In the last news post I reported how the referendum to build a new school was shot down by voters, primarily because we’re being taxed to death and can’t afford to pay anymore. However that doesn’t seem to stop our illustrious town council from continuing to try to squeeze blood from a stone. After the referendum was shot down, the proposed school budget was also voted down. Yet another sign the residents of Robbinsville simply don’t have the money to afford further increases in taxes. But this hasn’t deterred our Mayor and the town council from forging ahead and increasing our taxes yet again this year. According to centraljersey.com, on June 17 the town council approved an $18.8 million budget with only Councilman David Boyne voting in dissent. Boyne believes that the average tax increase of $465, is higher than it needs to be.

Next up, a wonderful waste of money which will cost the residents of Robbinsville $250,000. According to the Trentonian and nj.com, Robbinsville must pay $250,000 of a $500,000 settlement to an ex-public works Superintendent due to a wrongful termination lawsuit. Yes, apparently George Field won a wrongful termination lawsuit against the township, Mayor Fried, and former Business Administrator Mary Caffrey for $500,000 which the town council approved last week. Apparently in 2003 Field had bladder surgery and then in 2005 he notified Fried and Caffrey that he’d need additional surgery. He later received a call informing him of his termination because he did not follow orders. The half million dollar settlement will be paid partly by the Municipal Excess Joint Liability Insurance Fund ($250,000 half-share of the settlement), and it will also advance the township’s share of $250,000 since the township “is not able to pay at this point in time, with the specific understanding that the Township shall repay the $250,000 to the MEL in five annual installments of $50,000. Would anyone like to venture a guess as to who will have to repay that $250,000?? Here’s a hint: it’s not Mayor Fried or Mary Caffrey.

Finally, a bit of an infrastructure update. While nothing has officially been set in motion, there is a push to develop a roadway to connect route 33 to route 130 along the border of Robbinsville and Hamilton. “After sitting dormant for years, plans for the bypass road were revived last year, when former DOT commissioner Stephen Dilts visited the area and “agreed to financially support the bypass project,” according to a spokeswoman at the time. About a month ago, engineers from Hamilton, Robbinsville and the state met to talk about alignments and any rights of way that would be acquired for the bypass, Hamilton business administrator John Ricci said. Some of the rights of way will be donated by developers, Hamilton and Robbinsville officials said.”  Ricci said while the project could start in 2011, there is “no indication” as to when it would be built. For the state to find funding for it is a “big obstacle,” he said.Source: nj.com

So there you have it. Robbinsville residents can’t win. We vote down budgets because we simply can’t afford the extra taxes, yet the town council increases taxes anyway and engages in lawsuits that costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars. If anyone knows of any positive news, please email it to us because it seems that all I ever hear about is how it’s getting harder and harder to live here.

Returning this year is Sandra Pendragon of Hamilton, NJ.  She has been creating jewelry using gems, stones, metals and other shiny sparkly things since she could remember.  Drawing from her eclectic experience of traveling and designing in Chicago, France, Corsica, Spain, Morocco, she brings inspiration from around the world to create pieces that are intended to spark conversation. Ms. Pendragon is only one of over 50 unique artisans presenting this year.  Other local exhibitors include Ed Reifer, woodworker, of Mercerville and Lynn Ebeling from Hopewell who will be presenting her unique pottery and baskets.

Artisans typically travel a distance to present their work at the 100% Handcrafted fair and this year is no different.  “We have registrations from New York to Maryland, across all categories,” says Erin Sanders, a member of the 100% handcrafted selection committee.  The group is enthusiastic with the response to this year’s show.  “We’ve had so many vendor requests, from so many talented artisans, the selection process is difficult.  Our committee approaches the jury process carefully, bringing the public a wonderful selection of high quality and only handcrafted one of a kind pieces in many popular categories.   As you might expect we have jewelry but we also will exhibit, woodworking, pottery, paper and textiles, metal crafts, botanicals, gourmet food and more.”

Once again, Cafe Jacque will be serving up homemade soups, sandwiches, and desserts. And don’t forget to grab a bag of Kettle Korn for the ride home.

Supported by regional artisans, the 100% handcrafted show strives to be a wonderful destination and day long event for attendees.  Admission is free and the event benefits the theater and music departments at the Robbinsville High School.
For more information you can check out their website: http://sites.google.com/site/100handcrafted/  or call 609-448-5466

According to a posting on the township’s website, Mayor Fried is ticked off about the recent disappearance of HGTV and the Food Network channels from the Cablevision lineup. Being that Cablevision has a monopoly on the township’s cable services, most residents have been left high and dry with little alternatives to satisfy their cooking and decorating needs.

Cablevision surprised many people with an announcement over the holiday weekend, just a day before HGTV and the Food Network channels were yanked off their lineup. Currently Cablevision is blaming Scripps, the provider of these channels, while Scripps blames Cablevision. While both companies act like spoiled children, the viewers, including the Mayor, suffer. However the Mayor has drafted a letter to the Board of Public Utilities and Cablevision, the text of which appears below:

Like many others in Robbinsville and beyond, I was surprised to learn on New Year’s Day that Cablevision had interrupted service on two popular channels, HGTV and The Food Network. I was especially disturbed after learning there had been no advance notice, either to Cablevision’s subscribers or to the Township, as the grantor of the local franchise.
Instead, our residents and others in Cablevision’s service area awoke to a public information message that sought to blame Scripps Networks for the interruption in service, over what is apparently a financial dispute between the two companies. I can only presume that the timing and nature of this move, coming as it did on a holiday weekend, is an attempt by Cablevision to use paying customers as leverage in a bid to squeeze Scripps to lower its asking price for these two channels. At the very least, this move was greedy; as a representative of my residents, I must call on the Board of Public Utilities to investigate whether this action violated any laws or regulations. Like most cable subscribers, a high share of our residents look forward to programming on HGTV specials and The Food Network on New Year’s Day.
It is clear that Cablevision executed a calculated plan that held no regard for its subscribers and that their strategy was to blame Scripps. Let me be clear – those who promoted this ill-fated plan failed in their mission. My residents are outraged at Cablevision, as I am sure the company will experience today and in the days ahead.
As a consequence of Cablevision’s actions, I am requesting that the Board examine three issues:
(1) Whether Cablevision’s actions violated any laws or regulations that require adequate notice for interruption of all or part of a service. If Cablevision was not required to notify individual subscribers, was the company required to notify the Township, as the grantor of the franchise, so that the Township could have provided impartial information on its Web site?
(2) Whether Cablevision is required to grant subscribers credit for the loss of these channels, especially if this interruption continues for an extended period.
(3) Whether Cablevision should have sought mediation, through the Office of Ratepayer Advocate or some other party, before taking such an extreme action as an unannounced service interruption on a holiday weekend. The BPU should immediately order the parties to work through the Ratepayer Advocate to end this impasse.

While competition for television is coming slowly to Robbinsville, technical hurdles will make Cablevision the monopoly in many parts of town for years to come. I trust you share my belief that when a cable company is given the exclusive right to provide service in a community, it has a duty to behave responsibly toward its customers. In my view, Cablevision has not fulfilled that duty and it must be called upon to explain its behavior. More disturbing is the fact that this is part of a pattern of consumer abuse that the Board must address, once and for all. Thank you for your time and consideration of this most important matter and I am happy to assist you in any way and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Dave Fried
Mayor

Mr. Corvino was the third Robbinsville teacher arrested in three years. In 2005, Scott Copperman, a then 35-year-old Robbinsville High School teacher and coach, pleaded guilty to third-degree endangerment of a child after police determined he had kissed a female student and sent her romantic e-mails. A year later, Daniel Finn — Mr. Copperman’s replacement — resigned after he was charged with possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and serving alcoholic beverages to persons under legal age. And most recently, Sharon elementary school computer technician Carl Alb was charged as a peeping Tom for allegedly using hidden video cameras to spy on female Sharon school employees.

Related Daniel Corvino news:

• http://www.robbinsvilleweb.com/news/2009/03/05/pond-road-middle-school-teacher-pleads-guilty-in-sex-case
• http://www.robbinsvilleweb.com/news/2008/08/14/former-pond-road-middle-school-teacher-indicted-on-sex-charges
• http://www.robbinsvilleweb.com/news/2008/02/15/robbinsville-township-school-teacher-arrested

Source: centraljersey.com

Schools Running Out of Space

While this isn’t news to anyone who’s lived in Robbinsville for any length of time, the school population has topped 2700 students, up from 2550 last year. The board of education has agreed to spend over $20,000 to study the population trends and determine if this increase is a trend or bubble. Trailers abound at Sharon school where the faculty room has been converted into a classroom last year. Is a new school (and higher taxes) on the horizon?

Is the Robbinsville Government Set to Self Destruct?

Questionable hiring practices, taxpayer funded health care, disappearing surplus money…what’s going on??

Is Robbinsville’s government corrupt? Some think so, citing actions like firing and rehiring employees at higher salaries. For example, the Township Council recently opposed Mayor  Fried’s plans to hire recently ousted Business Administrator Mary Caffrey as economic development coordinator at a  salary of $70,000. Mayor Fried indicated that he plans to offer Ms. Caffrey the position as a part-time role for $17,000, not $70,000, which would allow him to avoid seeking the council’s consent. The $17,000 would be in addition to a newly revealed $24,000-plus severance package recently given Ms. Caffrey.  Mayor Fried only needs seek council consent for contracts in excess of $17,500. There have been mixed signals as to the salary and how the position was to be filled however there appears to be agreement that in the current economic climate that a new $70,000 position is not acceptable.

Back in early June, Mayor Fried announced that he was hiring Tim McGough as business administrator and engineer at a salary of $155,000, ousting both Ms. Caffrey and Engineer Jack West, months after McGough resigned to spend more time with his family as cost-cutting and streamlining measures. Mayor Fried said the move would save taxpayers $70,000, but just one month later he announced he was spending that same amount to bring Ms. Caffrey back to fill the economic development coordinator position, which had been vacant for more than a year.

So if Tim McGough is acting as business administrator, can someone explain to me why we need Ms. Caffrey?

What Surplus?

Mayor Dave Fried is citing the state’s decision to reactivate the Route 33 realignment project as a reason for the township to hold onto more surplus money than he originally planned in his proposed budgets slated for a public hearing and possible adoption on September  10. The revised budget calls for a 4 cent municipal tax rate increase, which is 3 cents higher than what Mayor Fried presented to council in April.

Former Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Sonja Walter claimed that Mayor Fried’s initial budget was a “political stunt” made as he ran for mayor against her.

Robbinsville Residents – Your Taxes May Be Paying for the Health Care of Township Officials

Former Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Sonja Walter brought up the topic of health care at the July 9 council meeting and noted that three elected officials (the mayor, Rich Levesque, and Christine Ciaccio) this year apparently have opted to take health insurance plans through the township.

Both  Ms. Ciaccio and Mr. Levesque confirmed their coverage while the Mayor refused comment. The exact cost to taxpayers is unknown but is expected to be upward of $22,500 according to minutes of the meeting.

“It’s an extraordinarily bad economic year for so many residents,” Ms. Walter said this week. “It’s difficult for me to understand why, this year, now is the time for residents to pay for their health insurance.”

KABOOM!?

“Where’s the Kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering Kaboom!” — Marvin the Martian.

An inept pool installer or PSE&G crew nearly blew up part of town center on Monday when they ruptured a natural gas pipeline. Seven families were forced to evacuate their homes for several hours when a pool contractor, excavating a backyard on the corner of Newtown Boulevard and North Street struck the line with a back hoe. Three fire companies replied to a 911 call when gas was detected in the area. The pool contractor allegedly called for the lines to be marked and said that PSE&G failed to mark the main line but did mark other lines. Tim McGough, township engineer and business administrator, said the gas main did not appear to be on any maps provided by PSE&G.

Sources: http://www.nj.com and http://www.centraljersey.com

Source: nj.com

In an effort to raise much needed revenue, the Robbinsville school board has contracted with Middletown-based Corporate Marketing Association to provide advertisements in the high school’s commons area, the gymnasium, football field and on the school district’s website.Among the advertisers believed to be interested in plastering their name in the high school are Modell’s Sporting Goods. CMA  not only coordinates the advertising but they take a 30% chunk of the revenue as well.

Source: nj.com

Corvino made a plea agreement and will receive a four year suspended sentence and be subject to parole supervision for life. Sentencing is scheduled for June 29th.

Corvino must submit to a psychological evaluation to determine if he is a repetitive and compulsive sex offender, and register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.  Aside from forfeiting his teaching privileges h will also be restricted from social networking sites and ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children under 16 years of age.

Source: nj.com

The Mercer County Park Commission is hosting biweekly “Free Firewood Fridays” beginning Feb. 13, allowing County residents the opportunity to pick up free firewood collected from various County parks. The offer extends only to residents for household use, not to businesses or commercial enterprises, so take advantage of this great opportunity to heat your home for less this winter.

The program is first come, first served and will continue while supply lasts. Details are as follows:

• Must be Mercer County resident.
• Program runs bi-weekly starting Friday, Feb. 13, only on Fridays.
• Times are 8 a.m.-noon; 4 to 7 p.m. (Park Commission staff will assist with loading only from 8 a.m. to noon collection time).
• Park rangers will be checking residents’ ID.
• Participants must follow all Park Rules & Regulations.
• Residents may only take from wood from designated stockpile.
• Vehicles must remain on roads or driveways at all times.
• Firewood is cut to fireplace-burning size but not split.
• No commercial or private businesses permitted. For household use only.
• Location is in Mercer County Park, West Windsor, off of main road near turn- off for Skating Rink. Electronic message boards will direct participants to exact location.

Contact: Julie Willmot @ (609) 278-7137

Source: nj.gov