Why Is This News? "Middletown Flood Gates Turned On As High Tide Looms"

Why is it newsworthy everytime someone does their job to make sure that the Port Monmouth flood gates are closed prior to an event that has the potential to flood the streets and homes of residents? I'll tell you why, because the Township is often negligent of its duties. So, when the Patch has to post an article titled "Middletown Flood Gates Turned On As High Tide Looms", for the purpose of letting residents in the area know that the flood gates will actual be closed and they can breath a sigh of relief, it becomes newsworthy because often the flood gates are left open.

At last month's LWV Candidate Forum between Tony Perry and myself, Perry blamed the NJDEP for not getting the gates closed. Perry took no responsibility whatsoever for past failures that caused mass flooding in the area that has lead to property damage to residences. He stated that the Township isn't responsible for the operation of the gates, that the NJDEP is. To me and many others, that is unacceptable.

As acting mayor, Perry has a responsibility to make sure the Township is proactive in ensuring that those flood gates get closed when needed. Whether it is the responsibility of Township Administrator, Tony Mercantante, Director of Public Works, Ted Maloney, or Perry himself, someone needs to make sure those flood gates get closed by proactively making a call. Simply blaming the NJDEP is just passing the buck!

Or how about this, if the NJDEP is in total control of activating the flood gates during times of potential flooding that would be caused by an extreme weather incident or full moon, why not take the responsibility of closing the gates away from the NJDEP? Why not take on the responsibility yourself to ensure that residents don't need to worry about their homes, cars or other property becoming a casualty of Mother Nature? A casualty mind you, that is preventable with a little foresight and effort on the part of our governing body.      

    

FYI - Private Haulers Can Include "Special" Charges On Invoice In Solid Waste Collection Tariff

From Middletown Public Information:

On Wednesday, December 19th the Township stated that a private hauler cannot legally charge a resident for can retrieval according to the State of New Jersey’s Customer Bill of Rights for Solid Waste Collection.

Since yesterday, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection made Township officials aware that some private haulers include “Exchange Fees” as a special charge on their invoice in their solid waste collection tariff. Since there is no provision in the laws governing solid waste that precludes a solid waste collector from charging “Special or Additional charges”, the Department of Environmental Protection cannot declare a private hauler’s charge to be in violation of the Solid Waste Utility Control Act (ref. N.J.A.C. 7:26H-4.4(b)(3)).

Township residents are welcome to contact the Division of Solid and Hazardous Waste’s Economic Regulation Unit at (609) 984-4250 or swutility@dep.nj.gov

ICYM - Pt Monmouth Flood Control Project Info Session Oct 29

Middletown Public Information - 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), will be holding a public information session to provide a status update on the Port Monmouth Flood Control Project which will include briefing the current alignment, phases and features of the project with some visual aids. The Corps will also provide an update on the status of the upcoming construction contracts.

Details concerning the public information session are as follows:

Date: October 29, 2015
Time: 7-9 PM Location: VFW Post 2179 , 1 Veterans Ln
Port Monmouth, NJ 07758 , (732) 787-0999

The Port Monmouth Flood Control project involves the construction of about 7,070 feet of levees, 3,585 feet of floodwalls, 2,640 feet of dune, and beach renourishment at 10-year intervals along the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay in Port Monmouth Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Army Corps of Engineers will execute 5 construction contracts in order to complete this project. The entire project cost is an estimated $105M. The first contract involved building a new groin, pier extension, dune and beach berm system. It also included 2,640 feet of protective dunes with a wide flat beach berm in front of the dune and nourishment of the beach with roughly 400,000 cubic yards of sand. The project was completed in June 2015 and cost roughly $18M.

Detailed design work is ongoing for work to be accomplished in the 2nd phase of the Project which will include a system of levees, floodwall, closure gates, pump stations, road raising and other elements to reduce risks from coastal flooding. The Corps expects to begin awarding contracts for the 2nd phase in May 2016.

Pallone Urges Rejection of Inadequate Settlement between Christie Administration and ExxonMobil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2015


WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released his public comment letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) urging the rejection of the Christie Administration’s proposed settlement in the State’s lawsuit against ExxonMobil Corporation for the company’s contamination of two oil refineries in New Jersey. Pallone is also encouraging New Jerseyans to submit public comments to NJDEP before the June 5 deadline.

In March, the Christie Administration announced its decision to settle New Jersey’s $8.9 billion environmental damage lawsuit against ExxonMobil for a mere $225 million. The proposed settlement came after an 11-year legal battle to recover damages from ExxonMobil for the contamination of more than 1,800 acres of wetlands, marshes, meadows and waters in northern New Jersey.

“I encourage New Jerseyans who have concerns with the Christie Administration’s proposed settlement with ExxonMobil to join me in submitting a public comment,” said Congressman Pallone. “It is important that we let our voices be heard on the Christie Administration’s misguided decision, which threatens to destroy years of hard work and set an extremely dangerous precedent for future polluters to degrade our state with virtually no consequences.”

Pallone is also concerned that a small percentage of the already insufficient settlement could be used for clean-up and remediation of the environmental damage because only the first $50 million of environmental damage settlements is required to be set aside for such purposes. As Pallone notes in his letter, he is disappointed that Governor Christie recently vetoed legislation in New Jersey to require money from these settlements to go towards clean-up.

In his letter, Congressman Pallone wrote, “I was sent to Congress in 1988 to put a stop to ocean dumping and the reckless industrialization of the Jersey Shore. Ensuring the ecological vitality of New Jersey’s coastline and waterways has always been one of my top priorities. This insufficient settlement is an affront to the long term objective of cleaning up New Jersey’s legacy of toxic contamination.”


The full text of Congressman Pallone’s letter is HERE.

Pallone, Pascrell, Sires, Watson Coleman, Norcross Urge Rejection of Proposed Exxon Settlement

     Lawmakers cite prospect of settlement funds being diverted away to balance NJ state budget

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, joined Reps. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Donald Norcross (NJ-01) in sending a letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in strong opposition to the Christie Administration’s proposed settlement in the State’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corporation for the company’s contamination of two oil refineries in New Jersey.

“Despite the fact that the State Attorney General’s office was seeking a nearly $9 billion settlement, the Christie Administration opted for a settlement of $225 million in damages – roughly three cents on the dollar – and does not require Exxon to fully restore the land to its original condition,” the lawmakers wrote. “The proposed settlement also includes 16 additional sites not included in the original lawsuit. The residents of the contaminated areas deserve to have the sites cleaned up, the natural resources there restored, and an assurance that political influence did not inappropriately impact this settlement.”

The full text of the letter is as follows:

April 13, 2015

NJDEP
Attn: Exxon Mobil Bayway Comments
P.O. Box 420 Mail Code 401-06Q
Trenton, N.J. 08625-0420

To whom it may concern,

We are writing to express our strong concerns with the Christie Administration’s proposed settlement in the State’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corporation for the company’s contamination of two oil refineries. If approved, we believe that this settlement would be wholly inadequate in properly restoring the sites and compensating the State of New Jersey for decades of rampant pollution.

For more than a century, oil refineries now owned by Exxon have discharged more than 600 hazardous chemicals over more than 1,500 acres of lands held in the public trust in northern New Jersey, including wetlands, marshes, and meadows. These same facilities contaminated our ground water and dumped hazardous waste into our ponds and streams. The ecological health of our natural environment has been ruined and will require decades and billions of dollars to not just restore the lands but compensate the public for the loss use and damage from the oil spills. Expert report compiled for the State by Stratus Consulting Inc. of Colorado and Toxicological & Environmental Associates Inc. of Alabama assessed the cost of undoing of more than 100 years of pollution at the Bayonne and Linden refineries at $8.9 billion, indicating that it would require $2.5 billion to restore the sites and an additional $6.4 “to compensate for the decades of harm.”

Despite the fact that the State Attorney General’s office was seeking a nearly $9 billion settlement, the Christie Administration opted for a settlement of $225 million in damages – roughly three cents on the dollar – and does not require Exxon to fully restore the land to its original condition. The proposed settlement also includes 16 additional sites not included in the original lawsuit. The residents of the contaminated areas deserve to have the sites cleaned up, the natural resources there restored, and an assurance that political influence did not inappropriately impact this settlement.

Finally, we are concerned about the prospect of settlement funds being diverted away from their intended use and instead transferred into the State’s general fund to balance the budget. As you know, New Jersey state law allows the transfer of any recovered funds in excess of $50 million to the state general fund. In 2013, Governor Christie redirected $147.5 million of the $165 million settlement between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Occidental Chemical Corporation over toxic pollution in the Passaic River into the general fund.

Reversing the damage done to the natural resources surrounding Exxon’s Bayway and Bayonne operations will be a difficult but important undertaking. However, we do not believe that the settlement proposed by the Christie Administration will achieve this important goal. We urge you to ensure that any settlement includes sufficient funds to restore the lands that these refineries have destroyed.

Thank you for consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

________________________
Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Member of Congress


 ________________________
 Frank Pallone, Jr.
 Member of Congress


________________________
Albio Sires
Member of Congress


 ________________________
 Bonnie Watson Coleman
 Member of Congress


________________________
Donald Norcross
Member of Congress

Pallone Announces $117,000 for Rutgers University to Help New Jersey Businesses Reduce Pollution

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that Rutgers University has been awarded $117,000 to help New Jersey businesses reduce the amount of toxic materials that they generate or use. The funding, provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will allow Rutgers to identify manufacturers that are candidates for pollution prevention assistance, particularly those that are vulnerable to releases of hazardous substances in the event of climate change-related storm surges.

“The sheer force of Superstorm Sandy and the destruction that lay in its wake was devastating, but a toxic spill in addition to the physical damage would have been disastrous” said Pallone. “We must make sure that, in the event of another overwhelming storm, harmful chemicals that could pollute our environment are not released from industrial plants. This funding will help us do just that by reducing the amount of hazardous materials that New Jersey businesses use and produce.”

With this grant, Rutgers will work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Rutgers Small Business Development Center to help businesses use less toxic substances during the manufacturing process.

“It is significant that, as one of the largest universities in the region, Rutgers is leading the way on pollution prevention, and I hope that other educational institutions and localities will follow suit. I’d like to thank them for their efforts on this front and the EPA for funding this important initiative in New Jersey.”

Feds DENY New Jersey’s Right to Review Rutgers Ocean Blasting off Coast; Use Technicality to Thwart State’s Concerns

For Immediate Release:
June 25, 2014

Seismic Ship Heads North toward New Jersey - Emergency Meeting on LBI on Wednesday, July 2nd at 5pm

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has denied New Jersey’s request to review the Rutgers University led seismic study off Barnegat Inlet for agreement with state regulations. Under the Coastal Zone Management Act, the study could be stopped if the state’s consistency review found foreseeable impacts on state resources. Although the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) submitted strong comments for its right to this review, which detailed threats to coastal resources and the economy, NOAA’s denial argued the “timeliness” of the request and ignored the state’s concerns. NOAA’s response appears baseless given that the NJDEP contacted NOAA on several occasions while evaluating the proposal and was clearly concerned with the potential for harm to coastal resources.

"It is a lame technicality; we were all blindsided by this proposal and the state acted quickly once they were altered to the study. We trust Governor Christie and the NJDEP will use all legal and state means available to stop this study," said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director of Clean Ocean Action. "The clock is ticking and this study must not go forward—especially now."

Captain Kevin Wark, from the commercial vessel Dana Christine, said, "No one has given us assurances that this testing isn't going to hurt commercial fishing; there have been no hearings or studies that tell us that this won't be harmful. I also find it hard to understand why there's no accountability about the possibility of damage to marine mammals when the commercial fishing industry is held to such high standards with regard to the health and safety of marine mammals.”

In its correspondence with NOAA, the NJDEP stated, “Based on previous studies examining seismic surveys and fisheries disturbances, it is reasonably foreseeable that the proposed surveys will have an impact from fisheries distribution, movement, migration and spawning perspectives that will lead to direct and indirect negative consequences to NJ’s fishing industries.”

Clean Ocean Action has been tracking the Marcus G. Langseth, the vessel that will be conducting the seismic blasting, by checking its location twice a day on the website marinetraffic.com. Until around Midnight on June 23rd, it was docked in Charleston, SC. Now it is on the move and heading north.

The study will be conducted off Barnegat Light to examine 60 million-year-old sediments for historical sea level changes; however, despite Rutgers’ claims, the study is being conducted during peak migration and/or breeding of whales, dolphins, turtles, fish, and shellfish. Divers are also at risk.

“The study would send seismic blasts of up to 250 decibels into the water every 5 seconds, 24 hours a day for 30 days, interfering with marine animal communication and movement. By way of comparison, impairment of human hearing begins after 30 seconds of exposure at 115 decibels. Marine animals are much more sensitive to sound than people are,” said Cassandra Ornell, Staff Scientist at Clean Ocean Action.

The imminent blasting of the ocean has commercial and recreational fishing leaders, divers, elected officials, marine mammal protectors and citizens who care about the health of New Jersey marine life very concerned. Governor Christie has been invited to attend an emergency town hall meeting at 5pm on Wednesday July 2nd at the Barnegat Light Fire Company on Long Beach Island.

Marine life at risk includes:

- 26 marine mammal species, including 6 endangered whale species and other whales, dolphins, and seals, may be located in or moving through the study area. Seismic blasting can interfere with marine mammal movement, breathing, communication, and feeding, and can even cause hearing damage.

- Nine of the 16 most important offshore commercial fisheries are at their peaks in the summer months. Seismic blasts can cause fish and squid to scatter and impact catch rates.

- New Jersey offshore waters are host to five threatened or endangered sea turtle species. Sea turtles exposed to much lower sound levels than proposed in this study have shown significant behavioral impacts.

****
Clean Ocean Action is a non-profit, broad-based coalition of 135 conservation, environmental, fishing, boating, diving, student, surfing, women’s, business, service, and community groups, with a mission to improve the degraded water quality of the marine waters off the New Jersey/New York coast. COA has a decades-long history of science- and law-based advocacy for a clean, industry-free Atlantic Ocean.

Pallone Announces Changes to Jetty Notching Plan for Elberon to Loch Arbour Beach Replenishment Project

Deal Lake Flume Also Discussed at Follow-up Meeting with Fishermen

LONG BRANCH, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) hosted a meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to revisit concerns previously expressed by fishermen, surfers and recreational users regarding the Elberon to Loch Arbour Beach Replenishment project. Today’s discussion followed up on an April 2014 meeting that Pallone hosted with concerned citizens after the Army Corps released their initial draft proposal for the replenishment project.

Originally, the Army Corps had planned to notch six groins, also known as jetties, between Elberon and Loch Arbour. However, in response to the first meeting, the Army Corps presented a revised plan today that will only notch three groins within the project area. The Corps announced that they will not be notching the groins at the end of Whitehall Ave. in Deal, Roseld Ave. in Deal, and Cedar Ave. in Allenhurst.

There was also discussion at today’s meeting of constructing shallower notches than originally planned in order to allow access across the notches during low tide. The Army Corps is examining the possibility of that option with the three groins in Deal that will be notched, including Phillips Ave., Deal Casino, and South of Deal Esplanade near Marine Pl.

“I agree with the concerns that many have voiced with respect to notching the groins in this area and the impacts that it may have on recreational fishing,” said Congressman Pallone. “This new plan is a compromise with the Army Corps. I want to thank all the fishermen and other residents who took the time to submit comments and voice their concerns throughout this process.”

The Deal Lake Flume was also discussed at today’s meeting with Congressman Pallone. The Army Corps agreed to install an electronic gate which would allow the outfall to be cleared efficiently if it were to become blocked by sand. All parties agreed that there was no need to extend the Deal Lake Flume farther into the ocean. Instead, there would be improved monitoring of the sand placement by the Corps during the project to avoid any excessive placement of sand in the area of the flume.

Today’s meeting also confirmed that the Army Corps will insist that towns maintain existing beach access points and parking areas and will explore the possibility of new access points in the project area from Lake Takanassee to Deal Lake.

The contract for the Elberon to Loch Arbour Beach Replenishment Project is expected to be awarded in October or November 2014 and work will start soon after, weather permitting.

County Mosquito Spraying Scheduled Mon eve, 6/16/14 in Pt Monmouth

From Middletown Alerts:

In response to extremely high numbers of adult mosquitoes, the Monmouth County Mosquito Commission will be conducting adult mosquito control operations in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown Township on Monday, June 16, 2014 between 7:30 PM and 1:00 AM.

In case of inclement weather conditions, the operation will be postponed to Tuesday, June 17, 2014 between 7:30 PM and 1:00 AM.

Up-to-date information will be posted on the Commission’s website www.visitmonmouth.com/mosquito and on their hotline at 732-578-1600

The Commission will be using the product resmethrin, known as the brand name Scourge, applied with Ultra Low Volume spray equipment mounted on pick-up trucks. Resmethrin is a pyrethroid-based pesticide registered with the USEPA and NJDEP for residential adult mosquito control. The USEPA does not require relocating or taking any special precautions during the mosquito control spraying; however, those who wish to avoid or minimize exposure may take precautions such as staying indoors, keeping windows shut and turning window air conditioners and fans off during the spray operation.

Port Monmouth section of Middletown Township:

Area north of Route 36 from Coe Place east to Creek Road and north to Port Monmouth Road between Pews Creek and Comptons Creek.

Transparency Once Again Turns Opaque in Middletown; APP: Middletown missed loan deadline for dredging of lake

Very interesting article that was online at the Asbury Park Press the other day which I have been meaning to post about. One of the big issues of this past years election was the issue of Shadow Lake and whether or not the lake was going to be dredged any time soon, according reporter Kevin Penton it now doesn't seem likely to happen before 2012.

It seems as though, the low cost loan that Middletown had planned to apply for that would cover some of the costs of dredging was never applied for. The loan application needed to be handed in by Oct. 4th to meet the deadline for possible funding and it was never sent.

What I find most disturbing about this, is how Gerry Scharfenberger and other Middletown GOP members (remember Tony Fiore's letter) mislead many residents that live by and around Shadow Lake into believing that dredging was eminent if only they could get approval from the DEP to bury the contaminated spoils in near by Stevenson Park.

Scharfenberger attended a number of meeting with residents of Shadow Lake Village while campaigning in October and never once mentioned that funding for the dredging of the lake was a problem. He lead all to believe that as soon as the DEP agreed to Middletown's demand of using Stevenson Park as a dumping ground for the spoils the project would begin.

With this latest revelation about the dredging of Shadow Lake, it is sad to say once again that transparency of those in charge in Middletown is sorely lacking and is turning, as resident Jim Grenafege has said at many Township meetings this year, opaque.

It just goes to show that Republicans in Middletown will do and/or say anything in order to retain their position of power in town even if it means that they have to deceive others to get it.

My thanks go out to Kevin Penton for following up on Shadow Lake and bringing this information to light, it shows residents that those elected in Middletown like to play fast and loose with certain information that they deem a possible threat to them.

Eventually residents will wise up and show the likes of Gerry Scharfenberger and the others the view form the other side of the doors at Town Hall, the view looking in from the outside.

Slippery Scharfenberger Avoids Answering Shadow Lake Question On Technicality

During the public comments segment of the Middletown Township Committee meeting this past Monday night, resident Marilyn Michaels asked Gerry Scharfenberger if he had attended a meeting with Cindy Randazzo of the NJDEP and others on Oct. 21, 2010 in Trenton, which she thought may have been a conflict of interest between his duties as an elected official and his new job as Director of the Office of Planning Advocacy (she also brought up a number of valid concerns that I will deal with later).

This exchange between Ms. Michaels and Gerry Scharfenberger is a classic example how slippery Scharfenberger can be when he answers questions from residents or reporters. His responses are classic examples of deception through omission, that many seasoned career politicians engage in.

I posted on Nov.9th that representatives from T&M Engineering, State Senator Joe Kyrillos, the new Director for the Office of Planning and Advocacy (Mayor) Gerry Scharfenberger and several Middletown Township representatives met with Randazzo and other reps from the DEP on October 21,2010 in Trenton to discuss dredging concerns as related to Shadow Lake. This post was based on information that was forwarded to me by a third party that wished to remain anonymous.

Most of what was posted was factual, what wasn't as it turned out was the location of the meeting. My third party source had mentioned that Randazzo expressed concerns about coming to Middletown for this meeting and wanted it held in Trenton. My source then added that the meeting took place in State Senator Joe Kyrillos's office. It was then assumed by myself and the informant that the meeting took place in Trenton, when in fact it took place at Kyrillos's office here in Middletown.

Why Scharfenberger had to make an ass out of himself over this is anyone guess, I suppose by squabbling with Ms. Michaels over this small point, he thought that it would discredit her in someway. What it did do was to further discredit him in the eyes of reporters there covering the nights event.

When asked about the Shadow Lake meeting afterwards, he admitted to reports that the meeting did take place on Oct. 21st but it never happened in Trenton, He confirmed the fact that it happened in Middletown.

The other valid concern Ms. Michaels brought up during her comments in front of the Committee was, if during his re-election bid, did he know if anyone may have contributed to his campaign, knowing that he was going to be or had recently been appointed as the head of the Office of Planning Advocacy Governor Christie.

She felt (as do I) that if someone was to have contributed to his campaign this year or in future years, that they may expect some special treatment if ever they may need special consideration for the state office that he now represents.

That assumption on Michaels part is, as I said, a valid concern. It goes to the heart of the issue of whether or not Scharfenberger acted ethically or not by not divulging information about his appointed during the campaign. It should be explored now and watched for in the future.

Was The New Director Of The Office of Planning Advocacy "On The Clock" When He Was Acting As Middletown Mayor During Meeting With NJDEP Officials?

Back on October 21st a meeting took place at the office of Cindy Randazzo, the Director of NJDEP office of Local Government Assistance, in Trenton for the purpose of discussing options for dredging Middletown's Shadow Lake.

In attendance at this meeting were various DEP personnel that had concerns with the dredging plans presented by the Township, representatives from T&M Engineering, State Senator Joe Kyrillos, the new Director for the Office of Planning and Advocacy (Mayor) Gerry Scharfenberger and several Middletown Township representatives.

From what I understand the meeting wasn't very productive, the two sides (Middletown verses the NJDEP) couldn't come to an agreement concerning the scope of the project or what to do with the spoils. The NJDEP made it clear that burying contaminated spoils from the bottom of Shadow Lake in neighboring Stevenson Park was out of the question and recommended that the project be downsized to fall within budget constraints while the Township, lead by the new Director for the office of Planning Advocacy (Gerry Scharfenberger) and Joe Kyrillos insisted that dredging the whole lake and burying the spoils near by was the only way of dealing with the lake. As you can imagine, no resolution to this issue was forth coming and another meeting was planned on for a future date.

After learning this yesterday I began to wonder about Scharfy's role during this meeting. As the Director for Planning Advocacy, Gerry's duties are "asking questions about policy, overseeing planners and GIS specialists. To help spur economic growth and revitalize the economy by, for example, reusing commercial properties" he has stated and the purpose of the Office for Planning Advocacy is to stimulate new growth and business opportunities for those wishing to do business in the State. His position is a full time job, 40+ hours a week, that pays him $95K a year.

What was he doing on "company" time, at a meeting with Joe Kyrillos, the NJDEP, Engineers from T&M and other from Middletown discussing Shadow Lake in the middle of a work week?

He certainly wasn't there to promote smart growth or new business opportunities I can tell you that as require by his job title, he was present representing Middletown as it's Mayor.

It's nice to know that in his new position as Director of Planning Advocacy, his boss the Governor, allows him time to pursue other interests that are contrary to what he is suppose to be doing as Director.

I am sure that the 1,200 State employees will be happy to learn of this as well. Here they are losing their jobs while Gerry is running around the city of Trenton wasting tax payer dollars, acting as Middletown's mayor when he should be in his office somewhere, asking questions about policy, overseeing planners and GIS specialists to help spur economic growth and revitalize the State economy.

Do you think he left early that day or did he stay late to make up for the time he was conducting Township business on State time?

Democrats Byrnes & Mahoney Lose In Middletown;Township Committee Will Revert Back To 5-0 Super Majority

It was a somber night as district results started rolling in to the Democratic Headquarters at the Leonardo American Legion, it was evident early on that it wasn't going to be a good night for Democratic Committeeman Sean Byrnes or his running mate Mary Mahoney. From the moment that the first few districts started reporting in, the numbers didn't look good. Byrnes and Mahoney only managed to capture 6 out of 46 districts and gave their concession speeches shortly after 9pm.

It was a real disappointment to many in the room after it seemed that so much of what transpired during this election season in Middletown, was leaning in the Democrats favor. From the turf field debacle in Lincroft, to the 13.87% increase to the municipal tax rate, people in town were angry at the leadership of Gerry Scharfenberger and his GOP majority, who seem to take residents for granted.

With their victory yesterday, the Middletown Township Committee will once again revert back to the 5-0 Republican super majority that it had enjoyed for nearly 20 years before Patrick Short was elected in 2006 and then Sean Byrnes in 2007.

What will that mean for residents in Middletown? It will mean less transparency and more decisions being made behind closed doors with little or no public discussion, much like it was previous to Short's election.

Flooding issues in Port Monmouth and Leonardo will be once again placed on the back burner due to budget and cost concerns which means relief for residents in those areas will have to wait another 20 years for solutions and those that wish to see Township Committee meetings televised on the Township's public access cable channels are out of luck, it will never happen.

Township engineering and legal fees will continue to increase because the Majority will continue to appoint the same firms to represent the Township without first competitively bidding those services out to lower costs, like Sean Byrnes has advocated for.

The local environment is also at risk. If Gerry Scharfenberger gets his way thousands of metric tons of carcinogenic and arsenic laced spoils will be dredged and from the bottom of Shadow Lake and burried in Stevenson Park against NJDEP wishes, instead of investigating alternative solutions like what may be proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers, which now has as part of their mission, responibilities over the ecosytem.

Middletown residents deserve the type of government that they voted for, unfortunately those that they voted for will not always have the best interests of all the residents in mind. That's why I and others, will continue to act as watchdogs over those that feel that Middletown is her to serve them as opposed to the other way around.

NJDEP Release: Motorists Advised to be Alert for Deer During Autumn

TRENTON - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson today urged motorists to drive carefully during autumn when New Jersey's deer are particularly active and likely to be darting into roadways.

"Autumn is breeding season for white-tailed deer, and they are on the move," Commissioner Jackson said. "Deer can be seen crossing roadways at any time of day, but typically are most active at dawn and dusk. Motorists can minimize the risk of accidents with deer by being alert and slowing down."

The NJDEP encourages motorists to take the following precautions:

* Drive with caution when traveling through areas known to have large deer populations, particularly along sections of roadways posted as deer crossings.

* Slow down when you see deer on the roadside, and be alert for sudden movement. Remember that deer move in groups, so if you see one deer crossing the road, others might follow.

* Use high beams after dark when there is no oncoming traffic. High beams illuminate the eyes of deer on or near a roadway, giving motorists more time to react.

* Always wear a seat belt as required by state law, and drive at a safe speed for road and weather conditions.

* Do not swerve if it appears you are going to hit a deer. Brake firmly, and stay in your lane. Motorists who swerve to avoid deer increase the likelihood of colliding with oncoming traffic or roadside obstacles.

* Keep in mind that deer are unpredictable. They may stop in the middle of the road while crossing or turn around and return to the roadside. If a deer remains in the road, do not try to go around it. Stop and wait until the road is clear.

* Report any deer-vehicle collisions to a local law enforcement agency immediately.

For more information about deer in New Jersey, visit the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife Web site at www.njfishandwildlife.com.

NJDEP Release: Please Don't Feed the Bears

TRENTON - New Jersey's black bears are fattening up right now to prepare for winter denning, and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson today reminded residents to avoid tempting them with an easy meal by taking special care with food storage and garbage disposal.

"Black bears are a valued part of New Jersey's natural landscape, and many residents enjoy seeing them from a distance. But when bears venture into backyards to help themselves to the contents of garbage cans or bird feeders, that's a problem,"

Commissioner Jackson said. "Keeping garbage in bear-resistant containers and bringing in your bird feeders are among the best ways to discourage bears from becoming a nuisance near homes."

Feeding bears either deliberately or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage can have serious consequences for residents, their neighbors and the bears. Bears that learn to associate food with people readily become a nuisance, are more likely to damage property or exhibit aggression, and usually are destroyed to protect the public.

In New Jersey, it's illegal to feed black bears, and violators face a penalty of up to $1,000 for each offense.

Incidents involving garbage, bird feeders and nuisance behavior account for an overwhelming majority of the bear complaints reported to the DEP's Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Along with properly storing garbage, residents should avoid putting out bird feeders. Instead, consider attracting birds to backyards with nesting materials and birdhouses.

Though most of New Jersey's black bears live in the northwestern portion of the state, sightings have been reported in all 21 counties. Sightings in residential areas are not considered a problem, if the bears are exhibiting normal behavior and are not creating a nuisance or threatening public safety.

Residents who suddenly encounter a bear should remain calm. Do not feed the bear, and do not run. Make sure the bear has an escape route. Avoid direct eye contact, back up slowly and speak with a low, assertive voice.

To minimize the potential for encounters with black bears near homes, residents are advised to take the following precautions:

* Never feed a black bear.
* Use bear-resistant garbage containers, if possible. Otherwise, store all garbage in containers with tight-fitting lids and place them along the inside walls of your garage, or in the basement, a sturdy shed or other secure area.
* Put out garbage on collection day, not the night before.
* Wash garbage containers with a disinfectant solution frequently to remove odors. Draping rags soaked in bleach over your garbage bags also helps to eliminate odors.
* Avoid feeding birds, especially if you live in an area frequented by bears. If you choose to feed birds, do so during daylight hours only, between December 1 and April 1, when bears are least active. Suspend the bird feeder from a free-hanging wire, making sure it's at least 10 feet off the ground. Bring the feeder indoors at night. Clean up
spilled seeds and shells daily.
* Do not place meat or any sweet food in compost piles.
* Clean up after pets. If you feed them outside, remember to pick up any leftover food and remove bowls after they have finished.
* Clean outdoor grills thoroughly after each use. Grease and food residue can attract bears.
* Report bear damage, nuisance behavior or aggressive bears to the local police department or to the DEP's hotline at 1(877) WARN DEP.

To learn more about New Jersey's black bears, visit
www.njfishandwildlife.com/bearinfo.htm. In addition to brochures and other information
about living with black bears, the DEP provides free bear education seminars to schools
and civic organizations.