Matthew J. Doherty

The Belmar Democratic Committee supports Belmar’s pay-to-play ordinance and will fully disclose on our website all contribtuions made to our candidates and to the Committe itself. 

Click on the links below to read the individual reports.

10-5-09-report

Support Tom Volker

Submitted by JOANNE CASSEY

I am voting for Tom Volker for Belmar Council on Election Day, and I hope everyone else votes for him, too.

Recently, I held a meet-and-greet for Tom at my condo with many of my fellow residents, and he was great. He really listens to people and told us, “If I am elected, please let me know if I can help you with anything.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But this is exactly what we need: elected officials who listen to us and will help when we need it. That’s the personal touch we expect in a small town like ours.

Soon after our get-together, Tom called and spoke with some of my neighbors regarding information they had requested. This busy man didn’t forget he had promised to get back to them. Just as he gives his all to the many committees he serves on in Belmar, he will continue to do so for us as a member of our council.

Now, I know you cannot take politics out of elections, but if you could, and just looked at the person, you would see that Tom is by far the best candidate running this year. He knows how far our town has come since the 1980s, and what we need to do to improve our Main Street.

Please join me and support Tom Volker on Election Day.

JOANNE CASSEY
River Road, Belmar

Volker Is The Type of Person Belmar’s Council Needs

Submitted by JANIS KEOWN-BLACKBURN

I believe that Tom Volker, candidate for Belmar town council, is the type of person this town needs. He is a doer. When he says he will be there to work on a project, he’s there and ready to pitch in and do his part. He works hard and is not afraid to give his ideas and suggestions.

Being a council member requires a lot of tough decisions, and Tom is not afraid to do what is best for our town. He believes in doing what is the right thing, even if it is not always the most popular. He looks at what is best for Belmar for both today and in the future.

Tom has proved his enthusiasm for Belmar by volunteering in various Belmar organizations: the arts council, harbor commission and beautification committee. He’s not just a member, but a working member.

As an owner of one of the inns in town, Tom understands that Belmar is a town that needs our summer guests to visit here and return to visit here again. He knows that the families who visit and spend money in our town help to keep our businesses alive and assist in keeping our taxes as low as possible. He understands the importance of a good balance between visitors and residents.

Tom Volker is the type of person Belmar’s town council needs.

JANIS KEOWN-BLACKBURN
River Court, Belmar

Tom Volker Has Been Found!

Submitted by DONNA VOLKER

I am writing to ask voters to support Tom Volker for Belmar Council in this Tuesday’s election. After reading a letter in The Coast Star by a resident asking, “Where is Tom?” [Terry Pierce's "Where Has He Been?" Oct. 23] I feel compelled to answer her.

You can find my father in many different places in Belmar. He is at the beautification committee, working to make our downtown and other areas of town more attractive with no cost to taxpayers. He is at the harbor commission, working hard to improve the harbor so the town can generate more revenue to offset our property tax bills. Just drive through the harbor and witness the changes that have occurred.

He is at the chamber of commerce participating and hosting meetings to help all of the business owners in Belmar. He is at the Belmar Arts Council, volunteering, painting floors, patching roofs to help see that non-profit organization prosper. He is clearing trash around the lake and at his adopt-a-spot. He is changing a display case at borough hall for the historical council, and never misses a chance to sing the praises of the wealth of volunteers we have in Belmar.

In addition to all of this, he also operates a cozy and beautiful bed and breakfast, which brings nice people into town. These visitors praise our restaurants, shops and scenery. Some have loved our town so much they purchased homes in Belmar.

In addition, he also makes time to attend school functions for my children [his grandchildren] here in Belmar. You can also find him at one of our ballparks cheering them on.

He has been active at council meetings, but not all of them, and I think most people understand why.

Finally, I know the type of man my father is: intelligent, caring, involved and loyal, with a great sense of humor, and we in Belmar will be fortunate to have him serve on the council.

DONNA VOLKER
11th Avenue, Belmar

Fellow Harbor Commission Member Endorses Volker

Tom Volker, who is running for an open Belmar Council seat, is not only competent, but he is also caring and responsible.

I served on the Belmar Harbor Commission with Tom, and watched how he pushed for the right things. He was well-versed on the need to improve signage and parking conditions for the harbor customers. He pushed and pushed until these two customer service improvements were in place.

Tom is the right person for our council. He gets it; he is a local businessperson in tune with what customer service is, and is willing to give up a portion of his personal life for the good of Belmar. Vote Volker!

BILL YOUNG
9th Avenue, Belmar

Letters to the Editor, Oct. 16, 2008

Volker Deserves Your Vote

Submitted by THOMAS BRENNAN

Let me tell you what I know to be true about Tom Volker, Belmar council candidate. As a teacher and coach, I have had many chances to see Tom supporting his family at different events. He is always there for them, cheering them on. The example he sets of positive support for all of us is inspiring. Of course, he doesn’t see it that way. He’s just doing what a good grandpa does.

Tom brings the same commitment to his involvement in the Belmar Arts Council, Harbor Commission and Historical Society. I have seen him put in time on difficult projects for the BAC, following through on the details that are the difference between success and failure. Tom wouldn’t think of that as anything special, just doing what has to be done. Again, his example is inspiring.

Tom deserves your vote on Nov. 4th. He will bring the same dedication and selfless commitment to elected office that he already gives to his community and his family. Belmar will be lucky to have him on our borough council.

THOMAS BRENNAN
11th Avenue, Belmar

Volker Enhances Belmar’s Small-Town Feel

Submitted by NEIL SCHECK

Tom Volker is the right choice for Belmar Borough Council. From his work on the harbor commission and the historical council, to his tireless contributions on behalf of the Belmar Arts Council, to his hard labor on the beautification committee and the Adopt-a-Spot program, no one does more to make Belmar great than Tom.

When he’s not busy with civic betterment projects, he can be found running the lovely Inn at the Shore bed and breakfast with his wife, Rosemary, or taking the neighborhood kids Christmas caroling. If there were a “Norman Rockwell Award” for preserving and enhancing all the things we love about living in a small town like Belmar, the winner, hands down, would be this most neighborly man of quiet dignity, competence, experience, and integrity, Tom Volker.

NEIL SCHECK
Fourth Avenue, Belmar

Vote Tom Volker For Belmar Council

Submitted by DOUGLAS DEICKE

As a former Belmar councilman, and presently married to a Belmar councilwoman, I have a thorough understanding as to what is involved in representing the residents of our community.

Tom Volker has what it takes to serve the wonderful people of our shore town. Tom holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, and has an impressive background in business. He held a position in management with JCPenney for many years, and presently owns the Inn at the Shore bed and breakfast in town. Couple this business acumen with an individual who possesses a strong sense of community, and you have an ideal candidate.

Tom is a trustee of the Belmar Historical Council, a member of the chamber of commerce, a member of Belmar’s Harbor Commission, a trustee of our local Adopt-a-Spot program, a member of the Belmar Arts Council, and has signed on as a member of the newly-formed beautification committee. I know personally that Tom can always be depended upon to fulfill the responsibilities put forward by these various volunteer organizations, as his word is his bond.

I’m sure you can readily understand why I support Tom Volker’s candidacy for Belmar’s borough council, and I hope you will, too!

DOUGLAS DEICKE
14th Avenue, Belmar

Top Ten Reasons To Vote Tom Volker In Belmar

Submitted by ROSEMARY VOLKER

1. Tom has been working since he was eight years old, and has an excellent work ethic.

2. Tom has been a volunteer all of his life: Boy Scout leader, church youth group leader, JCPenney project business teacher, JCPenney-sponsored “Clinton Visiting Housebound Seniors Program in New York City,” Belmar Elementary School Grandparents Reading Program, Belmar Historical Council Board member, chamber of commerce member, Adopt-a-Spot Program member, Belmar Harbor Commission member, Belmar Beautification Commission member, and Belmar Arts Council member.

3. Tom worked his way through high school so that he could help his single mom with the finances as she raised four children by herself. He worked every day after school, from 4 p.m. to midnight, and on weekends at a factory in Philadelphia.

4. Tom paid his way through night school at LaSalle University in Philadelphia while working full time. [He started when his three children were one month old, 15 months old, and three years old, respectively.]

5. Tom received a Celebrating Excellence Award for Outstanding Contributions from the Preferred Inns of New Jersey Bed and Breakfast Association, in which he served as president for six years and as a board member for 12 years.

6. Tom has kindness and compassion for all, especially the young and elderly. He helped care for his mother-in-law when she developed senile dementia.

7. Tom is extremely optimistic about Belmar’s future.

8. When others only criticize, Tom takes action to make it better.

9. Tom loves Belmar and all of the great quality of life improvements over the past 15 years.

10. Tom is a wonderful dad to a daughter and two sons, a superb “Pop-Pop” to 11 delightful grandchildren, and a fabulous husband to his wife of 46 years, Rosemary.

ROSEMARY VOLKER
Fourth Avenue, Belmar

Praise For Tom Volker

Submitted by HARRY ASCHOFF

Belmar is lucky to have a resident like Tom Volker running for town council. Tom and his wife have been in Belmar for 14 years, both as residents and as business owners. Tom loves the “small-town Americana” feel of Belmar, with our plaza where concerts are held, and our summer Saturday farmer’s market.

Tom is a member of various committees and organizations, including the harbor commission, beautification committee, and arts council.

Tom has been described as reliable. He’s always there to help out when he says he’ll be there. He’s thorough and a person that we can all depend on. Tom works hard and is willing to share his ideas.

Tom is enthusiastic about Belmar and wants to help solve the issues that occur. Tom is the type of person who will jump in and work at resolving issues rather than sitting back and complaining about them.

I feel that Tom Volker will be an asset to the Belmar town council.

HARRY ASCHOFF
River Ct., Belmar

Letters to the Editor, Oct. 9, 2008

“Balance” Means Nothing

Submitted by SAM KAYE

I am tired of Republicans saying they should be elected to the Belmar Council because we need “balance.” If we get another Republican on the council like Bill Merkler, it will not be “balance;” it will be incompetence.

Mayor Ken Pringle has done an amazing job transforming Belmar from a party town to a town where you can raise your family or retire. And the council members that have helped him do that have all been Democrats. The one Republican to get elected was not “balanced,” but rather was a disappointment. We cannot afford to have another council member like him again.

I attend council meetings [8 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month], and I watch the mayor and all the council members. I keep an eye on each one of them, and I can tell you that each Democratic council member is their own person. They have their own areas of interest, and you can tell that they each care about Belmar and moving it forward. You can see that as plain as day.

The only council member who does not pull his weight is the one Republican. If you don’t believe me, come to a meeting and see for yourself.

When it comes to “balance,” don’t believe the Republican lies. Come to the council meeting and see for yourself.

SAM KAYE
Seventh Avenue, Belmar

Tom Volker Is Right For Belmar

Submitted by MIKE KALENA

Tom Volker is getting my vote on Election Day. I met him, I like him, and he is just the type of person we need here in Belmar.

Tom has a clear and responsible vision for Belmar. Maybe that comes from him and his wife both living here and operating a bed and breakfast here, too.

Tom wants to make Belmar more family-friendly and improve Main Street - two things I think everyone agrees with.

I don’t offer my opinion about politics often, but I thought now was a good time, since Tom is the right guy for the job.

MIKE KALENA
Eighth Avenue, Belmar

Candidates tackle quality

ELECTION 2008

By Kelly Skellinger

The Coast Star

Quality of life and redevelopment have become buzz words in Belmar, with officials and residents alike continuously voicing their concerns regarding both topics throughout the years.

For the candidates running in this November’s general election for council, this year is no different: Quality of life and redevelopment issues remain at the forefront of Belmar politics.

Richard Wright, Republican candidate for council, and Thomas Volker, Democratic candidate for council, will go head to head during this November’s general election, with both men competing for the single, three-year seat open on the council.

The soon-to-be vacant seat is currently held by Councilman William Merkler, the lone Republican seated at the dais of Belmar’s governing body.

His term is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31.

While Councilman Merkler was backed by the Belmar Republican Committee and ran uncontested for the Republican nomination in the June GOP Primary, the councilman decided not to seek re-election two weeks ago, citing the increased time demanded by his business.

In turn, Mr. Wright was nominated by the Belmar Republican Committee to take his place as the Republican nominee.

Both Mr. Volker and Mr. Wright were recently presented with a set of four questions pertaining to the election and asked to answer the questions in 175 words or less.

The first two questions, relating to quality of life and redevelopment issues, appear below, along with the candidates’ answers, verbatim. The remaining two questions and answers will appear in the Oct. 16 issue.

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Q: While some borough officials and residents believe Belmar’s quality of life issues are fading with the number of seasonal rentals in the borough, others still complain of not being able to sleep with their windows open during the summer months due to the excessive noise created by tourists and residents.

Do you believe Belmar is still struggling with the same quality of life issues it faced years ago or do you believe Belmar finally has its quality of life issues under control?

A: VOLKER: I feel Belmar has made tremendous progress on quality of life issues since I first arrived in town 15 years ago. More work needs to be done in some neighborhoods, but our police chief is very sensitive to this issue. Some of our council people ride with police officers in the early morning summer season hours to experience bad behavior problems first hand and I intend to participate in that practice. We need to continue to hold those accountable who fail to respect our residents’ quality of life, and to hold landlords responsible for the conduct of their tenants and the condition of their properties. But I also think it’s time to begin focusing more attention on the positive aspects of our entire community.

A: WRIGHT: The number of Belmar’s summer rentals has dropped significantly in recent years. And with that reduction, our residents have enjoyed an improved quality of life. Today, in the south end of town, our long term residents and our new residents, who have moved into the neighborhoods where the rentals have sold, still must endure noise, trespassing, vandalism and generally obnoxious behavior. These problems have generally been eliminated from the north and central areas of town. We need to ensure that the promises that have been made to make Belmar into a family town are fulfilled for everyone. It is especially important that those who relied upon the promises of a family-oriented town, and who invested significant money into their homes and into areas which needed to be rebuilt, are not left stranded. At the same time, we must be careful that summer bungalows are not converted to year-round rentals without being appropriately upgraded and regulated. While we all want affordable housing openly available, substandard, overcrowded housing is not acceptable.

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Q: Redevelopment in Belmar is currently at a standstill.

Since the Gale Company agreement fell through, the mayor and

council have shifted their focus on making minor facade improvements to Belmar’s downtown.

What do you believe can be done to downtown Belmar to bring in more customers to the area and, ultimately, make the downtown more attractive to tourists and local customers?

A: VOLKER: The comprehensive plans for downtown redevelopment must remain on hold until the economy improves. In the meantime much can be done. We should shower praise on the stores who have dramatically improved their curb appeal, such as Maccanico’s Ice Cream Shop, Shark River Kayak, Connolly Station, Klein’s Fish Market, Taylor Hardware and Custom Living, to name a few. I support the Belmar Beautification Committee, a group that is dedicated to enhancing public areas around town, and would work to secure a grant to study the feasibility of creating a Business Improvement District for Main Street that would promote our downtown, and present the opportunities to the business owners. We need to work with the county to allow diagonal parking on one side of Main Street, and promote better signage to bring the customers to Main Street.

A: WRIGHT: Neither minor facade improvements nor the proposed taxpayer paid fencing and landscaping around the Sea Coast property, yet another election eve downtown event, are, in themselves, going to attract more customers to Belmar. The redevelopment plan has frozen landlords’ maintenance plans of properties expected to be leveled. We need a clear statement of our future plan for downtown so that landlords can comfortably make plans to invest in much-needed maintenance.

Ultimately what will draw customers to our downtown is a diversity of attractive retail stores offering convenient access to everyday needs and unique product offerings. Retailers will be attracted as we continue our development as a family oriented town. Office space over retail also provides traffic for our retail and should be encouraged. I do not believe that we should fundamentally change the character of Belmar by increasing our already dense housing by building another 600 additional condo or rental units. Building those units in order to create a customer base for our retail stores is just too much to ask of our residents.

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Voters can cast their votes for their candidate of choice on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are four polling locations in Belmar.

District One and District Five voters can vote at the Goodwill Firehouse, located at 610 7th Avenue, in Belmar. District Two voters can vote at the Union Firehouse, located at 9th Avenue and E Street, in Belmar.

District Three voters can vote at the Volunteer Hook and Ladder House, located on 11th Avenue, in Belmar. District Four voters can vote at the Borough Public Works building, located at 800 13th Avenue, in Belmar.