Welcome to Rise Up Ocean County
Mobilizing to preserve and improve the quality of life in Ocean County.
Mobilizing to preserve and improve the quality of life in Ocean County.
The short version is that the GOP in town is in utter disarray and the leadership, more specifically Clara Glory and Todd Porter, are either allowing the Shore News Network fake narrative to go unchallenged or they are conspiring with the editor of Shore News Network, Phil Stilton, to exact revenge against those who have risen up to challenge their leadership. Either way, Glory and Porter are doing irreparable harm to the GOP brand in their "anyone but Reina" campaign against the Mayor and if cooler heads don't prevail soon, the once powerful Jackson GOP will splinter and its influence over local, county and state policy will collapse. Read more
Yesterday the Ocean County Democrat Organization held its reorganization meeting to elect its leadership and in a race between a 16 year incumbent with a horrific record of losing and fresh new blood, the membership chose the incumbent by a margin of 56 votesYesterday the Ocean County Democrat Organization held its reorganization meeting to elect its leadership and in a race between a 16 year incumbent with a horrific record of losing and fresh new blood, the membership chose the incumbent by a margin of 56 votes. Read more
Very soon the Ocean County Sherriff's Department will enter Gilmore's home, inventory his personal belongings and then by court order, sell them off. Kind of like a court ordered garage sale except the best stuff will be sold first and an admitted "hoarder" will be forced to watch some of his most prized possessions get tossed into the back of Billy Bobs pick-up truck for pennies on the dollar. Read more
Frey released a statement following the Court's initial ruling, sharing his disappointment and listing what he considered the ills of the religious institutions named in the lawsuit. According to the AG, the two schools involved in the lawsuit, Temple Academy in Waterville or Bangor Christian Schools, have policies that discriminate against students and staff in terms of sexual orientation or gender identity, preventing their participation in the tuition program. Read more
We knew that the day would come and sure enough it arrived on Sunday when a 7 year old Newark girl died in a rented pool in Teaneck, contracted through the backyard swimming pool rental company Swimply. Perhaps now state officials, particularly Attorney General Matthew Platkin, will finally take action against Swimply's ongoing violation of state law which prohibits these secondary use rentals. Read more.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Monday that a football coach had the right to pray on the field after high school football games under the free speech and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment. Read more
A Bill is currently making its way through the State Senate and State Assembly that, as amended, would establish a limited preemption from local zoning regulations for applications to convert certain office parks and retail centers into mixed-use developments. Office parks and retail shopping centers located within suburban parts of the State have been termed “stranded assets” and that one of the problems inhibiting the reuse or redevelopment of these properties is zoning regulations which restrict their development to a single land use. Read more
If someone does live on the property, gatherings for the purpose of prayer services are generally protected under the First Amendment and New Jersey Constitution with the caveat that all other zoning ordinances are adhered to. Read more
Earp sees the writing on the wall with many Turnbach supporters being swept into office on primary day. Earp's response to date has been to try to cheat, twice. Read more
Established case law allows for the use of a home as a place of worship provided that the home is occupied by one or more people on a full-time basis. In other words someone has to actually live there. Read more
I enjoy a good joke as much as the next guy and so I am including this image, recently posted on Facebook, by the malevolent clowns that run our opposition, such as it is. Read more
Smarting from getting whipped in court by the New York Civil Liberties Union and feeling neglected because the East Ramapo Central School District BOE declined to rent school buildings to summer camps, instead choosing to perform critical and time sensitive repairs to the facilities, the Monsey Mafia turned out in droves again yesterday.to punish public school students. Read more
In an extremely important church-and-state decision, the Supreme Court has held that if the state of Maine decides to pay for a child’s private education in lieu of a public one, it must allow its tuition money to be used at religious schools. The 6-3 decision, Carson v. Makin, profoundly undermines existing First Amendment law. Read more
One of the dirty little secrets that has allowed Lakewood Township to continue developing ridiculously high density housing projects is Section 18-900J of Township's Unified Development Ordinance. Section 18-900J allows a landowner, who previously obtained a "planned education campus" designation for his property, to simply change his mind and decide to build housing instead, at the HIGHEST DENSITY ALLOWED in Lakewood Township, R-7.5. Read more
Last year, a group of students and alumni filed a lawsuit, and on Tuesday a state judge ruled in their favor, declaring that Yeshiva is not a religious institution and so must follow the law and recognize the club. Read more
Murphy has insisted as recently as January he has no plans to run for president. But a pair of political groups launched in February could fund possible travel across the country in support of other Democrats and are typically precursors for people seeking a White House bid. Read more
Is the Ocean County Democrat Organization better off today than it was sixteen years ago? If your answer is yes you are delusional, if it's no please read on.
After 10 years, Naftuli Moster, founder and executive director of Young Advocates for Fair Education, or Yaffed, which has fought to improve secular education standards at Orthodox yeshivas, today announced that he is leaving his position. Read more
Tonight we should learn a bit more about where the party is heading as the screening committee, assembled by Todd Porter and Clara Glory, will entertain three individuals hoping to secure the committee's nod for November's Mayoral race. Mayor Michael Reina, Council President Martin Flemming and Council Vice President Alex Sauickie are all scheduled to be interviewed.Tonight we should learn a bit more about where the party is heading as the screening committee, assembled by Todd Porter and Clara Glory, will entertain three individuals hoping to secure the committee's nod for November's Mayoral race. Mayor Michael Reina, Council President Martin Flemming and Council Vice President Alex Sauickie are all scheduled to be interviewed. Read more
Earlier today we received a copy of the settlement in its entirety and are still reviewing it to provide as concise of an explanatory statement as possible. It's going to take a little while. Read more
It doesn't happen often that a Planning Board denies a fully complying application and in what might well be a first, denies an application by citing "peculiar conditions". On Tuesday night, after an at times contentious hearing, the Lakewood Planning Board did exactly that. Read more
There's been a recent spate of anti-Jewish animus coming from Shore News Network's Phil Stilton, this time in a story regarding non-public school transportation in Jackson.
We don't believe that Stilton is himself an anti-Semite per se but recent "news" reports appearing on Shore News Network have sought to exploit tensions between Gentile and Jew in Jackson, for his own political agenda and the political agenda of his enablers. Read mo
Ordinarily motions before the Lakewood Zoning Board are to APPROVE applications and everyone is well rehearsed in saying yes but this time the motion was to deny. It took a few seconds for Halberstam to gather himself, understand that YES meant NO, and in a moment of clarity he...abstained. Read more
"This is a good faith effort to adopt the terms to enter into a Consent Decree with the Department of Justice. It's a formal gesture to signal the DOJ that the Township is prepared to move forward" said one source who is not authorized to comment. Read more
In short it is the Sheriff vs. the Felon, the Cop vs. the Robber, a Law and Order candidate vs. a man who has shown contempt for the law or, if you prefer, Good vs. Evil. Read more
If recent Facebook posts by Bertram are any indication, she is now trying to burn the bridges that we have collectively been building over the last year, no thanks to her. That we cannot abide. Read more
A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled the departments abdicated their responsibility to investigate whether the school — Yeshiva Mesivta Arugath Habosem — offers an education that is “substantially equivalent” to the public school system, court documents show. Read more
"America First" huckster and skinny jean wearing Mike Crispi arrived in Ocean County waving a Trump flag in search of running mates to join him in his quest to unseat Congressman Chris Smith and what he referred to as the "RINO" Ocean County Sheriff and Ocean County Commissioners. Read more
It is always heartening when members of the orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood stand up against development, for far too long residents have allowed themselves to be steamrolled by greed. Read more
We've tried REALLY hard to let our friends in Lakewood know that we are in many of the WhatsApp chat groups and can monitor them in real time. No one here wants to do that, no one here delights in exposing individual users and quite frankly we haven't done so in well over a year. And we won't today. Read more
The $258,944,880 revised 2022-23 budget proposal carries a 1.63% tax levy hike. More than 70% of voters rejected the original spending plan on May 17 that carried a proposed 3.9% tax levy hike. Read more
It was eighteen years ago yesterday that President Ronald Reagan died but if he was still alive today, he would be ashamed of the state of the republican party. And he would be none too pleased that the mantle that he so proudly forged, as the face and father of modern republican conservatism, has fallen into the hands of President Donald Trump and his acolytes, some of whom are seeking office this year in Ocean County. read more
The Jackson Township Council tabled a sign ordinance that many of us consider to be overreaching. The intent of the ordinance is good but the language is borderline unconstitutional and there are far too many casualties (garage sale signs on your own lawn?) included in an effort to add legitimacy to what otherwise appears to be an ordinance targeting real estate agents. Read more
MORDECHAY MALKA and MATITYAU MALKA were convicted in White Plains federal court of kidnapping following a three-week jury trial. The defendants, members of an extremist Jewish sect called Lev Tahor, participated in a scheme to kidnap a 14-year-old girl (“Minor-1”) and a 12-year-old boy (“Minor-2”) from their mother in Woodridge, New York in December 2018. Read more
Although there are indications that Ms. Cipriani had reservations about these ordinances there are no indications that she expressed those reservations in a manner forceful enough so as to influence Council's decision to move forward with their adoption. Read more
This tragic event should serve as the impetus for State legislators to consider the creation of a statewide no-knock registry that includes ALL residents with an opt-out provision. In other words, door-to-door solicitations would be effectively banned statewide unless a resident gives express permission for door-to-door solicitors to visit his/her home. Read more
Prosecutors portrayed Timothy Hale-Cusanelli of New Jersey as an extremist, who hoped for a second "civil war." The government presented evidence of Hale-Cusanelli using racist, antisemitic and anti-gay slurs, yelling obscenities at officers protecting the Capitol, and later enthusiastically boasting about breaching the building to a roommate. As jurors heard at trial, that roommate was secretly wearing a recording device on behalf of investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Read more
"I'd like to move for an excused absence for Councilman Lamb, he's uhhh...not feeling well this evening." So said Councilman Dan Rodrick at the onset of the meeting while seeking to excuse Justin Lamb for missing his second meeting since being sworn in in January, 20% of all meetings held thus far. The only Councilman with an equally bad attendance record is Rodrick. Read more
Saying that the operators of one of New Jersey’s largest and most troubled nursing homes continue to place its residents in jeopardy and have failed to provide a safe environment, the state is seeking a court order to take over Woodland Behavioral and Nursing Center at Andover. Read more
The Village of Fleishmanns, NY, with a population of just 314 residents and comprised of less than 500 acres of land, finds itself embroiled in a cloak and dagger tale of voter fraud.
The hamlet that beckons Orthodox Jewish vacationers in the summer is now ground zero for scurrilous allegations contained in a lawsuit after the Village staged a pivotal election this spring that was anything but kosher. Read more
The next time a Jackson resident wants to have a garage sale they will have to bring a copy of their current property survey designating where they will place their garage sale sign, along with $25, to the Zoning Officer to secure a permit.
This is just one of many concerns that we have with Ordinance 14-22, scheduled for second reading and adoption at tonight's Council meeting. Read more
“The Orthodox Jews have been chopped up into five districts! Don’t chop us up! Don’t sprinkle us around! We matter,” Eichenstein also told The Post on Thursday.
“Is this a coincidence? This is discrimination against Orthodox Jews and it’s outrageous.” Read more
When two orthodox Jewish men were disqualified from running for a seat on the Suffern Central School District Board of Education due to failing to meet residency requirements, the sense at the time was that there would likely be a write in campaign. Sure enough there was. Read more
Mired in controversy and challenged by the pending suspension of Sergeant Justin Lamb, the heretofore likely successor to retiring Chief Colin Grant, pursuant to his authority as Chief Law Enforcement Officer of Ocean County, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office has assumed full command and control of the Lavallette Police Department. Read more
Bergmann finds himself in the awkward position of opposing the construction of three orthodox Jewish in his hometown, actually pretty much in his own backyard, and he has taken to Facebook in multiple posts to discuss his opposition. The schools are less than one mile away from Bergmann's home and buses traveling to and fro will likely contribute to already difficult traffic conditions at the intersection nearest his home. Read more
During the vote, a time when Councilmembers are expected to simply say yes or no, both Councilman Dan Rodrick and Councilman Justin Lamb went on long winded diatribes demanding documents that were readily available to them for the last two months, all they had to do was ask for them. Read more
the "Monsey Mafia" that controls all things related to the East Ramapo Central School District, Grossman's prediction came true in stellar fashion. The orthodox Jewish dominated Wards turned out in droves to defeat the budget by a 5-1 margin with 2889 voters voting no and just 576 voting yes. In the Wards not controlled by the orthodox Jewish bloc vote, the budget passed 653-212. Read more
Monsters come in various shapes and sizes. The overwhelming majority are harmless enough, a handful of hurtful words are all they are capable of producing. But every so often, whether fueled by evil in their heart, mental illness, or a combination thereof, they reveal themselves in the most horrific fashion. Read more
When the Washington Township Zoning Board finally gave its blessing to a mosque expansion plan — after turning down two earlier versions — local Muslims celebrated with cheers, tears, and prayers. Read more
Ashley Lamb has repeatedly referred to a "homeless shelter" as cause for concern when in fact Ocean County officials have NEVER PROPOSED a homeless shelter and have made it clear that Ocean County will NOT be getting into the business of housing the homeless. Read more
When he feels so inclined to attend, it becomes increasingly frustrating to watch Toms River Councilman Dan Rodrick's antics at Council meetings. The Councilman with the worst attendance record in the history of Toms River, who has been censured by his peers on three occasions for conduct unbecoming of a Councilman, either doesn't understand the job that he was elected to do or worse yet, doesn't care enough to do it. Read more
When pardoned for his federal criminal convictions by President Donald Trump, being spared 366 days in federal prison wasn't enough, former Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore wanted to get out from under his tax obligations as well. On April 12, 2022 U.S. Tax Court judge David Gustafson ruled that Gilmore, who was convicted on tax charges in 2019 before being pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, still has to pay the more than $1 million he owes in unpaid taxes. Read more
Yesterday the pusillanimous weasels that ostensibly represent our opposition posted a somewhat disgusting and largely false commentary on Facebook regarding "Jewish Money". Disgusting because it calls into question "Jewish Money" when no one else is discussing the topic and largely false because it ignores the outrageously high reliance on social welfare programs. Although many in the orthodox Jewish community are quite successful in their own right, many more are not. Read more
On Wednesday night the Toms River Township Council will hold a public hearing on a $4.3 million bond ordinance to acquire two large and developable lots of land. Read more
When pardoned for his federal criminal convictions by President Donald Trump, being spared 366 days in federal prison wasn't enough, former Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore wanted to get out from under his tax obligations as well. On April 12, 2022 U.S. Tax Court judge David Gustafson ruled that Gilmore, who was convicted on tax charges in 2019 before being pardoned by then-President Donald Trump, still has to pay the more than $1 million he owes in unpaid taxes. Read more
Former Ocean County GOP Chairman and still convicted felon (despite Trump's pardon) George Gilmore's worst nightmare has come true, all but derailing Gilmore's hopes of regaining his seat of power. The widely popular former Chief of the Toms River Police Department and current Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy has made it official, he will seek the OCGOP Chairmanship being vacated by Frank Holman. Read more
On Thursday The Lakewood Scoop featured a video of Schnall urging residents of Jackson (and all around New Jersey) to register to vote. With the deadline to register to vote in this year's primary fast approaching, reminding people to fulfill their civic duty is NEVER a bad thing. Unless you are Phil Stilton and you personally feel threatened by a growing yet heretofore disorganized group of orthodox Jewish voters in Jackson Township. Read more
A D.C. jury will not hear about Timothy Hale-Cusanelli's history of anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi comments later this month when he begins trial on felony charges stemming from the Capitol riot. Read more
This OPRA request was submitted by Phil Stilton, editor of Shore News Network, to Ocean County. Way down at the bottom he states "every time Ciullo mentions my name, there will be 20 OPRA's in Ocean County". Now that's journalism ain't it? Read more
The most recent survey of U.S. Catholics performed by Pew Research Center found 56% of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Additionally, 68% said Roe v. Wade should not be overturned.
While most Catholics generally approved of abortion rights overall, a large majority also said there should be restrictions. Read more
When the litmus test to be considered a "patriot" is whether or not you support former President Donald Trump's claims of election fraud and his "call to arms" on January 6th and at a time when conservative constitutionalists such as former Vice President Pence are branded traitors for refusing to attempt to overturn the election, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli's trial is finally scheduled to begin this month. Read more
When it comes to improper land use, the activities at 134 White Rd. in Jackson might take the cake. Read more
In Toms River's form of government Mayor Hill hires all department heads with the advice and consent of the Council. The Mayor is under no obligation to advertise job openings, is free to interview whomever he chooses and hire whomever he believes best suited for a particular position and on Wednesday night Mayor Hill put forth the name of former Councilwoman Maria Maruca to fill Benson's role. Read more
It's not easy to criticize a report published by the Anti-Defamation League documenting a 34% rise in anti-Semitic incidents between 2020 and 2021, especially when you consider the standards used by the ADL in collecting its data. By ADL standards the criticism alone will likely be considered an anti-Semitic incident in the 2022 report. Read more
In the race for Suffern Central School District Board of Education the ballot now shows only two incumbents running for re-election, gone are the two orthodox Jewish men who sought to challenge the incumbents over dissatisfaction with busing and perceived problems with other services to the private-school community. Read more
Lieby Bruer and Chaim Feig have heard about and experienced problems with the Suffern Central School District provided busing for private-school kids. They acknowledge the recent bus driver shortage, but say the district put transportation policies in place years ago that hurt families like them. Read more
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