Good morning, Ms. Smith.

Contrary to what you wrote in your latest blog, “Attorney Client privilege” is, according to the “Sunshine Law,” a reason to go into executive session.

In addition, and on a personal note, Don and I have a thirteen year old son. We are raising him in Highlands. He attends Highlands public schools. Our sons’ friends are the boys and girls you see playing on the basketball court in Veterans park or running on the beach. When you publish blog posts that say my husband is in the position of Councilmember for personal gain, it is, at best, thoughtless. Please keep in mind we live in Highlands, and the things you publish aren’t just words – they have an actual effect on our family.

Thank you for your time.

-Gina M

of Highlands writes:

“Kevin and he’s soon to be wife went on a long planned trip , its not a secret and I’m thrilled for them , try at least to pretend you are doing a little research , a quick trip to Facebook would have given you some hints”

Well Patty, a couple of things, first of which Facebook is not a reliable source for research, and not a venue for reliable information. Secondly, wouldn’t you think the Mayor would have known that, or wasn’t she informed about this “long planned” trip, because at the meeting she didn’t appear to have any knowledge about it.

Additionally, according to the Mayor, Mr. Martin didn’t know his vote would mean that the Ordinance “died on the vine”.

As a new Council-Member … and I know there is a learning curve, but maybe schedule his trips so that they don’t conflict with Borough business and he could get some more “On the Job Training” is a better alternative for his constituency … just a thought

The following is a copy of the letter the Friends of the Oceanic Bridge Association, Inc., sent to the U.S Coast Guard in response to their requests for comments on the Oceanic Bridge (Monmouth County S-31) between the borough of Rumson and Township of Middletown. Commonly known as the Oceanic Bridge.

This letter is being forwarded to you by the Friends of the Oceanic Bridge Association, Inc. (Friends) in accordance with the Preliminary Public Notice 1-0187 issued by your office on July 12, 2021. Friends awes formed in December 2004 in response to plans by the Office of the Monmouth County Engineer to replace the Oceanic Bridge. As I am sure you are aware, the present Oceanic Bridge connects the historic districts of the Township of Middletown and the Borough of Rumson, New Jersey. Since its formation, Friends has opposed a high, fixed bridge, recognizing that the Navesink River is a non-commercial waterway and the Oceanic Bridge is a county bridge that is not on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Presently, Monmouth County’s Preliminary Preferred Alternative for the Oceanic Bridge is a fixed bridge with a vertical clearances of 50 feet at mean high water (MHW) The US Cost Guard has determined that if the bridge is going to be a fixed bridge, the vertical clearance above MHW must be 65 feet. Friends disagrees with that determination by the Coast Guard that the fixed bridge replacement for the Oceanic Bridge must be at least 65 feet above MHW. Since December 2004, the position of Friends has been that a replacement for the Oceanic Bridge should be a low, bascule bridge. After the Coast Guard determined that if the bridge is going to be a fixed bridge, the vertical clearance above MHW must be 65 feet, Friends conceded with several governmental officials that if a fixed bridge is the only alternative, that Friends would accept a bridge having 50 feet of clearance above MHW. That was a substantial concession. If the Coast Guard maintains its position that any fixed bridge must have a vertical clearance above MHW of 65 feet, Friends will then urge that the replacement to the Oceanic Bridge be a bascule bridge having 45 feet of clearance above MHW which was one of the alternative suggested by Monmouth County.

PPN 1-187 notes that the final determination by the Coasts Guard will seek to provide a ‘safe, functional and efficient crossing that serves the needs of highway, pedestrian and marine traffic,” It is submitted that if a fixed bridge is required by the County of Monmouth, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and/or the Federal Highway Authority that a 50-foot fixed bridge will be sufficient to meet the purposes set forth above and will reduce the anticipated cost by almost $8 million.

One of the main reasons for Friends seeking a lower bridge is the historic character of the surrounding neighborhoods. The present bridge was built in 1939 in the Arte Moderne architectural style and is eligible for the NJ Register of Historic Places. It is a bascule bridge with 22 feet of clearance above MHW. The replacement by any fixed bridge will compromise the present historic character of the area; however, between a fixed bridge with 65 feet of clearance about MHW and 50 feet above MHW, Friends prefers the latter.

Another advantage of keeping the bridge lower is that it will permit the bridge to continue to be a much used recreational asset. The present low bridge is used by walkers, joggers, bicyclists and even folks pushing baby carriages. Because the grade of a bridge having r65 feet of vertical clearance above the MHW will exceed 5 percent, it will make it more difficult for these pedestrians and cyclists. Also, the steeper grade will be less safe for both pedestrians and the motoring public during snowy or icy conditions.

Moreover, a Consulting Report Fiscal Impact Analysis prepared by integra Resources – Coastal NJ, for the Monmouth County Engineer by the Maguire Group, Inc., dated March 24, 2010, with respect to a fixed bridge having 55 feet of clearance above MHW concluded:

Based on the survey methods used to develop the potential value impact factors, and given

Integra’s definition of the study area and specific parcels likely to be affect, Integra estimates

a potential property-value impact on the order of $45 to $65 million.”

It should be noted that the potential adverse property-value impact of $45 million to $65 million was in 2019 dollars, not 2021 or 2020 dollars.

PN 1-187 provides that a fixed bridge having 50 feet of vertical clearance above MHW would accommodate 98.1 percent of the vessels going under the bridge. Friends believes that accommodating 98.1 percent of the vessels is sufficient. Furthermore, if the vessels were required to lower their masts and outriggers, a bridge having 50 feet of vertical clearance would accommodate an even greater percentage of vessels. Following a request for responses from the public solicited by the Office of the Monmouth County Engineer, 84 per cent of the respondents indicated they would prefer a low bridge (therefore a bascule bridge) as opposed to a high, fixed bridge. Finally, between 2005 and 2010, the Township of Middletown and the Boroughs of Rumson, Fair Haven and Little Silver adopted resolutions favoring a low bridge as the replacement for the Oceanic Bridge.

In conclusion, Friends would urge the Coast Guard to determine that if a fixed bridge is the final solution that it needs m more than 50 feet of vertical clearance above MHW.

Respectfully yours,

Todd Thompson

President.

All my life I’ve been a communicator, the daughter of a communicator who learned early in life that it’s healthy to let people know how you feel, how you stand on issues, how you are concerned about things, and how so many things can be misunderstood if there is no honesty or communications.

I was raised as a journalist by a journalist from a very young age and know that words can hurt. But they can also heal. They can make people think, can make them angry enough to fight for change, can share love and happiness, or calm anger and assuage grief. I learned you have to stand behind your words and when they are in print, it’s impossible to retract them.

But some people don’t have that maturity in life. Some people get angry without knowing why they’re angry, get frustrated because they cannot think things through, get insulted and even unreasonable if an opinion is different from their own.

That happens a lot. And some of these people simply can’t control themselves. Which is why on VeniVidiScripto I always invite people to write me responses. I love dialogue. I love to know what people are thinking, what ideas they have, what suggestions they have. It’s healthy, it’s smart, and it’s encouraging.

The problem is while I encourage letters, they will not be posted until they’re approved for posting. Just like I did when I was the editor of both a local newspaper and a Forbes newspaper. It’s not the opinion letters express that need approval, it’s simply to be certain the opinions are expressed in a courteous manner. I work hard to hold myself to a certain standard, and I will not have my blog be besmirched with foul language, obscenity, pornography, lurid photos or comments.

Laura C is an example of why I am fastidious about the comments that are included on my page. I don’t know Ms C, nor do I know where she lives. To the best of my knowledge, I have never met her, nor do I know for sure which of the Jims I know that she is talking about. But for some reason tonight, just after I posted a story about a great Highlands resident that I had written about 45 years ago, she apparently read my blog, did not like something or other in it, or perhaps was relaxing with a cooling drink at home alone and felt the need to vent. Whatever her reason, Ms C wrote:

“You disgust me because you try to squelch speech at every arm one could. You (Jim, Muriel, whoever) get me kicked off a page for verifying our police are solid and you are nuts – then I sign up for your blog, and after I post, no one can comment. Go on in peace brother into your weird life… AND – know that after you outed my address publicly on Facebook, I don’t only have cameras, I have private security. You don’t know my life and you did that to me. Now I’m out money because some nut decided to intrude.

I want you to have a moment of clarity that you cause more harm than anything else because of whatever vendetta you have from years ago – otherwise, offer me the $500/month I pay to have security now because of you.

Peace out you miserable peace of life…. “

MS C, I am including your letter briefly on my page, not because I think it’s terribly important, but because, if you read another story on my blog, you know I have thousands of readers, some in every state in the union, as well as in more than 50 countries on five continents. I think it’s important, in view of your letter, to let all my readers understand a bit better why I scrutinize messages before I publish them.

I welcome comments, I just like them expressed in a mature and healthy manner. I have been of the opinion, because of past comments, that you live in Highlands, so I do feel badly for you that you feel the need for extra security around your home.

Believe me, for the 40 years I lived there, there was only one occasion when I did not feel secure with one member of the police department there. But that was a long time ago and it was resolved in a mature manner. I think today’s department under Chief Burton, is pretty terrific and doing a great job of keeping Highlands the peaceful, safe community it is.

I do have another suggestion for you, MS C. I encourage you to continue to read my blog, but only the stories that talk about all the things that make me happy, the ones that talk about how modern medicine has saved me, both from breast cancer and total blindness, the ones that talk about the really nice people I know and the wonderful things they’ve done. I encourage you to read the travel stories to get a new appreciation of our great country, and the history stories to learn why I am so happy and appreciative to have lived in Highlands so long.

Maybe simply by restricting your reading to those stories, you won’t get so upset, so angry, so frustrated.

Maybe you will even get a happier outlook on life.

Reach out to me again if I can do anything to make you feel more positive about life.

Mayor and Council

Borough of Atlantic Highlands

Mayor and Members of Council:

Once again I would like to praise, congratulate and commend borough employees from Administrator Adam Hubeny and Police Chief David Rossback to every member of all the borough departments who worked so selflessly during the recent storm which caused great havoc in many sections of the borough.

Your efforts and constant attention to their jobs is one more proof that the employees in this borough do not merely work because it is a job, they work because they love this town, are proud of it, and are proud of the role they play in keeping it the wonderful community it is. Our sanitation and public works employees cannot be equaled in dedication anywhere.

Our employees working so well and so cooperatively with the employees of the utility company who also worked long and hard to restore power is one reason why their work progressed as quickly as it did.

I’ve always been proud to live in Atlantic Highlands and one of the primary reasons for this is the outstanding employees we have. May they always be appreciated for the value they bring to Atlantic Highlands.

Sincerely,

Helen M Marchetti

This is a response from Ellen O’Dwyer, GOP candidate for election to the Atlantic Highlands Council in the November election. Ms. O’Dwyer, who is running with GOP incumbent Councilman James Murphy, is responding to the endorsement Democrats Brian Dougherty and Allyson D’Almeida received from the NJ League of Conservation Voters, also candidates seeking the two council seats currently held by Murphy and Roy Dellosso, who is not seeking another term. Also seeking election to the two seats are Independents Morgan Spicer and Zack Brown.

Candidate responds to endorsement

Congratulations to the Democrat candidates for Atlantic Highlands Council on being two of five people in Monmouth County to be endorsed by the political arm of the NJ League of Conservation Voters. It is refreshing to see the political group finds them as dedicated as many of us are, including the other council candidates, towards the environment.

Like so many other programs, improvements, and solutions to problems, I feel change begins at the local level where Council members can talk with the residents and find the areas where all can work together to protect our environment. And while I support some goals of the NJ LCV, it is nonetheless a political voice for the environment. As a councilmember, I would focus my attention and time and that of my colleagues in borough support and money on what we can accomplish locally.

I do not know whether the political endorsement took into consideration that as a planning board member Mr. Dougherty played a role in contributing to the over-development of our community. While approving new development, he doesn’t appear to have taken into consideration the impacts of climate change and storm-water management or even parking when increasing the residential population with high-rises and apartment complexes. I do not know any of the activities in which Ms. D’Almeida has volunteered to help the environment.

In his response to Mr. Fisher’s questions in a recent survey to each of the candidates, Mr. Dougherty explained his decision making on the planning board as, “As with any proposed application that comes before me as a Planning Board member, the positive criteria and negative criteria should be weighed in making that evaluation…Council members do not get to pick winners and losers in proposed developments.” Does that mean he is saying that as a council member, he won’t be making those mistakes?

I believe Atlantic Highlands will play its responsible part for the environment, but that doesn’t need to be championing the politics behind it, and the associated costs in doing so. I’d like all council members to be locally focused and actually doing things to make things better here. We have a critical need to address and resource solutions for local impact…all of which adds to the collective good on the bigger initiatives.

I, too, have worked hard for the environment, though not to gain publicity or accolades, but rather because I see how I could make a difference locally, so I did. That is the first step in national change. I serve on the Environmental Commission, am the Captain of the Sustainable Green Team, and a Shade Tree Commissioner; I am a Lenape Woods steward, and I successfully secured a grant, and designed and worked on the Monarch migration project through a garden club which I had co-founded. I have proven I am passionate about, and physically working for protection of our environment.

I congratulate Lesley and Brian for getting the endorsement, but I’m disappointed I wasn’t asked to submit responses to any questionnaire so I too could have expressed my opinion and background.

Ellen O’Dwyer

Candidate for Atlantic Highlands Council

Letter to the Editor

I was disappointed to learn that the Republican candidates for Borough Council haven’t yet confirmed participation in the League of Women Voters Debate, scheduled for October 18, 2021. It would have been powerful to see all three female candidates for Atlantic Highlands Borough Council participating, sharing ideas for the town, and serving as role models to all the young girls and women in our community. I know my young daughter will be watching with pride as I talk about my vision for Atlantic Highlands: building a community that’s prepared for the future’s opportunities and challenges. My running mate Brian Dougherty and I have a plan – AH Forward — that we’re looking forward to talking about at the October 18th debate. Three key ideas we have are 1) reforming our property tax policy to be more fair, 2) preparing our community for the challenges posed by climate change, 3) engaging with our Board of Education to make sure that the interests of Atlantic Highlands residents are fully represented in any decisions about changes to our school district. I believe that the free exchange of ideas is one of the best parts of our democracy. I’d like to hear more about what the Republican and Independent candidates want to offer to residents. And given that the debate will be moderated by the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group devoted to encouraging the full civic participation of women, I would especially hope that the female GOP candidate will reconsider and join us on October 18th. Every opportunity we have to share our ideas with the voters of Atlantic Highlands is worth taking. Information on how to submit questions and a link to the debate will follow shortly. I look forward to earning your vote. Sincerely, Lesley D’Almeida Democratic Candidate for Atlantic Highlands Borough Council