Three vote to censure fellow public officials Action revolves around Manalapan legal matter

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer

MANALAPAN — Township Committee members Anthony Gennaro and Susan Cohen were publicly censured by their fellow municipal officials during a meeting on Nov. 12. A resolution that passed by a 3-1 vote castigated Gennaro and Cohen for actions they took in a matter of civil litigation that Manalapan has brought against attorney Stuart Moskovitz in regard to actions Moskovitz took when he served as Manalapan's township attorney in 2005.
The case of Manalapan v. Moskovitz is continuing in state Superior Court. Although Manalapan is represented by legal counsel in the matter, Gennaro and Cohen — without notifying the counsel — submitted certifications to Judge Dennis O'Brien this past summer. O'Brien, who is presiding in the case, rejected the certifications. Cohen and Gennaro have said the township's legal counsel was not responsive to inquiries they had about the litigation.
Moskovitz later resubmitted both certifications as part of a brief he filed with the court. At the end of the Nov. 12 committee meeting, Committeeman Andrew Lucas proposed the resolution of censure against Cohen and Gennaro. The resolution was supported by Lucas, Mayor Michelle Roth and Committeeman Richard Klauber. Gennaro voted no. Cohen was not present at the meeting, having been released from a hospital that day following a 48-hour stay. Klauber said he was "very troubled" by the action taken by Gennaro and Cohen to submit material to the court without notifying any township official or professional.

"I expect more as a resident of this town and more of them as members of this governing body," he said. "Whatever your reason, you released confidential information. It was a breach of your ethical obligations, whatever your reasons."
Klauber said asking for Cohen and Gennaro to resign from office might be going too far, but said he felt the public censure was appropriate.

Roth observed that there had been a previous instance when Gennaro had chosen to disregard that a document disseminated to the governing body had been marked confidential and had nonetheless made information from the document public.
In defending that action, Gennaro said it was a matter regarding the township's budget and said he had only read aloud a particular excerpt and not the entire document.
Regarding Manalapan's ongoing litigation against Moskovitz, Gennaro said, "I never challenged the merits of the case, it was the mechanics of the case." Gennaro's reaction to the censure was, "You people do what you want." Cohen later said she had no regrets about submitting a document to the judge. She said she had sent the same information in the form of a letter to a judge who had previously been hearing the Manalapan v. Moskovitz case.

Cohen said it was her understanding that the first judge had only rejected her letter because she had not sent it by certified mail. She said she did not think there was anything wrong in resubmitting the information in the form of the certification she said she hand-delivered to O'Brien.
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Manalapan Republicans calling for positive committee campaign

This was reported in today's APP and reported by Alesha Williams Boyd

MANALAPAN — The GOP candidates for Township Committee have challenged their Democratic opponents to limit campaign spending to $5,000 per candidate and limit the signs they post to 250 per campaign.

But the Democrats say they plan to follow state and municipal guidelines — not their opponents' — in a "clean and fact-driven campaign."

"In this economy, never has it been more important to use money efficiently and make the most of every dollar. We're prepared to show the residents of Manalapan that we can do more with less. That's what's needed on the Township Committee," said Republican Ryan D. Green, who is seeking a committee seat in the November election with running mate William Garcia.

The Republican candidates say they're also challenging their opponents not to accept contributions from special interest groups and political action committees and to run a "positive, issues-based campaign."

But the Democratic candidates, Mayor Michelle Roth and running mate Donald Holland, say they already initiated a meeting in August with their opponents to discuss debates and keeping the campaign clean.

"We are pleased to see that the Republicans have agreed with our request for a clean and fact-driven campaign for Township Committee, free of any mud slinging," Roth said. "We intend to make sure the voters are well informed before Election Day utilizing town-wide mailers, walking door-to-door and publicly debating our opponents."

Regarding limiting spending, Roth said she and Holland aren't planning to comply with Green and Garcia's demands, adding "one mailer with postage and printing is over $5,000." Roth said she spent roughly $17,000 on her last political campaign in 2005.

"As always, we will abide by the state regulations concerning campaign spending and contributions," Roth said.

But Green and Garcia said state regulations, which allow the contributions, don't go far enough.

"We need to limit the power of special interest groups in political campaigns in Manalapan, and campaign spending limits are the best way to accomplish that," Garcia said.

"We just wanted to keep the air clear right from the start," Green said. "We just don't want to see third parties having too much say in what happens in Manalapan."

Campaign signs became the focus of another conflict down party lines in December when the Township Committee's Democrats, including Roth, voted against adopting an ordinance that would limit the signs. Republican Committeeman Andrew Lucas then said the signs caused "sight pollution" in town, but Roth said she was concerned the ordinance could violate First Amendment rights.

Green said he wouldn't comment on Roth and Holland's decision not to meet their challenge, but that he and Garcia planned to comply with the limits they set for themselves.

"People are tired of seeing a sign at every turn come the fall political season. Limiting campaign signs is a responsible way to consider the residents of Manalapan," Green said.

Discussion of degrees may come in Sept. ... yeah right

BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer, News Transcript

Members of the audience were not pleased when Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education Attorney Lawrence S. Schwartz advised board members not to discuss the issue of Superintendent of Schools James Wasser's doctorate degree at the Aug. 25 meeting of the board in Englishtown.

Schwartz said Wasser had not been provided with legal notification, referred to as a Rice notice, that the situation involving his receipt of the advanced degree could be or would be discussed by the board.

The board's next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22.

Although the board members did not discuss Wasser specifically, they voted unanimously to accept the recommendations of the state Department of Education's investigative report to adhere to tuition reimbursement procedures that stipulate a reimbursement payment should be made to an individual upon the completion of course work.

Patricia Horvath, Ron Lawson, Joan Leimbach, Diana Cappiello, Kathie Lavin, Christopher Placitella, Thomas Caiazza and Bunny Hammer voted on the matter concerning the tuition reimbursement.

Katie Goon, who is Marlboro's representative to the board, was not present at the meeting. She was out of the country.

The Department of Education's investigation was sparked by a citizen complaint after questions were raised about the validity of doctoral degrees obtained by Wasser, Assistant Superintendent Donna Evangelista and Frank J. Tanzini, a retired assistant superintendent.

Wasser, Evangelista and Tanzini each received a doctorate from Breyer State University, an online institution that until recently was operated from Alabama.

Each administrator was awarded a $2,500 pay increase by the board for receiving a doctorate and the district paid $8,700 in tuition to the university.

Breyer State, which was declared to be an apparent diploma mill by the Alabama Community College System Department of Postsecondary Education, was unable to have its operating license renewed in Alabama in July. The school is said to now operate out of Idaho, but an operator told Greater Media Newspapers there is no listing for the school in the state.

The Department of Education's report found no violations except in the matter of tuition being paid by the FRHSD directly to Breyer State instead of being reimbursed to the individuals after they had paid the costs associated with the online school.

While the board members accepted the report of examination, they did not discuss recommendations made in the report by the Department of Education into what ways they may wish to adjust the school district's existing policies and contracts, which currently do not require a degree from a federally recognized accredited institution.

Part of the issue surrounding the degrees awarded by Breyer State concerns the fact that while the online institution is accredited by a private organization, that accrediting organization is not recognized by the federal government.

There have been questions raised about the legitimacy of the organization that accredited Breyer State and one other institution.

Schwartz suggested that all discussions and considerations related to the Department of Education recommendations be heard at the board's Sept. 22 meeting.

When the board's attorney noted that a Rice notice had not been provided to the administrators in question, Placitella, an attorney who is Colts Neck's representative on the board, asked if it would be illegal to discuss the situation that evening without the notice having been provided.

Schwartz said it would be illegal and explained that a Rice notice must be provided to an employee three to four days in advance of the meeting at which the matter may be a potential subject of discussion.

Residents asked why Wasser was not provided with a Rice notice when it was evident that concerned citizens would want the topic addressed at the Aug. 25 meeting. The subject of the administrators' online degrees was initially discussed by members of the public at the board's July 28 meeting.

"We will be prepared as a law firm to come forward with all changes that we deem necessary for you to look at or possibly adopt," Schwartz told the board in regard to possible policy revisions.

In a statement she issued on Aug. 21, Goon asked Wasser, Evangelista and Tanzini to return the tuition money and pay increases or, in the case of Wasser and Evangelista, to resign from their positions in the FRHSD.

Evangelista is the assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum/instruction, according to the district's Internet Web site.

Wasser oversees the operation of the entire district, which has six high schools and just under 12,000 students enrolled. He has been the superintendent since late 1998.

Wasser was an FRHSD assistant superintendent at the time Daniel McGuire left the position of superintendent in early 1998. Wasser was immediately named the interim superintendent and subsequently appointed as superintendent several months later.

Schwartz said since Goon was absent from the Aug. 25 meeting, any discussions relating to this topic should be conducted when she is present.

Some board members appeared frustrated at not being able to discuss the possible policy changes that evening.

Leimbach, who is one of Howell's two representatives on the board, asked if the board members could at least discuss what they may want to see included the district's policies.

"Yes, but forgive me, I think we (the legal firm) should have an opportunity to tell you what we think should go into those policies," Schwartz responded.

Leimbach said all contracts should now be reviewed for other possible loopholes that are not yet known.

The floor was opened to public comment.

One woman sarcastically complimented the board on orchestrating the strategy of not issuing a Rice notice to Wasser, which prevented board members from commenting on the superintendent.

A

nother speaker, Edward Tobias, discussed

the issue of accreditation. He said receiving that status is voluntary and would not guarantee the type of education an individual would receive. Tobias said the individuals' longstanding records with the school district should be considered more than the accreditation of their degrees.

"While accreditation may be a good thing, we must realize it's not the only thing," he said.

Other residents said teachers work hard, especially in attaining their degrees, and expressed the general belief that the way in which the three administrators' received their advanced degree was wrong.

Applause filled the meeting room when one woman told Wasser that if he is going to be the district's superintendent, he has to deserve it.

Marlboro resident Barry Hochberg asked the board members if they would tolerate this type of situation in their own businesses. Requesting that board members ask for the tuition money and raises to be returned to the district, Hochberg encouraged members of public to reject future school budgets and to elect new representatives to the board if their expectations are not met.

Manalapan couple led cocaine ring

Federal authorities are alleging that this home at the corner of Taylors Mills and Tennent roads in Manalapan was the base of operations for an international cocaine ring that was smashed with a series of arrests on May 29.

Prosecutor estimates take from drug sales at $1 million per week.
Article by Kathy Baratta, News Transcript

The investigation of an international narcotics distribution and money-laundering network based in Manalapan has resulted in multiple arrests, including two Manalapan residents.

The joint county and federal investigation, dubbed Operation Unbounded, alleges the ring was generating $1 million per week, authorities said.

Flanked by local and federal law enforcement officials at a June 2 press conference in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin announced that a joint effort that began in spring 2007 ago netted the arrest of seven individuals so far. Officials said the investigation is continuing.

Two of the individuals arrested, Chantal Esteves, 30, who is currently in the Monmouth County jail, Freehold Township, with bail set at $5 million, and her husband, Vicente Esteves, 35, who is jailed on $10 million bail, live in a home at 162 Taylors Mills Road that Valentin described as being "something like out of

Scarface.' "

"Scarface" is a film starring Al Pacino playing the role of a drug lord.

The Esteveses' large home is at the corner of Taylors Mills and Tennent roads. The property is surrounded by trees that help shield the home from view.

Chantal and Vicente Esteves were charged with operating a major cocainedistribution network and money-laundering operation that spanned several countries.

Valentin said Vicente Esteves was the recognized head of the organization and said Chantal Esteves ran the organization when her husband was out of the country.

If convicted, those arrested face 10 years in prison for conspiracy and 10 years for money laundering, according to officials.

According to Valentin, the couple had set up a "business front" to launder the money generated by the sale of the drugs. He would not elaborate on the operations of what he referred to as the "shell business" except to characterize it as a "company used to transfer real property."

According to Gerald McAleer, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge of the investigation who was present at the press conference, "This was a major ring. Dismantlement of such an organization is a DEA goal so no one else can step right in.

"We used every tool in our tool box," he said, noting that drugs associated with the ring were seized throughout the state.

Officials estimated that the drug ring was bringing in profits that amounted to $1 million per week.

Valentin said when the Esteves home was raided by law enforcement officers on May 29, an unspecified amount of cash was seized, along with about $1 million worth of jewelry. The confiscated jewelry included 100 Rolex watches.

"I'm not sure that Donald Trump has 100 Rolex watches," the prosecutor said.

Valentin said Chantal Esteves had a walk-in closet so full of designer shoes that boxes were marked with photographs to show each pair.

According to Valentin, in the course of the arrests of all the individuals, more than 150 pounds of cocaine was seized, along with $2 million in United States currency. The prosecutor would not specify the amount of cash that was seized at the Esteves home.

Valentin said that at the peak of the organization's operation, the ring was distributing more than 1,000 kilograms (2,000 pounds) of cocaine per month.

Valentin said the estimated street value of the cocaine seized by law enforcement authorities exceeds $2 million. He said major airports were used to bring the drugs in from countries such as Mexico and Colombia.

When asked if airline employees were involved in the activities, Valentin said he would not comment.

He also would not comment on the whereabouts of the Esteveses' two minor children, except to say that as far as he knew, they are with relatives.

A seizure order has been filed on the Esteves residence and an individual from the prosecutor's office was seen affixing a notice to the front door of the TaylorMills Road residence in the hour preceding the June 2 press conference.

Others charged in connection with the drug ring are Alfurquan Barringer, 34, of South River; Mark Edwards, 39, of Metuchen; Hector Rodriguez, 40, of Perth Amboy; Michael Lopez, 35, of Perth Amboy; and Cesar Robert Cabrera- Cepeda, 39, of Old Bridge. They were all charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.

Edwards, both Esteveses, Lopez and Rodriguez were also charged with first-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity, which Valentin explained is commonly referred to as money laundering.

Manalapan: GOP PRIMARY JUNE 3 - ***VOTE COLUMN 1***

Candidates vie for GOP nomination

Manalapan Republican County Committee
has nominated Ryan Green and William Garcia

...there's a reason why...

****** ON JUNE 3rd - VOTE COLUMN 1 ******

From left to right: Kalman, Steven, Ryan, William

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer

Four residents are continuing their campaign to secure the Manalapan Republican Party nomination in the June 3 primary and earn a place on the November general election ballot.

Two three-year terms on the Manalapan Township Committee will be up for grabs in the November general election.

The Manalapan Republican County Committee has nominated Ryan Green andWilliam Garcia to run for seats on the committee. They are being challenged in the primary by Kalman Budai and Steven Johnson.

The Manalapan Democratic County Committee has nominated Township Committeewoman Michelle Roth, who is serving as Manalapan's mayor this year, and Donald Holland to run for seats on the committee. Roth and Holland are unchallenged in the primary.

Individuals who are eligible to vote in the June 3 Republican primary are those people who are already registered as a Republican, or any unaffiliated individual who shows up at the polls on Election Day and registers as a Republican, according to Municipal Clerk Rose Ann Weeden.

Weeden said that after the primary election, people who switched from unaffiliated to Republican in order to vote in the primary may reregister as unaffiliated.

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 3 at the municipality's regular polling places.

Green, 28, is a 20-year resident of Manalapan. He is a school social worker with the Perth Amboy School District in Middlesex County. Green is a member of the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education. If he wins the June 3 primary and is eventually elected to the Township Committee in November, he will have to resign from the school board.

Garcia, 42, is a project manager for a major financial institution in New York City. He has lived in Manalapan for two years.

Budai, 50, has been a resident of Manalapan for 12 years. He is the owner of a ceramic tile company. Prior to that he was a dispatcher for the Suburban Transit Bus Company.

Johnson, 54, is employed in the office automation business, He has been a Manalapan resident for 11 years. He said that in the past he has been responsible for managing a staff of 50 people and a business operating budget of $30 million.

•••

Budai and Johnson, who sought the Republican County Committee nomination but did not receive it, said they decided to mount a primary challenge and run for the Township Committee because Green and Garcia are, in their words, candidates "in name only." They said neither man was a registered Republican until February.

Green and Garcia responded to that broadside.

According to Green, who grew up in Manalapan and was re-elected to a second term on the school board in April, he had always kept his political registration as unaffiliated because he felt doing so would "leave the politics out of the school board, where I don't believe they belong."

However, Green said he has always been a Republican "philosophically" - a term Garcia also embraced when told that was how Green had put it - and has always voted Republican.

Speaking about his voting record on the school board, Green said, "I think my voting record as a fiscal conservative while on the board speaks to my Republican mind-set."

Garcia said when he moved to Manalapan from Queens, N.Y., in 2006, he registered as a Republican when he registered his motor vehicles and took care of other tasks. At least, he said he thought he had done so. He said it was not until he was looking into voting in the upcoming presidential election that he found out his voting registration had not been properly filed and he was listed in his voter affiliation as unaffiliated.

Garcia said he has been a registered Republican since he was 18. He said he explained all this to the selection committee at the time of his interview "and they were OK with it once it was explained."

•••

All four men who are running for a seat on the public body that governs Manalapan were asked to name something they like about the community.

Garcia said it was the "good schools and spaciousness" that hooked him when he was looking for a New Jersey community to move his family into; that and the fact his wife had family in the area made it a marriage of suburban ideals and commuter convenience, given Manalapan's proximity to Wall Street via public transportation.

Green said that given the fact that he grew up in Manalapan, he thought it would be almost impossible to instantly come up with a particular observation. Then he recounted something that happened in the past few weeks that reminded him how much he loves living in Manalapan and is looking forward to raising a family here.

He said shortly after moving into the home in the Yorktowne development where he now resides, there was a knock on the door. Green, who will be married in June, said he almost could not believe it, but "it was a neighbor from the block with an apple pie who just wanted to say 'welcome to the neighborhood.' It's people like that who remind you what a great place Manalapan is to live."

Johnson also mentioned the people who make up the community, but said there are other things he likes aboutManalapan.

"I like that we have Monmouth Battlefield State Park. I like that we have a fourtime championship cheerleading squad and I like that we have the western branch of theMonmouth County Library."

Budai, who has been a member of several committees and boards, including the Manalapan Recreation Advisory Board, said some of the highlights of Manalapan are manifested in its recreation center and programs.

"Manalapan's ball fields are state-ofthe art and the best in the county, if not the state," he said, while also alluding to what he called the spirit of the community and its residents, particularly those who volunteer for municipal boards and committees.

"We have the best volunteers and our police department is second to none. It's just the spirit of the community; it's everybody from the youngsters to the seniors," Budai said.

•••

Budai said he believes his experience as a business owner would serve him well as an elected official. He said his previous employment with Suburban Transit would give him an understanding of issues facing commuters and transportation companies.

Speaking about municipal finances, Budai said he would examine each municipal department to look at the staffing levels and the efficiency of the department with an eye on trimming costs.

Johnson said he would concentrate on finalizing plans for The Village at Manalapan, a 500,000-square-foot retail-commercial complex planned for the intersection of Millhurst Road and Route 33. The project received preliminary approval from the Planning Board more than a year ago but has never gotten off the ground for a variety of reasons.

"We should be concentrating on getting these ratables instead of spending a million bucks on a sports field," Johnson said, alluding to the construction of an $800,000 artificial turf playing field of which he has been critical.

Garcia said his professional expertise would serve him well in reviewing a municipal budget "to see where our money is being spent and how we could make operations more efficient."

However, said Garcia, "I would never advocate cuts that would adversely affect our safety and services."

He said he would focus attention on the types of service contracts the township has on all of its equipment in an effort to see if there can be consolidation and savings.

"It is the little things that add up," he said.

•••

All four candidates were asked why they should be the person Republicans choose on June 3 to run for a seat on the Township Committee in November.

"First and foremost, I am a husband and a father involved in community activities. I am one of my neighbors. I am not a politician," Garcia said. "Bill Garcia was born a Republican and a fiscal conservative. My blood is Republican and I want smaller government."

Green said his experience on the Manalapan Englishtown school board gives him a leg up because of that unique perspective and because the school district has been working with Manalapan to develop a shared services agreement. Green said he has been involved with the development of that agreement.

"I have the right experience at the right time," he said, adding that one area he would examine as a member of the Township Committee would be the administration salaries for Manalapan's summer recreation program, which he said have been increased for 2008.

Speaking about himself and Budai, Johnson said, "We are experienced, hardworking people dedicated to the town. That is who should be running in the general election."

Budai said if he is elected to the Township Committee, he will not take municipal health benefits. He estimated that decision would save taxpayers between $15,000 and $17,000 per year.

Johnson also decried taxpayers paying for health benefits for the members of the governing body. He said Township Committee members should get their health insurance through their place of employment and not expect the taxpayers to pay for health benefits for what is basically a part-time job.
-----------

Remember - vote for the True Republicans -
the ones selected by the nominating committee.
************ VOTE COLUMN 1 ********************

Republicans will have primary in Manalapan

News Transcript - BY KATHY BARATTA and MARK ROSMAN

There will be a Republican primary in Manalapan in June as four candidates seek the nod to run for two seats on the Township Committee in the November general election.

As previously announced, Ryan Green and William Garcia were nominated by the Manalapan Republican Party to run for a pair of three-year terms. They will run under the banner of the Monmouth County Republican Organization.

On April 7, which was the deadline for candidates associated with a party to file to run, Kalman “Butch” Budai Jr. and Steven Johnson filed paperwork with the Township Clerk’s Office to run under the banner of Manalapan Republicans.

The decision by Budai and Johnson to run for the committee appears to confirm behind-the-scenes maneuvers that have been taking place in Manalapan over the past week and signals a split in the Manalapan Republican Party.

Budai and Johnson were unsuccessful in their bids two weeks ago to secure the nomination of the Manalapan Republican Party to run for the Township Committee.

Municipal Clerk Rose Ann Weeden said Budai and Johnson stated their desire to have their own line on the ballot, and said they also filed candidates to seek seats on the Manalapan Republican County Committee.

The county committee is made up of residents from each voting district in the municipality and helps to select individuals to run for office.

Neither Budai nor Johnson returned messages left by the News Transcript over the weekend of April 5-6. The News Transcript was calling to ask if they were planning to force a showdown among Republican voters in the June primary.

Several Republicans confirmed to the News Transcript over the weekend that they had been approached by individuals who asked them to start a breakaway faction of Republicans.

Richard Frenkiel and his wife, Maizie, said they were solicited for membership in the new organization, but declined to join.

Richard Frenkiel is a former member of the Township Committee who served as mayor during his term of office. Both are members of the Manalapan Republican County Committee.

Maizie Frenkiel said her decision not to leave the regular Republican organization was an easy one because not only was the Manalapan Republican Party’s strength being jeopardized, she also felt the matter spoke to the loyalty of Manalapan’s registered Republicans.

“I hate to see the party split. It’s never a good thing to split the party. I understand there have been disagreements, but I wish they (reform Republican candidates) would simply run in a primary rather than starting a new party,” she said.

“I was approached to join (the Manalapan Reform Republican Party) by another (regular Republican) county committee person and I refused. I have been a member of the regular Republican Party for 30 years and a county committee person for just as long. I didn’t think it was appropriate to switch. I told them it’s a matter of loyalty,” she said.

Richard Frenkiel offered his thoughts on the idea of forming a new Republican faction, saying, “If people formed a new party every time there was a disagreement there wouldn’t be a party.”

Manalapan resident and political gadfly Rhoda Chodosh, who is a regular attendee at Township Committee meetings, has been aManalapan Republican County Committee member for two years. Chodosh said she was approached by a member of the county committee in an effort to get her to join the reform faction.

She said she refused the offer, saying her reason for doing so was also about party loyalty.

“I’m staying where I am because I want strong Republicans in Manalapan. Being on the county committee is not only about the municipal level. It’s more than just the one - I look at the whole, the greater good of the party.”

Manalapan Republican Party Chairman Stephen McEnery said, “The Republican Party is made up of individuals who want to work toward making Manalapan a better place for their families.Whenever a splinter group forms, chaos develops and family focus disappears. Friends and neighbors start to distrust each other and sometimes become enemies. It has happened in Howell,Marlboro,Wall and other towns that have lost their focus.When two parties debate on issues it’s about beliefs. When a party splits it’s not about beliefs, it’s about ego.

“Ego exists through all levels of politics, but when it becomes just about ego with little regard for the township, the residents need to reject that behavior. When people such as Butch Budai, who was the low vote-getter at our convention, uses his position as a party boss to bring people together for him, it’s called a gang, not a party.

“The Republican County Committee in Manalapan had an election for candidates and some people lost. Such is life. But this is not Steve McEnery’s party, it’s simply the Republican Party of Manalapan. It was here long before I was elected chairman and it will be here long after I’m gone.”

Manalapan/Englishtown: Teachers picket school board

More than 150 teachers — carrying signs with slogans such as "No contract, still working, always caring" — protested outside Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools' Main Street administration offices Monday, urging district officials to settle contract negotiations as soon as possible.

Among sticking points in the negotiations are salary and benefits, said teachers of the Manalapan-Englishtown Education Association, who have been working without a contract since June.

But district officials, who did not wish to discuss specifics Monday, said they've offered a fair settlement that teachers won't accept.

Association President Ken Weber, a teacher at Pine Brook School, said in his recollection the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade district has settled a contract only once before it expired in his 30-plus years working there.

"I'd like someone to explain why it's fair to offer teachers in Manalapan the second lowest increase in the county," Weber said before the demonstration, which preceded a fact-finding session at administration offices Monday night. "If someone can explain to us how that's fair, we'll take a look at it."

The district is offering teachers below the 4.64 percent average 2007-08 salary increase in Monmouth County, Weber said, although he would not divulge what the number was. He was flanked during the protest by New Jersey Education Association President Joyce Powell, who attended the rally to lend her support to the association's cause.

(Just for the record, I got a raise of 3% and was very happy)

Manalapan: Manalapan High to continue police presence

MANALAPAN — The increased police presence will continue at the high school tomorrow, after a parent overheard a student speaking about rumors that a shooting would take place at the building today , authorities said.

Around 4 p.m. Tuesday, the high school principal called police to tell them he had received a call from the concerned parent, authorities said.

Detective Matthew Trembow and Patrolman Daniel Carey launched an investigation and they could not substantiate the threat, police said.

Meanwhile, the principal put all school officials on alert. Police are continuing their investigation, and they also had increased presence at the school today.

Manalapan: Teacher admits drinking at Pinebrook school

PLEA DEAL: Substitute faces 5 years in prison, must forfeit teaching license

A substitute teacher who showed up in a Manalapan elementary school drunk pleaded guilty to a lone charge of endangering the welfare of a child and will forfeit her teaching license as part of her plea agreement.

Mary J. Kaminski, 54, of Eagle Way, Middletown, admitted to Superior Court Judge Francis P. DeStefano she had started drinking alcohol on the morning of Dec. 5, 2007, and that she arrived drunk to sit in a fourth-grade classroom at Pine Brook Elementary School in Manalapan.

Kaminski admitted she put the kids at risk of harm by her actions.

Kaminski was called in to the Pine Brook Elementary School to fill in for an absent teacher, but her bizarre behavior in the classroom prompted several students to seek out school Principal Michael D'Anna.

The students reported Kaminski fell out of her chair, had difficulty in getting up and was generally acting erratically. He immediately went to the room to investigate.

The subsequent investigation found that Kaminski had hidden the alcohol in a coffee mug that she carried around the classroom.

Kaminski became a certified elementary school teacher for students from prekindergarten through eighth-grade in New Jersey in 1986 through a reciprocal agreement with another state and recently retired from a school in New Jersey.

Kaminski faces five years in prison when she appears for sentencing on May 23. She remains free on $25,000 bail.

Manalapan asks Englishtown to help pay for recreation waivers

MANALAPAN - The Manalapan summer recreation program will no longer pick up the cost of economic waivers for children from Englishtown who cannot pay the $500 registration fee.

Manalapan is asking Englishtown to cover the costs for children from that town who cannot pay to participate in the summer program.

Manalapan officials are still waiting to hear back from Englishtown representatives on a letter that was sent to the Englishtown Borough Council regarding economic waivers for the 2008 summer recreation program, according to Mayor Michelle Roth.

Roth was discussing the recent reorganization of the Manalapan Recreation Advisory Board when she noted that a letter which had been sent to Englishtown several months ago regarding the attendance of Englishtown youths at Manalapan's summer recreation program has gone unanswered.

Roth said it is only fair to expect Englishtown to contribute something toward the summer recreation program expenses.

"We welcome everyone into our summer program, however, the only waivers we will be continuing to consider will be for Manalapan residents. It's not fair to Manalapan taxpayers and really is the responsibility of the Englishtown Borough Council" to provide payment for Englishtown children who cannot afford to pay for the recreation program, she said, adding, "We are anxiously awaiting a response from Englishtown."

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Manalapan: Mayor Michelle Roth updates on the Woodward Road Project

Road work is now estimated to be completed by the end of July

Mayor Michelle Roth provided an update at the Feb. 13 Township Committee meeting regarding the ongoing improvements to Woodward Road. According to Roth, because of recent favorable weather conditions the project is currently ahead of schedule.

Officials had stated in recent weeks that improvements on Woodward Road would keep the portion of the street that lies between Millhurst and Daum roads closed until the end of August.

Last week Roth said the work may be completed by the end of July.

The mayor said there had been some concern about keeping the schedule due to an "unforeseen utility conflict, but we were able to resolve that very quickly."

She said it is important for the builder, Hovnanian, and the township to complete the Woodward Road improvements as quickly as possible. Hovnanian is making the improvements in conjunction with the development of housing along Woodward Road.

According to Roth, there has been a threshold established on the number of building permits that will be issued until the road work is completed. The schedule will also affect the issuance of certificates of occupancy on completed construction.

Another planned road improvement project, this one at the intersection of Iron Ore and High Bridge roads, is not moving as quickly, but that does not mean the project has been halted, according to township engineer Greg Valesi.

Valesi said he has met with residents who will be affected by the road project in order to hear their concerns.

According to Valesi, the planned road improvements require Manalapan to acquire about 10 feet of frontage from some Iron Ore Road and High Bridge Road residents in order to make the needed improvements.

"It looks like it will be a minimal amount of land we'll need to acquire on both of those roads," he said.

However, the township may need to acquire more than 10 feet on what is referred to as Little Mount Vernon Road in order to make the intersection improvements at Iron Ore and High Bridge roads, he said.

According to Valesi, residents of Little Mount Vernon Road voiced concern because the potential exists for Manalapan to have to acquire more than 10 feet on their properties.

Valesi said he will examine the possibility of revising the conceptual sketches in an attempt to mitigate the residents' concerns.

The planned improvements to the intersection that is just outside of Englishtown where Mount Vernon, Iron Ore and High Bridge roads come together have been under discussion and in the planning stages for about five years. Coming from Route 33, the intersection is on a curve in Iron Ore Road and drivers must slow down and navigate a large hump to get onto High Bridge Road and head into Englishtown.

BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer News Transcript

Marlboro: Ex-mayor wants town to dismiss suit against him

Marlboro asserts damage done by bribed officials

A complaint filed by Marlboro Township in November asserts that the town was indeed damaged by the actions of four former public officials who accepted more than $300,000 in bribes from real estate developers between 1997 and 2004.

Marlboro claims that the corrupt activity by those officials resulted in increased development and a corresponding increase in the need for public services, such as roads and schools. As a result, the town would like to recoup damages of at least $300,000.

But one of those corrupt officials — former Mayor Matthew V. Scannapieco, who admitted accepting $245,000 in cash and awaits sentencing — contends that Marlboro has no proof of such harm and is asking a judge to dismiss the township’s complaint.

“It is legal and political folly,” Scannapieco’s lawyer, Douglas J. Katich, said Tuesday of the complaint.

And a motion Katich filed Feb. 12 to dismiss the complaint states that Marlboro has failed to “allege or set forth any injury to its property or business.”

At the core of the dispute is the township’s contention that the four former public officials — Scannapieco; Planning Board member Stanley Young; municipal utilities chairman Richard Vuola, and Western Monmouth Utilities Authority executive director Frank Abate — conspired with real estate developers to defraud the township.

The real estate developers named in the complaint are Anthony Spalliero and his son, Joseph Spalliero; brothers Bernard and Steven Meiterman, and Edward Kay, who worked with the Meitermans.

All of the public officials have either pleaded guilty or been convicted of accepting or passing bribes. All of the developers except Joseph Spalliero have pleaded guilty to bribing officials. Joseph Spalliero has pleaded innocent and awaits trial.

The November complaint was filed in federal court and claims the officials and the developers engaged in a pattern of racketeering, in violation of federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act.

Robert Kleinberg, who was mayor of Marlboro when the complaint was filed, said Tuesday the actions of the corrupt public officials and developers will have long-term effects on the township.

“When you build more houses, you have to hire more police, you have to pave more roads, you have to have more schools, you have to hire more teachers,” Kleinberg said. “People don’t understand what the cost of corruption is.”

Katich, who represents Scannapieco, said towns are barred, under the applicable federal law, from suing to recover the cost of municipal damages.

Stephen N. Dratch, an attorney representing Marlboro, said Tuesday the township is “on firm ground” legally.

He said that if the case is eventually dismissed by a federal judge, the township would likely pursue other charges against the former officials, such as official misconduct, in state court.

“This thing is not going away,” Dratch said.

Oral arguments in the motion to dismiss have been requested for March 17 before U.S. District Judge Joel A. Pisano.