Times
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
T H E H OW E L L
Vol. 12 - No. 46
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory............................ 19 Classifieds........................................ 20. Community News.......................... 8-11 Dear Pharmacist ............................... 14 Fun Page .......................................... 18 Government ....................................... 7 Inside the Law .................................. 21 Letters To The Editor .......................... 6 Wolfgang ......................................... 23 WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
April 23, 2016
Your Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving Howell and Farmingdale
A Push To Get Signatures
By Jennifer Peacock HOWELL – The first rally to collect signatures for the recall of Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro was a peaceful affair, despite having to host the event outside in a parking lot, after the inside meeting space was unavailable. Committee heads Charles O’Donnell and Paul Dorato—third head Stephen Charney could not attend—along with a few helpers set up a table with petitions in the Howell Library parking lot 6:30 to 9 p.m. April 13. While they did not approach library patrons, a steady stream of residents looking to sign the petition, or drop of bundles of already-signed petitions, came and went throughout the evening. “A lot of them have been upset, disquieted, and disconcerted about the politics in Howell for a period of time, and now they have something they can actually take action on. That’s what we’re seeing,” O’Donnell said. The rally was to have been held inside the library, rather than outside in the barely-50-degree weather, but at least, O’Donnell said, it wasn’t raining as was forecast earlier in the week. This was the first of many rallies the committee hopes to hold. While they need 8,691 signatures, they are hoping also to collect more than 10,000 to cover for the inevitable rejection by the municipal clerk
–Photo by Jennifer Peacock Charles O’Donnell, left, and Paul Dorato, two of the three heads of the recall committee, in the parking lot of Howell Library April 13. of some signatures. Signers must be registered voters at least 18 years old who live in Howell. They must have been registered to vote in the last general election. O’Donnell writes on the Take Back Howell website that the impetus behind the recall is to “take advantage of the timing of the upcoming national general election,” and they seek to unseat Nicastro with a recall election, also called a vote of “no
confidence” of Nicastro because “we do not have a township government that is representative of the best interests of the residents of Howell.” By statute, recall petitions can focus only on one official. “We are focusing on Mr. Nicastro because he is the Deputy Mayor. Mr. Nicastro and the Mayor are on the planning (Signatures - See Page 4)
Councilman Shares Personal Meaning Behind Month By Catherine Galioto HOWELL – At quick view it was a list of proclamations to be read into the record, a series of sentences that began “Where As” to recognize the special designation of the month. But one of the designations on the list of proclamations at the April 4 meeting of Howell Township Council held personal meaning to Councilman Robert Walsh. Walsh read the proclamation for April as Autism Awareness Month, himself a
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parent to a son on the autism spectrum. “As you know I have an autistic child, who is really not really a child any longer, he is 21 years old. And there isn’t a better place to raise my child than Howell Township,” said Walsh. He said throughout the years he’s thankful for groups in Howell who been welcoming and understanding of autism. “So many organizations have reached out, and been inclusive to activities that were important to us as a family,”
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he said. Throughout the years he’s seen how autistic children have joined in on cheerleading and sports, to accommodate their situations. “I think it’s good for the children, and good for everyone else,” to see those moments,” Walsh said. The proclamation Walsh read made mention of the prevalence of autism, now affecting one in 88 people, a condition for which there is no cure. (Meaning - See Page 4)
$250K Grant To Fund Church Road Project
By Catherine Galioto HOWELL – The township will use a $250,000 grant award to fund road projects on Church Road. Mayor William Gotto reported at the early April council meeting that the township received a letter from the state Department of Transportation announcing Howell was awarded the round of funding. Part of the Municipal Aid grant program, the DOT funds local projects annually. The Church Road project is the only one from Howell awarded money through this grant program this year. Gotto said that for improvements to Church Road, the grant is “well needed, and we are glad to accept that.” Towns apply each year to receive funding through a formula, according to the state, who said the projects are for such things as resurfacing, rehabilitation or reconstruction and signalization. Approximately $78.75 million in municipal aid will be distributed this year. In last year’s grant program, Howell was not awarded any funding, according to the state May 2015 announcement, where 376 towns competed for the money, submitting a total 630 applications. The state pays 75 percent of the funds at the time of bid approval with the remainder after the town and state certify all work is complete. The grants are funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund. Nearby road projects funded with the state’s 2016 municipal aid grants include: Farmingdale, Walnut and Water streets, $225,000 grant. Freehold Borough, Schiverea Avenue roadway improvements, $300,000. Freehold Township, Double Creek Parkway, $250,000. Englishtown, Hospitality Way reconstruction, $175,000. Colts Neck, Five Points Road phase one, $300,000. Holmdel, Crawfords Corner Road phase three, $175,000. Wall, Ramshor n Drive phase four, $175,000.
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