver P. Smith
Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean, or skinny and mean.
They’re aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They’ve got really short hair and they always go for the throat.
Rear Admiral “Jay” R. Stark, USN
“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem.”
The Intertribal Council of AT&T Employees (ICAE), a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, placed historical markers along several of the Monmouth County portions of the Lenape Great Navesink to Minisink Trail honoring the Lenape tribe of Native Americans who used the trail for seasonal migration, travel, and trade. The trail served as a foundation for some of the earliest roads in the state. The signs, placed last week, are near the entrance to the AT&T Middletown facility on Holland Road, Kings Highway both in Middletown and Crawfords Corner Road at Holmdel Park.
The 75-mile Lenape Great Navesink to Minisink Trail was the longest Lenape Trail in the state and is recorded as having groups as large as 700 people traveling together in transit. It connected the Lenape communities living along the Navesink River area of Sandy Hook to the Lenape Minsi or People of the Stone Country Council Fire, at Minisink Island in today’s Delaware Water Gap. An Eastern Region Trading Hub existed at Minisink Island which further connected to the Mohawk Trail in New York State as well as other trade routes leading into Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes Region, and Canada.
The 1747 James Alexander Map delineates the “Navesink to Minisink Indian Path” and was used at that time to help identify land purchase boundaries and settle land dispute lawsuits. As late as 1820, a group of Minsi Lenape were noted to perform a “War Dance” in appreciation of the hospitality of a homeowner and his neighbors who allowed the traveling band to sleep in their barn for overnight lodging.
AT&T provided the funding for one marker, and the ICAE raised the funds for the additional markers. Significant support and partnership for this project came from Middletown Township and Mayor Tony Perry, the Monmouth County Park System, the Middletown Township Historical Society, the Middletown Landmarks Commission, the Sandhill Lenape Community of Neptune, and the federally recognized Delaware Tribe of Indians as well as AT&T.
“The Township Committee and I are honored to play a part in formally recognizing the original settlers of Middletown,” said Mayor Perry. “It is important we pay tribute to those responsible for giving us the wonderful place we are fortunate enough to call home.”
The Monmouth County portion of the path was researched by Paul Boyd as part of his Ph.D. thesis submission to Rutgers University..
ICAE is an AT&T Employee Resource Group dedicated to supporting Native American communities and their advancement in the fields of math and science. They provide annual scholarships to deserving Native American college students and help to place them at internships within AT&T. Financial donations to ICAE can be made at https://icae4nativeamericans.org/events/ for scholarships or for additional Minisink Trail Markers that can be placed in other historic trail locations. Donors are asked to specify if a donation is specific to the Minisink Trail.
The Monmouth County Pop Band “The Unemployed Teachers” have also adopted the Minisink Trail Marker as a band project. Donors of $50 or more will receive their unreleased song “Footsteps” written to help popularize knowledge of the Minisink Trail. The group can be reached at mgottwerth@yahoo.com.
Though it is not mentioned by name in either the agenda, the revised agenda, or even in the title of the proposed ordinance itself, the Mayor and Council plan on taking action on the Mother Theresa school property at tomorrow night’s meeting of the governing body.
That action, if approved, would refer the long awaited Mother Theresa Redevelopment Plan to the Planning board for a “consistency review.”
In coordination with this agenda, the Planning Board is advertising a special meeting for Monday evening at 7:30 at Borough Hall to review and comment on the South Avenue Redevelopment Plan referred by the borough council on Nov. 10 …tomorrow night…and proposed to be adopted by ordinance at council’s Dec. 15 meeting.
So there you have it …
A development plan impacting an entire section of the borough, includes the former Catholic school that has been the subject of numerous meetings, questions from the public, discussions and executive sessions of the governing body or more than three and a half years, is coming up for action under titles the general public would not even think concerns the school , without any hints or explanations referring to it, at a meeting little more than 24 hours away.
Wouldn’t you think somebody on the governing body would insist on enough initial detail to enlighten the public what’s going on on such an important issue?
Of course, there’s more to this story. Starting with the public has never even seen this plan, no has had any questions answered about it.
But they’re gonna send it to the planning board anyway for a special meeting the planners are having to review it four days later. By law, the planners have to have their recommendations, if any back to the governing body within 45 days. It they work quickly, that would be in time for the council to take its next planned action, adopting the reviewed plan at its Dec. 15 meeting,
So what are they reviewing? The proposed plan? Does it include everything that should be reviewed? Things like costs, schedules, plot plans and elevations, a timeline for start and finish, a work schedule, what about blueprints for what the building will look like, who will occupy it, and a few more things the public would and should know about? Does this planning board meeting Monday night include any alternate ideas, even what all is included or will be added later on? Is it just the school, or is it the School and the Hesse Center? Or the school and the Thrift Shop, (the former Andy Richards House) or all three?
Local resident and intense watcher of all things the local government does or doesn’t do, Mark Fisher, had a few more questions of his own. In a timely piece he posted in a letter to those who regularly follow his thoughts, Fisher wants to know, and believes residents and taxpayers also want to know, some more about financial matters…what will purchase and renovations cost the taxpayers, what, if any, will interest costs be, how much will be spent on whatever is purchased over the years, what, precisely, is the financial plan? For that matter, what shape are the buildings in now?
Fisher believes the public has the right to know. Fisher also wonders whether the governing body will allow questions at tomorrow’s meeting. Or will the planners allow any at their meeting?
The resident speaks and thinks like every concerned taxpayers in Atlantic Highlands should, both those who are struggling with current taxes and those who don’t attend meetings and ask questions, but still grumble over the tax rate and wonder how they can afford to stay here.
Fisher is right. It is time for residents to realize what is going on, to attend tomorrow night’s meeting, to ask questions, to find out what is the original plan, the redevelopment plan, the cost of it all and how far it’s gone without their being kept informed. Residents also have the right to know, and should ask, the time frame and proposed occupancy once all is said and done or, if not said and done, what the alternatives are.
Wouldn’t you like to know what is the proposed plan anticipated to be sent to the planning board for the former Mother Theresa school property?
The meeting starts at 7 pm Thursday at Borough Hall; go to AHNJ.com to see the entire agenda, the planning board notice of a special meeting, and the ZOOM connection to the meeting if unable to attend.
Let the secrecy end.
Demand answers.
It appears this year’s incumbents on the governing body learned in yesterday’s election the public truly wants to know what’s going on. Will next year’s incumbents, who have been just as secretive, learn from this or will the public continue to be kept in the dark on as many issues as they are now?
