Tag Archives: Fair Haven Borough council

Fair Haven’s Democratic Council Candidates: A Chat with Carolyn Williams

Carolyn Williams
Photo/Fair Haven Democrats

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 Republicans. Three are newcomer Democrats.

Of the three Democrats running, one is a Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate and a native Fair Havenite who came back home to live.

That native Fair Havenite is Carolyn Williams.

Carolyn gave Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect a glimpse into her background and political vision for Fair Haven in a Q&A chat … 

Continue reading Fair Haven’s Democratic Council Candidates: A Chat with Carolyn Williams

Fair Haven’s Democratic Council Candidates: A Chat with Cameron Spector

Cameron Spector
Photo/Fair Haven Democrats

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 Republicans. Three are newcomer Democrats.

Of the three Democrats running, one is a recent Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduate

That RFH 2018 grad  is Cameron Spector.

Cameron Spector gave Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect a glimpse into his background and political vision for Fair Haven, as the youngest contender for a council seat, in a Q&A chat … 

Continue reading Fair Haven’s Democratic Council Candidates: A Chat with Cameron Spector

Fair Haven’s GOP Council Candidates: A Chat with Jacquie Rice

Jaqueline Rice
Photo/courtesy of Jaqueline Rice

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. Newcomer to the governing body race, Jacquie Rice, is on the ballot to fill the one-year unexpired term of former Councilman Rowland Wilhelm.

Jacquie Rice gave Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect a glimpse into her background and political vision in a Q&A chat … 

Continue reading Fair Haven’s GOP Council Candidates: A Chat with Jacquie Rice

Fair Haven’s GOP Council Candidates: A Chat with Jim Banahan

Jim Banahan
Photo/courtesy of Jim Banahan

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 … 

Continue reading Fair Haven’s GOP Council Candidates: A Chat with Jim Banahan

Fair Haven Council Election Winners Split Ticket: Sorensen & Rodriguez

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.

Sorensen’s running mate, Betsy Koch, garnered 1,112 votes. And Rodriguez’s running mate, Jessica Patel, got 1,017 votes.

A total of 4,407 votes were cast. There were 10 write-ins.

In the District 13 State Senate race, Republican Declan O’Scanlon won with 32,484 votes. Democrat Sean F. Byrnes garnered 26,376 votes.

In the District 13 Assembly race, Republicans Amy Handlin and Serena DiMaso won.

The results are unofficial, as provisional and mail-in ballots have not yet been tallied.

Neither Sorensen nor Rodriguez was available for comment on election night. We will feature a post-election interview with both. 

— Elaine Van Develde

Focus: A Fair Haven GOP Council Candidates’ Meet & Greet

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!)

— Elaine Van Develde

A Respite from Tree Removal in Fair Haven

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.

Continue reading A Respite from Tree Removal in Fair Haven

Fair Haven Votes: GOP Incumbents Keep Seats

By Elaine Van Develde

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.

The mayor does, however, have veto power.

 

On the Borough Council Ballot in Fair Haven

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.

Continue reading On the Borough Council Ballot in Fair Haven

Fair Haven: Names in Borough Business

By Elaine Van Develde

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.

Continue reading Fair Haven: Names in Borough Business

Meeting Night in Fair Haven: Invasive Species & Special Honor on Agenda

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.

To check out the agenda yourself, click here.

In with the New at Fair Haven’s New Year’s Day Reorganization

 

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:

Fair Haven Fire Department line officers

• Chief, Scott Eskwitt

• Deputy Chief, Mike Weihl

• First Assistant Chief, Tim Morrissey

• Second Assistant Chief, Matt DePonti

Fair Haven First Aid Squad officers

• Captain, Joe Truex

• First Lieutenant, Kim Ambrose

• Second Lieutenant, Amanda Lynn

Fair Haven Fire Police Officers

• Captain, Lew Davison

• First Lieutenant, Frank Scalzo

• Second Lieutenant, Dan Chernavsky

Water Rescue/Dive Team

• Co-Captain/Sr. Administrator, John Felsmann

• Operations, James Cerruti and Robert Frank

• Training Officer, William Heath

Fair Haven Fire Department Ladies’ Auxiliary

• President, Trudy Wojciehowski

• Vice President, Amanda Lynn