Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Los Angeles, California (CNN) --
The Pentagon is unable to explain images of what appears to be a high-altitude rocket or missile launched off the coast of southern California at sunset Monday, officials said.
The Pentagon and the North American Aerospace Defense Command were investigating video shot by a news helicopter operated by CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL showing an ascending orange-colored contrail high into the atmosphere, officials said. A contrail is the visible vapor trail behind airplanes or rockets traveling at high altitudes.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and California Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Jane Harman -- whose coastal districts are closest to the offshore contrails -- were at a loss to explain the images.
"The FAA ran radar replays of a large area west of Los Angeles based on media reports of the possible missile launch at approximately 5 p.m. (PT) on Monday. The radar replays did not reveal any fast moving, unidentified targets in that area," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. "The FAA did not receive reports ... of unusual sightings from pilots who were flying in the area on Monday afternoon.
"The FAA did not approve any commercial space launches around the area Monday," he added.
Col. Dave Lapan, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said Tuesday morning that authorities were "still trying to find out what that contrail off the coast of southern California was caused by, whether it was commercial, whatever reasons there might be."
"Sometimes we don't find these things out in a timely manner," he added. "Right now, all indications are that it was not [Department of Defense] involvement."
Lapan said the North American Aerospace Defense Command reported that it could not provide specific details, but that various agencies are trying to find out what happened.
"I don't know specifically what they are all doing. I just know they have been pinged and that we are talking to the FAA, we are talking to other parts of the U.S. government. We are trying to do everything we can to figure out if anybody has any knowledge of what this event may have been," Lapan said in off-camera comments to journalists.
"So far we have come up empty," he added.
CNN'S Charley Keyes contributed to this report.
The Pentagon is unable to explain images of what appears to be a high-altitude rocket or missile launched off the coast of southern California at sunset Monday, officials said.
The Pentagon and the North American Aerospace Defense Command were investigating video shot by a news helicopter operated by CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL showing an ascending orange-colored contrail high into the atmosphere, officials said. A contrail is the visible vapor trail behind airplanes or rockets traveling at high altitudes.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and California Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Jane Harman -- whose coastal districts are closest to the offshore contrails -- were at a loss to explain the images.
"The FAA ran radar replays of a large area west of Los Angeles based on media reports of the possible missile launch at approximately 5 p.m. (PT) on Monday. The radar replays did not reveal any fast moving, unidentified targets in that area," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. "The FAA did not receive reports ... of unusual sightings from pilots who were flying in the area on Monday afternoon.
"The FAA did not approve any commercial space launches around the area Monday," he added.
Col. Dave Lapan, a spokesman for the Pentagon, said Tuesday morning that authorities were "still trying to find out what that contrail off the coast of southern California was caused by, whether it was commercial, whatever reasons there might be."
"Sometimes we don't find these things out in a timely manner," he added. "Right now, all indications are that it was not [Department of Defense] involvement."
Lapan said the North American Aerospace Defense Command reported that it could not provide specific details, but that various agencies are trying to find out what happened.
"I don't know specifically what they are all doing. I just know they have been pinged and that we are talking to the FAA, we are talking to other parts of the U.S. government. We are trying to do everything we can to figure out if anybody has any knowledge of what this event may have been," Lapan said in off-camera comments to journalists.
"So far we have come up empty," he added.
CNN'S Charley Keyes contributed to this report.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — Tamika Darden, 35, who grew up in Matawan but now lives in Newark, has lived in fear for a decade. She thought there was a warrant in her name for a hit-and-run car accident caused by someone who had borrowed her car, she said.
"I haven't driven for 10 years because I was scared," she said. "I was too scared to go to the police station to find out."
On Thursday, at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Franklin at the Fugitive Safe Surrender program, she discovered no warrant exists.
"It was like one big sigh of relief," she said, adding she now plans to buy a truck for her birthday in April.
Nearly 4,000 people like Darden turned themselves in during the program, which wrapped up Saturday.
The four-day program helped bring the number of people who have surrendered statewide over the past two years to 10,249, law-enforcement officials announced Monday.
Programs were held in Newark last November and in Camden in November 2008.
State Attorney General Paula Dow thanked the thousands who turned themselves in last week.
"The state of New Jersey is a better place and better off," she said during a news conference Monday at the church.
From Wednesday through Saturday, individuals wanted by state law-enforcement agencies on nonviolent felony or municipal warrants, and some more serious offenders, turned themselves in at the church and were processed at the nearby McKinley Community School in New Brunswick.
About 20 people out of the 3,901 who surrendered were taken into custody.
Thousands of others saw their cases resolved quickly and for far less than the total of fines and fees they owed.
Gregory Banks lost his job as a fork-lift operator for a New Brunswick food distributor after injuring his leg two years ago.
It was around that time that Banks, now 53, discovered he had an active warrant for his arrest.
Banks, who was caught driving without insurance in 1998, still had not cleared his name — until Wednesday.
"I felt like I was on the "Price is Right,' " the Irvington man said.
"I haven't driven for 10 years because I was scared," she said. "I was too scared to go to the police station to find out."
On Thursday, at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Franklin at the Fugitive Safe Surrender program, she discovered no warrant exists.
"It was like one big sigh of relief," she said, adding she now plans to buy a truck for her birthday in April.
Nearly 4,000 people like Darden turned themselves in during the program, which wrapped up Saturday.
The four-day program helped bring the number of people who have surrendered statewide over the past two years to 10,249, law-enforcement officials announced Monday.
Programs were held in Newark last November and in Camden in November 2008.
State Attorney General Paula Dow thanked the thousands who turned themselves in last week.
"The state of New Jersey is a better place and better off," she said during a news conference Monday at the church.
From Wednesday through Saturday, individuals wanted by state law-enforcement agencies on nonviolent felony or municipal warrants, and some more serious offenders, turned themselves in at the church and were processed at the nearby McKinley Community School in New Brunswick.
About 20 people out of the 3,901 who surrendered were taken into custody.
Thousands of others saw their cases resolved quickly and for far less than the total of fines and fees they owed.
Gregory Banks lost his job as a fork-lift operator for a New Brunswick food distributor after injuring his leg two years ago.
It was around that time that Banks, now 53, discovered he had an active warrant for his arrest.
Banks, who was caught driving without insurance in 1998, still had not cleared his name — until Wednesday.
"I felt like I was on the "Price is Right,' " the Irvington man said.
Matawan pushes rail line for western Monmouth
BY JACQUELINE HLAVENKA Staff Writer
MATAWAN — After citing concerns about the potential for additional railroad development in town, the members of the Matawan Borough Council passed a resolution supporting the Lakehurst to Monmouth Junction route for the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line on Oct. 5.
The council’s resolution requests that NJ Transit staff give weighted consideration for the development of passenger rail service in western Monmouth County as opposed to reactivating a freight line to allow access from Lakehurst in Ocean County to the Matawan-Aberdeen train station on the North Jersey Coast Line.
“There are three separate ways this (rail line) can go,” said Councilman Tom Fitzsimmons. “The most obvious place for it to go is through the western part of Monmouth County because that is where the growth has been. The two other alternatives actually are for Red Bank and for Matawan, (and) all we are doing is just adopting a resolution suggesting that the westernmost (option) is supported.”
This year the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded NJ Transit $534,375 for the development of an Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) for the MOM passenger rail project, Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato said.
The money will fund research and development for transportation improvements and the rebuilding of railroad infrastructure along existing freight lines in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.
The MOM study proposes several service alternatives for three North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) train lines in Red Bank, Matawan and Monmouth Junction (South Brunswick), which would connect areas of western Monmouth, northern Ocean and portions of Middlesex to direct routes to points north, such as Newark and New York City.
According to NJ Transit, the Matawan commuter rail alternative would use a 32- mile route that runs on the existing NJ Transit and Conrail-owned southern secondary and Freehold secondary freight lines, via new connections at Farmingdale and Freehold Borough, as well as on the NJ Transit-owned right of way of the former Freehold Branch to Matawan.
If this plan were to be selected, new railroad track would be constructed on the former railroad right of way, which would necessitate the relocation of the Henry Hudson Trail Extension in parts of Marlboro and Freehold Township.
The route would pass through the communities of Lakehurst, Manchester, Dover, Jackson, Lakewood, Howell, Farmingdale, Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Marlboro, Matawan and Aberdeen.
In Freehold Township and Marlboro, the proposed rail line is approximately parallel to and to the east of Route 79 as that state highway runs from Freehold Borough to Aberdeen Township.
Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties are projected to have a total population of 2.4 million people by 2030, according to the Matawan resolution.
Matawan maintains that mass transportation alternatives are slim in western Monmouth County, other than bus service on Route 9. The borough’s resolution states that the passenger rail line from Lakehurst to Monmouth Junction “would relieve traffic from routes 9 and 18 and therefore provide the most traffic relief of any of the other proposed MOM routes,” based upon concerns about traffic congestion, rising gas prices, overcrowded buses and highways.
BY JACQUELINE HLAVENKA Staff Writer
MATAWAN — After citing concerns about the potential for additional railroad development in town, the members of the Matawan Borough Council passed a resolution supporting the Lakehurst to Monmouth Junction route for the proposed Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex (MOM) passenger rail line on Oct. 5.
The council’s resolution requests that NJ Transit staff give weighted consideration for the development of passenger rail service in western Monmouth County as opposed to reactivating a freight line to allow access from Lakehurst in Ocean County to the Matawan-Aberdeen train station on the North Jersey Coast Line.
“There are three separate ways this (rail line) can go,” said Councilman Tom Fitzsimmons. “The most obvious place for it to go is through the western part of Monmouth County because that is where the growth has been. The two other alternatives actually are for Red Bank and for Matawan, (and) all we are doing is just adopting a resolution suggesting that the westernmost (option) is supported.”
This year the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded NJ Transit $534,375 for the development of an Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) for the MOM passenger rail project, Matawan Mayor Paul Buccellato said.
The money will fund research and development for transportation improvements and the rebuilding of railroad infrastructure along existing freight lines in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.
The MOM study proposes several service alternatives for three North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) train lines in Red Bank, Matawan and Monmouth Junction (South Brunswick), which would connect areas of western Monmouth, northern Ocean and portions of Middlesex to direct routes to points north, such as Newark and New York City.
According to NJ Transit, the Matawan commuter rail alternative would use a 32- mile route that runs on the existing NJ Transit and Conrail-owned southern secondary and Freehold secondary freight lines, via new connections at Farmingdale and Freehold Borough, as well as on the NJ Transit-owned right of way of the former Freehold Branch to Matawan.
If this plan were to be selected, new railroad track would be constructed on the former railroad right of way, which would necessitate the relocation of the Henry Hudson Trail Extension in parts of Marlboro and Freehold Township.
The route would pass through the communities of Lakehurst, Manchester, Dover, Jackson, Lakewood, Howell, Farmingdale, Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Marlboro, Matawan and Aberdeen.
In Freehold Township and Marlboro, the proposed rail line is approximately parallel to and to the east of Route 79 as that state highway runs from Freehold Borough to Aberdeen Township.
Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties are projected to have a total population of 2.4 million people by 2030, according to the Matawan resolution.
Matawan maintains that mass transportation alternatives are slim in western Monmouth County, other than bus service on Route 9. The borough’s resolution states that the passenger rail line from Lakehurst to Monmouth Junction “would relieve traffic from routes 9 and 18 and therefore provide the most traffic relief of any of the other proposed MOM routes,” based upon concerns about traffic congestion, rising gas prices, overcrowded buses and highways.
Aberdeen revamps sign ordinance for biz district
Promotional signs would be allowed for special events
BY JACQUELINE HLAVENKA
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN — With the holiday shopping season just weeks away, the Aberdeen Township Council introduced a new signage ordinance that would allow local businesses to promote seasonal sales and special events more prominently throughout the township.
The ordinance, introduced on Oct. 19, permits temporary grand-opening signs and promotional signage for holiday events, seasonal sales and anniversary celebrations in various zones, including highway commercial, regional commercial, manufacturing, light industrial and research/office.
In order to increase marketability and visibility for local businesses, the township’s business council subcommittee worked on the amendment to accommodate the needs of the business community and other township institutions.
“It will allow all the businesses to do something four times a year to advertise how they want, which they have not been able to do in years,” said Councilman Owen Drapkin. “I thank [Township Manager] Joe [Criscuolo] and [Zoning Officer] Maxine [Rescorl] and everybody else who worked on this. I think it’s a great start for the business council.”
According to the ordinance, which did not previously allow the promotional signs, businesses that wish to apply for temporary signage are required to complete an application process through the township’s zoning office.
Grand-opening signs, such as banners, flags, pennants and lawn signs, must be weatherproof and must not exceed 10 percent of the wall where the sign will be attached.
With the approval of the zoning officer, the temporary grand-opening signs have a sunset provision of 14 days before the sign must be taken down. The fee for the grandopening signage application is $50.
For special and promotional events, the township must receive applications for temporary signage six weeks in advance. Special events may be held four times a year for a period of two weeks during each calendar quarter, and the two-week period may run consecutively or separately within the quarter, the ordinance states.
Special-event signs must be removed two business days after the event, and the zoning fee is $25 per two consecutive weeks.
Lawn signs, according to the ordinance, must be no larger than 22 inches by 28 inches and must be on the store owner or landlord’s property.
If approved, the maximum number of lawn signs cannot exceed six. The lawn signs may remain in place for a two-week period each quarter, which may be broken up into one-week intervals.
However, several signs are prohibited under the amended ordinance, including sandwich-board signs, blackboard-style signs, animated signs, and advertising device signs such as blimps, balloons and blow-ups.
If the ordinance is adopted upon final reading, Mayor Fred Tagliarini hopes the new signage regulations will help the business community and the municipality work together.
“If we get this through, the first time they [businesses] can apply will be [around] the holiday [season],” he said.
The township’s Planning Board reviewed the ordinance and made a motion to send it back to the Township Council for action at a meeting on Oct. 20.
Promotional signs would be allowed for special events
BY JACQUELINE HLAVENKA
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN — With the holiday shopping season just weeks away, the Aberdeen Township Council introduced a new signage ordinance that would allow local businesses to promote seasonal sales and special events more prominently throughout the township.
The ordinance, introduced on Oct. 19, permits temporary grand-opening signs and promotional signage for holiday events, seasonal sales and anniversary celebrations in various zones, including highway commercial, regional commercial, manufacturing, light industrial and research/office.
In order to increase marketability and visibility for local businesses, the township’s business council subcommittee worked on the amendment to accommodate the needs of the business community and other township institutions.
“It will allow all the businesses to do something four times a year to advertise how they want, which they have not been able to do in years,” said Councilman Owen Drapkin. “I thank [Township Manager] Joe [Criscuolo] and [Zoning Officer] Maxine [Rescorl] and everybody else who worked on this. I think it’s a great start for the business council.”
According to the ordinance, which did not previously allow the promotional signs, businesses that wish to apply for temporary signage are required to complete an application process through the township’s zoning office.
Grand-opening signs, such as banners, flags, pennants and lawn signs, must be weatherproof and must not exceed 10 percent of the wall where the sign will be attached.
With the approval of the zoning officer, the temporary grand-opening signs have a sunset provision of 14 days before the sign must be taken down. The fee for the grandopening signage application is $50.
For special and promotional events, the township must receive applications for temporary signage six weeks in advance. Special events may be held four times a year for a period of two weeks during each calendar quarter, and the two-week period may run consecutively or separately within the quarter, the ordinance states.
Special-event signs must be removed two business days after the event, and the zoning fee is $25 per two consecutive weeks.
Lawn signs, according to the ordinance, must be no larger than 22 inches by 28 inches and must be on the store owner or landlord’s property.
If approved, the maximum number of lawn signs cannot exceed six. The lawn signs may remain in place for a two-week period each quarter, which may be broken up into one-week intervals.
However, several signs are prohibited under the amended ordinance, including sandwich-board signs, blackboard-style signs, animated signs, and advertising device signs such as blimps, balloons and blow-ups.
If the ordinance is adopted upon final reading, Mayor Fred Tagliarini hopes the new signage regulations will help the business community and the municipality work together.
“If we get this through, the first time they [businesses] can apply will be [around] the holiday [season],” he said.
The township’s Planning Board reviewed the ordinance and made a motion to send it back to the Township Council for action at a meeting on Oct. 20.
Twp. and So. River Metals developer reach accord
ABERDEEN — After an executive session discussion, the Aberdeen Township Council passed a resolution authorizing a loan agreement with the redeveloper of the South River Metals site on Church Street on Oct. 19.
The township will provide a $350,000 loan in order to fund pre-development costs for the redevelopment of the 14-acre former industrial site into age-restricted housing and a senior community center.
The resolution was passed 5-0 by Mayor Fred Tagliarini, Deputy Mayor Vincent Vinci, Councilman Owen Drapkin, Councilman James Lauro and Councilwoman Margaret Montone.
Councilman Greg Cannon and Councilwoman Wilhelmina Gumbs were not present for the vote.
The property — which will include 198 housing units, a community center and an outdoor recreation area — was designated as an area in need of redevelopment after the township conducted a preliminary investigation in December 2004.
The township prepared a redevelopment plan for the site and selected the PRC Group, of West Long Branch, as redeveloper.
In October 2009, the PRC Group selected Pennrose Properties, of Philadelphia, as its new co-developer for the property.
The concept plan for the property includes a 5,000-square-foot recreation center and a senior housing complex, with 110 units that satisfy the township’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligation.
Township Manager Joseph Criscuolo did not return a phone call seeking information for this article.
— Jacqueline Hlavenka
ABERDEEN — After an executive session discussion, the Aberdeen Township Council passed a resolution authorizing a loan agreement with the redeveloper of the South River Metals site on Church Street on Oct. 19.
The township will provide a $350,000 loan in order to fund pre-development costs for the redevelopment of the 14-acre former industrial site into age-restricted housing and a senior community center.
The resolution was passed 5-0 by Mayor Fred Tagliarini, Deputy Mayor Vincent Vinci, Councilman Owen Drapkin, Councilman James Lauro and Councilwoman Margaret Montone.
Councilman Greg Cannon and Councilwoman Wilhelmina Gumbs were not present for the vote.
The property — which will include 198 housing units, a community center and an outdoor recreation area — was designated as an area in need of redevelopment after the township conducted a preliminary investigation in December 2004.
The township prepared a redevelopment plan for the site and selected the PRC Group, of West Long Branch, as redeveloper.
In October 2009, the PRC Group selected Pennrose Properties, of Philadelphia, as its new co-developer for the property.
The concept plan for the property includes a 5,000-square-foot recreation center and a senior housing complex, with 110 units that satisfy the township’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligation.
Township Manager Joseph Criscuolo did not return a phone call seeking information for this article.
— Jacqueline Hlavenka
Pallone brews victory from Little challenge
Holt bests challenger for 12th District seat
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
In a year when many Democrats across the country failed to keep their seats in Congress, 11-term Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th District) was able to hold onto his in a heated race, coming away with a message from voters:
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th District) is joined by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (l-r), his wife Sarah and Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna as he addresses a crowd of supporters after winning a twelfth term on Nov. 2 KENNY WALTER staff “We have to have a government that responds to the average person and protects the average person. I really feel tonight the residents of my district sent a message,” said Pallone, a resident of Long Branch.
Pallone won the 6th District with 55 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Highlands Mayor Anna Little, who took home 44 percent of the vote in the Nov. 2 general election.
In total, Pallone received 79,650 votes while Little tallied 64,118.
About 100 of Pallone’s friends, family and supporters gathered at Carpenter’s Hall in Red Bank on election night.
Early results had Pallone down by two points, but when the ticker came across the television screen with Pallone up 11 points, his supporters immediately started to chant, “We Want Frank.”
Pallone, New Jersey Sen. Robert Lautenberg and Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna emerged from a back room, with Lautenberg addressing the crowd.
“He is terrific, and I’m proud to serve with him,” he said. “Frank Pallone’s race is a signal to the other side that no matter how rough they campaign, no matter how tough the vernacular is, the fact is that we stand on the issues, and we are going to recover from whatever happens down in Washington.”
Pallone then spoke about the direction he’d like the country to head toward.
“The concern I have is as we move forward as a country, we really were trying to stabilize the economy, we were trying to grow the middle class,” he said. “I always felt my goal is essentially to try to protect the average American.”
Pallone said he is proud of some of the accomplishments of the Democrats during his current term, such as Wall Street reform and health care reform.
He also addressed the growing popularity of the Tea Party movement and what his concerns about the movement are.
“The problem is, of course, unemployment is still high and people say ‘We’d like things to be better,’ and they’re right,” he said. “What we don’t need is those policies that were expressed by the Tea Party movement which basically says there shouldn’t be any government regulation, we should repeal the Wall Street reform, we should repeal the health care reform.
“Basically get rid of corporate income taxes, get rid of any income tax,” he added. “These are the policies that are not good for the average person.
In an interview last week, Pallone expanded on some of his ideas to bolster the economy and create jobs.
“People want the economy to grow, they want the middle class to grow, and they want us to create jobs,” he said. “I think what my theme is what I call ‘Make It in America.’ ”
“The idea is we have to bring jobs back here, and that means having a national manufacturing policy that looks for new technologies where we can make things in America,” he added. “A good example of that would be renewable resources, where we can make the wind turbines for offshore windmills or the solar panels for solar energy.”
Pallone mentioned other goals aimed at creating jobs.
“I think we have to plug up tax loopholes that send jobs overseas, and we have to look at unfair trade practices from other countries such as China that subsidizes their products and dumps them in the United States,” he said. He also said he will continue to work to protect the coastal environment.
“In our area, tourism is very important and I have to continue to make sure the ocean is clean,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t want any offshore oil or gas drilling.”
Pallone said he has three bills drafted that will improve the shore by mitigating pollution problems, improving infrastructure and job creation.
Pallone drew more votes than Little in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, but Little bested Pallone in Monmouth County, tallying 40,367 votes to his 36,827.
He explained his down numbers in Monmouth.
“I think Monmouth County is more of a Republican-leaning county, is the bottom line,” he said. “I usually don’t do as well in Monmouth than some of the other counties historically.”
However, in Pallone’s hometown of Long Branch, he won with 3,263 votes to Little’s 2,177.
Even though the race was closer than past races, Pallone said he did not approach the election any differently.
“I’m still out there talking about what I do and what I’m trying to do to help people and grow the middle class,” he said. “It wasn’t that different, because I’m basically talking about my record and what I’ve accomplished in Congress.”
Pallone’s party will now be the minority in the House of Representatives, but he said he does not plan to approach his job any differently.
“When you are elected, whether you are in the minority or the majority, you are still trying to do the same thing: pass legislation and initiatives that are going to help your constituents,” he said. “It doesn’t matter that much, because you are still going to try to achieve the same goals.”
Pallone serves as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and telecommunications.
He chairs the committee’s Subcommittee on Health, which has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and shares jurisdiction of Medicare with the Ways and Means Committee.
The Health Subcommittee oversees public health, biomedical programs, food and drug safety, mental health and research, hospital construction, and all health care/homeland security related concerns.
Little, who marshaled an army of supporters, dubbed Anna’s Army, campaigned for Pallone’s seat with the backing of the Tea Party movement.
She thanked supporters on her website, saying, “What an honor and a privilege it has been to work alongside so many great American patriots in the Anna Little for Congress Campaign. While we may not have won this battle, we have not lost the war. We have only just begun to fight for the principles we hold so dear.”
Another local race that saw a Democrat retain his seat was in the 12th District, where six-term incumbent Rush Holt withstood Republican challenger Scott Sipprelle.
Holt received 105,457 votes over Sipprelle’s 91,677.
Holt also thanked supporters on his website.
“It has been an honor to serve as your representative for over a decade,” he wrote. “It is with great humility that I continue the privilege of public service to the people of Central New Jersey.
“I will return to Congress with the same vigor and purpose that I have maintained for the past 12 years,” he added. “I will continue fighting to extend opportunity, ensure fairness and build community.”
Contact Kenny Walter at
Kwalter@gmnews.com.
Holt bests challenger for 12th District seat
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
In a year when many Democrats across the country failed to keep their seats in Congress, 11-term Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th District) was able to hold onto his in a heated race, coming away with a message from voters:
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th District) is joined by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (l-r), his wife Sarah and Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna as he addresses a crowd of supporters after winning a twelfth term on Nov. 2 KENNY WALTER staff “We have to have a government that responds to the average person and protects the average person. I really feel tonight the residents of my district sent a message,” said Pallone, a resident of Long Branch.
Pallone won the 6th District with 55 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Highlands Mayor Anna Little, who took home 44 percent of the vote in the Nov. 2 general election.
In total, Pallone received 79,650 votes while Little tallied 64,118.
About 100 of Pallone’s friends, family and supporters gathered at Carpenter’s Hall in Red Bank on election night.
Early results had Pallone down by two points, but when the ticker came across the television screen with Pallone up 11 points, his supporters immediately started to chant, “We Want Frank.”
Pallone, New Jersey Sen. Robert Lautenberg and Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna emerged from a back room, with Lautenberg addressing the crowd.
“He is terrific, and I’m proud to serve with him,” he said. “Frank Pallone’s race is a signal to the other side that no matter how rough they campaign, no matter how tough the vernacular is, the fact is that we stand on the issues, and we are going to recover from whatever happens down in Washington.”
Pallone then spoke about the direction he’d like the country to head toward.
“The concern I have is as we move forward as a country, we really were trying to stabilize the economy, we were trying to grow the middle class,” he said. “I always felt my goal is essentially to try to protect the average American.”
Pallone said he is proud of some of the accomplishments of the Democrats during his current term, such as Wall Street reform and health care reform.
He also addressed the growing popularity of the Tea Party movement and what his concerns about the movement are.
“The problem is, of course, unemployment is still high and people say ‘We’d like things to be better,’ and they’re right,” he said. “What we don’t need is those policies that were expressed by the Tea Party movement which basically says there shouldn’t be any government regulation, we should repeal the Wall Street reform, we should repeal the health care reform.
“Basically get rid of corporate income taxes, get rid of any income tax,” he added. “These are the policies that are not good for the average person.
In an interview last week, Pallone expanded on some of his ideas to bolster the economy and create jobs.
“People want the economy to grow, they want the middle class to grow, and they want us to create jobs,” he said. “I think what my theme is what I call ‘Make It in America.’ ”
“The idea is we have to bring jobs back here, and that means having a national manufacturing policy that looks for new technologies where we can make things in America,” he added. “A good example of that would be renewable resources, where we can make the wind turbines for offshore windmills or the solar panels for solar energy.”
Pallone mentioned other goals aimed at creating jobs.
“I think we have to plug up tax loopholes that send jobs overseas, and we have to look at unfair trade practices from other countries such as China that subsidizes their products and dumps them in the United States,” he said. He also said he will continue to work to protect the coastal environment.
“In our area, tourism is very important and I have to continue to make sure the ocean is clean,” he said. “Obviously, I don’t want any offshore oil or gas drilling.”
Pallone said he has three bills drafted that will improve the shore by mitigating pollution problems, improving infrastructure and job creation.
Pallone drew more votes than Little in Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, but Little bested Pallone in Monmouth County, tallying 40,367 votes to his 36,827.
He explained his down numbers in Monmouth.
“I think Monmouth County is more of a Republican-leaning county, is the bottom line,” he said. “I usually don’t do as well in Monmouth than some of the other counties historically.”
However, in Pallone’s hometown of Long Branch, he won with 3,263 votes to Little’s 2,177.
Even though the race was closer than past races, Pallone said he did not approach the election any differently.
“I’m still out there talking about what I do and what I’m trying to do to help people and grow the middle class,” he said. “It wasn’t that different, because I’m basically talking about my record and what I’ve accomplished in Congress.”
Pallone’s party will now be the minority in the House of Representatives, but he said he does not plan to approach his job any differently.
“When you are elected, whether you are in the minority or the majority, you are still trying to do the same thing: pass legislation and initiatives that are going to help your constituents,” he said. “It doesn’t matter that much, because you are still going to try to achieve the same goals.”
Pallone serves as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and telecommunications.
He chairs the committee’s Subcommittee on Health, which has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and shares jurisdiction of Medicare with the Ways and Means Committee.
The Health Subcommittee oversees public health, biomedical programs, food and drug safety, mental health and research, hospital construction, and all health care/homeland security related concerns.
Little, who marshaled an army of supporters, dubbed Anna’s Army, campaigned for Pallone’s seat with the backing of the Tea Party movement.
She thanked supporters on her website, saying, “What an honor and a privilege it has been to work alongside so many great American patriots in the Anna Little for Congress Campaign. While we may not have won this battle, we have not lost the war. We have only just begun to fight for the principles we hold so dear.”
Another local race that saw a Democrat retain his seat was in the 12th District, where six-term incumbent Rush Holt withstood Republican challenger Scott Sipprelle.
Holt received 105,457 votes over Sipprelle’s 91,677.
Holt also thanked supporters on his website.
“It has been an honor to serve as your representative for over a decade,” he wrote. “It is with great humility that I continue the privilege of public service to the people of Central New Jersey.
“I will return to Congress with the same vigor and purpose that I have maintained for the past 12 years,” he added. “I will continue fighting to extend opportunity, ensure fairness and build community.”
Contact Kenny Walter at
Kwalter@gmnews.com.
Matawan-Aberdeen Regional superintendent takes top schools post in Edison
By JENNIFER BRADSHAW • STAFF WRITER • November 5, 2010
GEL.thepage.pageinfo.sn.pluck.commentCount = '2';
ABERDEEN — Richard O'Malley, superintendent of schools for the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, is leaving to take the superintendent job in the Edison school district.
The contract with Edison Township Public Schools spans Feb. 7, 2011, through July 1, 2015, "or earlier, if O'Malley becomes available," according to the agenda.
O'Malley will be paid $210,000 to oversee the more than 14,000-student Edison district, according to a letter from Edison school board president Gene I. Maeroff posted on the Edison schools website on Nov. 5.
"The salary is guaranteed through June 30, 2012. After that, he will be eligible for annual raises of up to 2 percent until his contract expires on July 1, 2015," Maeroff said. "He will also be eligible for annual performance bonuses of up to 2 percent, which would be one-time payments that would not become part of his base salary."
His current salary as superintendent of Matawan-Aberdeen schools is $185,000.
The governor's planned salary cap for superintendents in districts larger than 6,001 students is $175,000, but that is negotiable, depending on the size of the district.
Maeroff said that O'Malley's salary was approved by the Middlesex executive county superintendent.
O'Malley was appointed as superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen district in February 2008 after serving as chief administrator of the Mountainside School District in Union County.
During O'Malley's time as superintendent, the 2009 school budget became the first to pass at the polls in seven years, and the 2008-09 school year was the first year in which the district was completely free of No Child Left Behind sanctions since the law went into effect.
There was also drama in July 2009, when the board of education approved sizable raises for O'Malley, business administrator Sue Irons, and former assistant superintendent Joel Glastein, who has since retired. The raises were met with some scorn from the community.
O'Malley declined comment on Friday.
Jennifer Bradshaw: 732-643-4223; jbradshaw@app.comThe Home News Tribune contributed to this report.
By JENNIFER BRADSHAW • STAFF WRITER • November 5, 2010
GEL.thepage.pageinfo.sn.pluck.commentCount = '2';
ABERDEEN — Richard O'Malley, superintendent of schools for the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, is leaving to take the superintendent job in the Edison school district.
The contract with Edison Township Public Schools spans Feb. 7, 2011, through July 1, 2015, "or earlier, if O'Malley becomes available," according to the agenda.
O'Malley will be paid $210,000 to oversee the more than 14,000-student Edison district, according to a letter from Edison school board president Gene I. Maeroff posted on the Edison schools website on Nov. 5.
"The salary is guaranteed through June 30, 2012. After that, he will be eligible for annual raises of up to 2 percent until his contract expires on July 1, 2015," Maeroff said. "He will also be eligible for annual performance bonuses of up to 2 percent, which would be one-time payments that would not become part of his base salary."
His current salary as superintendent of Matawan-Aberdeen schools is $185,000.
The governor's planned salary cap for superintendents in districts larger than 6,001 students is $175,000, but that is negotiable, depending on the size of the district.
Maeroff said that O'Malley's salary was approved by the Middlesex executive county superintendent.
O'Malley was appointed as superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen district in February 2008 after serving as chief administrator of the Mountainside School District in Union County.
During O'Malley's time as superintendent, the 2009 school budget became the first to pass at the polls in seven years, and the 2008-09 school year was the first year in which the district was completely free of No Child Left Behind sanctions since the law went into effect.
There was also drama in July 2009, when the board of education approved sizable raises for O'Malley, business administrator Sue Irons, and former assistant superintendent Joel Glastein, who has since retired. The raises were met with some scorn from the community.
O'Malley declined comment on Friday.
Jennifer Bradshaw: 732-643-4223; jbradshaw@app.comThe Home News Tribune contributed to this report.
MARATHON
By Ben Fractenberg and Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporters/Producers
Manhattan — A field loaded with professional athletes, a Chilean miner and tens of thousands of amateur runners wound its way through Manhattan Sunday, displaying a determination that inspired 2.5 million spectators packed onto city streets.
"Hopefully, I'll be able to do it someday," said Amy Baldwin, 37, as she watched the pain and ecstacy of competitors passing through Harlem.
"It's just amazing, the effort they have to put into this," said Don Down, 45, from upstate New York.
"It's just wonderful to see the determination."
Watching the more than 45,000 competitors were hundreds of thousands of spectators who lined First Avenue as the runners headed up to the Bronx, and Fifth Avenue as they made their way to the Central Park Finish.
Leading the way was Gebre Gebremariam, 26, from Ethiopia, who amazed ING New York City Marathon watchers by winning the first marathon he's ever run.
As he crossed the line in two hours, eight minutes and 14 seconds, he became the first rookie marathoner to win the event in 27 years.
A runner shows his love of New York. (DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg)
In the women's race, Kenyan Edna Kiplagat crossed the line in two hours, 28 minutes and 20 seconds.
Just 20 seconds behind her was American Shalane Flanagan.
Way behind them, runners crossing the line described very personal reasons for taking on the challenge.
Broadway actor Rory O'Malley, who acted in Broadway's in Dream Girls, was running to highlight marriage equality.
"I think a lot of people think this fight for civil rights is impossible, but I thought running 26 miles was impossible," he said at the finish line.
Another runner, NYPD community affairs officer Sean Rooney, 40, ran in memory of a friend who died in 9/11.
Sunday's race was his seventh New York City Marathon.
"I say every year I'm not going to do it, but there's always an itch," he said.
Brad Weiss, 36, who sells advertising for the New York Daily News, ran his 19th marathon on Sunday, his 10th in New York.
"There's something indescribable about the high you get from running," he said.
"If I could put it in a bottle and give it out, [I would.]"
Crowds cheer on exhausted runners. (DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg)
Chris Halbal, 45, who grew up watching the marathon with his father on the Upper West Side, decided to volunteer for the marathon after his father's death. Nine years later, he's still volunteering for the marathon, handing out medals to finishers.
"This is a primo spot," he said in the medal section on Sunday.
"People start breaking down — everyone's got their reason for running...If you don't get emotional [watching it], you're not human."
Liz Kim, 34, a lawyer from the Upper West Side, ran her first marathon Sunday.
"I think every New Yorker should do this once," she said.
"It's such a unifying experience, all these strangers cheering for you. It makes you think the world could become a better place."
Chilean miner Edison Pena, who was trapped underground for 70 days, pulled off another feat of endurance by finishing the marathon in five hours, 40 minutes and 51 seconds.
Pena kept sane in the mine by running six miles a day through a labyrinth of tunnels.
After the marathon, he said, "Running a marathon and being trapped in a mine are two very different experiences.
"I felt great in the marathon . . . felt great with all the support I was getting. In the mine, I ran alone."
ING has posted the results of all racers in this year's New York City Marathon, searchable by name, bib, team and other categories, on their website.
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20101107/manhattan/ing-nyc-marathon-inspires-hundreds-of-thousands-of-spectators#ixzz14ow3Fj9O
By Ben Fractenberg and Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporters/Producers
Manhattan — A field loaded with professional athletes, a Chilean miner and tens of thousands of amateur runners wound its way through Manhattan Sunday, displaying a determination that inspired 2.5 million spectators packed onto city streets.
"Hopefully, I'll be able to do it someday," said Amy Baldwin, 37, as she watched the pain and ecstacy of competitors passing through Harlem.
"It's just amazing, the effort they have to put into this," said Don Down, 45, from upstate New York.
"It's just wonderful to see the determination."
Watching the more than 45,000 competitors were hundreds of thousands of spectators who lined First Avenue as the runners headed up to the Bronx, and Fifth Avenue as they made their way to the Central Park Finish.
Leading the way was Gebre Gebremariam, 26, from Ethiopia, who amazed ING New York City Marathon watchers by winning the first marathon he's ever run.
As he crossed the line in two hours, eight minutes and 14 seconds, he became the first rookie marathoner to win the event in 27 years.
A runner shows his love of New York. (DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg)
In the women's race, Kenyan Edna Kiplagat crossed the line in two hours, 28 minutes and 20 seconds.
Just 20 seconds behind her was American Shalane Flanagan.
Way behind them, runners crossing the line described very personal reasons for taking on the challenge.
Broadway actor Rory O'Malley, who acted in Broadway's in Dream Girls, was running to highlight marriage equality.
"I think a lot of people think this fight for civil rights is impossible, but I thought running 26 miles was impossible," he said at the finish line.
Another runner, NYPD community affairs officer Sean Rooney, 40, ran in memory of a friend who died in 9/11.
Sunday's race was his seventh New York City Marathon.
"I say every year I'm not going to do it, but there's always an itch," he said.
Brad Weiss, 36, who sells advertising for the New York Daily News, ran his 19th marathon on Sunday, his 10th in New York.
"There's something indescribable about the high you get from running," he said.
"If I could put it in a bottle and give it out, [I would.]"
Crowds cheer on exhausted runners. (DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg)
Chris Halbal, 45, who grew up watching the marathon with his father on the Upper West Side, decided to volunteer for the marathon after his father's death. Nine years later, he's still volunteering for the marathon, handing out medals to finishers.
"This is a primo spot," he said in the medal section on Sunday.
"People start breaking down — everyone's got their reason for running...If you don't get emotional [watching it], you're not human."
Liz Kim, 34, a lawyer from the Upper West Side, ran her first marathon Sunday.
"I think every New Yorker should do this once," she said.
"It's such a unifying experience, all these strangers cheering for you. It makes you think the world could become a better place."
Chilean miner Edison Pena, who was trapped underground for 70 days, pulled off another feat of endurance by finishing the marathon in five hours, 40 minutes and 51 seconds.
Pena kept sane in the mine by running six miles a day through a labyrinth of tunnels.
After the marathon, he said, "Running a marathon and being trapped in a mine are two very different experiences.
"I felt great in the marathon . . . felt great with all the support I was getting. In the mine, I ran alone."
ING has posted the results of all racers in this year's New York City Marathon, searchable by name, bib, team and other categories, on their website.
Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/20101107/manhattan/ing-nyc-marathon-inspires-hundreds-of-thousands-of-spectators#ixzz14ow3Fj9O
Edison hires Matawan-Aberdeen superintendent to run schools
Published: Monday, November 08, 2010, 8:04 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 5:31 AM
EDISON — Richard O’Malley knows he’s about to take a daunting leap.
For the last three years, he’s been the superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen school system, a district with 4,000 students and a $60 million budget.
Now, O’Malley has been hired to lead Edison’s schools, a sprawling system of 14,500 students with a $198 million spending plan. It’s also a district that’s been beset by problems: custodians facing drug charges, more than 100 teachers issued pink slips, taxpayers footing the salaries of two superintendents.
“I look forward to it,” O’Malley, 40, said of the job Monday. “We all face these kinds of challenges in school districts. I want to move forward, not dwell in the past and be optimistic about the future.”
After months of searching, Edison’s school board voted 6-1 last week to hire O’Malley for the top post in Middlesex County’s largest district.
Edison will pay O’Malley $210,000 a year, making him one of the county’s highest-paid superintendents. As of March, John Rodecker of Perth Amboy made $211,208; Richard Kaplan of New Brunswick made $217,172; and Jo Ann Magistro of East Brunswick made $209,500.
Joseph Romano said the salary led him to be the only Edison school board member to vote against the hiring.
“I think he’s a qualified man,” Romano said of O’Malley, “but I believe the money is too much.”
Gene Maeroff, Edison’s school board president, disagrees. He said the salary befits the state’s fifth-largest school system, and that dozens of smaller districts pay their leaders more than $200,000.
The board chose O’Malley, who makes $179,000 in Matawan, after interviewing more than 25 candidates, many from outside New Jersey. Edison officials tout that O’Malley has reduced costs and implemented writing and literacy programs in Matawan.
Before that, O’Malley was superintendent in Mountainside, an elementary-school principal in Branchburg and an assistant principal in Saddle River. He has a psychology degree from Clemson University, a Master’s from Monmouth University and a doctorate from Seton Hall University.
O’Malley also has political experience: The Republican has spent the last four years as a member of the Raritan Township Committee in Hunterdon County, serving as mayor a year ago.
“With the problems we’ve had in Edison, it’s not as easy as it might otherwise be to find a top person to come here and take on these challenges,” Maeroff said. “But he has the kind of skills and experience we need.”
Edison’s problems started Nov. 30, 2007, when the school board placed Superintendent Carol Toth on paid leave. The district then paid more than $170,000 a year to both Toth and acting Superintendent John DiMuzio until June. Board members have declined comment on the situation, saying it’s a personnel issue.
Over the last few months, former Piscataway schools chief Ronald Bolandi has run the district for $875 a day. Bolandi will stay until O’Malley takes over in February.
In another controversy, five Edison High School custodians were arrested over the last year for allegedly using the district’s prescription plan to obtain the narcotic painkiller OxyContin, both for abuse and resale. No drugs were sold to students, authorities said.
Plus, like districts across the state, Edison was smacked with budget cuts this year, costing more than 150 jobs.
O’Malley’s salary is guaranteed through June 30, 2012.
Published: Monday, November 08, 2010, 8:04 PM Updated: Tuesday, November 09, 2010, 5:31 AM
EDISON — Richard O’Malley knows he’s about to take a daunting leap.
For the last three years, he’s been the superintendent of the Matawan-Aberdeen school system, a district with 4,000 students and a $60 million budget.
Now, O’Malley has been hired to lead Edison’s schools, a sprawling system of 14,500 students with a $198 million spending plan. It’s also a district that’s been beset by problems: custodians facing drug charges, more than 100 teachers issued pink slips, taxpayers footing the salaries of two superintendents.
“I look forward to it,” O’Malley, 40, said of the job Monday. “We all face these kinds of challenges in school districts. I want to move forward, not dwell in the past and be optimistic about the future.”
After months of searching, Edison’s school board voted 6-1 last week to hire O’Malley for the top post in Middlesex County’s largest district.
Edison will pay O’Malley $210,000 a year, making him one of the county’s highest-paid superintendents. As of March, John Rodecker of Perth Amboy made $211,208; Richard Kaplan of New Brunswick made $217,172; and Jo Ann Magistro of East Brunswick made $209,500.
Joseph Romano said the salary led him to be the only Edison school board member to vote against the hiring.
“I think he’s a qualified man,” Romano said of O’Malley, “but I believe the money is too much.”
Gene Maeroff, Edison’s school board president, disagrees. He said the salary befits the state’s fifth-largest school system, and that dozens of smaller districts pay their leaders more than $200,000.
The board chose O’Malley, who makes $179,000 in Matawan, after interviewing more than 25 candidates, many from outside New Jersey. Edison officials tout that O’Malley has reduced costs and implemented writing and literacy programs in Matawan.
Before that, O’Malley was superintendent in Mountainside, an elementary-school principal in Branchburg and an assistant principal in Saddle River. He has a psychology degree from Clemson University, a Master’s from Monmouth University and a doctorate from Seton Hall University.
O’Malley also has political experience: The Republican has spent the last four years as a member of the Raritan Township Committee in Hunterdon County, serving as mayor a year ago.
“With the problems we’ve had in Edison, it’s not as easy as it might otherwise be to find a top person to come here and take on these challenges,” Maeroff said. “But he has the kind of skills and experience we need.”
Edison’s problems started Nov. 30, 2007, when the school board placed Superintendent Carol Toth on paid leave. The district then paid more than $170,000 a year to both Toth and acting Superintendent John DiMuzio until June. Board members have declined comment on the situation, saying it’s a personnel issue.
Over the last few months, former Piscataway schools chief Ronald Bolandi has run the district for $875 a day. Bolandi will stay until O’Malley takes over in February.
In another controversy, five Edison High School custodians were arrested over the last year for allegedly using the district’s prescription plan to obtain the narcotic painkiller OxyContin, both for abuse and resale. No drugs were sold to students, authorities said.
Plus, like districts across the state, Edison was smacked with budget cuts this year, costing more than 150 jobs.
O’Malley’s salary is guaranteed through June 30, 2012.
Revenge of the Do-Nothings
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Yogi BerraBased upon comments to the blog, it appears the Monday quarterbacking armchair analysts are seizing Dr. O’Malley’s and my departures as an opportunity to repudiate everything the Matawan-Aberdeen district has accomplished under his leadership. This party of malcontents never has anything constructive to offer but their baseless criticisms, which are immune to logic and fact. For example, when the school district was facing a $7 million budget shortfall and the Matawan-Aberdeen community hadn’t supported a tax increase since 2001, the do-nothings were opposing steep staff reductions. Did they offer any alternative to close the budget gap? No. To this day, they’re happy to criticize the school board for outsourcing the custodians while ignoring the million dollars it would have cost each year to retain the custodians. Another example is O’Malley’s raise. In 2008, O’Malley negotiated a reasonable compensation package in exchange for the expectation of salary increases once he proved himself. In his first year, O’Malley introduced numerous educational initiatives, made several personnel changes, and produced a budget that actually reduced year-over-year spending and didn’t raise taxes. He asked for a $9,000 raise and got it. People were in an uproar. How could the school board pay a person more than contractually required? How could we reward someone for just one year’s performance? (To be fair, nobody was so upset as to actually attend the school board meeting, just upset enough to complain on this blog.)Well, the following year, O’Malley did more of the same and didn’t get a raise beyond his contract guarantee. Every taxpayer and district parent can see the changes O’Malley has wrought, from special education to legal fees, to writing curriculums, to the academies, to testing and data analysis, to accelerated math curricula, to a renewed focus on college preparation, to safer schools, to restrained tax increases, and so on. Nobody argues that O’Malley would have done more without the raise and we’ll never know if he would have done less. All we do know is that the board was absolutely correct in assuming O’Malley was a flight risk; Edison, New Jersey’s 5th largest school district, recruited O’Malley with a $25,000 salary increase. Once again, what would the malcontents have done to retain and incentivize exceptional talent? Absolutely nothing. Of course, now the malcontents want to argue that the raises were a waste of money because O’Malley is leaving anyways. Nonsense. That’s like saying you should only wear seatbelts prior to certain types of accidents, as if such things could be predicted. The school board did its best, within reason, to encourage O’Malley to do the best job he could and to remain within the district. That’s all the school board could do and it was right to do so.People complained that eliminating the Director of Security position would endanger our children (the same complaint made when the district outsourced custodial services). Instead, our schools continued to become safer. The special education department objected to Mr. Schweitzer’s appointment as Director of Special Services. In fact, the special education department under his direction has improved dramatically and saved the taxpayers more money than it ever had in the district’s history. Out-district placements are decreasing, special ed lawsuits have virtually disappeared, and parental complaints are way down. Our school district is under constant pressure to improve academics and reduce the tax burden but the do-nothings never have a single substantial idea to move our district forward. Instead, their strategy is to complain about everything and then, at that one time when by pure chance they happen to have been right, they can holler to the skies “I told you so”.These do-nothing malcontents are bankrupt of any leadership or accountability. They jeer from the sidelines and cheer when you stumble but they’ll never get off the bench and play ball.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Yogi BerraBased upon comments to the blog, it appears the Monday quarterbacking armchair analysts are seizing Dr. O’Malley’s and my departures as an opportunity to repudiate everything the Matawan-Aberdeen district has accomplished under his leadership. This party of malcontents never has anything constructive to offer but their baseless criticisms, which are immune to logic and fact. For example, when the school district was facing a $7 million budget shortfall and the Matawan-Aberdeen community hadn’t supported a tax increase since 2001, the do-nothings were opposing steep staff reductions. Did they offer any alternative to close the budget gap? No. To this day, they’re happy to criticize the school board for outsourcing the custodians while ignoring the million dollars it would have cost each year to retain the custodians. Another example is O’Malley’s raise. In 2008, O’Malley negotiated a reasonable compensation package in exchange for the expectation of salary increases once he proved himself. In his first year, O’Malley introduced numerous educational initiatives, made several personnel changes, and produced a budget that actually reduced year-over-year spending and didn’t raise taxes. He asked for a $9,000 raise and got it. People were in an uproar. How could the school board pay a person more than contractually required? How could we reward someone for just one year’s performance? (To be fair, nobody was so upset as to actually attend the school board meeting, just upset enough to complain on this blog.)Well, the following year, O’Malley did more of the same and didn’t get a raise beyond his contract guarantee. Every taxpayer and district parent can see the changes O’Malley has wrought, from special education to legal fees, to writing curriculums, to the academies, to testing and data analysis, to accelerated math curricula, to a renewed focus on college preparation, to safer schools, to restrained tax increases, and so on. Nobody argues that O’Malley would have done more without the raise and we’ll never know if he would have done less. All we do know is that the board was absolutely correct in assuming O’Malley was a flight risk; Edison, New Jersey’s 5th largest school district, recruited O’Malley with a $25,000 salary increase. Once again, what would the malcontents have done to retain and incentivize exceptional talent? Absolutely nothing. Of course, now the malcontents want to argue that the raises were a waste of money because O’Malley is leaving anyways. Nonsense. That’s like saying you should only wear seatbelts prior to certain types of accidents, as if such things could be predicted. The school board did its best, within reason, to encourage O’Malley to do the best job he could and to remain within the district. That’s all the school board could do and it was right to do so.People complained that eliminating the Director of Security position would endanger our children (the same complaint made when the district outsourced custodial services). Instead, our schools continued to become safer. The special education department objected to Mr. Schweitzer’s appointment as Director of Special Services. In fact, the special education department under his direction has improved dramatically and saved the taxpayers more money than it ever had in the district’s history. Out-district placements are decreasing, special ed lawsuits have virtually disappeared, and parental complaints are way down. Our school district is under constant pressure to improve academics and reduce the tax burden but the do-nothings never have a single substantial idea to move our district forward. Instead, their strategy is to complain about everything and then, at that one time when by pure chance they happen to have been right, they can holler to the skies “I told you so”.These do-nothing malcontents are bankrupt of any leadership or accountability. They jeer from the sidelines and cheer when you stumble but they’ll never get off the bench and play ball.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)