The Ocean County Board of Freeholders reviewed plans on Wednesday to seek bids for retrofitting two more stormwater basins in the county, during the bimonthly preboard meeting in Toms River.
The two basins -- one along Vermont Avenue in Toms River, the other at the intersection of North County Line Road and Jackson Mills Road in Jackson -- are the newest in a series of basin retrofit projects the county has done to help create a filtration system that lessens the impact of rainwater runoff on Barnegat Bay.
The county is estimating the retrofits will cost $1 million, with the county splitting the cost with the state Department of Environmental Protection, county engineer Frank Scarantino said.
Citing the stormwater basin projects as just one example, Freeholder John P. Kelly took the opportunity to blast a newspaper editorial over its criticisms of the board.
"How dare they say we don't care about Ocean County?" Kelly said. "We were one of the first counties to build these basins, to protect Barnegat Bay.
The editorial, which appeared in Sunday's Asbury Park Press, endorsed Democrats Joseph Grisanti and Pat Barndt in Tuesday's election for two freeholder positions, currently held by John C. Bartlett and Director Gerry P. Little.
"How dare they say we don't do enough to fight for Ocean County?" Kelly said. "Where are they when we are meeting with the commissioners, pushing for widening of Route 9?"
Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said there have been active efforts to block any attempt by Ocean County to get funding directed to the widening of Route 9 by the state Department of Transportation, which has responsibility for the road.
Kelly said that during a conversation with one commissioner, he learned that commissioner was under the impression the county wanted Route 9 widened to three lanes in each direction.
"He was surprised to find out it was only one lane each way," Kelly said.
Little said that while the county's road crews clean stormbasins throughout the county each year, storm drains along the state highways through the county -- Routes 9, 70, 37 and 35 -- go untouched, resulting in flooding during heavy storms and sending pollutants into Barnegat Bay.
"There seems to be a confusion between what's the county's responsibility and what's the state's responsibility," Vicari said.
"The state should be doing more," Kelly said.
"Maybe if newspapers disappeared our recycling crews would have time to do other things," Freeholder James Lacey said, half-joking.
If you think the APP has some sort of liberal agenda then you've discredited yourself entirely. Such statements are actually more indicative of your bias than anything.
You, on the other hand, by your defense of the APP show an obvious bias towards towards the organization/publication. I'd go so far as to say you either work for the Press, or know of someone who does. Otherwise, why defend something so vigorously spewing half truths and flat out lies.
So you show yourself for the conspiracy nut you are. I am in no way invested in the APP. Frankly, I think they could be doing a much better job all around, but in the case of exposing the Freeloaders for what they are they are doing a great job and I make no bones about defending them for it. But I do call BS when I see it, and you making up this fantasy that the APP is a part of some vast left-wing conspiracy along with the rest of the mainstream media is comical and a testament to your wild imagination.
I claim no vast conspiracy, but I point out what everyone knows and understands, and even the media admits to on occasion .... they are liberally biased. The APP took a hard left after the Ganett takeover. Others have posted it, verified what I've said in their own words, but you rail on me and my postings. You're obsessed, with me and defending the APP, is there any wonder anyone would assume that you're associated with the Press? I never once specifically attacked the APP, but rather I included them within my criticisms of the news media in general, but your pee-brain can't process that information, you're myopic and can't process the subtle difference. You think you're opinion matters, but because you can't state it clearly and succinctly and you're unable to comprehend what others, more intelligent than you, are saying you expose yourself as ignorant and unworthy to be included further in this discussion. Begone, nave ...
I fully expect the APP to be a thing of the past soon other than the fishing report the APP is left wing trash; they never go after Dems or Libs only Conservatives, and Republicans.
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Not a shot at you personally, but I sign everything I write with my real name.
News reporting has gone astray in recent years and become more and more political in tone but the smart ones do try to walk that center line because from there other opinions can be promulgated. And by attempting to stay neutral (which is tough to do) successful news outlets are providing spring boards for comments that put some articles up for challenge. It's all part of the healthy free speech we have and we and newspapers, should "dare." People in office ought to expect criticism and if they can't respond with facts that overwhelm the original writer's criticism, so be it. Most of us are getting tired of pat-you-on the back stories and give the results politicians have been providing us, criticism is in order.