Category: Sentinel-EDM Opinion

  • Weight of indictments is dragging Merla down

    Coda Greg Bean For those of you who are interested, the federal indictment against Keyport Mayor John Merla is now up to 18 pages. Merla, as most people in Monmouth County know by now, was indicted again last week by U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie — this time on a new corruption charge for allegedly…

  • Letters

    NJSBA urges residents to run for local boards When New Year’s Day arrived this year, did you resolve to get involved? Did you say that this is the year you’re going to make a difference in your community? If so, your opportunity may have arrived. I ask you to consider becoming a candidate for your…

  • Obituaries

    Alexander Alai Mr. Alai, 94, of Highland Park, died Jan. 31 at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. Born in Vilnius, Poland, he came to the United States in 1915 and had lived in Scranton, Pa., and Newark before moving to Highland Park in 1961. While residing in Newark, he served as an air raid…

  • Letters

    Planning, Zoning boards need transparency In New Jersey, the planning and zoning processes are intricate and detail-oriented, and at times can be overwhelming for planning officials and citizens alike. Edison is no different than any other municipality. However, this process can become more difficult when government does not make a genuine effort to be open…

  • What a difference a year makes

    In January, angry residents stood in the snow and ice outside the Pines Manor to protest the $40 entry fee to hear Edison’s then-Mayor George A. Spadoro give the annual state of the township address before the Chamber of Commerce. If you couldn’t pony up the 40 bucks, tough noogies. You didn’t get in. Spadoro…

  • Reader defends new mayor’s take on finances

    Recently there has been a lot of debate around Edison Township about the state of the municipal government’s fiscal health. The township has been in a downward spiral for a while now. Municipal budgets have been loaded with one-shot deals and other quirky math. I felt I needed to speak up and say that I…

  • CPA disagrees with mayor’s take on finances

    Spin is all well and good, just as long as you don’t believe it. So goes the first rule of spin, which Edison’s Mayor Jun Choi has yet to learn but what every resident understands after 12 years of all-Democratic rule. Now, there’s nothing wrong with Mayor Choi trying to put his post-election work in…

  • Obituaries

    Garrett W. Voorhees Jr. Mr. Voorhees, 81, of Monroe, formerly of Edison, died Jan. 22 in Cranbury Center, Monroe. Prior to his retirement in 1984, he was a lieutenant with the Edison Township Police Department, where he worked for 25 years. Surviving are his wife, Agnes Ledford Voorhees; a son, Garrett W. Voorhees III of…

  • Previous administration left new mayor with a mess

    There has been some debate about the severity of Edison Township’s budget recently. Mayor Jun Choi stated the severity of the budget situation as a matter of fact, not opinion. He reviewed the budget with multiple fiscal experts throughout the state and requested the judgment of two retired business administrators with 75 years of combined…