I’ve always had the good sense to avoid writing about Aberdeen Township’s police department and its two fire districts. However, last February there was a heated altercation in the firehouse at the corner of Church and Lloyd (Fire District #1). The time had come to have a look.
Although I have spoken with a number of people, I cannot obtain any documentation regarding the incident since it is a personnel matter. However, I believe that fire district chief, Lou Auriemma, acted in a manner unbecoming an officer and he should have, at the very least, been reprimanded by the fire commissioners. Furthermore, I do not believe the district chief is supported by a majority of his command. Although I have heard many wonderful stories about Chief Auriemma, the only chief that firehouse has ever had, I think it’s time for a change in leadership.
Notwithstanding the above, the fire commissioners chose to ignore the incident and there is no consideration of relieving Chief Auriemma of his command.
As for firehouse shenanigans we can talk about, there is some of that. (Full disclosure: When applying for my certificate of occupancy, the fire department dinged me for $2,000 in repairs for small violations that passed inspection when I purchased the house four years earlier, plus requiring a certified inspection for my chimney.)
For starters, the fire commissioners voted themselves an eye-popping 36.5% raise to $5,460 a year. That august body includes our honorable councilmen Vinci and Lauro. Apparently, Vinci needed the money after losing his consulting gig. (Is Councilman Lauro related to Samuel Lauro? Sam is on the fire district payroll as well.)
Vinci, by the way, is transferring his house and his ill-gotten land to his daughter. Looks like he’s freeing up some money to buy another place.
Chief Auriemma only works 20 hours a week. However, the ordinance creating the fire chief position requires “a minimum of 40 hours per week.” The fire commissioners are aware of the discrepancy but don’t care enough to ask the township to change the ordinance. Remember that next time you’re told the town can’t bend for you because it has to follow the law.
The fire district has about $688,000 in reserves that’s budgeted for replacement vehicles. The reserves are apparently immune from the town council’s grubby hands since they’re still in the bank. (The fire district is another unit that should consider merging with Matawan to save expenses.)
Alan Falk, Aberdeen’s former town prosecutor, is still on retainer at the Fire District but there’s talk that may come to an end after Falk refused to participate last year in the democrats’ pay-to-play election campaign. (That’s why he’s the “former” town prosecutor.)
As for the men who volunteer their time in the fire department and the EMT, they have my highest respect and gratitude and I hope they get the leadership and recognition they deserve. >>> Read more!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Smoke at the Firehouse
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«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 214 of 214Someone on here asks who is going to answer the calls. The Fire Dept Still Gets out at least two trucks for every call. As Far as "the men" The officers that said they would be on till the end of the year and don't show up to any calls or Tues Nights, but they can find the time to come on here and have there wives or ex-member kids on here to write things maybe its a good thing that they are not showing up. The FD doesn't need anyone in the building who is going to bash his So called brothers on here.
Those of you who castigate Norman Kauff may want to try thanking him instead.
Thanking him for over a generation of good government in the town of Aberdeen. Your local Democratic Party has always endeavored to select candidates with vision and integrity, leaders in our community. As a leader in the Party, Norm Kauff has kept his finger on the pulse of the community that he loves, Aberdeen. He continues to do so as a Democratic "elder statesman", not by dictating policy as some writers here insist, but by keeping a fatherly guiding hand on the shoulders of our town fathers.
That your Democratic Party has chosen leaders of the community can be seen in the makeup of our Town Council. Wilhelmina Gumbs, longtime community organizer who is a natural leader in the Cliffwood section.
Vincent Vinci, who kept the streets of Aberdeen safe from crime as a police officer for many years and, as if that was not enough, has volunteered as a fireman for over 50 years! What can I say about this man? Protector. First responder. Leader in his community. Aberdeen is lucky to have him!
Not to mention Richard Wolfe, Gene Sadowski, Wilma Greenspan, George Hausman, Dave Sobel and many others. Norm is even willing to "cross the aisle" and recruit Republicans such as Tom Perry or Mayor Fred Tagliarini, making our Town Council truly bipartisan without the partisan bickering. Mayor Tagliarini has been active with the youth of our town for many years. He is in touch with the needs of our town.
While the Republicans paid lip service to the Woodfield section, it was Democrats who actually put a Woodfield resident, Margret Montone, on your town council.
It is testimony to Norm Kauff's leadership and vision that while other towns have gone to the Republicans, Aberdeen has rejected that road and continues to elect Democrats. I know that when Norm Kauff is sitting in temple his prayers include the community he loves. I am proud to call Norman B. Kauff my friend and a friend to Aberdeen!
Mark Coren is not a nice man and is a cad in his personal life. That having been said, what he did or didn't do on his own time has no bearing on the fact that he was the best town manager in Aberdeen's history, indeed one of the best in the state! There is no evidence that Mark Coren was involved in anything untoward during his service to Aberdeen. You need a tough leader as town manager, not someone who wants to be everyone's friend. Although Mark was originally hired by a lame-duck Republican council, it was Democrats who recognized that he was the natural order of things for Aberdeen. Mark came on board as a young man in his early thirties and remained to retirement, with the exception of a few years where the Republicans summarily fired him. When Aberdeen returned to the Democratic fold, one of your Town Council's first actions was to bring back Mark Coren.
I will add that with all the allegations of corruption in Aberdeen on this blog, none has ever been found, and that is a testimony to good leadership in our town. We know the FBI was looking at Aberdeen a few years ago, but it soon became evident to them that there was "nothing to see here", and they moved on. Where they found the corruption was in Republican towns like Marlboro, Keyport and Hazlet. Suffice it to say, that if the FBI had found corruption in Aberdeen, Bush's partisan US attorney (Chris Christie) would have trotted it out and made a big PR event out of it. They found nothing!
Chief Auriemma has run our town's fire department for more than half a century and now a handful of disgruntled back benchers are sniping about him. I hear some of these people weren't even born when he became chief. You don't argue with experience and Aberdeen is lucky to have "Lou" keeping us safe.
Petty jealousies don't lead a town. Experience does. When a few people with axes to grind start complaining, ignore them.
Did Santa bring a retirement package for Lou to the firehouse turnout tonight? Did Santa's commissioner elves maintain the status quo and continue to ignore the obvious that it is time for Lou to be put out the big house fire in the sky? The time is now for the commissioners to restore faith in leadership that has cost us valuable, hard working and dedicated members. Time for the old guys to finally accept the Lou reality before they spend money for lawyers to defend themselves for the cover ups.
What an idiot this Ivanasshole is.
What an allegiant F'n jerkoff.
Norman Kauff an elder statesman?
Norman Kauff is a corrupt, unethical scumbag.
Somebody go over and knock on every door and slap every man on that street back into reality.
Norman Kauff, Vinci, Gumbs and others named are all corrupt, unethical lying scum.
IVANHOE,
Chief Auriemma does NOT run the DEPARTMENT he runs DISTRICT 1. The DEPARTMENT is made up of two DISTRICTS.
What an idiot this Ivanhoe is. Someone did not listen to the warning at Woodstock to not take the brown acid. Every person that was highlighted in your defend until the end diatribe followed the Kauff political line and the typical Kauff controlling do or die pressure and demands. So much for clear thinking and lucid Ivanhoe. As for reaching across the aisle and being bipartisan you have to know that Perri and our new power hungry mayor changed parties right away to satisfy Kauff requirements. That is not something Kauff should be proud of and it is all too telling that Kauff and his allegiant and alzheimer ridden old guard are fading from his power and no new with pulses democrats were willing to join the corrupt Kauff. Sure he has Bill S, and a few other assholes who do his bidding and they will go down the drain with Kauff this time. Sure the FBI was here and that Ivanidiot says they found nothing, or did they? Ivanidiot is just continuing with more denials to keep Kauff corruptly in control and bleeding the taxpayers accounts. Look in the mirror Ivanidiot your ignorance of reality is all to clear. Maybe you should go lick some small blotter acid paper since your realities are once again laughable.
You don't want any of your former brothers to bash anyone? But it is OK when Lou does? Hypocrite. From the secret poker games to the Lou incident the dishonesty and protectionism will soon bite the house and its finances in the ass. Maybe brother Falk will earn his legal pay by finally defending the ass-aulter Lou.
The sheep on the council and firehouse are so easily led. No gonads between them to stand up to Lou.
LOU NEEDS TO GO!
LOU NEEDS TO GO!
EVERYONE KNOWS LOU NEEDS TO GO!
FACT!
Come on people Lou isn't going anywhere. After all how could the department survive without his leadership? It could of course but Lou knows all the crooked shit that he and his fellow commissioners have done for a real long time now. Illegal poker games held in a public structures is just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of thousands of dollars annually goes though their corrupt hands and nobody to check on them except Lou's handpicked commissioners. Nothing illegal going on there?
Sure???????????????????????????????????????????????????
Anyone want to buy a fire truck?
Not you Mr. Spaleiro you already offered that bribe.
Forgot to say this.
The brown acid thing against Ivanasshole was great.
I'm surprised he made it away from j im jones.
Yawn...
YAWN THIS NORM YOU SCUMBAG
YOUR MOTHER WOULD BE SO PROUD OF YOU?
NOT!
Yawn...
Speaking of all the corruption in town, we should all keep this fresh in our minds come February when the Fire District elections are (which no one apparently remmebers). Remember in Joey's post how much the dear commissioners are making for their hard work, over 4k. Geeze! Just think if those stipends were cut by 1/2 or even 3/4, get rid of the district chief and his vehicle and free gas, etc. etc. etc.
Even if Joey is not around, this website keeps things fresh and maybe he can remind us in January and then again in February about all this again. Every little bit helps when our pockets are being picked by Kauff and Co.
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