Fall D ining G uide Shore Conference The voters speak Looking for a new dining experience? f i n a l i s t s Local election results in Check out this month’s selection of Middletown South’s girls soccer Hazlet, Holmdel, Keyport, area restaurants team faced W all for the S C T title Matawan and Middletown Page 41 Serving Aberdeen, Hazlet, Holmdel, Keyport, Matawan and Middletown NOVEMBER 4,1998 40 cents VOLUM E 28, NUMBER 44 7 charges filed against board Middletown activist files complaint with state education commissioner BY MARY DEMPSEY _______ Klagholz details the alleged Staff Writer board infractions. In her letter, Sullivan states esponding to events at she witnessed the board last week’s Middletown announce an illegal transfer of R Board of Education funds in the amount of $1 mil­ meeting, a resident has filedlion, a board President John complaint with the state com­ Johnson’s acknowledgment of a missioner of education outlin­ violation of the Open Pubic ing alleged board wrongdoings. Meetings Act, and a repeat vio­ In a nine-page letter to state lation of the board attorney’s Commissioner of Education contract, in that attorney bills Leo Klagholz, township activist are delinquent. Cathy Sullivan, 25 Nautilus “Mr. Whittemore stated that Drive, claims state statute vio­ of the $4.9 m illion interest lations by the board ranging earned on the ... referendum from an illegal transfer of $1 account, $1 million had been million to a violation of the transferred into the general fund Open Public Meetings Act. for the year ending June 30, The Oct. 28 letter to Continued on page 21 Special Report;: The L o tte ry A Halloween rendition of American Gothic greeted passers-by on Main Street in downtown Matawan Monday. Augusto F. Menezes/Greater Media Hazlet board m ember appealing his dism issal First-term member said that he is appealing the 7-2 Timothy Nogueira and informed decision because he feels it is him that the board’s action was in has been “prejudicial and biased” and bor­ violation of state policy which ders on “persecution.” calls for a member to be given criticized before “This is the first time in New “due notice” prior to any action BY CATHERINE I. AUMACK _______ Jersey that a Mr. Mom situation of being taken. Staff Writer missing meetings to take care of a Smith said a special meeting baby has been ruled as not good was held on Oct. 19 at which time cause for missing a meeting and he was reinstated as a member of esley Smith, Coral has led to the removal of a board the board. D rive, a stay-at-home member,” Smith said. On Oct. 22, Smith met with the dad who calls himself On Oct. 13 the board voted to board and explained the reasons W “Mr. Mom,” is appealing his dismiss Smith because he had behind his absences, after which recent dismissal from the Hazlet missed “four consecutive meetings the board voted, once again, for In the second of a two-part series, Greater Media Board of Education to state without good cause.” his dismissal. Newspapers takes a look at the history of the lottery, Commissioner of Education Leo Smith said that after being noti­ Smith said that the absences how the lottery affects those with gambling problems Klagholz. fied of the action he called and how New Jersey stacks up to other states in operat­ In an interview Monday, Smith Superintendent of Schools Continued on page 21 ing costs and distribution of revenue. See pages 32-35. 2 INDEPENDENT, NOVEMBER 4, 1998 1 1 ' . ' . ' ■ . • ' . • . ■ ■ . ■ cardiac care, he turned to his best friends. Ron knows better than just Bayshore cardiologist, who visited him and • Bayshore Com m unity Hospital about anyone that the professionals continued to oversee his care when he returned at Bayshore are his "friends fcr life," to Bayshore for rehabilitation. • Bayshore Health Care Center and not just because his wife, Jeanne, and Since leaving the hospital in February — • Bayshore Residential Health Care Center his daughter, Kathy, work there. after just four days — Ron feels better than ever. When his primary care physician In fact, this summer Jeanne had him paint the • Bayshore Com m unity Hospital Foundation recommended that Ron see a Bayshore house, which was fine with Ron: "Bayshore and Robert Wood made a great team. My family • Bayshore Mam m ography Center cardiologist, he didn't hesitate. After a cardiac catheterization at Bayshore's state-of-the-art and I couldn't have had more support, every step • Bayshore Diagnostic Center cath lab, the diagnosis indicated that coronary of the way. They saw us through a tough time • Bayshore Center for artery bypass surgery was needed. with the best of care and the best of friendship." Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy Thanks to an affiliation with the cardiac For more information or a referral to a • MedW ise Center experts at Robert Wood Johnson University Bayshore cardiologist, call (732) 739-5918. • Vassar Eye Center Hospital, Ron's caregivers at Bayshore arranged • Bayshore Physician Netw ork for him to have his surgery there. But he was still surrounded by friends, including his B a y s h o r e COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES 727 North Beers Street, Holmdel, New Jersey 07733 • www.bchs.com Affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Robert Wood Johnson Health Network. Friends for L ife --------------------------------- INDEPENDENT, NOVEMBER 4. 1998 3 Index: ELECTION RESULTS H a z l e t : Township Committee (Two 3-year terms) ✓Michael Christopher (D) 3,248 ✓Victor “Rich” Crismale (D) 3,066 John M. Mautone (R) 2,354 William Schneider (R) 2,234 Open Space Tax Yes 2.192 ✓No 2 344 H o l m d e l Township Committee (Two 3-year terms) Author recaptures unbelievable ocean voyage by Atlantic Highlands fishermen. Page 36 Classifieds . .. .Page 51 Editorials . .Page 22 Entertainer .. .Page 30 L e tte r s ............ .. .Page 22 M arketplace . .Page 47 SPECIAL PLACE — Middletown has received a state grant to improve the water Milestones . .. .Page 20 quality at Shadow Lake in Stevenson Park, where visitors can picnic, hand launch small boats, fish from the 100-foot pier pictured above or just enjoy the scenery. Obituaries . .. .Page 40 For the story, see page 14. Linda DeNicola/Greater Media Mayor Police Beat . .. .Page 39 (4-year term) Sports ............ .Page 41 Hazlet revising district’s ,/Kevin Graham (D)* 1.191 Yesteryear . .. .Page 38 Frank “Dick” Currier (R) 1,025 Borough Council terroristic threat policy ■:;: •';; ; : :;:: Phone numbers: (Two 3-year terms): Mark Amodia (R) 1,035 Editorial 254-7000 Ext. 8226 BY CATHERINE I. AUMACK .... ........ If the parents do not agree with the FAX 254-0486 Staff Writer evaluation of the school-appointed psychi­ John J. Meria (R) 1.079 atrist, they can have a second evaluation HAZLET — The Board of Education ✓Dan Nicholl (D)* 1,106 Display Advertising 972-6740 conducted. Policy Committee has started reviewing Nogueira said that a team, made up of FAX 972-6746 ✓Wade Pederson (D)* 1,185 recommendations for revisions to the dis­ a psychologist, social worker and the trict’s terroristic threat policy. director of special services, has been Classified 1-800-660-4ADS At the board’s agenda meeting meeting to develop guidelines for address­ M a t a w a n Classified 1-AX 432-0016 Monday, Superintendent of Schools ing threats made by students. Timothy Nogueira said that draft recom­ Input was also received from profes­ Borough Council mendations from the district’s Child Study Delivery problems? sionals at the Carrier Foundation, a private (Two 3-year terms) Team have been distributed to members nonprofit psychiatric hospital in Belle of the board for consideration. ✓Harrison Flakker (D) 1,077 before noon on Thursday. Meade, with outpatient facilities in In June the board implemented a “zero Monmouth County. Robert W. Montfort (R) 924 tolerance” policy for threats in the wake The draft policy recommends that of incidents of school violence across the threats be responded to in “levels of inter­ Peter A. Ryan (R) 890 country. vention” based upon the seriousness of the ✓Joseph Thompson (D) 1,073 Independent Parents packed the Oct. 5 board meet­ threat, the student’s capacity to under­ ing, however, to protest the policy which stand the threat and previous background Joseph Wallace (I)* 372 resulted in the suspension of five students, of the student. including a third-grader. Prior to discussion at a public meeting, M i d d l e t o w n Managing Editor Marilyn Duff At that time the board revised its poli­ the policy recommendations w ill be Sports Coordinator Lindsey Siegle cy to include an initial evaluation by the reviewed with the board attorney and Township Committee school psychologist. Executive Editor Gregory Bean local law enforcement officials. Currently if a student threatens another Nogueira said that the policy recom­ (Two 3-year terms) Publisher Kevin Wittman student, or a staff member, the teacher mendations w ill be discussed by the board j/Rick Brodsky (R)* 10,254 notifies- the principal, who, in turn, con­ sometime in December. tacts the school psychologist. “Before a policy goes into effect, it Peter Geronimo (D) 7,848 The student’s parents are notified and must have two public readings,” he noted, A Greater Media Newspaper Bruce Henn (I) 375 the psychologist evaluates the student to adding, “That leaves ample time for input see if the student poses a threat to him- or from parents.” John Naughton (D) 7,768 herself or others. Nogueira said that while some parents I V E R IF IE D ✓Joan A.