The All Veterans Memorial in Hackettstown
currently is seeking sponsors for each memorial candle at a cost of
$10. The sponsor’s name and message will be affixed to a designated
candle and will be available to the sponsor after the ceremony as a
keepsake. Interested parties may obtain further information by
contacting the All Veterans Memorial at 12 Jennies Lane,
Hackettstown, NJ 07840.
Lerner, an attorney, has been waging a
three month campaign with local officials and residents concerning
feral cats. She appeared first before the Town Council and the
matter was referred to the Board of Health.
Full Story
(4/19/09)
Today, just two days before Election Day, the Daily Record, pretty
much true to form, published in a three quarter page display article
on the front page of its editorial section a decidedly anti school
budget opinion written by a decidedly anti budget, ultra
conservative president of the NJ Taxpayers Assn./Alliance, Jerry
Cantrell of Randolph.
Full Story
Criscuolo, Gadelha Ouimet platform commits to: greater
student achievement, fiscal responsibility
MOUNT OLIVE (4/14/09) – The three
leading candidates for the Board of Education posted their campaign
platform on their website
www.tomorrowlooksgreat.org last night. It cited their commitment
to significant improvement in student achievement and fiscal
responsibility as well as public communication and school safety.
Full Story
Sens. Oroho
and Karrow: Corzine not asking Abbott cities to “sacrifice”
NEWTON - (4/09/09)
State Senators Steven Oroho and Marcia
Karrow are two Republican legislators who are expressing “disbelief
and frustration” that the Corzine administration is granting more
than $80 million in “Special Municipal Aid" to three cities that
have no stated plans to make any sacrifices next year that many
other communities are being forced to make during this recession.
The aid was granted to Camden, Paterson and Bridgeton.
Full Story
Teachers make generous contributions To community
good works activities
MOUNT OLIVE (4/09/09) - During
budget discussions, teachers’ salary increases, unfortunately, are
sometimes singled out by many in the public as a main cause of
school budget increases. It’s simply not true. This year, at two
school budget public hearings, a few residents asked the school
board to negate negotiated salary increase for teachers, which it
couldn’t do legally.
Full Story
Councilman Perkins has some energy tips that could offset taxes for
homeowners
MOUNT OLIVE (4/08/09) – Councilman
Ray Perkins, a long time strong advocate of energy conservation and
protecting the environment is passing along some significant cost
saving measures put out recently by the state Board of Public
Utilities that could help eligible homeowners reduce their taxes.
Full Story
Scout Troop 156 hosting pancake breakfast
April 19
MOUNT OLIVE (4/06/09) – Boy Scout Troop
156 is hosting a pancake breakfast on April 19 from 8 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. at the Flanders Firehouse, Mains Street , Folanders. Admission
for adults is $5; c senior citizens, $3 and children under 12, $4.
Admission is $15 for a family of four. Tickets can be purchased in
advance or at the door. Call (973) 584-3405.
Chamber of Commerce Meeting
MOUNT OLIVE (4/06/09) – State Sen. Steve
Oroho, Assemblywoman Allison Litell McHose and Assemblyman Gary R.
Chiusano, all representing the 24th Legislative District,
will be the featured speakers at a special meeting of the Mount
Olive Chamber of Commerce on April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham
Garden Hotel in the International Trade Center. Reservations call
(973)691-0109 or visit
www.mountolivechambernj.com
FBI agent to
present “Inside look at FBI”
MOUNT OLIVE (4/06/09) – A retired
Federal Bureau of Investigation agent will discuss ”An Inside Look
at the FBI” on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the public library. The
presentation will be made by Rick Berger, a 30 year agent, who
specialize in the area of counterintelligence. His work also
involved the handling of cases such as the investigation into the
crash of TWA Flight 800 and the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World
Trade Center.
Full Story
Mount Olive Democrats charge GOP governing body “has been on
vacation”
MOUNT OLIVE (4/06/09) – An
indication of just how serious the Democratic council candidates are
this year and the kind of hard hitting campaign they expect to
conduct is evident in a joint press statement they released today.
Full Story
Local Democrats re-organizing the Democratic
Party here
MOUNT OLIVE (4/6/09) - Judy Buell,
chairperson of the Mt. Olive Democratic Committee, and wife of
Democratic Council Candidate Jim Buell, is inviting residents,
especially those interested in the Democratic Party and progressive
local government, to come to a meeting on Wednesday April 22 at
7:30 p.m. in the municipal building cafeteria. The Democratic
candidates for local government, Buell, Richard Escobar, John E.
Titus Jr. and Gary Mahabir will be there to discuss their views on
how they plan to reduce local property taxes and conduct local
government. Refreshments will be served. Please R.S.V.P.
j_b44@yahoo.com or call Judy at 973-584-1388.
Police
respond to family shooting one accused of reckless endangerment
MOUNT OLIVE (4/05/09) – Police
are investigating a shooting that occurred in Stephens State
Park Road and Mine hill Road on Friday in which an apparent family
member, Thomas Perkoski, 54, of 166 Smithtown Road, Budd Lake, fired
a shotgun at a deer and some birds in the area.
Full Story
Sens. Oroho and Karow demand Corzine force special aid
cities cut back on costs
NEWTON (4/4/09) – Two
Republican state senators, both members of the Senate Budget and
Appropriations Committee are asking Governor Corzine if towns that
receive additional state aid would be required to furlough some city
employees, similar to what Newark Mayor Cory Booker and the state
has done as well as many private companies.
Full Story
State GOP Budget Committee: Need a lifeline, not more
taxes
NEWTON (4/3/09) -
After listening to testimony at today’s public budget
hearing from the chief operating officer of the state’s
largest chamber of commerce denouncing Governor Jon
Corzine’s call for increased business taxes, members of
the Assembly Republican Budget Committee agreed it’s
time to stop making the state’s business community bear
the brunt of excessive government spending and waste.,
according to Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose,
(R-Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon)
Full Story
Mount Olive
School Board tax would increase $250 on average home
MOUNT OLIVE (4/1/09) - The Board of
Education last night approved the 2009-10 school budget that would
cost the average homeowner approximately $250 per year. That
represents a tax of $66 per $100,000 assessed valuation. The
proposed budget is a 28% reduction from last year’s budget which was
$351 on the average home. It is the lowest percentage increase in
over a decade, according to Schools Superintendent Dr. Larrie
Reynolds, sc. Overall, the budget is just $2,079,006 higher than
last year, an increase of 2.88% .
Full Story

Pictured above is State Senator Steve Oroho (R/24)
reading a Dr. Seuss book to Mrs. Sully’s fourth grade
class at Mountain View School in Flanders, NJ.
Board of Education hopefuls face off in candidates’
forum
MOUNT OLIVE (4/1/09) - Nine of the
10 candidates for the Board of Education turned out for the
Candidates’ Forum last night in the Middle School. About 100 people
were in attendance.
Full Story
Mount Olive School Budget passes lowest increase in ten
years
MOUNT OLIVE (3/31/09) – In a
meeting that lasted less than two hours, the Board of Education last
night unanimously passed the $74,264,838 budget for 2009-10 with
little fanfare from an audience much subdued compared to the public
response when it was introduced earlier this month. About 60 people
attended the meeting.
Full Story
Democrats present full Council ticket rising out of the ashes of
political debacle
MOUNT OLIVE 3/30/09) – The township
Democratic organization is showing signs of recovering from the
fiasco it experienced four years ago when it swept the mayor and
three council seats and it looked like their party was, for the
first time in memory, going to share in the township governance. Full Story
Mount Olive Democrats to have full Council ticket;
promise hard hitting tax/shared services campaign
MOUNT OLIVE (3/28/09) – As the
Republicans did exactly what was expected yesterday in announcing
the four incumbent Councilmen would run again in the June primary
election the Democrats today did exactly what was unexpected in
announcing a full slate of candidates and promising a hard hitting
campaign accusing the Republicans of “sloth” when it comes to
sharing township services within the township and with neighboring
communities. Full Story
Pennsylvania Woman charged after child found wandering
in Budd Lake
MOUNT OLIVE (3/26/09) – A
Saylorsburg, Pa. woman brought her son with her to visit a friend in
the Tanglewood area of Budd Lake and while waiting for her friend to
return home fell asleep on a couch. Full Story
Assemblyman Chiusano to Corzine: Reject illegal driving/tuition
privileges
NEWTON(3/26/09)
– Assemblyman Gary Chiusano says a
Monmouth University poll shows New Jersey residents do not want to
extend driving and tuition privileges to illegal immigrants and
Governor Corzine should reject what Chiusano termed “secret
proposals” to do so. Full Story
Rattner, Greenbaum, Perkins, Tepper team up on ticket
for re-election bid
MOUNT OLIVE (3/26/09)3/26/09)
-
As expected, Republican Councilmen Steve Rattner, Rob
Greenbaum, Ray Perkins and Russ Tepper have announced their
candidacies for re-election. They have submitted the required
petitions to run as a ticket in the June Municipal Primary election
for the Township Council.
Full Story
Deb Burleigh, school board candidate promotes drunk
driving education experience
MOUNT OLIVE (3/25/09) – Spring has
arrived and everyone welcomes the pleasant change in weather,
returning robins, greening foliage, high school proms and
graduations. It also is a terrible time when the number of traffic
accidents involving young people, many of them fatal, increases.
Full Story
McHose to Corzine: Pension funds have had enough
poison
NEWTON (3/24/09) - Assemblywoman
Alison Littell McHose today blasted Gov. Corzine’s endorsement of
investing pension funds into banks’ toxic assets and bad investment
deals. “It shows he still hasn’t learned anything from the
investment gimmickry that led to the national economic problems we
are experiencing today,” she said.
Full Story
Improved Standard and Poor’s rating to save the township thousands
of dollars
MOUNT OLIVE (3/23/09) – When Mayor
David Scapicchio announced that the township’s Standard and Poor’s
rating service increased from AA3 to AA it didn’t seem to get the
interest it deserved.
Full Story
Governor Corzine wants to hear other budget ideas; 24th
District legislators: “Drop pre school education”
NEWTON
(3/20/09) – State Sen. Steven Oroho, Assemblywoman Alison
Littell McHose and Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (all R-Sussex, Morris,
and Hunterdon) today took up Gov. Jon Corzine’s challenge to
Republicans to submit budget cut ideas.
Full Story
Police
arrest Budd Lake juvenile In two more burglaries
MOUNT OLIVE (3/20/09) -Following
up in their on-going burglary investigations police this
week were led to the home of a 17 year old Budd Lake youth where
they found two computers that had been reported stolen. They were
valued at about $1,500.
Full Story
Candidates remind residents candidates Forum March 31
MOUNT OLIVE (3/20/09) –
Board of Education candidates Kathy Criscuolo, Rene
Gadelha and Liz Ouimet today reminded residents of important dates
in the current Board of Education campaign.
Full Story
Mount Olive 2009-10 Budget Proposed Additions/Reductions
MOUNT OLIVE (3/17/09) – The following are the
proposed changes made in the 2009-10 Board of Education
budget including reviving the programs that were
eliminated because of the defeat of the second ballot
question in the 2008-09 budget.
Full Story
Alert
police work nabs four burglary suspects
MOUNT OLIVE (3/18/09 – Police
believe the arrests of four individuals in the past few days,
charged with burglaries of five homes, to be a major development in
solving the rash of at least 14 burglaries and criminal mischief
complaints that have dogged police here since the end of last year.
Full Story
Mount Olive
School Board introduces leanest budget in years; still a tough call
MOUNT OLIVE (3/17/09) – To be
sure there were critics at the public hearing last night for the
introduction of the 2009-10 Board of Education budget but there also
was an air of excitement, even among some of the critics, that the
Mount Olive school system was making a dramatic change in spending
priorities and at the same time improving the quality of education
in all the schools.
Full Story
Township
Council marks Appreciation for Counsel John Dorsey’s 25 years of
service
MOUNT OLIVE (3/14/09) – The township
council passed a Resolution of Appreciation last week commending the
25 years of service by Township Attorney John Dorsey.
Full Story
Township’s S&P debt
rating increased to AA
MOUNT OLIVE (3/13/09) – When the
economic news has been nothing but bad for so long it’s great to get
a little good news and the Township Administrator Bill Sohl sprung
it this week. The township’s debt rating has been raised from AA3 to
AA by the Standard and Poor’s Rating Service. The rating has a
direct effect on the interest rates the township receives for any
debt it incurs.
According to Sohl, the rating is a result
of the township’s refinancing of its debt obligations. It shows the
township has a strong and stable tax base and maintenance of a very
strong financial position highlighted by consistent fund balance
levels and low to moderate overall debt burden with rapid
amortization.
Elizabeth
Ouimet, long time school activist joins incumbent school board
members’ ticket
MOUNT OLIVE (3/10/09) – Elizabeth
Ouimet has done just about everything in the township school system
for the past 20 years except teach or serve on the board of
education. So, she figures, now’s the time.
Full Story
Corzine
gives his own take on $4 billion in spending cuts in 2010 state
budget
(TRENTON 3/10/09) - Gov.
Jon Corzine, under fire from Republicans and even some Democrats had
this to say about the budget he presented to the Legislature
yesterday. The Legislators will now hold hearings, examine it item
by item and must, by law, return an acceptable budget to the
governor by June 30th midnight.
Full Story
Assemblywoman McHose Blasts Corzine budget
NEWTON (3/11/09) – Assemblywoman
Alison Litell McHose came out swinging yesterday after y Gov. Jon
Corzine delivered his budget message to the State Legislature. The
budget cuts school and municipal aid, eliminates deducting property
taxes paid on state income tax filings, severely reduces those
eligible for property tax rebates and increases payroll taxes for
unemployment insurance, McHose said in joining her Republican
colleagues on the Budget Committee. Full Story
Budd
Lake man caught in high speed police chase
MOUNT OLIVE (3/10/09) – Walik Griggs,
33, of Budd Lake is in the Morris County jail in lieu of $250,000
bail for a host of serious motor vehicle violations, one of them,
aggravated assault on a police officer and another trying to elude
police in a high speed chase. Police from four municipalities and
the State Police participated in the chase.
Full Story
School Board Candidate Deb Burleigh sees important need: to educate
voters
MOUNT OLIVE (3/09/09) – Civic
responsibility is important to Board of Education candidate Deb
Burleigh. It’s a main reason she says she’s running.
Full Story
Five more school board candidates file to run
making 10 competing for three seats….a record
MOUNT OLIVE (3/3/09) – Five
more. That’s how many last minute candidates filed before
yesterday’s deadline to run in the Board of Education election on
May 21. That brings the number to 10 candidates competing for three
seats, one of them a former mayor. That’s a record for Mount Olive.
Full Story
Mount Olive school board in contested election
MOUNT OLIVE (3/1/09) - The only
two women on the Board of Education are up for re-election this year
and they’re campaigning together. The third board member whose term
is up, Bruce Bott, is not running for re-election. He has served 15
years. Thanks Bruce.
Full Story