The HOWELL Times
Vol. 22 - No. 26
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 7-11
Dr. Izzy Sound News Page 15
Inside The Law Page 16
Classifieds Page 18
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
December 7, 2024
OUTGOING MAYOR THANKED BY COUNCIL By Liz Ciocher HOWELL - After servi ng t wo consecut ive terms, Mayor Theresa Berger will be retiring from the mayoral seat in January 2025. Berger, a democratic leader and member of the Monmouth County Democratic Organization, has been serving as Mayor of Howell Township since 2017. With the most recent election coming to a close, her time on the board has come to an end. Though given the opportunity, she did not apply for re-election for the upcoming year, nor did she apply for any council seats or positions, choosing instead to step away from politics and focus on new personal and professional endeavors. Following in her place as mayor will be newly elected John Leggio of the Republican party. At the first council meeting following the election, members of the council thanked Berger for her time on the council and presented her with a Golden Gavel award.
Photo by Liz Ciocher Berger served as Mayor of Howell Township from 2017 to 2025. “In Appreciation For Your Dedicated Service to the Township of Howell,” the plaque read. “Presented to Theresa Berger, Mayor.” A bouquet of followers was also presented to Berger alongside the plaque from the council. Throughout her time in office, Berger has been a figure of both admiration and controversy, often finding herself at the heart of passionate debates about the town’s future and legislation.
“This has been one hell of a ride. I did always want to do the right thing for the town, even though it didn’t seem that way on your side of the ledger,” she said at the meeting. “It’s okay to agree to disagree. Some of the disagreements went a little too far, but I’ve wiped that off. I’m thrilled and happy to have called myself mayor and worked alongside very talented people.” While retiring from the mayoral position, Berger
does not plan to retire from her day job. She has been serving as President and CEO of Ocean Healthcare Initiative, Inc. and will continue in this career. In an emotional sentiment, Berger said, “I always felt that the people that brought me here were for a reason. And so I feel blessed to have participated in something like this.” “I served eight years, that’s enough. You know, (Mayor - See Page 3)
New Ordinance Could Fix Problem With Renters By Liz Ciocher HOWELL - Yet another concer ned resident spoke about the ongoing rental problem in Howell Township at the latest council meeting. Marcy Craig, a resident of Howell for over 30 years, presented the council with concerns of activity taking place on Danella Way, which, according to Director of Community Development and Land Use Officer Matthew Howard, has been a problematic road for some time. Danella Way is a residential street included in the Monmouth Ridings Development, which occupies about 140 homes. According to Craig, 20 of those houses have been bought and sold to LLCs since June. “I love my development, but I feel like it’s just not safe there anymore,” she said during her public comment. “I just wanted to be here and vocalize how I feel; it’s very upsetting.” According to her statement, Craig has wit nessed a th ree (Ordinance - See Page 3)
County Wants Extended Investigation Of Local Airport By Alyssa Riccardi WALL – Monmouth County officials are petitioning for a second opportunity to assess the Monmouth Executive Airport after being limited to just two hours. “After a difficult and delayed effort to inspect Monmouth Executive Airport, the County’s experts were limited to just two hours to inspect more than three
miles of runway and taxiway, in the middle of the night,” county officials said. International aviation consulting firm, Merchant Aviation, LLC, were commissioned by the County to conduct an analysis of the airport, examining its conditions and amenities to determine if it is as safe. After the recent analysis, Mer-
chant Aviation determined more time is needed to investigate potentially concerning conditions at the airport. Back in September, county officials stated that the airport has been declining for years. Improvement to its infrastructure or facilities had been very minimal. According to Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone,
county representatives had heard “disturbing reports from a variety of sources about the condition of the airport and its supporting facilities.” Arnone also stated that he had recently toured the airport and had his own concerns about its safety and financial viability. The airport was originally built in 1938 by Ed Brown who was a self-taught aviator and Navy pilot.
Over time, the airport offered private plane chartering along with skydiving and other services. Ed Brown passed in 2006, and in 2013 a consortium known as Wall Aviation was able to purchase the airport from the Brown family, according to Monmouth Jet Center’s website. Alan Antaki, who is president (Airport - See Page 5)
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