(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 12, 2011)
PERTH AMBOY — The City Council voted unanimously at a Special Meeting last
week to authorize a 2011 Temporary Budget totaling $15,458,950, $460,124
below the permitted $15,919,074, representing one-quarter of the Fiscal Year
2009-10 Budget of $63,676,295.
The Resolution was moved by Councilman William Petrick, seconded by
Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez and adopted 5-0.
The Budget includes $12,758,950 for Current Fund, $2,545,000 for Water &
Wastewater Utility and $155,000 for Parking Utility.
Business Administrator Gregory Fehrenbach said that the 2011 Temporary
Budget, which represents about one-quarter of the FY 2009-10 Budget, was
prepared by Comptroller/Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jill Goldy “to cover possible
services” which must be funded for the first three months of 2011.
However, he pointed out that the line-item accounts are not a straight
25-percent because some expenses occur earlier in the year than others.
For example, Fehrenbach noted that “Debt Service and Liability Insurance
are front-end-loaded” in the Temporary Budget because bills for them come
earlier in the year.
“Salaries & Wages includes the estimated pay for employees for three months
plus overtime based-upon past experience,” Goldy said. “Other Expenses is
more-challenging, with the first three months from last year plus an
approximate increase from last year, along with amendments to increase any amounts
not accounted-for, such as training for City Council members.”
“In the meantime, we’re trying to develop out Calendar Year 2011 Budget,”
Fehrenbach said, “The Jan. 15 due-date was extended two weeks, but it’s
likely to take one-and-a-half months to find-out our state-aid numbers.
“We can have a Budget to the City Council by the end of January and wait
for state aid,” he added.
As adopted, the 2011 Temporary Budget totals $15,458,950, with $12,758,950
for Current Fund, divided into $6,695,200 for Salaries & Wages, $5,601,700
for Other Expenses, $415,000 for Statutory Expenses and $47,050 for Grants.
Salaries & Wages includes $3,189,000 for the Police Department, $1,116,000
for the Public Works Department, $1,100,000 for the Fire Department and
smaller amounts for other Departments.
Other Expenses includes $3,153,000 for General Government, the bulk of that
($3,000,000) for Insurance; $900,000 for Utilities, $777,500 for Public
Works and smaller amounts for other Departments.
Statutory Expenses includes $265,000 for Social Security System and
$150,000 for Accumulated Absence Leave Liability.
Grants includes $22,050 for Matching Funds, $20,000 for Urban Enterprise
Zone (UEZ) Administration and $5,000 for Municipal Alliance Against Drug Abuse.
The Water & Wastewater Utility Budget includes $2,515,000 for United
Service Affiliates of Perth Amboy (USAPA) Fixed Service Fee and $30,000 for Other
Expenses.
The Parking Utility Budget includes $80,000 for Salaries & Wages and
$75,000 for Other Expenses.
During the public portion of the meeting, resident Orlando Perez stated
that he read “13 counties are eligible for FEMA (FEMA) grants, including
Middlesex,” pertaining to the windstorm that caused damages along the Waterfront
and High Street, and asked the status of Perth Amboy’s application for
funding.
“We submitted our application today,” Fehrenbach responded.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Beacon Loses ‘Legal’ Status
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 12, 2011)
SOUTH AMBOY — Without fanfare, the City Council voted unanimously at its
Reorganization last week to take-away the Amboy Beacon’s legal status as an
“Official Newspaper.”
The Resolution — adopted as part of a consent-agenda of 18 Resolutions —
was moved by Councilman Mark Noble, seconded by Councilman William Schwarick
and adopted 5-0.
Under NJSA 40:53-1. the Amboy Beacon had been designated as an “Official
Newspaper” by both the City of South Amboy and the City of Perth Amboy in 2009.
“The governing body of every municipality may designate an Official
Newspaper or Newspapers for the publication of all advertisements and notices
required by law to be published by the municipality,” according to NJSA 40:53-1.
NJSA 35:1-2 goes-on to say, “All newspapers printed and published in the
English language within the state at least once a week for at least one year
continuously shall be deemed legal newspapers for the publication of Official
Advertisements.”
Four attorneys — including City Law Director John Lanza — have informed
the city that the Amboy Beacon qualifies to be designated as an “Official
Newspaper.”
Under NJSA 35:2-1, the governing body votes on a Resolution to adopt Offici
al Newspapers, even-though the City Clerk is designated as “the
properly-authorized officer ... placing Official Advertising in such newspaper.”
Without the Council’s action, the Clerk cannot publish Official Notices in any
newspaper.
Even-though both South Amboy and Perth Amboy had saved substantial money in
Official Advertising expenses while the Amboy Beacon was being utilized,
the Councils in both cities are refusing to allow that advertising to be
placed in the weekly, the only qualified newspaper published in Middlesex County,
for whatever reason.
SOUTH AMBOY — Without fanfare, the City Council voted unanimously at its
Reorganization last week to take-away the Amboy Beacon’s legal status as an
“Official Newspaper.”
The Resolution — adopted as part of a consent-agenda of 18 Resolutions —
was moved by Councilman Mark Noble, seconded by Councilman William Schwarick
and adopted 5-0.
Under NJSA 40:53-1. the Amboy Beacon had been designated as an “Official
Newspaper” by both the City of South Amboy and the City of Perth Amboy in 2009.
“The governing body of every municipality may designate an Official
Newspaper or Newspapers for the publication of all advertisements and notices
required by law to be published by the municipality,” according to NJSA 40:53-1.
NJSA 35:1-2 goes-on to say, “All newspapers printed and published in the
English language within the state at least once a week for at least one year
continuously shall be deemed legal newspapers for the publication of Official
Advertisements.”
Four attorneys — including City Law Director John Lanza — have informed
the city that the Amboy Beacon qualifies to be designated as an “Official
Newspaper.”
Under NJSA 35:2-1, the governing body votes on a Resolution to adopt Offici
al Newspapers, even-though the City Clerk is designated as “the
properly-authorized officer ... placing Official Advertising in such newspaper.”
Without the Council’s action, the Clerk cannot publish Official Notices in any
newspaper.
Even-though both South Amboy and Perth Amboy had saved substantial money in
Official Advertising expenses while the Amboy Beacon was being utilized,
the Councils in both cities are refusing to allow that advertising to be
placed in the weekly, the only qualified newspaper published in Middlesex County,
for whatever reason.
Director Dismissed
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 12, 2011)
PERTH AMBOY — Mayor Wilda Diaz dismissed Public Works Director Paul Wnek
for allegedly failing to show-up for work in a timely manner during the
Christmas weekend blizzard, which dumped over 20 inches of snow on the city.
Diaz said she answered the telephone at Public Works Department
Headquarters, foot of Fayette Street, and went-out on trucks performing snowplow duty.
When Wnek showed-up to work, he was ordered by her to leave, she said.
Former Union County Public Works & Engineering Director Frank Dann was
hired as Interim Director, pending the hiring of a permanent replacement for
Wnek.
The City of Perth Amboy placed an order with the Amboy Beacon for “Help
Wanted” advertising to seek a new Public Works Director
PERTH AMBOY — Mayor Wilda Diaz dismissed Public Works Director Paul Wnek
for allegedly failing to show-up for work in a timely manner during the
Christmas weekend blizzard, which dumped over 20 inches of snow on the city.
Diaz said she answered the telephone at Public Works Department
Headquarters, foot of Fayette Street, and went-out on trucks performing snowplow duty.
When Wnek showed-up to work, he was ordered by her to leave, she said.
Former Union County Public Works & Engineering Director Frank Dann was
hired as Interim Director, pending the hiring of a permanent replacement for
Wnek.
The City of Perth Amboy placed an order with the Amboy Beacon for “Help
Wanted” advertising to seek a new Public Works Director
Thursday, January 6, 2011
32 Units At Harbortown Gone
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 5, 2011)
PERTH AMBOY — The circumstances behind a suspicious Dec. 19 four-alarm fire
which destroyed 32-unit Building 15 of the massive Harbortown complex in
the northeastern part of the city, leaving 100 residents homeless, are being
examined by city detectives and Middlesex County Arson Unit investigators to
determine whether sufficient safety-measures were in-place to protect lives
and property.
Witnesses said they believed that Building 15’s sprinkler-system was
inoperable, and because of the way the attics are constructed, the blaze was
channeled unimpeded throughout most of the structure.
“There should be a complete investigation of how these units were allowed
to be constructed the way they were,” City Council President Kenneth Balut, a
retired former Perth Amboy police officer, declared.
The fire was not completely-extinguished until the afternoon of Dec. 21,
after experiencing some flareups from smoldering embers throughout Dec. 20
which were attended-to by local firefighters.
Mayor Wilda Diaz lauded the city’s firefighters and others called-in to
help for keeping the blaze from spreading to other buildings in the complex.
She praised the city’s Human Services Department for working closely with
community organizations to help those affected by the Sunday evening fire,
which caused no fatalities and no serious injuries. Ten civilians had minor
injuries and were treated and released by Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Perth
Amboy Division, New Brunswick Avenue.
The American Red Cross supplied the families with vouchers and other
necessities beginning the day of the incident.
“Perth Amboy’s community is really coming-together to provide for our
families,” Diaz said. “We had an overwhelming response from local
organizations, demonstrating Perth Amboy’s spirit of giving, as well as tremendous
generosity from those in surrounding communities who have responded.”
Human Services also opened the Jankowski Community Center, Olive Street, as
a temporary shelter for the families.
On the day before Christmas Eve, Diaz and the City of Perth Amboy hosted a
four-hour-long presentation of donated clothing, toys and food for
distribution from local and surrounding businesses at the Jewish Renaissance Medical
Center, Hobart Street. With prepared foods donated by several area
restaurants, including BBQ Luso, Seabra’s Armory and Mario’s Pizza, plus a visit
from Santa, the event helped to make the holiday season a little brighter.
Support and contributions arrived from the Perth Amboy Board of Education,
Investors Savings Bank, Provident Bank, the New York Jets, the New York
Mets, McGuire Air Force Base, the Jewish Community Center of Edison, the Rotary
Club of Woodbridge/Perth Amboy, Perth Amboy Fire Department and the
Salvation Army. Also, a contingent of U.S. Marines arrived with three cartons of
new, wrapped toys for the children in an extension of its “Toys for Tots”
program, which had officially ended on Dec. 18.
Automobile dealer Ray Catena donated $2,000 gift-cards, and Tropical Cheese
President/CEO Ralph Mendez donated $500 gift-cards, to each of the 31
affected families.
Various local aid organizations also hosted holiday dinners for the
displaced residents throughout the following week. Perth Amboy public school
teachers served a buffet dinner to those who were temporaily housed at the Hampton
Inn, Route 9, Hopelawn.
The Code Enforcement Department issued a “Notice of Imminent Hazard” and
an order to begin to demolish the building to the Harbortown property owners
and their construction management after a structural engineer’s report
determined that residents of nine of the units could recover their belongings
from the burned-out building.
Most tenants in the 31 occupied units have since moved-in with friends or
family, although Harbortown management offered to house displaced residents
in nine vacant rental units in other buildings in the complex.
Fire Chief David Volk had reported that the fire was believed to have
started around 6:30 p.m. in an outside courtyard within the H-shaped building,
but those familiar with the blaze believe that it started as a resident was
working on his SUV inside a carport under the building.
Sources said the fire originally was called-in as a brush-fire, and then a
car-fire, so one of the Fire Department’s ladder-trucks responded. Upon
arrival, city firefighters found the structure fully-involved with a heavy
volume of flame, and Mutual Aid was called-in. Eventually, almost 80 firefighters
responded from Perth Amboy and all sections of Woodbridge Township,
Carteret, East Brunswick, Monroe, North Brunswick, Plainsboro, Sayreville, South
Amboy and South Plainfield.
At the time of this fire, Perth Amboy — which usually operates with three
engines and two ladders, plus a rescue-vehicle — was without its own engine,
but had borrowed Engine 1-10 from the Woodbridge Fire Department —
previously loaned-out to the Avenel and Keasbey Fire Departments — after two of the
city’s three engines were in bad shape and in-need of repair, and its
last-remaining engine was sideswiped by another vehicle two days before the
Harbortown fire.
Since then, one of the two used firetrucks purchased from the Borough of
Bound Brook for $45,000 has been put-into-service.
Witnesses said that water-pressure was a problem, and that firefighters
could be heard yelling-out, “Where’s the water?”
At the Council’s special closeout meeting for 2010, Harbortown homeowner
Roger Williams pointed out that he and his neighbors had “raised concerns
about the sprinkler-system” before, but their concerns were largely-ignored by
the previous Council.
The fire “should never have happened,” he said, attributing the quick
spread of flames to “poor construction and materials” which he said were
brought to the attention of Code Enforcement Director Edward Scala, who did not
attend the Dec. 27 meeting.
“We were told by Ed Scala that we were confusing the quality-of-work with
the code,” Williams said.
“The builder and the city did these people a disservice,” he declared.
“The buildings have no firewalls, and we’re not sure about sprinkler-systems.”
Regarding firewalls, Councilman William Petrick, a former Volunteer Fire
Chief, pointed out that “state building code provide a minimum standard,
requiring “fire-partitions.”
“Harbortown just went-through a major change of its sprinkler-systems,”
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez noted. “Your water-lines were diverted so that
you get charged differently. What’s been done to determine that what’s left
will do the job?”
“The Fire Subcode has to be met when the buildings are constructed,”
Petrick said. “After that, it falls-under the jurisdiction of the Fire Inspector.
How-many sprinklers are there?”
“Twenty-two,” Williams replied.
“There are a variety of ways you can do a sprinkler-system in residential
units,” Petrick noted.
“When the (builder’s) plumber did the work (to separate the
sprinkler-system from the water-lines), it should have been reinspected,” Balut stated.
“It’s a little difficult to inspect once the walls are up.” Petrick said.
“The testing-procedure should have been done before the walls were closed,
and the Fire Inspector should have been there observing the tests.”
“This was a tragic situation that could have been much-worse in the middle
of the night,” Gonzalez said. “I’m sure there will be further discussion of
this.”
Petrick pointed out that “there’s a limited number of sprinkler-heads to
go-off before they could have overwhelmed the system.”
Harbortown homeowner Danielle Berlingieri claimed that when her neighbor
smokes cigarettes inside his unit, “smoke comes-through the wall into our
house” so-thickly that it is visible.
She said that Scala “came-out and agreed that the wall wasn’t
properly-sealed,” but it has been “a cat-and-mouse type of game” to get that problem
addressed.
“I can’t tolerate the smoke,” Berlingieri said. “I can’t live downstairs
in my own home.”
Scala “should issue a violation (notice) to the builder so he has to repair
it,” Petrick said. “If the smoke is penetrating your wall, then you don’t
have a barrier there.”
PERTH AMBOY — The circumstances behind a suspicious Dec. 19 four-alarm fire
which destroyed 32-unit Building 15 of the massive Harbortown complex in
the northeastern part of the city, leaving 100 residents homeless, are being
examined by city detectives and Middlesex County Arson Unit investigators to
determine whether sufficient safety-measures were in-place to protect lives
and property.
Witnesses said they believed that Building 15’s sprinkler-system was
inoperable, and because of the way the attics are constructed, the blaze was
channeled unimpeded throughout most of the structure.
“There should be a complete investigation of how these units were allowed
to be constructed the way they were,” City Council President Kenneth Balut, a
retired former Perth Amboy police officer, declared.
The fire was not completely-extinguished until the afternoon of Dec. 21,
after experiencing some flareups from smoldering embers throughout Dec. 20
which were attended-to by local firefighters.
Mayor Wilda Diaz lauded the city’s firefighters and others called-in to
help for keeping the blaze from spreading to other buildings in the complex.
She praised the city’s Human Services Department for working closely with
community organizations to help those affected by the Sunday evening fire,
which caused no fatalities and no serious injuries. Ten civilians had minor
injuries and were treated and released by Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Perth
Amboy Division, New Brunswick Avenue.
The American Red Cross supplied the families with vouchers and other
necessities beginning the day of the incident.
“Perth Amboy’s community is really coming-together to provide for our
families,” Diaz said. “We had an overwhelming response from local
organizations, demonstrating Perth Amboy’s spirit of giving, as well as tremendous
generosity from those in surrounding communities who have responded.”
Human Services also opened the Jankowski Community Center, Olive Street, as
a temporary shelter for the families.
On the day before Christmas Eve, Diaz and the City of Perth Amboy hosted a
four-hour-long presentation of donated clothing, toys and food for
distribution from local and surrounding businesses at the Jewish Renaissance Medical
Center, Hobart Street. With prepared foods donated by several area
restaurants, including BBQ Luso, Seabra’s Armory and Mario’s Pizza, plus a visit
from Santa, the event helped to make the holiday season a little brighter.
Support and contributions arrived from the Perth Amboy Board of Education,
Investors Savings Bank, Provident Bank, the New York Jets, the New York
Mets, McGuire Air Force Base, the Jewish Community Center of Edison, the Rotary
Club of Woodbridge/Perth Amboy, Perth Amboy Fire Department and the
Salvation Army. Also, a contingent of U.S. Marines arrived with three cartons of
new, wrapped toys for the children in an extension of its “Toys for Tots”
program, which had officially ended on Dec. 18.
Automobile dealer Ray Catena donated $2,000 gift-cards, and Tropical Cheese
President/CEO Ralph Mendez donated $500 gift-cards, to each of the 31
affected families.
Various local aid organizations also hosted holiday dinners for the
displaced residents throughout the following week. Perth Amboy public school
teachers served a buffet dinner to those who were temporaily housed at the Hampton
Inn, Route 9, Hopelawn.
The Code Enforcement Department issued a “Notice of Imminent Hazard” and
an order to begin to demolish the building to the Harbortown property owners
and their construction management after a structural engineer’s report
determined that residents of nine of the units could recover their belongings
from the burned-out building.
Most tenants in the 31 occupied units have since moved-in with friends or
family, although Harbortown management offered to house displaced residents
in nine vacant rental units in other buildings in the complex.
Fire Chief David Volk had reported that the fire was believed to have
started around 6:30 p.m. in an outside courtyard within the H-shaped building,
but those familiar with the blaze believe that it started as a resident was
working on his SUV inside a carport under the building.
Sources said the fire originally was called-in as a brush-fire, and then a
car-fire, so one of the Fire Department’s ladder-trucks responded. Upon
arrival, city firefighters found the structure fully-involved with a heavy
volume of flame, and Mutual Aid was called-in. Eventually, almost 80 firefighters
responded from Perth Amboy and all sections of Woodbridge Township,
Carteret, East Brunswick, Monroe, North Brunswick, Plainsboro, Sayreville, South
Amboy and South Plainfield.
At the time of this fire, Perth Amboy — which usually operates with three
engines and two ladders, plus a rescue-vehicle — was without its own engine,
but had borrowed Engine 1-10 from the Woodbridge Fire Department —
previously loaned-out to the Avenel and Keasbey Fire Departments — after two of the
city’s three engines were in bad shape and in-need of repair, and its
last-remaining engine was sideswiped by another vehicle two days before the
Harbortown fire.
Since then, one of the two used firetrucks purchased from the Borough of
Bound Brook for $45,000 has been put-into-service.
Witnesses said that water-pressure was a problem, and that firefighters
could be heard yelling-out, “Where’s the water?”
At the Council’s special closeout meeting for 2010, Harbortown homeowner
Roger Williams pointed out that he and his neighbors had “raised concerns
about the sprinkler-system” before, but their concerns were largely-ignored by
the previous Council.
The fire “should never have happened,” he said, attributing the quick
spread of flames to “poor construction and materials” which he said were
brought to the attention of Code Enforcement Director Edward Scala, who did not
attend the Dec. 27 meeting.
“We were told by Ed Scala that we were confusing the quality-of-work with
the code,” Williams said.
“The builder and the city did these people a disservice,” he declared.
“The buildings have no firewalls, and we’re not sure about sprinkler-systems.”
Regarding firewalls, Councilman William Petrick, a former Volunteer Fire
Chief, pointed out that “state building code provide a minimum standard,
requiring “fire-partitions.”
“Harbortown just went-through a major change of its sprinkler-systems,”
Councilman Fernando Gonzalez noted. “Your water-lines were diverted so that
you get charged differently. What’s been done to determine that what’s left
will do the job?”
“The Fire Subcode has to be met when the buildings are constructed,”
Petrick said. “After that, it falls-under the jurisdiction of the Fire Inspector.
How-many sprinklers are there?”
“Twenty-two,” Williams replied.
“There are a variety of ways you can do a sprinkler-system in residential
units,” Petrick noted.
“When the (builder’s) plumber did the work (to separate the
sprinkler-system from the water-lines), it should have been reinspected,” Balut stated.
“It’s a little difficult to inspect once the walls are up.” Petrick said.
“The testing-procedure should have been done before the walls were closed,
and the Fire Inspector should have been there observing the tests.”
“This was a tragic situation that could have been much-worse in the middle
of the night,” Gonzalez said. “I’m sure there will be further discussion of
this.”
Petrick pointed out that “there’s a limited number of sprinkler-heads to
go-off before they could have overwhelmed the system.”
Harbortown homeowner Danielle Berlingieri claimed that when her neighbor
smokes cigarettes inside his unit, “smoke comes-through the wall into our
house” so-thickly that it is visible.
She said that Scala “came-out and agreed that the wall wasn’t
properly-sealed,” but it has been “a cat-and-mouse type of game” to get that problem
addressed.
“I can’t tolerate the smoke,” Berlingieri said. “I can’t live downstairs
in my own home.”
Scala “should issue a violation (notice) to the builder so he has to repair
it,” Petrick said. “If the smoke is penetrating your wall, then you don’t
have a barrier there.”
Blizzard Of 2010’ Hits Amboys
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 5, 2011)
A fierce post-Christmas blizzard left residents of the Middlesex County
Bayshore communities from Sewaren through Laurence Harbor digging-out-of some
of the deepest snowfall this regions has seen in decades.
An average of two feet of snow was dumped-on this area, leaving some of the
communities among the hardest hit in the state, according to
AccuWeather.com, which reported on Dec. 26 that “a northward-moving strengthening storm
will unleash a paralyzing blizzard along a vast swath of the I-95 Northeast
corridor into the next day.
“This is the same storm that buried parts of the West under yards of snow
and mud, along with feet of rain in some locations last week,” Alex
Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, warned.
“The storm is no joke,” he said. “Major highways could be shut-down in the
region. Some major airports could stop most flights, creating a nightmare
for those souls heading home after the Christmas holiday, from eastern North
Carolina to Maine. Roads are already a mess in North Carolina and
southeastern Virginia, and will quickly become snow-covered and slippery from south to
north in the remainder of the I-95 Northeast.”
According to Sosnowski, “blizzard conditions” would develop from Atlantic
City up-to the outskirts of Philadelphia and “last for several hours into
the evening,” but that area would not “get the worst of the blizzard,” which
was reserved for the swath north of New York City through New England.
“Screaming winds gusting past 40mph for a multiple-hour stretch will create
whiteout conditions at the height of the storm from New Jersey and Long
Island all the way to Maine,” he said. “Blowing and drifting snow will create
an uphill battle for crews working keep the streets clear during the height
of the storm and in its wake for a time.”
Sosnowski also predicted that “people will get stuck on highways and at
airports in this storm,” and that “travel in parts of the coastal mid-Atlantic
and much of New England will become difficult-to-impossible as the storm
slides northward.”
All of this came-to-pass.
In our area, snow began falling after 10 a.m. on Dec. 26, with measurements
of 35 inches in Edison and 21 inches in Sayreville recorded by the
following afternoon.
Most municipal services were curtailed because of the storm, which left
Fire, Police and Public Works Department employees as the only ones continuing
operations.
Schools already were closed for the yearly Winter Recess, but public
buildings remained closed through Dec. 27, except for those hardy souls who
conducted the Perth Amboy City Council’s special closeout meeting for 2010 at 4:30
p.m. that afternoon at City Hall, High Street, with an audience of a
half-dozen.
Police and Public Works employees teamed-up to clear Perth Amboy’s Snow
Emergency Routes of parked vehicles and the white stuff, as the Parking Utility
suspended parking-meter fines and opened its lots to drivers for free
parking.
Two NJTransit buses got stuck on Dec. 28 while navigating the
ever-increasing mounds of snow being deposited along the sides of Perth Amboy’s
side-streets.
Firefighters from Hopelawn, Keasbey, Sayreville and South Amboy assisted
Perth Amboy firefighters in responding to a three-alarm grease fire at Crown
Chicken, Smith Street near State Street, that same day. No injuries were
reported, but there was smoke and water damage to the Metro/PCS cellphone
store next-door.
An investigation will be conducted to determine whether the mandatory
fire-suppression system over the deep-fryer was operative.
While the Crown Chicken fire was brought-under-control, police stretched
yellow crime-scene tape across the sidealks on the other side of Smith Street
to discourage pedestrians from walking under potentially-dangerous blocks of
frozen snow dropping-off the rooftops there.
At the state level, Senate President Stephen Sweeney declared a limited
State of Emergency as Acting Governor in the absence of both Gov. Christopher
Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who were out-of-state when the snowstorm
hit.
A fierce post-Christmas blizzard left residents of the Middlesex County
Bayshore communities from Sewaren through Laurence Harbor digging-out-of some
of the deepest snowfall this regions has seen in decades.
An average of two feet of snow was dumped-on this area, leaving some of the
communities among the hardest hit in the state, according to
AccuWeather.com, which reported on Dec. 26 that “a northward-moving strengthening storm
will unleash a paralyzing blizzard along a vast swath of the I-95 Northeast
corridor into the next day.
“This is the same storm that buried parts of the West under yards of snow
and mud, along with feet of rain in some locations last week,” Alex
Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com, warned.
“The storm is no joke,” he said. “Major highways could be shut-down in the
region. Some major airports could stop most flights, creating a nightmare
for those souls heading home after the Christmas holiday, from eastern North
Carolina to Maine. Roads are already a mess in North Carolina and
southeastern Virginia, and will quickly become snow-covered and slippery from south to
north in the remainder of the I-95 Northeast.”
According to Sosnowski, “blizzard conditions” would develop from Atlantic
City up-to the outskirts of Philadelphia and “last for several hours into
the evening,” but that area would not “get the worst of the blizzard,” which
was reserved for the swath north of New York City through New England.
“Screaming winds gusting past 40mph for a multiple-hour stretch will create
whiteout conditions at the height of the storm from New Jersey and Long
Island all the way to Maine,” he said. “Blowing and drifting snow will create
an uphill battle for crews working keep the streets clear during the height
of the storm and in its wake for a time.”
Sosnowski also predicted that “people will get stuck on highways and at
airports in this storm,” and that “travel in parts of the coastal mid-Atlantic
and much of New England will become difficult-to-impossible as the storm
slides northward.”
All of this came-to-pass.
In our area, snow began falling after 10 a.m. on Dec. 26, with measurements
of 35 inches in Edison and 21 inches in Sayreville recorded by the
following afternoon.
Most municipal services were curtailed because of the storm, which left
Fire, Police and Public Works Department employees as the only ones continuing
operations.
Schools already were closed for the yearly Winter Recess, but public
buildings remained closed through Dec. 27, except for those hardy souls who
conducted the Perth Amboy City Council’s special closeout meeting for 2010 at 4:30
p.m. that afternoon at City Hall, High Street, with an audience of a
half-dozen.
Police and Public Works employees teamed-up to clear Perth Amboy’s Snow
Emergency Routes of parked vehicles and the white stuff, as the Parking Utility
suspended parking-meter fines and opened its lots to drivers for free
parking.
Two NJTransit buses got stuck on Dec. 28 while navigating the
ever-increasing mounds of snow being deposited along the sides of Perth Amboy’s
side-streets.
Firefighters from Hopelawn, Keasbey, Sayreville and South Amboy assisted
Perth Amboy firefighters in responding to a three-alarm grease fire at Crown
Chicken, Smith Street near State Street, that same day. No injuries were
reported, but there was smoke and water damage to the Metro/PCS cellphone
store next-door.
An investigation will be conducted to determine whether the mandatory
fire-suppression system over the deep-fryer was operative.
While the Crown Chicken fire was brought-under-control, police stretched
yellow crime-scene tape across the sidealks on the other side of Smith Street
to discourage pedestrians from walking under potentially-dangerous blocks of
frozen snow dropping-off the rooftops there.
At the state level, Senate President Stephen Sweeney declared a limited
State of Emergency as Acting Governor in the absence of both Gov. Christopher
Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who were out-of-state when the snowstorm
hit.
S. Amboy: 23 Votes Challenged
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 5, 2011)
SOUTH AMBOY — City Council President Fred Henry was expected to be sworn-in
as Mayor before the Council reorganizes today at 6 p.m. at City Hall, N.
Broadway, but his final status as South Amboy’s new Chief Executive has been
put-off until after a hearing before Superior Court Judge Phillip Paley,
sitting in New Brunswick, on Monday, Jan. 10, at 8:30 a.m.
Copies of the filings by interested parties in the case have been obtained
by the Amboy Beacon.
Late last week, the Judge ordered that administration of the oath-of-office
to Henry as the city’s first new Mayor in over two decades take-place
before Tuesday, Jan. 11, when a decision is expected to be made on contested
ballots.
However, any appointments by Henry would be temporary until the election is
settled.
This follows submission of a seven-page petition to Paley by Christopher
Struben, attorney for Independent candidate Mary O’Connor, and filing of a
six-page cross-petition by Michael Baker, attorney for Henry.
The Middlesex County Board of Elections, represented by Deputy Attorney
General Donna Kelly, also is a party to the case, but did not file any
documents.
The wild-card in the case is participation as an “amicus curiae” (friend
of the court) by Senior Counsel Flavio Komuves of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey Foundation, Newark, who submitted to Paley a
19-page brief detailing its legal arguments concerning voters allegedly denied
their rights by election officials. ACLU’s interest in the matter stems
from its support for “the Constitutional right of individuals to vote, and to
have their votes counted.”
The ACLU submission maintains that Alexa Hess, whose provisional ballot was
rejected; Michael Berardo, whose MIB was voided, and Eric Cheng, who was
denied a provisional ballot, were deprived-of their rights; that Henry’s
three-vote “win” should therefore be set-aside, and that a new election should
be held.
The O’Connor petition, prepared by Struben partner Michael Percario, takes
the same positions regarding Hess, Berardo and Cheng.
In addition, it maintains that the machine votes of Carol McGloan and Grace
Hoffman, allegedly residents of Sayreville; the provisional votes of Bert
Colon, Kenneth Horn, Victoria Kedmenec, Jay Vignola and Darlene Gallucci,
allegedly residents of South Amboy for less than the minimum 21 days, and the
MIBs of Joshua Gonzalez, Jeremy Gonzalez, Maria Crowley and Dennis Crowley,
allegedly signed by messenger Ryan Tooker, son of Business Administrator
Camille Tooker, be disallowed; that Henry’s three-vote “win” be set-aside, and
that O’Connor be declared the winner or, alternatively, a new election be
held.
The Henry cross-petition, prepared by Baker partner Karl Kemm, takes no
position regarding Hess, Berardo, Cheng, McGloan, Hoffman, Colon, Horn,
Kedmenec, Vignola, Gallucci, the Gonzalez family or the Crowley family.
Instead, the MIB of Taryn Congleton and the machine votes of Gary Bouchard,
Robert Point, Kevin O’Connor and Felipe Burgos are disputed on alleged
non-residency grounds, and there is reference to “seven illegally-cast votes,”
even-though only those five names are listed.
Ironically, Henry had stated before the cross-petition’s filing that “it’s
the American way of doing things that all the votes are counted,” and “to
suppress them as she (O’Connor) wanted to do is wrong.”
The cross-petition also cites Patricia Santucci, Anthony Santucci and Marie
Santucci, who were allegedly denied provisional ballots, and John Thomas
O’Leary, Mayor John O’Leary’s son, whose MIB was voided, as being deprived-of
their rights.
The cross-petition seeks to reconfirm Henry as winner of the Nov. 2
election for Mayor or, alternatively, to order that a new election be held.
This election dispute arose over the closeness of the vote for Mayor on
Nov. 2 following what most observers agreed was among the dirtiest campaigns in
county history.
In addition to the usual rash of reports of campaign-signs being torn-down
or put-up without authorization, last year’s local contest saw the
resurrection on a weekly basis of a bimonthly community newspaper which was defunct
for about 10 years, now unabashedly promoting the Democratic ticket; the
anonymous distribution of one flier depicting an O’Connor supporter in a Nazi
uniform, and another flier attacking O’Connor as a “terrorist,” and the
mysterious “endorsement” of Independent Vincent Mackiel’s mayoral candidacy by a
non-existent “South Amboy Tea Party.”
The unofficial vote-tally on South Amboy’s nine voting-machines had Henry
as the winner over O’Connor and the two other Independent candidates, Mackiel
and John Dragotta, by 14 votes.
On Election Night, the counting of Mail-In Ballots (MIBs), formerly-known
as “absentee-ballots,” had Henry as unofficial winner by eight votes, which
was shaved to three votes after additional MIBs were found.
That left the counting of 22 provisional ballots by the county Board, which
produced a margin of one vote for Henry.
O’Connor requested, paid-for and was granted a recount, which led to the
same one-vote lead for Henry. However, O’Connor later discovered that the
Board miscounted not once, but twice, a provisional ballot cast by a Sayreville
resident for Henry which was supposed-to have been covered by a sticker.
That ballot’s disqualification was affirmed by the state Attorney
General’s Office, whose investigators were — along with several FBI agents —
conducting an ongoing probe of alleged voter-fraud at the Board’s Headquarters on
Jersey Avenue at the time.
If certified as final, a tied-vote would have triggered a special election
between Henry and O’Connor on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
However, six “misplaced” provisional ballots from the disputed Nov. 2
South Amboy mayoral election were discovered three weeks later at the Jersey
Avenue facility by workers who broke the seals on the envelopes.
Despite a strenuous argument against it by Struben, Paley ruled that the
six ballots, now-resealed, be opened and counted, and three votes each were
found to have been cast for Henry and Mackiel.
That left Henry with a three-vote lead prior to individual ballot
challenges, which are scheduled to be heard by Paley next Monday.
At the hearing on whether to open the six newly-found ballots, Struben
asked that these ballots not be counted because “the security and integrity of
the ballot procedures were not followed” in that all of the “affirmations”
were torn from the envelopes which held the ballots.
Kelly said the Board had kept the ballots locked inside a room in its
Jersey Avenue offices within an envelope. She said that she directed the Board to
put the opened ballots inside another envelope, and “they were put in a box
and locked in a closet.”
There were 22 provisional ballots submitted, three of which were voided by
the Board’s staff after painstaking research of the registration rolls. But
of the 19 remaining ballots that should have been put-through the scanner,
there were only 13 the day they were counted by the Board.
Kelly maintained that everything was “done according-to procedure,” and
that there was “no indication that any unauthorized person had access to the
ballots.”
Thus, she said, there were “six valid votes that need to be counted.”
Baker agreed with Kelly that the votes were “valid,” and stated that “no
one slipped-in any ballots.”
Struben disagreed and stated, “The problem here is security of the
ballots,” Struben said, maintaining that the “chain-of-custody” was broken when the
six ballots were lost, and again when they were found and opened.
Paley said he wanted “all the votes to be counted,” and so-ordered, but
added that Struben “will have the right to challenge the results” of the
counting.
SOUTH AMBOY — City Council President Fred Henry was expected to be sworn-in
as Mayor before the Council reorganizes today at 6 p.m. at City Hall, N.
Broadway, but his final status as South Amboy’s new Chief Executive has been
put-off until after a hearing before Superior Court Judge Phillip Paley,
sitting in New Brunswick, on Monday, Jan. 10, at 8:30 a.m.
Copies of the filings by interested parties in the case have been obtained
by the Amboy Beacon.
Late last week, the Judge ordered that administration of the oath-of-office
to Henry as the city’s first new Mayor in over two decades take-place
before Tuesday, Jan. 11, when a decision is expected to be made on contested
ballots.
However, any appointments by Henry would be temporary until the election is
settled.
This follows submission of a seven-page petition to Paley by Christopher
Struben, attorney for Independent candidate Mary O’Connor, and filing of a
six-page cross-petition by Michael Baker, attorney for Henry.
The Middlesex County Board of Elections, represented by Deputy Attorney
General Donna Kelly, also is a party to the case, but did not file any
documents.
The wild-card in the case is participation as an “amicus curiae” (friend
of the court) by Senior Counsel Flavio Komuves of the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey Foundation, Newark, who submitted to Paley a
19-page brief detailing its legal arguments concerning voters allegedly denied
their rights by election officials. ACLU’s interest in the matter stems
from its support for “the Constitutional right of individuals to vote, and to
have their votes counted.”
The ACLU submission maintains that Alexa Hess, whose provisional ballot was
rejected; Michael Berardo, whose MIB was voided, and Eric Cheng, who was
denied a provisional ballot, were deprived-of their rights; that Henry’s
three-vote “win” should therefore be set-aside, and that a new election should
be held.
The O’Connor petition, prepared by Struben partner Michael Percario, takes
the same positions regarding Hess, Berardo and Cheng.
In addition, it maintains that the machine votes of Carol McGloan and Grace
Hoffman, allegedly residents of Sayreville; the provisional votes of Bert
Colon, Kenneth Horn, Victoria Kedmenec, Jay Vignola and Darlene Gallucci,
allegedly residents of South Amboy for less than the minimum 21 days, and the
MIBs of Joshua Gonzalez, Jeremy Gonzalez, Maria Crowley and Dennis Crowley,
allegedly signed by messenger Ryan Tooker, son of Business Administrator
Camille Tooker, be disallowed; that Henry’s three-vote “win” be set-aside, and
that O’Connor be declared the winner or, alternatively, a new election be
held.
The Henry cross-petition, prepared by Baker partner Karl Kemm, takes no
position regarding Hess, Berardo, Cheng, McGloan, Hoffman, Colon, Horn,
Kedmenec, Vignola, Gallucci, the Gonzalez family or the Crowley family.
Instead, the MIB of Taryn Congleton and the machine votes of Gary Bouchard,
Robert Point, Kevin O’Connor and Felipe Burgos are disputed on alleged
non-residency grounds, and there is reference to “seven illegally-cast votes,”
even-though only those five names are listed.
Ironically, Henry had stated before the cross-petition’s filing that “it’s
the American way of doing things that all the votes are counted,” and “to
suppress them as she (O’Connor) wanted to do is wrong.”
The cross-petition also cites Patricia Santucci, Anthony Santucci and Marie
Santucci, who were allegedly denied provisional ballots, and John Thomas
O’Leary, Mayor John O’Leary’s son, whose MIB was voided, as being deprived-of
their rights.
The cross-petition seeks to reconfirm Henry as winner of the Nov. 2
election for Mayor or, alternatively, to order that a new election be held.
This election dispute arose over the closeness of the vote for Mayor on
Nov. 2 following what most observers agreed was among the dirtiest campaigns in
county history.
In addition to the usual rash of reports of campaign-signs being torn-down
or put-up without authorization, last year’s local contest saw the
resurrection on a weekly basis of a bimonthly community newspaper which was defunct
for about 10 years, now unabashedly promoting the Democratic ticket; the
anonymous distribution of one flier depicting an O’Connor supporter in a Nazi
uniform, and another flier attacking O’Connor as a “terrorist,” and the
mysterious “endorsement” of Independent Vincent Mackiel’s mayoral candidacy by a
non-existent “South Amboy Tea Party.”
The unofficial vote-tally on South Amboy’s nine voting-machines had Henry
as the winner over O’Connor and the two other Independent candidates, Mackiel
and John Dragotta, by 14 votes.
On Election Night, the counting of Mail-In Ballots (MIBs), formerly-known
as “absentee-ballots,” had Henry as unofficial winner by eight votes, which
was shaved to three votes after additional MIBs were found.
That left the counting of 22 provisional ballots by the county Board, which
produced a margin of one vote for Henry.
O’Connor requested, paid-for and was granted a recount, which led to the
same one-vote lead for Henry. However, O’Connor later discovered that the
Board miscounted not once, but twice, a provisional ballot cast by a Sayreville
resident for Henry which was supposed-to have been covered by a sticker.
That ballot’s disqualification was affirmed by the state Attorney
General’s Office, whose investigators were — along with several FBI agents —
conducting an ongoing probe of alleged voter-fraud at the Board’s Headquarters on
Jersey Avenue at the time.
If certified as final, a tied-vote would have triggered a special election
between Henry and O’Connor on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
However, six “misplaced” provisional ballots from the disputed Nov. 2
South Amboy mayoral election were discovered three weeks later at the Jersey
Avenue facility by workers who broke the seals on the envelopes.
Despite a strenuous argument against it by Struben, Paley ruled that the
six ballots, now-resealed, be opened and counted, and three votes each were
found to have been cast for Henry and Mackiel.
That left Henry with a three-vote lead prior to individual ballot
challenges, which are scheduled to be heard by Paley next Monday.
At the hearing on whether to open the six newly-found ballots, Struben
asked that these ballots not be counted because “the security and integrity of
the ballot procedures were not followed” in that all of the “affirmations”
were torn from the envelopes which held the ballots.
Kelly said the Board had kept the ballots locked inside a room in its
Jersey Avenue offices within an envelope. She said that she directed the Board to
put the opened ballots inside another envelope, and “they were put in a box
and locked in a closet.”
There were 22 provisional ballots submitted, three of which were voided by
the Board’s staff after painstaking research of the registration rolls. But
of the 19 remaining ballots that should have been put-through the scanner,
there were only 13 the day they were counted by the Board.
Kelly maintained that everything was “done according-to procedure,” and
that there was “no indication that any unauthorized person had access to the
ballots.”
Thus, she said, there were “six valid votes that need to be counted.”
Baker agreed with Kelly that the votes were “valid,” and stated that “no
one slipped-in any ballots.”
Struben disagreed and stated, “The problem here is security of the
ballots,” Struben said, maintaining that the “chain-of-custody” was broken when the
six ballots were lost, and again when they were found and opened.
Paley said he wanted “all the votes to be counted,” and so-ordered, but
added that Struben “will have the right to challenge the results” of the
counting.
Dentists: Center’s Competition Unfair
(Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 5, 2011)
PERTH AMBOY — Nine city dentists in private practice held a news conference
in December at a dentist’s High Street office to complain that the Jewish
Renaissance Medical Center, Hobart Street, is driving them out-of-business
because of financial preferences JRMC receives as a federally-qualified
healthcare center.
The dentists’ biggest concerns apparently center-around exemptions from
having to purchase malpractice-insurance for JRMC’s practitioners, “who are
considered federal employees immune from malpractice lawsuits,” according to
Dr. Jaime Morales, in whose office the news conference was held.
“For example, an OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist) has to purchase
malpractice-insurance costing over $200,000-a-year,” Morales said. “At Jewish
Renaissance, the government covers them. If anyone has a problem, they must sue
the United States.
“Also, the government pays for equipment costs and grants to train staff,”
he added. “We cannot compete with the government.”
Morales had invited the Amboy Beacon to participate, along with
representatives of the Home News Tribune, but it was delayed after one of that
newspaper’s reporters made a cellphone call that brought-out General Manager/Editor
Paul Grzella.
“If THEY stay, then we’re leaving,” Grzella announced soon after his
arrival, pointing to Amboy Beacon Editor/Publisher Bill George and Advertising
Manager Carolyn Maxwell.
George and Maxwell left the building, joined by three members of the public
and Dr. Lydia David, State Street, one of the nine dentists, but met
privately with Morales, designated as the dentists’ spokesman, later the same day.
Other dentists who were identified by Morales as joining the protest were
Dr. George Flugrad, High Street; Dr. Maureen Fraser, New Brunswick Avenue;
Dr. George Likakis, New Brunswick Avenue; Dr. Caridad Marmolejos, State
Street; Dr. Manuel Marmolejos, State Street; Dr. Gloria Pou, State Street, and
Dr. Peter Tzambazis, High Street.
The Home News Tribune ran a front-page story before the end of 2010 in
which it was pointed-out that JRMC is accepting charity-care patients but the
private dentists are not.
However, there was no mention of malpractice-insurance, government payments
for equipment costs or grants to train staff in the story, which ran over
30 inches.
Morales said that he and the other private practitioners began feeling the
effects of advantages given to JRMC after the Center was given access to
Perth Amboy’s public school students by the Board of Education.
“This made it very-tough for us to compete, and it goes-beyond Perth
Amboy,” he said. “Jewish Renaissance is operating clinics in Newark, where they
send their overload to wait three hours.”
Morales said that it also is unclear “where they’re sending their
lab-work,” since that business “has literally dried-up in Perth Amboy.”
He predicted that other medical practitioners, not just dentists, “are
going to feel this when they (JRMC) expand their services.”
Morales took-personally the criticism he said he was subjected-to after
complaining about JRMC to public officials.
Showing a photograph of a Nicaraguan orphanage that he supports
financially, Morales said, “They say I’m trying to take money away from the kids.”
PERTH AMBOY — Nine city dentists in private practice held a news conference
in December at a dentist’s High Street office to complain that the Jewish
Renaissance Medical Center, Hobart Street, is driving them out-of-business
because of financial preferences JRMC receives as a federally-qualified
healthcare center.
The dentists’ biggest concerns apparently center-around exemptions from
having to purchase malpractice-insurance for JRMC’s practitioners, “who are
considered federal employees immune from malpractice lawsuits,” according to
Dr. Jaime Morales, in whose office the news conference was held.
“For example, an OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist) has to purchase
malpractice-insurance costing over $200,000-a-year,” Morales said. “At Jewish
Renaissance, the government covers them. If anyone has a problem, they must sue
the United States.
“Also, the government pays for equipment costs and grants to train staff,”
he added. “We cannot compete with the government.”
Morales had invited the Amboy Beacon to participate, along with
representatives of the Home News Tribune, but it was delayed after one of that
newspaper’s reporters made a cellphone call that brought-out General Manager/Editor
Paul Grzella.
“If THEY stay, then we’re leaving,” Grzella announced soon after his
arrival, pointing to Amboy Beacon Editor/Publisher Bill George and Advertising
Manager Carolyn Maxwell.
George and Maxwell left the building, joined by three members of the public
and Dr. Lydia David, State Street, one of the nine dentists, but met
privately with Morales, designated as the dentists’ spokesman, later the same day.
Other dentists who were identified by Morales as joining the protest were
Dr. George Flugrad, High Street; Dr. Maureen Fraser, New Brunswick Avenue;
Dr. George Likakis, New Brunswick Avenue; Dr. Caridad Marmolejos, State
Street; Dr. Manuel Marmolejos, State Street; Dr. Gloria Pou, State Street, and
Dr. Peter Tzambazis, High Street.
The Home News Tribune ran a front-page story before the end of 2010 in
which it was pointed-out that JRMC is accepting charity-care patients but the
private dentists are not.
However, there was no mention of malpractice-insurance, government payments
for equipment costs or grants to train staff in the story, which ran over
30 inches.
Morales said that he and the other private practitioners began feeling the
effects of advantages given to JRMC after the Center was given access to
Perth Amboy’s public school students by the Board of Education.
“This made it very-tough for us to compete, and it goes-beyond Perth
Amboy,” he said. “Jewish Renaissance is operating clinics in Newark, where they
send their overload to wait three hours.”
Morales said that it also is unclear “where they’re sending their
lab-work,” since that business “has literally dried-up in Perth Amboy.”
He predicted that other medical practitioners, not just dentists, “are
going to feel this when they (JRMC) expand their services.”
Morales took-personally the criticism he said he was subjected-to after
complaining about JRMC to public officials.
Showing a photograph of a Nicaraguan orphanage that he supports
financially, Morales said, “They say I’m trying to take money away from the kids.”
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