Freiman, Mukherji, Mazzeo & Downey Bill to Allow Conversion and Domestication of Businesses in New Jersey Passes Assembly

Legislation to modernize business filing statutes to include entity conversion and domestication was recently approved by the full Assembly, 74-0. It now goes to the Senate for further review. 

As a result of a lack of clear statutory authority in New Jersey, entities wishing to convert or domesticate are forced to use a process that requires two or three indirect steps.

The bill (A-3513), would allow businesses in New Jersey to undergo conversion, or converting from one type of business entity to another, and domestication, the process of an out-of-state business entity converting to a domestic corporation.

The measure’s sponsors, Assembly Democrats Roy Freiman (D-Somerset, Mercer, Middlesex, Hunterdon), Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) Vince Mazzeo (D-Atlantic) and Joann Downey (D-Monmouth) released the following joint statement.

 

“Outdated laws are tying the hands of new businesses trying to open their doors in the Garden State. We can make New Jersey a more attractive state for the incorporation of businesses by bringing state law in line with many other states that allow domestication and conversion. This legislation would simplify the process, open doors to the business community and create a friendlier business environment in New Jersey.”

Atlantic Highlands Restaurant Week Aug 11-16

In order to bolster business for the restaurants in Atlantic Highlands, the Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce is announcing that Atlantic Highlands Restaurant Week will be held from Tuesday, August 11 to Sunday, August 16.

The event provides an excellent opportunity to visit the eclectic business district on First Avenue and to experience different types of cuisine while enjoying time away from home. Individual restaurants will be offering special menus and creative fare for the event, while still observing social distancing guidelines.

Participating restaurants to date include Kunya Siam, Sissy’s, On The Deck, Atlantic House, Hudson Café, Christine’s, Harborside Grill, First Cup, Julio’s Pizza, and Higo/Blue Bay Inn. For more information, contact the Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce by email at info@atlantichighlands.org or by phone at (732) 872-8711 or (732) 757-7443. Those interested should also call individual restaurants for more specific information on times, reservations, and seating.

 

General Election Ballot Drawing to be Conducted Monday, August 10 via Facebook & YouTube Livestreams

FREEHOLD, NJ – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon has announced changes for the upcoming ballot drawing for the 2020 General Election.

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:14-12, the upcoming ballot drawing for the 2020 General Election will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 85 days before Election Day.

In order to comply with social distancing guidelines, the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office is unable to conduct the drawing with an in-person audience. Therefore, the ballot drawing will be livestreamed and available to watch on the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office Facebook page at Facebook.com/MonmouthCountyClerk and the Monmouth County Government YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/MonmouthCountyNJ.

Any questions regarding the ballot drawing can be directed to the County Clerk’s Elections Division at 732-431-7790.

Monmouth County has 36 additional positive cases of COVID-19

FREEHOLD, NJ – Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone and Freeholder Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley have announced that, as of August 4, there are 36 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Monmouth County. There are no new deaths today related to COVID-19 in Monmouth County.

 

Due to the inclement weather, the Monmouth County COVID-19 Testing scheduled for today, Tuesday, Aug. 4 in Keansburg, has been cancelled. The complete free COVID-19 testing schedule is available on www.visitmonmouth.com.

The breakdown of positive COVID-19 cases by municipality is as follows:

4-Aug 3-Aug
Aberdeen: 265 266
Allenhurst: 12 12
Allentown: 12 12
Asbury Park: 342 343
Atlantic Highlands: 42 42
Avon-by-the-Sea: 18 18
Belmar: 55 55
Bradley Beach: 70 67
Brielle: 74 74
Colts Neck: 102 101
Deal: 44 44
Eatontown: 330 330
Englishtown: 53 52
Fair Haven: 43 43
Farmingdale: 16 15
Freehold Borough: 448 447
Freehold Township: 759 759
Hazlet: 359 357
Highlands: 41 42
Holmdel: 329 329
Howell: 776 773
Interlaken: 4 4
Keansburg: 222 218
Keyport: 109 109
Lake Como: 21 20
Little Silver: 45 45
Loch Arbour: 1 1
Long Branch: 664 660
Manalapan: 547 547
Manasquan: 68 67
Marlboro: 547 543
Matawan: 227 224
Middletown: 897 896
Millstone Township: 95 94
Monmouth Beach: 29 29
Neptune City: 75 78
Neptune Township: 671 671
Ocean: 412 413
Oceanport: 75 74
Red Bank: 316 312
Roosevelt: 9 9
Rumson: 65 64
Sea Bright: 13 13
Sea Girt: 35 35
Shrewsbury Borough: 66 67
Shrewsbury Township: 12 12
Spring Lake: 36 35
Spring Lake Heights: 51 51
Tinton Falls: 247 244
Union Beach: 45 46
Upper Freehold: 69 69
Wall: 476 474
West Long Branch: 84 84
Unknown: 10 11

 

If you would like to read more Monmouth County news updates and information regarding the COVID-19 situation, go to www.visitmonmouth.com.

Town LINKs for local news

Hurricane Isaias hit the area as a tropical storm, but still caused a lot of damage with high winds.

Photo by Monmouth Beach Police - Monmouth Beach Police Chief Tom Walsh with new Officer Baily Crochet.

Trees were down all over the area and it seemed as if police were out on almost every corner that had a traffic light, directing traffic since the lights were not working due to downed power lines.

On Marine Terrace a three-story house under construction collapsed in the high winds.

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Big news for Long Branch. President Trump will be visiting Elberon on Sunday, so when you see the presidential helicopter fly over, give it a salute.


Sips Ace Paint & Hardware

He’s holding a fundraiser for a quarter million dollars a plate at the summer home of Stanley Chera, Ocean Ave, who died of COVID in April. The two were friends prior to that.

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Speaking of lots of money and Trump, the Wine Loft in Pier Village is for sale for only a half a million, but that does include the liquor license.

Pier Village is owned by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and family.

Last summer Jared’s wife Ivanka Trump enjoyed walking around Pier Village with her family and a few members of the Secret Service.

 

While we’re on the subject of Kushner, the rumor of his company pulling out of lower Broadway is true. Or is it? The two firms have had a dispute, but Kushner still has the option to return to the project. In the meantime Long Branch Partners, the  current owners of lower Broadway say they have other buyers lined up.

Long Branch Partners had been approved for 590 rental apartments, 99,500 square feet of retail, two parking decks and road improvements in a four-block section of lower Broadway. Kushner, upon taking over LBP plans, had added five affordable units to the upscale development akin to Pier Village.


Long Branch City Website for COVID updates

Reportedly Kushner is very upset over LBP canceling the contract.

“In the meantime it will still be used for parking,” said Mayor John Pallone. “But we are going to fix it up with plants to make it look a lot better than it does now.”

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Long Branch Police swore in six new officers on Monday with a limited audience from behind a plexiglass barrier. Each of them have served the City of Long Branch as a Special Law Enforcement Officer prior to their current appointment as a full time Officer. They look forward to when they can gather to hold a proper ceremony for them to celebrate!

Long Branch Police also held a promotion .

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Monmouth Beach also had a new officer graduate the Academy. SLEO II Officer Bailey Crochet has joined the MB Police.

Flower’s by Van Brunt “when ordinary just isn’t enough”

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The Greater Long Branch Free Public Library will be open at 25% capacity on September 1st. Date is subject to change. They also offer concierge service.

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A serial burglar from Long Branch was finally arrested recently in West Long Branch. James Pellett, 31 was arrested without incident by detectives from the West Long Branch Police Department and charged with several crimes.

Charges include numerous counts of burglary to auto theft, criminal mischief, and criminal attempt and fraudulent use of a credit card. Pellett allegedly committed these crimes in and around the West Long Branch area.

A multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task force was formed which ultimately lead to Pellett’s arrest.

Detective Jeffrey Hanlon, of the West Long Branch Police Department spear headed the investigation. Detective Ryan Buck and Hanlon dedicated themselves to the investigation, ensuring Pellett’s arrest.

Both Detectives Hanlon and Buck are extremely grateful, for the assistance they received from members of the Long Branch Police Department in identifying Mr. Pellett.

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The police ask that you lock up your car and keep belongings out of sight.

Thieves are out in full force looking for unlocked car and anything of value.

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The next free COVID-19 testing will be at Long Branch City Hall on Wednesday, Aug 5, 3pm-7pm and at the Bucky James Community Center, 231 Wilbur Ray Avenue, Tuesday, August 11, 3pm-7pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey Rep virtual opening on August 8!

AN OPENING OF DOORS:

The West End Virtual Museum of Art debuts with an exhibit of “outsider” paintings

In the midst of an unprecedented interlude during which most museums, exhibition spaces and libraries remain closed to visitors, the debut of an all new museum for the visual arts may come as a surprise to many observers. With the introduction of The West End Virtual Museum of Art, the team at the nonprofit professional theater New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) welcomes the public to a project that grounds itself in a real-world creative community tradition, even as it embraces the many new and different ways in which we share art and culture.

WindMill Hot Dogs

For its inaugural exhibit, The West End Virtual Museum of Art presents “Valor & Victory,” a solo show of paintings by New Jersey-based Army veteran and “outsider” artist Quinton L. Greene. Subtitled “The Art of the Soldier,” the display spotlights the work of a self-taught creative who first picked up the brush at the relatively advanced age of 37 — and who credits his newfound passion for painting with an instrumental role in his conquering the “demons” of PTSD, addiction, and depression.

Scala’s Pizza West End

Taking inspiration from the Cubist movement as well as Afro-Caribbean and Pacific folk art; often incorporating glass beads and other three-dimensional components, Greene’s acrylic-on-wood creations employ vivid colors, patterns, and recurring themes (including a hyper-current exploration of the mask in society) in a way that “uses the materials of the imagination” to “show how we are all connected as family,” in the words of curator Mare Akana. Spanning the years from 2011 to the present, “Valor & Victory” represents a body of work that draws from timeless traditions, even as it addresses such timely issues as the recently completed piece “Corona.”

As intimate as the highly personal connection between painting and viewer — and as expansive as the very nature of the creative spirit — the Virtual Museum of Art “opens its doors” at a time when America’s arts institutions find their continued existence threatened by the ongoing public health crisis, and the socioeconomic upheaval that has arisen in its wake. With two “brick and mortar” facilities to maintain (a nationally celebrated venue for original plays on the New Jersey shore, and a repurposed public school building that features classroom space, mini-stages, and in-house gallery), NJ Rep has found itself on the front lines of the struggle for the arts to survive as an integral part of our communities’ landscape.

Enter the doors of the Virtual Museum at njrep.org, and you will find yourself transported to a spacious environment of neutral-toned walls, soft music, and dozens of nooks and corners that invite exploration. Created by NJ Rep’s award winning set designer Jessica Parks, and featuring sound design by fellow Rep team member Merek Royce Press, the Museum tour is no mere internet slideshow, but an immersive, visitor-friendly experience (guided by the artist and the curator) that is perfectly conjured, right down to the wine and cheese.

Going live on Saturday, August 8, The West End Virtual Museum of Art is awaiting your visit — and the hand-painted creations of Quinton L. Greene, all of which exist in the physical world, are available for sale through the site. Inquire about the artist’s work, help support the ongoing mission of New Jersey Repertory Company, and find out more about the Virtual Museum project by emailing njrep@njrep.org or call 732-229-3166.

Pallone Leads Bicameral Response to Trump Administration’s Discriminatory, Anti-Trans Housing Rule

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Congressman Joe Kennedy (MA-04), Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), and Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) today wrote to the Trump Administration opposing its proposal that would allow discrimination against transgender Americans seeking emergency and temporary shelter.

In the letter to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, the Members urge the Trump Administration to rescind the proposed rule change to the Equal Access Rule that would allow federally funded emergency and temporary shelter providers to turn away transgender Americans. The letter was signed by 122 Representatives and 23 Senators.

The proposed rule has already come under fire for instructing federally funded shelters to judge a person’s physical characteristics to determine where a person should be housed.

“The Administration’s proposal would severely obstruct the rights of transgender individuals. This rollback is cruel and particularly disturbing during a global health emergency and at a time of great economic hardship for millions of Americans,” said Congressman Frank Pallone. “Sadly, this proposal is on par with other attempts by the Trump Administration to roll back protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The Trump Administration must immediately abandon its plans to proceed with this rule and focus on providing equal and fair housing for all regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.”

“This vehemently anti-trans proposal is a total departure from the mission of HUD and it will put lives at risk at a time when access to safe housing is absolutely vital. For more than a year now, Secretary Carson has cited no real evidence nor provided any credible justification for this rule change — this policy is nothing more than a license for shelter providers to discriminate against transgender Americans,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “To suggest that there could be a set of physical characteristics for shelter staff to determine whether someone should be housed with men or women is abhorrent. It’s crucial that all Americans participate in public comment and speak out on why this policy is contrary to our values and a danger to the trans community.”

“Allowing shelters to turn away transgender people is unacceptable, but doing so during a global pandemic is particularly cruel,” said Senator Brian Schatz. “Federally funded shelters are supposed to be accessible to anyone who needs them. This proposal deliberately endangers the lives and safety of transgender people.”

“Denying transgender people shelter because of this President’s transphobia is dangerous and potentially deadly. From housing to health care to education to immigration to our military, this Administration has proactively sought policies to discriminate against transgender people wherever they live, work or learn. Transgender people of all ages will become homeless with no place to go if this bigoted, hateful rule is implemented,” said Congressman Joe Kennedy III.

Removing protections in the Equal Access Rule would make transgender individuals vulnerable to homelessness in the middle of an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. Transgender Americans already experience higher rates of homelessness and are more likely to face discrimination when seeking emergency shelter. Nearly one-third of transgender individuals experience homelessness at one point in their life and 70% report mistreatment in shelter due to their gender identity. Only 50% of the LGBTQ+ population lives in states prohibiting housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

National Run for the Badge

Support the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum from anywhere in the world.

Registration for the National 2020 Run for the Badge 5K is open! Join National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum supporters around the country on October 10, 2020, to honor law enforcement by participating in this special day from your home or community.

To stay safe during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, Run for the Badge will be held exclusively as a national virtual event. On October 10, runners, walkers, and Memorial and Museum supporters across the U.S. will participate in this traditional event remotely — raising, money, gathering teams or running individually, and earning prizes!

Prizes will be awarded for top fundraisers and fastest runners!

Register now and create your custom Run for the Badge page!

Fundraising for the Run for the Badge

Our goal is to raise $100,000 in support of our mission to honor the fallen, tell the story of American law enforcement, and make it safer for those who serve. Set up your personal Run for the Badge page now and start gaining support for your big day on October 10, 2020.

Run for the Badge to Honor Law Enforcement

Join us today by starting your registration below! Participate as an individual, start a team and invite members to participate with you, or join a friend’s team. Registration is only $35 and includes a t-shirt, bib, and medal.

Click here to register

Join MOCEANS for weekly virtual events!

Peer to Peer
Mondays – Thursdays at 5:30
https://zoom.us/j/832352469
Meeting ID: 832 352 469

Name That Tune
Tuesdays at 2:00
https://zoom.us/j/619413090
Meeting ID: 619 413 090

Fine Fare Supermarket with Super Prices!

Happy Hour
Fridays at 5:00
https://zoom.us/j/719124066
Meeting ID: 719 124 066

Crafting with Sherone
1st Wednesday of each month at 4:30
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/82481670152?occurrence=1593635400000
Meeting ID: 824 816 70152

Relaxation with Rita
Mondays at 3:00
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91515184546
Meeting ID: 91515184546

Q & A Wednesdays
Wednesdays at 1:00
https://zoom.us/j/490685172
Meeting ID: 490 685 172

Women’s Group
Wednesdays at 3:00
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/82518272880?occurrence=1593630000000
Meeting ID: 825 1827 2880
Password: 126914

Calls for entries into MC Park System’s alternative mediums exhibit

Calling all artists!  The Monmouth County Park System is seeking entries into its upcoming Alternative Mediums Exhibit.

Held from September 11-October 9 at the Gallery in the Thompson Park Creative Arts Center, Lincroft, this exhibit features pieces in mediums outside the confines of traditional art making. Interested artists who work with fibers, encaustics, beading, textiles, and other craft mediums are invited to submit images for consideration.  Local artist Kate Eggleston is the guest curator.  Additional information and entry form are available at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Entry deadline is August 21.

Throughout the year, the Gallery hosts exhibits featuring local artists.  Upcoming shows include the Figurative Exhibit from October 23-November 13 and the Student & Instructor Exhibit from December 5-11.  The Gallery was part of a recent expansion that also included additional studio space and an outdoor patio. A creative outlet for county residents, the Creative Arts Center offers a variety of fine arts and craft classes including ceramics, pottery, jewelry and painting.

To learn more about the Thompson Park Creative Arts Center or the Park System, please visit www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000. For persons with hearing impairment, the Park System TTY/TDD number is 711. The Monmouth County Park System, created in 1960 by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, is Monmouth County’s Open Space, Parks, and Recreation agency.