For Council: Perkins, Rattner, Greenbaum and Mania 

    MOUNT OLIVE (5-28-09) Editorial -    This is a difficult election year for Republicans in general and to be an incumbent in the current economy as well, running for reelection, even for local office, makes it more challenging …. but not in Morris County, or even more specifically in Mount Olive. Full Story

All Veterans Memorial sponsoring candle ceremony in conjunction with Memorial Day parade May 25^th

    MOUNT OLIVE (5/09/09) – A candle ceremony in memory of all New Jersey servicemen who have died in the global war on terrorism will be held at the site of the All Veterans Memorial in Turkey Brook Park following the Memorial Day parade on May 25^th, The candles will be placed next to the hero’s paver at the Iraqi Freedom Bridge.

     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.

Mayor Scapicchio endorses four for Town Council shuns GOP colleagues for two former Democrats 

    MOUNT OLIVE (5/9/09) – Mayor David Scapicchio, who also serves as the township’s Republican chairman, today broke “the long primary election silence” by endorsing four of six Republican candidates for four seats in next month’s primary election.  What may be a surprise to many is the mayor’s endorsement of two former Democrats, recently turned Republican, one of whom even ran as a Democrat last year for the Township Council. Full Story

Health Board votes to continue euthanizing feral cats

     MOUNT OLIVE (5/8/09) – If a dog is man’s best friend it follows that a cat’s best friend in Mount Olive is Michelle Lerner. 

    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

Correction 

McEntee not opposed to school budget as reported here on May 1

     MOUNT OLIVE (5/07/09) – On May 1 it was reported here that former school board member Larry McEntee ”was highly critical of the budget during last month’s campaign.” (the Board of Education election). Full Story

Council President Tepper “may have been playing politics” when naming committee to review failed 2009-10 school budget 

      MOUNT OLIVE (5/1/09) - It may be that the Board of Education and the Township Council are gearing up for another battle of their legal departments….State statutes seem to be in conflict as to who…the school administration or the Township Council… has the responsibility for establishing a “Failed Budget Review Committee.” Full Story

            NEWTON (5/1/09) – State Senator Steve Oroho, a Republican member of the Senate  Budget and Appropriations Committee, is asking Governor Corzine to immediately release the latest figures on revenue collections. Full Story

Tepper appointments to School Budget Review Committee stirs hornet’s nest 

    MOUNT OLIVE (4/30/09) – Council President Russ Tepper, over the strenuous private objections of at least three other Council members, went ahead and named a committee to review the failed Board of Education budget.  The Council members objected to some of the members Tepper named. Full Story

School Board President Werner “begs to differ” with Council President 

     MOUNT OLIVE (4/30/09) – Soon after Council President Russ Tepper formed a School Budget Review Committee to study this year’s failed Board of Education budget, School Board  President Mark Werner weighed in. It’s not his call, Werner said and he maintains he’s got the law on his side. Full Story

Two injured in car, Motorcycle collision 

    MOUNT OLIVE (4/27/09) – In a police report filed April 23, a Lafayette man, Francis Hunter,53, driving a motorcycle, ran a red traffic signal at the intersection at Route 46 and Mount Olive Road at about 11:30 a.m. smashing into the driver’s side of a 2009 Lexus driven by Kit J. Chu, 47 of Long Valley. Full Story

Republicans warn NJ residents may soon have to travel out of state for medical care 

     NEWTON (4/27/09) – The Republicans on the Assembly Budget Committee have warned that because of the state’s “inhospitable” attitude toward doctors and hospitals New Jersey residents may soon be traveling out of state for their medical needs.   Full Story

Assemblyman Chiusano presents a four part series on why New Jersey’s property taxes are so high 

By Assemblyman Gary Chiusano  Part I 

     NEWTON (4/25/09) – Assemblyman Gary Chiusano has taken on the role of “teacher” to explain in a four part series of articles why he believes New Jersey has the highest property taxes in America.  He says he calls it the ABC’s of property taxes, because that is a convenient way to outline the causes of these high taxes by their severity: Abbott District spending, Bureaucratic waste and inefficiency, and COAH – the state mandated, high density, low income housing.  Part four will address some of the Solutions available to us.  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 24^th 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.

      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

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

     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; 24^th 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     

     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