One resident, Catherine Gross led the charge and organized parents against the Board of Education and eventually won a small concession.   After a fierce debate at a school board meeting where angry parents went head to head against a school board unwilling to budge on the issue, parents pushed back.    At a May 19, 2009 school board meeting, Mrs. Gross asked “How many employees do not live in Jackson and park at one of the high schools for nothing?”

At the meeting, School Board Vice President Sharon Dey “indicated there were only two ways to come up with the money it takes to run the school district, by the tax levy or by other sources of revenue.”  Another source of contention for parents was that the plan put the parking fees into the general fund to pay district salaries and benefits and not directly for it’s intended purpose which was to pay for maintenance of the parking lots.

In the end, the school board buckled and reduced the fees to $10 per semester, resulting in a 60% decrease in revenue, but said the issue will be readdressed in the 2010-11 school budget.   

In the current school year, the district has collected the money for the parking lots, but no work has been done to improve the facilities.   On March 23 and 26, the Jackson School board is expected to continue the fees for students, while teachers district wide pay nothing for the same services.    By charging a $50 per year parking fees to employees, the district would stand to generate more than $50,000 per year in revenue, more than twice as much as charging just students.

Of the $103 million referendum Acevedo helped pass, he said “I knew this day would come, but in a thousand years. You dream, but after a while, you think the dreams can’t come true.”     Two years later, In 2005, Acevedo sponsored yet another referendum of $32.5 million dollars to build another elementary school in Jackson, but that measure was defeated by voters.     Acevedo brings a unique perspective back to a school board which has been struggling to make ends meet with years of reduced aid since his departure.  “Don’t let the constant harping on “taxes” be your only motivating force.”   Acevedo said in his letter of supportin 2009 for Marvin Krakower. 

An article from the Tri Town News  chronicles Acevedo’s euphoria  during the development and planning period after the passing of the $103 million referendum that paid for the construction of Elms Elementary School and gymnasiums for Switlik and Holman elementary schools which passed by just 14 votes.      With Acevedo’s return comes the prospect once again for growth in the Jackson Township School District.

Luck unfortunately ran out for Acevedo as he was defeated by Linda Lackey and Sharon Dey.  Acevedo is running on a ticket with newcomer Jeff Sharpe and will be going against his former opponents Lackey and Dey who unseated him in 2007.

“This is a labor of love that was in the planning since McAuliffe (school) was conceptualized,” said Gus Acevedo, the vice president of the Jackson Board of Education. “We knew it would happen since the town was growing so quickly.”

The new high school, a two-story, 288,500-square-foot building, will be located off North Hope Chapel Road, near South Cooks Bridge Road, on 154 acres.

A $103 million referendum passed by voters in January 2002 set aside $70.5 million for the high school project. The balance of the funds was to pay for the construction of the Elms Elemen-tary School, a gymnasium at the Holman School and at the Switlik School, and for the land purchase for a future middle school.

“I knew this day would come, but in a thousand years. You dream, but after a while, you think the dreams can’t come true,” Acevedo said.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, according to district spokeswoman Allison Erwin, and the building is expected to open in September 2005.

Despite the board’s position that it needed the additional facility, not all residents supported its construction. Some parents expressed their concern at recent meetings on redistricting that having two high schools would result in an unwarranted rivalry between students attending each building. Acevedo addressed that issue.

“People shouldn’t worry about who will be attending which high school; they should just be proud,” he said. “The older school has the traditions, but the newer one will be a state-of-the-art school. Each school will have its place in the community.”
 

Before there was a high school in Jackson, students who lived in the community attended Lake-wood High School. But even in the 1960s, Jackson’s population was increasing, according to a retirement letter submitted recently by Jackson Memorial High School’s pioneering business department chairwoman, Janice Hall.

“…[M]y teaching career … at Jackson Junior-Senior High School (began) in 1963, when the address was briefly Commerce Street, then changed to Coventry Road. We occupied a wing at Switlik School, on double sessions, until our building was completed. Grades 7 to 9 were expanded to 7 to 11 the following year. Subsequently, Joseph Clay-ton Middle School was built and occupied by the seventh- and eighth-graders. This school was renamed Jackson Memorial High School.”

The district urgently needs the new facility, said Acevedo.

“We need the structure because we need the space,” he said. “It will be something Jackson will be proud of.”

In other business, the board is expected to vote on a final plan of redistricting for the middle and elementary schools at its meeting on June 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Jackson Memorial High School’s Fine Arts Center

Bond Proposal No. 4 (Irrigation System at Liberty H.S.) asks voters the following referendum question:

“The Board of Education of the Township of Jackson in the County of Ocean, New Jersey is authorized: (a) to install an irrigation system, including any related work at Jackson Liberty High School; (b) to appropriate $3,790,230; and (c) to issue bonds of the School District in the amount of $3,790,230. The Board of Education is authorized to transfer its unexpended bond proceeds between the approved Bond Proposals.

“The final eligible costs approved by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education are $3,790,230. The State debt service aid percentage will equal 40% of the annual debt service due on the final eligible costs of the project.”

In a Power Point presentation posted on the district Web site, the board cited a change by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the interpretation of an unidentified state law. Due to the change in interpretation, the board proposed to build a man-made pond at the school, similar to those used on golf courses, to provide a “green” and eco-friendly solution by recycling rainwater for a proposed irrigation system.

“We currently do not have full utilization of athletic areas (at Liberty High School),” the presentation noted.

In legal papers dated December 15, 2005, the board condemned a portion of property at Westgate, an Orthodox mixed-use development located adjacent to an athletic field at Liberty High School, in order to install a sanitary sewer easement. In exchange for the condemnation, board members agreed to pay the cost of privacy fencing at one section of the development, but not where the sewer easement was located.

The condemnation agreement provided hookup of water and sewer to Liberty High School, but at the expense of Jackson taxpayers, according to provisions of legal documents.

“The residents that reside on the defendants’ properties shall have the same right as the general public to use the Board of Education’s exterior athletic fields,” stated the agreement.

By making access to the high school’s athletic fields a condition of the legal agreement for water and sewer easement, the board made Jackson taxpayers liable for any injuries sustained by Westgate residents playing on district property.

If voters approve the referendum question on Tuesday, they may once again be assuming an unnecessary cost.

In 2008, Westgate residents stated at a meeting of the Lakewood Township Committee that they saw township personnel maintaining retention basins at Westgate.

Committeemen denied the charge, but last year agreed to pay for fencing around the remaining basin the developer refused to install, according to a December 8, 2009 letter from Yossel Slomowitz, Administrator of the Westgate Homeowners Association, obtained through the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).

“All of you have taken our safety issues very seriously,” Slomowitz wrote committeemen. “Our residents met with you this past year to share our plight regarding the open retention basin. At this time, the township committee graciously committed to assisting us with the necessary funds ($16,000) to erect the safety fence.”

Slomowitz reported that residents had been less successful in discussing the basins with Lakewood district officials.

“The issue has recently gotten more severe recently due to the fact that the Lakewood Board of Education will not allow for a bus stop near the basin due (to) the children’s safety,” he wrote.

According to sources, Lakewood committeemen promised to pay for fencing around the basins in August, after adoption of the 2009 municipal budget

In June 2009, Lakewood committeemen adopted a municipal budget after receiving state approval to defer over $10 million in July school taxes payable to the district. Although deferral of the July school tax payment created a $5.5 million surplus, committeemen delayed payment of the $16,000 fencing until after the state approved reauthorization of the township’s Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) in September and a change in UEZ boundaries in November to included a portion of Westgate.

While Lakewood taxpayers have not publicly questioned or opposed the payment of tax dollars to maintain private property at Westgate, Jackson taxpayers may be less willing to fund improvement of Liberty High School athletic fields for non-resident use without further disclosure by the Jackson board.

According to Director Taylor, Ana Pastrana, 50, of Perth Amboy, was sentenced yesterday to five years of probation by Superior Court Judge Frederick P. DeVesa in Middlesex County. She was ordered to pay $11,875 in restitution to the City of Perth Amboy and to serve 100 hours of community service. Pastrana was required to forfeit her city job and is permanently barred from public employment.
Deputy Attorney General Dianne C. DiGiamber Deal and Deputy Attorney General Pearl Minato represented the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau at the sentencing.
Pastrana pleaded guilty on March 30, 2009 to third-degree theft by unlawful taking. In pleading guilty, Pastrana admitted that she used city funds to pay off a credit card in her name that was used to purchase personal items for herself and former mayor Vas.

The credit card bills were paid using funds from a bank account for the Perth Amboy Housing Development Corporation that was under the control of Jeffrey D. Gumbs Sr., who was city director of human services and superintendent of recreation under Vas. Pastrana said that, at Vas’ direction, she used city funds to pay for credit card purchases of sneakers, beachwear and sportswear for Vas.
On March 23, 2009, Gumbs, 51, of Wilmington, Del., pleaded guilty before Judge DeVesa to theft, misapplication of government property and tampering with public records. He admitted he submitted fraudulent invoices to the city to obtain payment for personal expenses of both Vas and himself. His sentencing is pending.

Vas, 55, a New Jersey assemblyman, was indicted by the Division of Criminal Justice on March 11 in connection with those allegations. He was charged with conspiring with city employees to steal approximately $5,000 in funds of the City of Perth Amboy to pay for personal purchases and expenses. The indictment also charged Vas and his personal driver, Anthony S. Jones, in connection with a scheme in which Vas allegedly rigged a public lottery so Jones won the

opportunity to buy an affordable two-family home through the Perth Amboy Home Program. The charges in the indictment are pending.

On May 21, 2009, Vas was charged in a second 19-count indictment along with his longtime aide Melvin Ramos, 53, two corporations that were city vendors, and two owners of one of the corporations. The indictment alleges, among other things, that Vas and Ramos solicited city employees and others to make fraudulent contributions to Vas’ 2006 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. It further alleges Vas and Ramos unlawfully arranged for a city contractor to pay a $58,000 catering bill for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Perth Amboy’s new Public Safety-Court-Community Complex in April 2008. They allegedly had the contractor bill the amount to the city under its contract to provide management services for construction of the new complex, thereby concealing the city’s payment of the catering bill. The charges in that indictment are also pending.

A press release about the May 21 indictment and a copy of the indictment are posted on the Attorney General’s Web page at www.njpublicsafety.com. Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

On June 5, 2009, a key advisor to Vas’ 2006 congressional campaign, Raymond Geneske, 74, of Perth Amboy, pleaded guilty before Judge DeVesa to a third-degree charge of money laundering. He admitted that he solicited employees of the City of Perth Amboy and others to make fraudulent contributions to Vas’ campaign. His sentencing is pending
.
The prosecution of Pastrana stemmed from an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy Attorneys General Deal and Minato are prosecuting the case. The investigation was led by Sgt. Dino Dettorre and Detective Benjamin Kukis, assisted by Lt. Daniel O’Brien, Sgt. Robert McGrath, Detective Lee Bailey, Detective Melissa Calkin, Detective Lisa Cawley, Detective Shaun Egan, Detective Kiersten Pentony, Detective Robert Stemmer and Civil Investigator Joseph Salvatore.

The Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division Web site at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the Tipline or Web page will remain confidential.
# # #

“Although slightly more positive, the drop in the unemployment rate is cold comfort to too many New Jersey residents who remain unemployed,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Our goal is to foster a business climate where payrolls expand, where we finally round the corner in this recession, and turn this dip in unemployment into a positive, continuous trend. These are challenging times, as our budget next week will confirm. But it is my sincere belief that our policies and reforms will lay the groundwork for private sector growth and responsible government spending and taxation.”

The new law was based on collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services.

New Jersey residents born in Puerto Rico need to contact the Office of Vital Statistics in Puerto Rico to obtain a new, certified copy of their birth certificate. Individuals should contact the government of Puerto Rico at http://www.salud.gov.pr or call 787-767-9120. For additional information, individuals can also contact www.prfaa.com/birthcertificates for information on how to obtain a copy of their certified birth certificate.

Joseph Komosinski, State Registrar of Vital Records, stressed that only those individuals who need to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate for immediate official business such as obtaining a passport need to request a new birth certificate right away. “People who want to obtain a copy for their records are encouraged to apply at a later date,’’ said Komosinski.

The law that passed in Puerto Rico in December will invalidate all existing certified copies of birth certificates issued in Puerto Rico. As a result, individuals who do not obtain a new certified copy will be unable to apply for a Passport or other federal or state programs.

Dear Softball Parents and Kids,

By now you have probably already heard that the Council approved the building of new bathroom facilities at Bartley Rd. at last night’s meeting.

Now, I just want to take a moment to express my thoughts, as well as my concerns, to you.  First, I want to let you know that both Mr. Beja and Mr. Stalker should be commended for their diligence and passion that they have demonstrated on behalf of your organization.  Although we have not always seen eye to eye, I do admire their resolve.  I have always been an avid supporter of recreation in Jackson.  I have been involved in the building of the Bartley Road softball fields; expansion of Pop Warner fields; the new soccer complex; the construction of Jackson Jungle as well as various other playgrounds; teen dances; skate park; roller hockey rink; Safe Trick or Treat and so much more.

The Council has unanimously supported the new dugouts, scoreboard and equipment that you have recently received.  We also unanimously voted for Resolution 048R-10, adopted on Jan. 5, 2010, which proposed going out for bid for new bathroom facilities.

The only issue that was of concern to me as well as to the majority of the Council was the cost to build the new bathrooms at the Bartley Rd. fields.  Given the state of today’s economy in general and the fact that Jackson has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the county and so very many people out of work, I felt that spending $261,000 on bathrooms was a very high price to pay.  Having said that, I voted with the majority of the Council to move forward with this project.  In the interest of compromise, I have requested to the Council and the Mayor that we cancel some outstanding bonds that the township is paying for to offset some of the costs of the new bathroom facility.

I also want to take this opportunity to commend 9 year old Kelly who very eloquently addressed the council at last night’s meeting.  She demonstrated a great deal of poise and made an impression on us all.

I understand that government can be very frustrating at times, but, in the end, I honestly believe that as long as we all work together toward a common goal, it can only better our community as a whole.

I hope you all have a safe, successful and fun softball season.

He has a broad knowledge of IT and management and is a quick study, never afraid to ask questions. Phil’s agenda was simply to do the right things for the right reasons.  There is not much higher praise I can pay to a person who has worked in in this field except to add that Phil’s job may be in technology, but his goal is to use IT as an enabler of an organization’s success.

Scott Kitlinski
Former CIO Banyan Systems Inc., ePresence, Inc
CIO ABAQUS Inc.

Absent on this year’s ballot is Sal Duscio who has run for the office for 14 consecutive years.   Last year, Mr. Duscio had a strong turnout, but an unfortunate medical injury has prevented him from running this year.

This year, two new faces will be in the mix as district parents Phil Stilton and Jeff Sharpe are on the ballot for their first time, although running seperately from each other.     Mr. Sharpe is running with former long time school board member Gus Acevedo ,  one of the board members whose credits include the construction of Jackson Liberty High School and the push for an additional elementary school for Jackson which was rejected by voters in 2005.

Stilton is running as an individual candidate, who supports educational reform in Jackson Township and New Jersey, hoping to bring his 15 years of business management experience to the table.

Wasteful districts of course stand to make out and once again, rural townships like Jackson stand to bear the burden, but the only other viable solution right now is total reform of education, but that’s not going to happen before the governor delivers his budget address and presents the budget.

Governor Christie made promises to spare education during his campaign, it was a promise that I and many others believed in, but when finally getting access to the real data, it has become obvious that at this dire time, everything must be looked at.   The $1.5 million cut to Jackson was perhaps one of the most non intrusive budget balancing measures that could have been introduced at this time.   Alternatives could have been pay freezes and layoffs, which I most definitely do not support at this time without a full study being done on the ramifications of such a drastic measure and how it would effect education in Jackson.

It’s now up to us, in Jackson to effectively work around this ‘cut’ and do what has to be done.  We need to take a very hard and serious look at everything we do in our schools, from the top down and eliminate waste, reduce costs and soften the blow of this decision.  The answer is not an epic battle between the unions, school boards and Trenton.  The answer lies in compromise between all parties involved in the education of our children.

I will once again say that administrative salaries, even though Jackson ranks among the lowest per capita in New Jersey, need to be closely examined.  We need to justify each and every high end salary in our payroll and make sure the positions are essential and critical to the effective continuity of education.  

We need to reduce our energy consumption immediately by implementing effective energy conservation policies that will save us money today.  Other districts have seen savings up to $250,000 per year with these simple measures.  We need to aggressively pursue more cost effective energy purchasing options such as online energy procurement in which we can save another $50,000 to $100,000 per year.

We need to empower parents, student groups and volunteers with the ability to engage in aggressive fundraising opportunities in which we can raise money to offset the costs of these programs.   We need to consider the implementation of usage and registration fees to save non-essential extracurricular programs from the chopping block.

We need to evaluate all of the tools currently being used in our schools and guage their effectiveness versus their overall cost.  If a costly iniative or unfunded mandate is not helping our children changes need to be made and we need to support the state’s intiatives to end unfunded mandates.

We need everyone in education on board with education reform, including the unions, parents and administrators working together in the true interest of our children and their education.  Everyone must be willing to make concessions.  Without concessions from parents, administrators and the unions the system in Jackson as it stands now is completely unsustainable and reaching our hands out to the taxpayers to increase funding to people unwilling to compromise should not be the answer.

As a former United States Marine enlistee, I understand the importance of the “troops on the front lines” which I see as our teachers who teach core studies to our children.   There have been lies distributed by my opponents saying my support of education reform makes me “anti-teacher” and I can assure you that I am 100% not anti-teacher and realize teachers are the backbone of education.   

We need to make real cuts where we can afford to make them and where they will not impact our children.

The cast led by Johnny Depp (in his 7th collaboration with Tim Burton) (as The Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (as The White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (as The Red Queen) (in her 6th collaboration with Tim Burton) & Mia Wasikowska (as Alice) is great! The directing by Tim Burton (also produced) (who has worked with Depp on “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street” (2007, also starring Carter), “Corpse Bride” (also produced) (2005, also starring Carter), “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” (2005, also starring Carter), “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), “Ed Wood” (1994, also produced), “Edward Scissorhands” (1990, also produced and wrote the story), has worked with Carter on “Big Fish” (2003) & “Planet Of The Apes” (2001) is great! The screenplay (based on Lewis Carroll’s books) by Linda Woolverton (also co-produced) (who also did the screenplay to “The Lion King” (1994) is great!

The music by Danny Elfman (who also did the music, recently to “The Wolfman” (2010), he has been doing the music to Burton’s films since “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) is great! The cinematography by Dariusz Wolski (who also did the cinematography to all 3 of the Pirates Of The Caribbean films including the new 4th film, “On Stranger Tides” (2011), he also did the cinematography to “Eagle Eye” (2008), “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”, & the upcoming “The Rum Diary” (2010, also starring Depp) is great! The film editing by Chris Lebenzon (also executive produced) (who also did the film editing to Burton’s films since “Batman Returns” (1992) is great! The casting by Susie Figgis (who also did the casting to “Sleepy Hollow”, “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” & “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street”, she also did the casting to the upcoming “Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time” (2010) is great! The production design by Robert Stromberg (who also did the production design to “Avatar” (2009, for which he is nominated for an Oscar) is great! The art direction by Tim Browning (who was an assistant art director on “The Wolfman”), Todd Cherniawsky (who also did the art direction to “Avatar” & the upcoming “Sucker Punch” (2011), Stefan Dechant (supervising art director) (who also did the art direction to “Avatar”, “What Lies Beneath” (2000), “Cast Away” (2000), “Jarhead” (2005) & “Lady In The Water” (2006), Andrew L. Jones (who also did the art direction to “Avatar”, the upcoming “Green Lantern” (2011) & “The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn” (2011), Mike Stassi (who also did the art direction to “A Christmas Carol” (2009) & was an assistant art director on “Avatar”) & Christina Ann Wilson (was an assistant art director on “Big Fish” & did the art direction to “Shutter Island” (2010) is great! The set decoration by Karen O’Hara (who also did the set decoration to “A Christmas Carol”) & Peter Young (who also did the set decoration to “Batman” (1989), “Sleepy Hollow”, & “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory”) is great! The costume design by
Colleen Atwood (who also did the costume design to Burton’s films since “Edward Scissorhands”) is great!

This is a great film, visually beautiful. This is another well-done film from Tim Burton, which this seemly enough, fits him. This is another hit for Depp & Burton.

According to Director Taylor, Sandra Bielanski, 43, of Hillsborough, pleaded guilty to a charge of offering an unlawful benefit to a public servant for official behavior before Superior Court Judge Robert C. Billmeier. That charge was contained in an Aug. 10, 2006 state grand jury indictment obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. She also pleaded guilty to an accusation charging her with tampering with public records or information. Both are third-degree crimes.

Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Bielanski be sentenced to 364 days in the county jail as a condition of a term of probation to be set by the judge. She must execute a consent order barring her from doing business with any public agency for five years, and may face a criminal fine of up to $30,000.

Deputy Attorneys General Thomas R. Clark and Steven J. Zweig took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Judge Billmeier scheduled sentencing for Bielanski for Sept. 8.

In pleading guilty, Bielanski admitted that she arranged a night in New York City at the expense of her company for Robert Thompson, the former director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation, and Thompson’s wife on Sept. 22, 2004. The excursion, which included limo service to the city, tickets to the Broadway musical “Wicked,” and meals and drinks at two restaurants, cost OSI more than $2,450. Criminal charges are pending against Thompson, 61, of Hamilton.

Bielanski further admitted that she became aware that OSI was improperly billing the state, but took steps to conceal that fact from state officials. That is the basis for her guilty plea to tampering with public records or information. Two other employees of OSI, Enos “George” Blake, 62, of Kendall Park, and Carol Labbe, 42, of Jackson, were indicted in connection with the improper bills. The charges against Blake and Labbe are pending.

The indictment against Blake and Labbe alleges that Blake, as the OSI vice president responsible for managing state projects, and Labbe, as his de facto second in command, purposely submitted improper bills between January 1999 and May 2005 that caused the state to overpay OSI by $1,184,662.

OSI was contracted to collect unpaid income and business taxes. The contracts provided for OSI to bill the state on an hourly basis for work performed by employees who fit five defined job titles. In some cases, employees were identified with incorrect job titles that resulted in them being billed at a higher rate. In others, employees were billed who should not have been billed at all. Blake and Labbe were initially indicted in 2007, and were charged in a superseding indictment on March 10, 2008.

Bielanski was charged in the Aug. 10, 2006 indictment with Thompson and two deputy directors of the Division of Taxation: David M. Gavin, 57, of Titusville, and Harold E. Fox, 61, of Wall. Charges are pending against Thompson, Gavin and Fox. They are charged with making discretionary decisions while under undisclosed conflicts of interest caused by their receipt of meals, entertainment, golf outings and other gifts from OSI. Thompson and Gavin are charged with official misconduct and engaging in a pattern of official misconduct, and Fox is charged with official misconduct, all second-degree offenses.

The charges against the remaining defendants are merely accusations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The investigations were conducted and coordinated by Detective Benjamin Kukis and Deputy Attorneys General Clark and Zweig of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

The Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice Web site at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the Tipline or Web page will remain confidential.

“Today’s meeting was another open, thoughtful exchange of ideas between the public and our review group.  By reviewing, and ultimately eliminating, unfunded mandates on local government, we can help rein in the costs that continue to drive higher property taxes on New Jerseyans. As the group continues working in a bipartisan fashion to craft common sense reforms to streamline government and improve New Jersey’s business climate, I am encouraged by the positive response we’ve received from the public and various stakeholders in the process. I look forward to our remaining work and recommending strong, meaningful reform at the end of this process for the Governor and legislature to act on.”

Governor Christie said, “The DRBA has not changed its process of approving open-ended and unspecified spending commitments. As I have stated when previously vetoing the DBRA’s actions and those of other state entities, New Jersey simply cannot afford blanket spending orders and ever-expanding budgets from these boards and authorities, now or ever. My Administration will continue to pay close attention when it concerns spending, contracts, and measures that continue to skirt accountability.”

The Governor’s veto concerns the Authority’s blanket authorization of expenditures to four vendors in unspecified amounts in excess of $25,000 for the period January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. Additionally, Governor Christie vetoed the Authority’s action regarding the authorization of a legal services contract that fails to specify any material terms of the contract – including the hourly rate of legal services, the term, or maximum annual compensation under the contract.

No veto power was exercised as to any other action taken by the Authority at its meeting on February 16, 2010.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died March 1 in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked their unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Five other service members were killed in action during the first week of March, 20101.

Spc. Alan N. Dikcis, 21, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., died March 5 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 630th Engineer Company (Clearance), 7th Engineer Battalion (Combat Effects), 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Spc. Anthony A. Paci, 30, of Rockville, Md., died Mar. 4 at Gereshk, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered during a vehicle rollover.  He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, 21, of Orem, Utah, died March 4 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon, 19, of Orem, Utah, died March 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

 Spc. Ian T.D. Gelig, 25, of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., died March 1 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

By Cpl. Tyler J. Hlavac , Marine Forces Reserve 

HARSTAD, Norway – Marines with 2nd Battalion, 25th Regiment open fire upon a mock enemy force during a training raid March 3, 2010. After nearly a month above the Arctic Circle, Marines with the battalion are on their way home from Norway after completing Exercise Cold Response 2010.  

  After nearly a month above the Arctic Circle, Marines with 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment are now on their way home from Norway after completing Exercise Cold Response 2010.

SANTIAGO, Chile, March 9, 2010 – An Air Force expeditionary medical support team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, will arrive here today to help people impacted by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the nation Feb. 27.

The team, consisting of more than 80 airmen, including 63 medical personnel, will conduct humanitarian assistance operations in the city of Angol, southeast of Concepcion, an area that suffered considerable damage as a result of the historic seismic event.

The deployment is being funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance as part of a multiagency relief effort by the U.S. government in Chile. The medical team will join other relief activities already under way.

The medical team is equipped and staffed to provide surgical, primary care, pediatric, radiological, gynecological, laboratory, pharmaceutical and dental services. The airmen will work alongside Chilean civilian medical personnel during their deployment.

On March 7, U.S. Southern Command deployed a 10-person
command-and-control team here to assist the U.S. military group overseeing U.S. military assistance to Chile in the earthquake’s aftermath.

On March 6, two Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and a team of about 50 airmen from the Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing arrived here to support and augment a Chilean air force-led airlift relief operation delivering aid to affected communities near the earthquake’s epicenter.

In a written statement, International Security Assistance Force officials released unclassified portions of Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s new guidance “to ensure a broader awareness of [its] intent and scope.”

“We are in a war of perceptions,” the new guidance says. “Our forces operate far from home with selfless courage, admirable intentions, and impressive precision and effects. But ultimately, how the Afghan people judge our conduct and perceive our intentions will be decisive factors in their decision to support their nation’s struggle against the insurgency. We must remember that their protection, their respect, and their support are the critical objectives for everything we do. And that reality must govern how we operate.”

The guidance notes that operations conducted at night are “an essential component of our campaign, delivering often decisive effects in disrupting and defeating some of the most dangerous insurgent groups” and reduce the potential for civilian casualties.

“That said,” the guidance continues, “in the Afghan culture, a man’s home is more than just his residence. It represents his family, and protecting it is closely intertwined with his honor. He has been conditioned to respond aggressively in defense of his home and his guests whenever he perceives his home or honor is threatened. In a similar situation, most of us would do the same.”

That reaction is compounded when forces invade a home at night, particularly when women are present, the guidance points out. “Instinctive responses to defend his home and family are sometimes interpreted as insurgent acts, with tragic result,” it says. “Even when there is no damage or injuries, Afghans can feel deeply violated and dishonored, making winning their support that much more difficult.”

In the new guidance, McChrystal says that despite their effectiveness and value, night raids have a steep cost in perceptions. “The myths, distortions and propaganda arising out of night raids often have little to do with the reality — few Afghans have been directly affected by night raids, but nearly every Afghan I talk to mentions them as the single greatest irritant,” McChrystal says in the new directive. “Night raids must be conducted with even greater care, additional constraints, and standardization throughout Afghanistan.”

Under the new rules, commanders must first explore all other feasible options before conducting night raids on compounds and homes. Afghans must be in the lead wherever possible, and whenever possible, the operations must be coordinated with Afghan government officials, Afghan security forces and local elders.

“When properly executed, night raids remain a viable and advantageous option. But if we do not conduct ourselves appropriately during night raids, we cede credibility to insurgents who can exploit our insensitivities in a persuasion campaign,” the guidance says. “It would be a tragic irony if operations we conduct to protect the population by ridding villages of insurgents are distorted to convince Afghans that we are unfeeling intruders.”

Other requirements include:

– Afghan security forces must be included in all night raids, and must be in the operations planning process at the earliest possible time;

– Afghan government representatives must be notified before any night operation begins;

– Afghan security forces should be the first force seen and the first voices heard by the occupants of any compound entered;

– All searches will be led and accomplished primarily by Afghan forces and conducted with regard for the dignity of occupants, including searches of females by females; and,

– Property seized or damaged must be recorded, and detailed receipts with a point of contact must be provided to local elders or other leaders within the compound, and instructions on how to claim compensation must be provided if damage occurs.

Borga, a former president of the Pathfinders has worked hard to ensure that our town’s open spaces remain clean and accessible to residents.  The group was founded in 1999.   Members and friends of the Pathfinders joined Ms. Borga as Mayor Mike Reina and the Jackson Pathfinders  presented her with a plaque in honor of her service to the community.