Mary Jo Fabiano & Ralph Borgess For Middletown Township Committee

www.abettermiddletown.com

Candidates for Township Committee, Mary Jo Fabiano & Ralph Borgess Pledge to Do What It Takes to Stop MCRP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 15, 2016

Middletown Township Committee Candidates Mary Jo Fabiano and Ralph Borgess announced that, when elected, they will do everything it takes to oppose the Monmouth County Reliability Project (MCRP). They expressed disappointment with how the Township Committee has handled JCP&L’s proposal. They stated that the Committee is not acting aggressively enough to challenge JCP&L’s conclusions that allegedly support the project.

The MCRP has been proposed by JCP&L and includes installing a 230kV power line along the NJ Transit right of way from Red Bank to Aberdeen. The power lines will be installed on monopoles that could reach as high as 200 feet.

Ralph Borgess said that the Township needs to be more aggressive in approaching this issue. “Maser Consulting, the engineering firm contracted by the township as a utility expert needs to analyze the project from two perspectives:

1. Is the project necessary?
2. If necessary can the project be constructed in a way that minimizes the negative impact on Middletown residents?

There are better ways to advance the project, if it deemed to be necessary, while protecting the health of the residents in the path of the electric lines and preserve property values.”

Mary Jo Fabiano cited health concerns that may be caused by exposure to high voltage electrical lines. “This project runs along the NJ Transit train line, which is in close proximity to a number of schools as well as over 400 residences. Can we take the chance of continually exposing residents and children without conclusive data telling us this is safe?”

Both candidates agree that, if the need is there, this project should be moved underground where there are no unsightly monopoles and it is shielded by the earth it is buried in so that any negative health consequences are minimized.

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Mary Jo Fabiano and Ralph Borgess are Democratic candidates for the Middletown Township Committee website: www.ABetterMiddletown.com

Middletown Candidates Launch Website

Democratic Candidates for Middletown township Committee, Mary Jo Fabiano and Ralph Borgess have launched their campaign website ABetterMiddletown.com.

The launch of the website was timed to correlate with the beginning of the candidates door to door efforts, which began last night in the Bayshore. For those interested, I suggest you check out the website and learn a little about both Mary Jo and Ralph and what their plan is to make Middletown a better place to live.

Below you will find their bio's from the website to get you started.

Mary Jo Fabiano spent a summer in Middletown in 1967 as her family planned their move from Newark to the suburbs. Mary Jo’s parents, Candy and Ed “Doc” Frable, selected a home in neighboring Keansburg. As her mother delved into community and church service in the Bayshore area, Mary Jo’s father continued to work for the Newark Police Department to provide for his family. Mary Jo first sowed her seeds in Middletown in 1973 when she enrolled at Mater Dei High School. Lifelong friendships and ties to the community blossomed. In a home where education was valued and charitable work was modeled, Mary Jo chose a career in Education. She received her BA in Education from Seton Hall University and an MA in Elementary Education from Kean University. In 1994, Mary Jo and her husband Nick, decided to make his home in Middletown, their family home. They have raised two daughters. The oldest attends college and the youngest is enrolled in the Middletown public school system.

Mary Jo has been a teacher in the Keansburg school system since 1984. Mary Jo is the President of the Keansburg Education Association and is the Corresponding Secretary for the Monmouth County Education Association. The local union raises funds for Cancer, Heart and Autism Awareness and participates in holiday gift drives, community food drives and Jeans for Troops. Mary Jo personally serves on the Keansburg School District Health and Safety Committee, which was formed to reduce injury in the workplace. Her role at the county level brings a unique perspective as she works with educators across the county supporting community involvement.

In addition to her time in the classroom, Mary Jo has organized and participated in community based committees designed to improve quality of life inside and outside of school. Among the committees are the KEA PRIDE in Education Committee, which provides educational information and motivational free giveaways to attendees at school community events, and the KEA Philanthropic Committee, which coordinates scholarships to graduating seniors and has increased donations eight fold over the past 5 years.

Mary Jo’s professional and personal relationships and affiliations have enabled her to gain an understanding of the issues and concerns that are present throughout the Township. As an active member of the Middletown community, she sees firsthand the challenges confronted by residents and has formulated strategies to address these challenges. Transparency, objectivity, collaboration, diplomacy, compassion and knowledge are talents that Mary Jo has used in her advocacy and are easily adaptable to governmental service. Mary Jo anticipates that these talents will guide her in representing all of the residents in Middletown.


Ralph Borgess and his family moved to the Middletown Bayshore community of Port Monmouth several years ago. Like many other Bayshore residents, the Borgess family suffered significant damage to their home as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Ralph is intimately familiar with the struggle residents are enduring as they try to rebuild and restore their lives from the upheaval brought about by Sandy. Ralph feels strongly that the needs of flood victims have not been adequately addressed by the Township Committee and that a much more responsive, organized effort is needed to adopt flood protection measures and to ensure the restoration of shore communities and the rebuilding of lives.
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Ralph cites the ongoing neglect of the Bayshore and the lack of support the residents received from the Town during and after Superstorm Sandy for prompting him to run for office.
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Ralph is an Occupational Health & Safety Manager and does part-time home inspections as the owner of Borgess Home Inspections. As the owner of a small business, Ralph is acutely aware of the need for sound financial planning and execution of the plan to make his business successful. Indeed if sound financial planning is absent from the operation of Ralph’s business, the business suffers. Ralph will bring his business skill and experience to the Township Committee. Ralph established and is the administrator of the Facebook page, “Port Monmouth NJ Flood Relief”, is a member of “Stop FEMA Now” and volunteers his time coaching Monmouth County Youth Flag Football. His wife Stephanie is a stay at home mom, who takes care of their 3 young sons.