In the race for the three seats that are up for grabs on Fair Haven Borough Council, six candidates are vying for the wins. Three are newcomer Democrats. Three are Republicans.
Of the Republicans, one is an incumbent, one a newcomer, and one a former councilman. The former councilman, Jim Banahan, is on the ballot.
Jim Banahan tells Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect why he’s back in a little Q&A chat …
With all six districts reporting results as of 9 p.m. on election night, voters have split the party teams running for Fair Haven Borough Council and elected Republican incumbent Susan Sorensen to serve her third term and Democrat Christopher Rodriguez for his first full term.
Rodriguez, who ran for his first full council term after being chosen to fill Democrat Aimee Humphreys’ unexpired term, garnered the most votes with 1,148, or 26.05 percent of the vote. Sorensen brought in 1,120, 28 fewer, or 25.41 percent of the vote, according to the Monmouth County Clerk’s online election results.
Fair Haven Republican Borough Council candidates Susan Sorensen and Betsy Koch cordially invited, as all invites go, Fair Havenites and all other interested parties to a meet-and-greet, getting-to-know-you gathering at The Raven and the Peach Thursday evening.
Sorensen, the incumbent, has served on various committees in her tenure, including starting the non-profit Foundation of Fair Haven, which is designed to offset costs for special events like Fair Haven Day and Oktoberfest.
This is a first run for political office for Koch. A longtime teacher at Knollwood School, she has said that she felt the timing was right for her to pitch in as a seated councilwoman in the hometown borough she loves and as a testament to the legacy of her husband Jerome, who served on council until his premature death a few years ago.
Take a look at the photo gallery below for a glimpse into the evening …. (and don’t forget to click to enlarge!)
A contingent of Fair Haven residents riled over the proposed removal of 50-foot sweet gum trees along Third Street and Cedar Avenue were quelled by the eventual edict at Monday’s Borough Council meeting that, for now, officials will leave the trees be.
Republican incumbents kept their seats on Fair Haven Borough Council by a comfortable margin, with 2,339 votes cast, or more than half the estimated 4,000 registered voters in the borough.
With newcomer Democrat Shervyn von Hoerl vying for one of the two three-year governing body terms up for grabs, a win for him would have put a long-unprecedented two Democrats on the dais.
He did not succeed. The challenger, von Hoerl ended up with 621 votes, or nearly 27 percent of the vote.
The high vote-getter in the race was Councilman Eric Jaeger, with 876, or more than 37 percent.
Jaeger’s running mate Robert Marchese won his third term to council with 834 votes, or roughly 36 percent.
There were eight write-ins.
Fair Haven’s form of government is a Borough Council form. In this form of municipal government, there are six council members with three-year terms and a mayor with a four-year term.
While the mayor presides over meetings, he does not vote, unless to break a tie.
With two Fair Haven Borough Council seats up for grabs, a lone Democrat is vying to oust one of two Republican incumbents.
Those GOP incumbents are Robert Marchese and Eric Jaeger. The last time the two ran on a ticket together was the year Hurricane Sandy hit — 2012. Marchese is seeking election to a full third three-year term. Jaeger, who began serving in 2012 to fill an unexpired term, is seeking a full second.
There’s been some change in names and faces in and around Fair Haven Borough Hall.
The biggest change comes from the office of the tax collector.
With the recent announcement of 38-year tax collector Dale Connor’s retirement, effective May 1, came the appointment of the borough’s new tax collector, Denise Jawidzik.
Tonight is Fair Haven Borough Council meeting night.
There are a few things on the agenda that may pique people’s interest.
First, Larry Quigley, a longtime resident who has served on roughly nine committees and commissions, including the Planning and Zoning boards and Historic Preservation Commission, will be honored with a proclamation.
Congratulations to Larry. Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect will be there to follow up with a full story.
In addition to Quigley’s proclamation, a few issues will be workshopped.
Among those issues on the agenda is a slated discussion on invasive (plant) species. Mayor Ben Lucarelli had said that while the borough is hesitant to be the arbiter of what people can and cannot plant on their properties, there have been problems with species — a certain variety of bamboo, in particular — rooting, creeping under property lines and cracking and unearthing driveways, for instance.
A speed limit change to River Road will also be discussed as will some tree permit denials.
Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli is sworn in to his first full term. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven Fire Department Chief Scott Eskwitt is sworn in.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Aimee Humphreys is sworn in to her first term on Fair Haven Borough Council.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wiehl is sworn in.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Councilwoman Susan Sorensen is sworn in to her second term. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven Fire Department First Assistant Chief Tim Morrissey is sworn in.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven First Aid Squad Captain Joe Truex, Second Lieutenant Amanda Lynn and First Lieutenant Kim Ambrose.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Fair Haven Fire Department Second Assistant Chief Matt DePonti is sworn in.
Photo/Elaine Van Develde
New Council President Jonathan Peters is voted in.
Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
Reorganization 2015 in Fair Haven brought a new council member to the dais — a lone Democrat — and new fire and first aid line officers.
In addition to Mayor Ben Lucarelli being sworn in to his first full four-year term, incumbent Susan Sorensen took the oath for her second council term. The newcomer to the governing body, Aimee Humphreys was sworn in to her first three-year and then took a seat at the dais for her first council meeting..
Fair Haven Fire Department and First Aid Squad members were sworn in as follows:
The times and place have been set to honor and bid farewell to Fair Haven Borough Councilman Jerome A. Koch, Jr., who died on Sunday after sustaining fatal injuries from a Saturday afternoon bicycle accident in the borough.
On Wednesday, there will be a visitation at Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Rd., Fair Haven, from 5 to 8 p.m., according to information on the Thompson Memorial Home website.
A Mass of Christian burial will follow on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the church.
Koch, 63, who moved to Fair Haven in 1975, served on the governing body since 2006. He was retired from the family business, Karl Koch Erecting Company and served in the U.S. Army from 1973-77, according to his biography on the borough website.
He was also the council liaison to the borough’s Department of Public Works and Fair Haven Fields Natural Area.
Councilman Koch leaves behind his wife Betsy, a teacher at Knollwood School, Kristen, Kathryn (Katie) and son-in-law Erik Thorvilson, Jerome (Jake), Kerry and granddaughter Grace, the child of Katie and Erik.
Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect will be writing a tribute/feature story about Councilman Koch. Anyone who would like to contribute information and/or quotes is invited to contact us at [email protected]
Fair Haven Recreation and Special Events Director Charlie Hoffmann bids residents and officials goodbye at the Nov. 23 council meeting. Photo/Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
“I call him Charles in Charge,” Fair Haven Borough Administrator said with a smile when bidding goodbye to the town’s well-liked director of the Department of Parks and Recreation and, more recently, Special Events, Charlie Hoffmann.
That was Monday night at the Borough Council meeting, five-and-a-half years after Hoffmann first met Fair Haven and fell in love at first sight.
“When I interviewed for this job five-and-a-half years ago, I had no absolutely no intention of taking it,” Hoffmann said at the meeting. “Someone just told me to come here and practice interviewing. I took a drive around. I was pulled over twice — so, good job with your men, chief — and instantly fell in love with this town. Then I met (then) Mayor (Michael) Halfacre in his Hawaiian shirt and said (to myself), ‘I need to work here.’ It’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made, professionally.”
Since then, Hoffmann worked as the full-time Recreation director until two years ago, when he announced his resignation. The notice was met with such chagrin that Hoffmann ended up staying on part-time transitioning D.J. Breckenridge, now director, into the job. Once that transition was complete, Hoffmann continued until now as Special Events director.
It was a transition that Borough Administrator Theresa Casagrande said was “seamless” for the residents and good for the town.
That’s because, she said, “I think it’s fair to say that Charlie is near and dear to the hearts of the people of Fair Haven. For many people, he was the face of Fair Haven, because they saw him (spearheading events around town) more than us. I think he has done an exemplary job.”
Hoffmann called attention to some new events he brought to the borough that he was particularly proud of, and thanked all those residents and officials, especially Recreation commissioners and council members Susan Sorensen and (former) Bob Marchese, who helped bring them to fruition as standing new traditions: the annual campout, father-daughter dance, grants, concerts on the dock and the centennial celebration, which has now turned into an annual Fair Haven Day.
Saying he was “dealt a great hand here” in Fair Haven, Hoffmann signed off by saying, “The ZIP code 07704 will always have a special place in my heart.”
“Aimee, would you like to join us?” asked Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli of Councilwoman-elect Aimee Humphreys as the governing body went into executive session after the Nov. 10 meeting.
It was slightly a week shy of the newest council member’s election. The next meeting, now an annual tradition, was held at Knollwood School as a civics lesson to students about the workings of the group of people elected to represent them and their parents.
And Humphreys was there and eager for indoctrination into her new post as of the New Year.
Humphreys, a Democrat, is the first to break the all-Republican hold on the Fair Haven dais in a very long time. The last was independent Mayor Joseph Szostak, who won his independent bid for mayor in 2002. He served one term through 2006 when former Mayor Michael Halfacre won the mayoral election.
Since the election, Humphreys has been seen around town. She told Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect at the borough’s Veterans Day service that she anticipated, despite her minority position on the governing body, that “everything will be great.
“We’re all friends. We’ve all lived here a long time and all have the town’s interests at heart. I think it’s going to be a really positive experience. I’m really looking forward to it.”
She no sooner said that when Mayor Lucarelli walked over and welcomed her as a future governing body member and thanked her for being there.
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