Jeff Plunkett Questioned About Hamilton Shelter

Nov 9 2018

By Tammy Duffy

Photo by Dave Henderson

Yesterday, the special committee that has been assigned to investigate the issues at the Hamilton Township Animal shelter performed interviews. They asked numerous questions of Marty Flynn, Jeff Plunkett and Todd Bencivengo as it pertains to the Hamilton Animal Shelter. We will share with you the one on one commentary from today’s questioning. We will warn you that this is heartbreaking. There were moments that the testimony brought tears to my eyes. As you know I adopted a turtle from this shelter and I am flabbergasted after today’s testimony that my Elbra (the turtle I rescued from the Hamilton shelter) survived 5 years at the shelter.  

As you are aware, two of the Hamilton council members; Ileana Schirmer and Richard Tighe were appointed as the special committee to investigate the issues at the Mercer County, Hamilton Animal Shelter. There was a recent subpoena sent to the township on the animal shelter and the refused to respond to it. It was not until today, Nov. 9, 2018 did the special committee receive some of the information that was subpoenaed. This will extend the investigation indefinitely due to the lack of response from the township administration.

Investigation Commentary Key

IS: Ileana Schirmer

RT: Richard Tighe

JP: Jeff Plunkett

MF: Marty Flynn

TB: Todd Bencivengo

Yesterday’s investigation started with the questioning of Jeff Plunkett

IS: How are things going with the computer system?

JP: We have new forms on line now. The forms go to a folder for archive.

RT: Can the forms be edited? Are there signatures required?

JP: Yes and No signatures are required

RT: So in effect anyone can alter the form at any time

IS: We need to make this fraud proof and be able to have an audit trail. Let’s make an appointment to revisit this during our next visit to the shelter

IS: What was your involvement in the renovation of the shelter?

JP: Very little, I sat in meetings. The Division of Health paid the invoices as the construction progressed.

Let it be known that there was zero due diligence on the payment of invoices. The invoices showed up to JP’s office and they just paid them. JP stated under oath that as long as there was a signature from Richard Williams on the invoice it was paid. Mr. Plunkett made zero effort to walk the length of the shelter to ensure the invoices they were paying, that the work was actually done.  This is not the first time the township leadership has demonstrated their complete inability to spend tax payer dollars effectively. Below are two links to two other examples of extreme government waste. There has to be accountability for this level of incompetence by the Mayor and her entire staff.

https://www.tammyduffy.com/ARTFASHION/index.blog?start=1443875228

https://www.tammyduffy.com/ARTFASHION/index.blog/2355184/irresponsible-growth-and-quality-of-life/

RT: Why did they expand the shelter versus build new?

JP: I was not the director, I was Health officer at the time. I gave zero input. I was asked to look at satellite sites on Sylvan, E State street and Broad Street however.

IS: But as the Health officer was it not your job to ensure the new shelter met code?

JP: No, that was the job of planning

IS: What is your role?

JP: I was not part of the process. I reviewed the plans and the plans met the needs of the shelter.

IS: So how is it that all these violations happened? How is it that the air quality, the HVAC, the sanitary aspects, grooming area, quarantine area, etc were omitted?

JP: We relied on the architect and construction team, lead by Wayne Neville to ensure all aspects were met. I provided no input.

Here we go again. JP and the entire Yaede administration take zero accountability. Mr Flynn did the same in his testimony. He stated it was not his job to make sure people did their jobs. He assumed they were doing it. The word Mr Flynn used consistently in his testimony was, collaborative. That everything is done in a collaborative manner. He used this word as much as Trump uses the words, no collusion.

RT: So, let’s say NorthStar vets wants to make a new place in Hamilton what is the process they would have to go through to do so?

JP: They would have to hire an architect and contractor. The architect would create designs that would be presented to our zoning and planning boards for approval. The entire process would be monitored up until the ribbon cutting. I would be involved with setting the standards for the new animal dwelling and make recommendations on optimization

RT and IS: So, you would do this for an “outsider”, make recommendations for an animal dwelling yet you state you had nothing to do with the new animal shelter that you were employed to supervise with tax payer dollars. How is this possible? That makes zero sense.

JP: The township never came to me for input

STOP…..the insanity. If you are hired to do a job you must do it or you get fired. How is it that Mr. Plunkett supposedly was never asked about the shelter that he was in charge of?  How could it be that he never asked or demanded to know what was going on? Who silenced him and why? A quick google search of the Yaede family and the Neville’s demonstrates very interesting photos. This must be a coincidence.  What is Mr Plunkett doing every day for the residents of Hamilton?

IS: What is happening with the SOP’s?

JP: They are in Dr Boden’s possession now for approval and sign off.  There are minimal edits.

RT: Who will be doing training of the ACO’s and the staff?

JP: Dr Boden will do that. She is a full-time vet at Columbus Animal Hospital. She will be the only one who will do the euthanasia.

IS: You have stated that you were not involved with the shelter reconstruction. Yet, in a 2013 interview you stated,” We are currently meeting on the plans for the shelter.”  Where there discussions on the quarantine rooms, grooming areas, etc? Where there permits done?  There were changes made in the process of the shelter build, but no one is telling us what went on.

LOOKS like another OPRA request is in order for the permits on the shelter. How much was done under permit and what was “overlooked”? I would advise the council to also question Mr Neville and the contractors. They should be brought in to review the drawings they supplied to the township and under oath be asked the tough questions. Who told you to do what? Who do you know on the administration personally?  Council should review all the RFP responses to understand why Mr. Neville got the award to build the shelter. They should also look at the other shelters that Mr. Neville supposedly built as per Mr Plunkett’s comments in his testimony of Nov 9.  A call to those facilities may be eye opening.

IS: How did you feel about the findings after the July inspection of the animal shelter?

JP: --------------------- 

He did not answer this question but went on to say how the shelter is doing everything in accordance to the letter of the law. Well, he evidently missed the memo of the Oct 18^th inspection by DOH. Clearly, the shelter is not doing all it can to be compliant. How much more incompetence and lack of accountability do the residents of Hamilton township have to endure. We can only hope the township council and the outside attorney take a firm and strong stance to the behaviors of the administration.

RT: What about the medication process can you talk to me about that?

JP: Medications are logged in by Dr Campbell . The vet assumes full responsibility for all the medications and logs. We hired a licensed vet to manage this. It is not my responsibility to ensure they did their job

WHAT! Mr. Plunkett runs the shelter. How is this not his responsibility? Well, another OPRA request is needed for Mr. Plunkett’s job description entail.

IS: From July to Oct what changed at the shelter with the evening medications?

JP: The evening ACO’s  were responsible for giving medications to the animals. This was not happening and or not being logged in. Dr Boden is changing the process so no evening meds are given. We will spend more money giving different meds less frequently but will ensure the animals are medicated properly. The ACO’s will oversee the new process.

Wait…..further on Todd talks about the current process. You are going to explode when you hear his testimony.

IS: On Oct 18^th, there was an issue with the scale during the inspection. Was there a new scale delivered?

JP: During the inspection we shared with the inspector that we already had ordered an new scale and it was on the way.

HOLD THE PHONE JEFF…..you lied to the inspector. We have a copy of the OPRA request for the requests for the scale. The second scale was not ordered until Oct 25^th, which is well after the inspection of Oct 18^th. The first scale that was ordered (we have that receipt as well) was a 12 x 12 Rubbermaid scale that cost $150. Clearly not appropriate for large animals. We wonder why it was ordered in the first place and why Jeff flat out lied to the inspector?

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:14 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Marty Flynn Questioned About Hamilton Shelter

Nov 9 2018

By Tammy Duffy

Photo by David Henderson

Today, the special committee that has been assigned to investigate the issues at the Hamilton Township Animal shelter performed interviews. They asked numerous questions of Marty Flynn, Jeff Plunkett and Todd Bencivengo as it pertains to the Hamilton Animal Shelter. We will share with you the one on one commentary from today’s questioning. We will warn you that this is heartbreaking. There were moments that the testimony brought tears to our eyes. As you know I recently adopted a turtle from this shelter and I am flabbergasted after today’s testimony that my Elbra (the turtle I rescued from the Hamilton shelter) survived 5 years at the shelter.  

As you are aware, two of the Hamilton council members; Ileana Schirmer and Richard Tighe were appointed as the special committee to investigate the issues at the Mercer County, Hamilton Animal Shelter. There was a recent subpoena sent to the township on the animal shelter and the refused to respond to it. It was not until today, Nov. 9, 2018 did the special committee receive some of the information that was subpoenaed. This will extend the investigation indefinitely due to the lack of response from the township administration.

Investigation Commentary Key

IS: Ileana Schirmer

RT: Richard Tighe

JP: Jeff Plunkett

MF: Marty Flynn

TB: Todd Bencivengo

Today’s investigation started with the questioning of Marty Flynn.

IS: When where you first appointed to the Animal Shelter as Director of Health, Parks and Veterans Services?

MF: 2013 I took an active role in overseeing the shelter and the other areas. I have recently been named the Mayor’s Chief of Staff as well. In my role as the Animal Shelter Director of Health it was my expectation that the veterinary physician we hired, Dr Carter assumed all responsibility for the daily running of the shelter.  I assumed all the work was getting done.

IS: Did you ever oversee the inspections?

MF: I never got any complaints, so I assumed all was ok. 

IS: Did you ever review any of the policies?

MF: I left it up to the vet we had in charge?

IS: Did you never look to see if the SOP’s were in place?

MF: No, I left it up to the vet to have everything in order.

IS: Prior to becoming in charge of the animal shelter, did you ever have any experience running a shelter?

MF: No, but I know that in the state of NJ there used to be 85,000 animals euthanized annually and now there are only 11,000 annually.

RT: Where you aware whether the township had a trap/neuter policy?

MF: No. I also was not aware that a license was being issued annually when no inspection was being performed. It was my expectation that the vet in charge do that. I never checked on this for I expected the vet in charge to do what they were supposed to be doing.

WHAT are MF’s Roles and responsibilities? Let’s OPRA that.

IS: What training did you receive when you were assigned to be in charge of the animal shelter?  What training did the employees of the shelter receive?

MF: I did not receive any training and I never checked on the certifications of the ACO’s employed at the shelter.

NEW Shelter discussions

IS: Where you are part of the discussions for the new shelter?

MF: No, they were already in place when I came on board. I was not even involved in the bid process. The plans were already approved when I was placed in my role. I am not sure who approved them.

RT: Did you make any recommendations to expand or replace the shelter? What were the criteria?

MF: Was not a part of it.

IS: Did you review the drawings?

MF: Yes and a team of other people as well that included Mayor Yaede and Ms. Tramontana. The ground breaking was in May of 2014.

RT: When construction is happening at the shelter during your tenure when you were in charge were you responsible for what was occuring during the construction?

MF: Yes, and it took 8 months for the construction to occur. The expansion cost $1.1 million dollars.  However, that was just for the building.

IS: How did construction move forward if things were not being done according to plan?

MF: I do not believe anything was left out

HOWEVER, what was said by the township officials during the construction vs. the deficiencies that were noted by DOH tell a much different story. This is just like the American Metro Way project. What was planned what was not what was done in the end. There were thousands of dollars unaccounted for. History is repeating itself with the ailing shelter.

IS: Was there not supposed to be a separate adoption area, quarantine area and grooming area in the new shelter?

MF: Yes I believe so

YET, we all know from the DOH inspection these areas do not exist at the new multimillion-dollar shelter expansion. The inspection demonstrated inadequate ventilation and isolation areas for the animals.

IS: How was the ventilation done incorrectly?

MF: I do not know

IS: You spent $1.1 million of tax payer dollars and the shelter still does not have what was supposedly planned in the shelter. There is not adequate heat in the new section. That there is a HVAC issue that causes the temperatures in the winter to hit 40 degrees inside the building.  Who was in charge of the HVAC?

MF: We had biweekly meetings on the construction and there were zero issue with the HVAC. Purchasing, the architects, ACO’s, Building and Grounds and township inspections were all present in the meetings. All the proper permits were in place as well.

RT: You do realize that not having the proper isolation rooms in place could cause a public health issue?

MF: If animals are sick, they are taken to a dedicated animal hospital.

Let’s see what an OPRA request shows on this response from MF.  Where are the records for the transport of all animals from the animal shelter to a vet over the past 20 years?

IS: Where did the money come from to furnish the shelter?

MF: It came from the capital improvement budget

IS: So are you saying the $1.1 million was just for the building? What was the total cost of the renovation

MF: I have no idea.

WHAT! How is this possible?

IS: We need to see all the costs for the shelter and what capital projects they came from. We will investigate this as well.  There were promises made to lower the euthanasia rates with the new shelter and that did not happen, they got worse.

IS: Who signed off on the final plans of the animal shelter? Were you responsible for the construction?

MF: Yes, and he is confident he did the right thing.

IS: Why are you at the shelter all the time? You are no longer responsible for it. If you are now the Chief of Staff, the IT director, the Director of Economic Development, etc. How is it that you have time to go to the shelter? It is no longer in your jurisdiction.

MF: As an administrative team they decided they would take a proactive approach to remediate issues. They have been meeting weekly for 6 weeks now.  

IS:  Are the new computer systems up to date right now?  With all the time you are spending at the shelter how can you focus on the new computer system installation?

MF: The computer system is going along great. We also have new digital forms at the shelter from SEAMLESS DOCS that we have implemented.

There are two more parts to this story…..the Plunkett and Todd Bencivengo Interviews. Those stories are in the works. After this first interview today, clearly there is zero accountabilty in the township of Hamilton. Mr Flynn did not take ownership for what happened under this tenure. He passed blame onto the supervising vet, Dr Carter. Let this me a warning to the new vet coming in to run the shelter. She will be thrown under the same bus as Dr Carter was today by the Hamilton administration. She needs to shield herself from the antics of the people in leadership positions at the township.

Posted by tammyduffy at 10:20 PM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

GET OUT AND VOTE, IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE IN NJ

The most important right that you exercise as a citizen is the right to VOTE.

In Article I, the Legislative powers section of the U.S. Constitution, Congress is given the responsibility of regulating elections (Time, Place, and Manner). States have the broad authority to regulate the election process. Elections matter more than you might imagine.

As you think about, who you will vote for next week, how will you choose who to best represent your interests?  What are the qualities that make a good officeholder? Honesty? Integrity? Independence? Fearless? Intelligence?

During a recent township council meeting, the Hamilton township council questioned Mr Jeff Plunkett, Dir of Health for Hamilton, about the embattled animal shelter.  After much questioning Mr Plunkett admitted that the  Hamilton Township Animal Shelter had no standard operating procedures, conducted business for years without undergoing a routine inspection and was conducting euthanasia on a license issued by the Hamilton Township Division of Health. Initially, Mr. Plunkett stated that once the shelter was inspected by the DOH he swung into action to optimize the SOP’s for the animal shelter. As the council members questioned him further, he openly admitted that he never had any SOP’s at the shelter.  This comment about the SOP’s resonated with us.

In 2014, there was a press conference where Mr Plunkett stated he rewrote the SOPs and Congressman Chris Smith stated that he reviewed the said SOPs that were prepared by the Hamilton Dept of Health. This press conference was taped.

This comment about the SOP’s was brought up in 2014 when there was a death in the township of a 4 year old boy due to EVD68. At a town hall meeting that was chaired by Congressman Chris Smith, the Mayor of Hamilton township and Mr. Plunkett. On stage in front of the residents all three political leaders stated they had read the existing SOP’s and were updating them and training the staff in the school systems in Hamilton, Mercer County.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2k6Qc9FRfE  Dr Oz video on Eli

We made an OPRA request asking for the SOP’s that were developed and existed from 1995 to Sept 26 2014 (the day of the death of the 4 year old boy from EVD68).  The response from the Township of Hamilton was as follows:

“Mr. Plunkett has confirmed with this office, the Department of Health does not have any documentation regarding your request. This OPRA request is closed as there is no records pertaining to this request.”

No SOP’s for the schools available? How can that be? There was a nationwide epidemic going on in 40 states and over 300 cases, and the township had zero SOP’s on how to keep the schools clean and free of disease?

Congressman Chris Smith, Mayor Yaede and Jeff Plunkett all stood on a stage in front of residents of Hamilton and told them the opposite and stated that they rewrote the SOP’s once the death of the 4 year old boy in Hamilton occurred.  Congressman Chris Smith was adamant and stated numerous times during this town hall that he personally reviewed the policies that were being updated. However, we learned from the OPRA request that the SOP’s never existed prior to the death of the 4 year old boy.

Truth of the matter was, they had no policies that focused on cleaning the schools according to the results of the OPRA request.  During the press conference the nurse from the township also stated that the policies were established by Mr Plunkett and she then went to the schools to implement them, after the death of Eli.

The public’s safety has to matter. Any politician that feels they have license to lie to residents should never be given the privilege of public office.  Whether you are the Director of the Department of Health, Recreation, Senior & Veterans Services, a Congressman or a Mayor you never should openly deceive the public. Especially when it comes to public health. A child died in Hamilton from EVD68. It was a very sad occurrence that the lack of SOP’s clearly could have had a direct effect on the child. How long do the residents of NJ have to endure this shirking of responsibilities of their officials?

GET OUT AND VOTE ON TUESDAY YOUR VOTE MATTERS!!!!!

Some of the many videos on this subject below.

Video 1

https://www.facebook.com/YardvilleNJ/videos/1507110909548153/

5:30 resident talks about Plunkett being M.I.A. during overseeing of the cleaning of the schools.

7:48...timeline. Kid died on Thursday.....no action taken at schools until Monday 5pm to clean schools

8:49: Recommendations thru Div of Health with CDC, etc....

10:02....Div of health makes recommendations...even school shut downs

12:53: shares how health officer did not share with council about death of kid. He did the same with the "surprise" inspection from DOH. 

13:50 Lessons learned......obviously nothing was learned.....they did the same thing with animal shelter. 

VIDEO 2

https://www.facebook.com/YardvilleNJ/videos/1507157282876849/

0:05: Nurse from Div of Health speaking. She did training of call center and schools. So SOP's made by Div of Health that according to my OPRA request were not done by the Div of Health. This is a contradictory representation of the actual facts they shared in this town hall

8:18: Jeff speaks...about samples and how he worked with State epidemiologist...

12:33...IRena states...look ahead to optimize communication.  

    -Duffy comment: As we know they did not do this. Why was the Mayor and Dir of Health not measuring this?

14:30, resident asks Plunkett how to optimize situation, Plunkett explains how Div of Health works with School nurse to implement procedures.

16:31: IRena….Plunkett talks about procedures that the states he HAS in his office.  But my OPRA request when requested he said they do not have them

Video 3

https://www.facebook.com/YardvilleNJ/videos/1507156929543551/

Please go to 1:20 minutes into this audio from a recording in 2014 as it pertained to the resident who died from EVD68. "At the request of the Board of Education, who was in contact with Jeff, the Div of Health developed and distributed precautionary measures....."  she goes on to say..."they had limited information at that time."

As you can clearly hear...this is in direct conflict with what Jeff is stating from my OPRA request. 

7:08...Jeff goes thru process again. 

13:93: Report not filed to state. Is school required? Nurse would not answer

Video 4

https://www.facebook.com/YardvilleNJ/videos/1507157159543528/

2:57" robocalls. I would suggest you listen to the entire audio

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:59 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

WORKING TIRELESSLY, NOT!

Last week, the Hamilton Township Council questioned Mr. Plunkett, Hamilton’s Health Officer and Health Department director.  Mr. Plunkett stated that there were no standard operating procedures in place since his tenure began in 1995. That they conducted business for decades without undergoing a routine inspection and was conducting euthanasia on a license; that they issued themselves by the Hamilton Township Division of Health.

 “Any shelter, kennel, pet shop whether it is public or private, should have one inspection a year before the license is issued,” Plunkett told Hamilton Council at the Nottingham Fire Co. ballroom meeting. He confirmed the shelter had operated for many years without an annual inspection prior to the facility being inspected July 11 by West Windsor Township health officials on his request.

Plunkett said it would have been “a conflict of interest” if he or a Hamilton municipal employee self-inspected the township’s animal shelter.  But there was no conflict of interest to print their own license. He also said the shelter had no standard operating procedure or SOP, forcing him to write one up from scratch after researching the issue in recent weeks. Before Mr. Plunkett admitted to the absence of the SOP’s he stated that he was “rewriting them and updating them. Upon further questioning, he admitted they never existed.

This comment about the SOP’s was brought up in 2014 when there was a death in the township of a 4 year old boy due to EVD68. At a town hall meeting that was chaired by Congressman Chris Smith, the Mayor of Hamilton township and Mr. Plunkett. On stage in front of the residents all three political leaders stated they had read the existing SOP’s and were updating them and training the staff in the school systems in Hamilton, Mercer County.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2k6Qc9FRfE  Dr Oz video on Eli

As the Director of the Department of Health, Recreation, Senior & Veterans Services, Mr Plunkett has a lot of responsibility.  How long do the residents of Hamilton have to endure this shirking of responsibilities of their officials?

Mr Plunkett also stated that there are no requirements for ACO's or those in charge of shelters. He went on to say that there are no continuing educational requirements needed as well. Upon researching this comment, we found this to be incorrect as well. The link below demonstrates the follow statutes: (clearly none of this is being acknowledges by our Dir of Health or Public Safety Officer in the township of Hamilton, Mercer County. These regulations have been in place since 1983, prior to Mr. Plunkett's arrival in 1995. 

NJ STATUTE 4:19-15.16A - Animal Control Officers; Certification

A. The commissioner of Health shall, within 120 days after the effective date of P.L.1983, c. 525, and pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c. 410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations concerning the training and educational qualifications for the certification of animal control officers including, but not limited to, a course of study approved by the commissioner and the Police Training Commission, in consultation with the New Jersey Certified Animal Control Officers Association, which acquaints a person with...

 http://www.njcacoa.org/aco_authority.htm is a link to all the regulations. 

In 2014, a 4-year-old Hamilton boy died from EVD68. There was a nationwide epidemic occuring for numerous months prior to the death of the young boy. The virus was prevalent in 40 states and over 300 confirmed cases, prior to the cases in Hamilton. Yet, the Hamilton township health department did zero preventive measures in the schools or in the township to optimize awareness of the epidemic. At a press conference for the death of the boy, Mayor Yaede said, "I have never heard of EVD68 and neither has my staff."  

How is that possible? As the director of Public Safety it should be a strategic imperative that the Mayor and Mr. Plunkett be aware of any and all epidemics occuring in the nation to be proactive for the residents in the town.  However, they are completely unaware. At that same press conference Mr. Plunkett stated that he "updated the SOP's as it pertained to cleaning the schools and awareness as it pertained to hand washing."

On Oct 10^th we OPRA'd the SOP's from Jan 1 2000 to Sept 26 2014 from the department of health, as it pertains to cleaning and health in the township school systems. We still await the information. We have also sent an additional OPRA request for the annual reports that are prepared by the Hamilton township Division of Health. The only report that is available on line is dated Jan 15, 2015. A few months after the death due to EVD68.

Mr. Plunkett used the same phrase at the EVD68 town hall meeting in 2014; " we are updating the SOP's", where a child died in the township from EVD68. Did the SOP’s in the school systems even exist prior to the 2014 death of a 4-year-old resident? What did Congressman Chris Smith, the Mayor and Mr. Plunkett actually review to update prior to the death in 2014 from EVD68?  Did the political leadership all hide the fact that the SOP’s never existed?  The results of the OPRA request will demonstrate the truth.  The same phrase was used by Plunkett at the shelter meeting and turned out the SOP’s never existed. Below is a link to the only annual report available on line. We have OPRA’d all the reports and await a response with this information.

http://www.hamiltonnj.com/filestorage/228428/228430/229525/252291/Health_2014_Annual_Report.pdf

There appears to be a very frightening pattern of behavior with Mr. Plunkett.  The leadership also seems to be turning a blind eye to it for decades. There needs to be accountability for all of this. The residents and the animals of the township deserve better. The public safety is at risk due to the lack of accountability of the leadership. Our Public safety director, Health Director, the Mayor, and the Congressman may have some tough questions to respond to in the near future. This could cause the Congressman to lose his election if it turns out that there was a wink and a nod given to the absence of SOP’s in 2014. 

The mayor of the township has been quite silent during the entire animal shelter exposure. Yet, she states in the past she works tirelessly for the animals. At the beginning of the exposure she vehemently denied the early accusations and shamed the people who did their best to give light of day to the truth and banned the whistle blowers from shelter access. The fact that things are improving now is the same as saying too late. The leadership’s deflections and distractions away from the truth resulted in the unwarranted suffering, poor treatment and death of thousands of animals.

We are thankful there is a process to get to the truth. It’s called OPRA. (Open Public Records Act). The New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA) gives New Jersey citizens (See Harry Scheeler, Jr. v. Burlington Twp; GRC Complaint No 2015-93 Ruling) greater access to public inspection and duplication of disclosable government records through the filing of an OPRA Request.  New Jersey citizens have access to government records except for those documents that fall under defined exclusions. Under OPRA, the Hamilton Township Clerk has been designated as the official Custodian of Records.

http://www.hamiltonnj.com/content/228309/228373/229245/default.aspx

 What else are the leaders closing their eyes to?

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:58 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

It's Time To March Again!!

We are outraged. We are organized. They forgot that 5 million women lit the world on fire two years ago. On January 19, 2019, we’re going to remind them when we flood the streets of Washington, D.C., and with sister marches in cities across the globe. Save the date: The #WomensWave is coming, and we’re sweeping the world forward with us.

Sign Up at this link below! WOMEN HAVE TO MATTER! When they do not, societies cannot flourish.  

 https://www.womensmarch.com/2019

Posted by tammyduffy at 5:29 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Learn About Malbec, The Popular Red Wine

Malbec is a wine that seemingly came out of nowhere over the past ten years and quickly has become one of the most popular red wines on the American market. It is a red wine that is a crowd-pleaser and easy to drink, with a ton of juicy fruit flavors. The wine has become so popular it’s actually hard to think of a time when the wine wasn’t everywhere, but its growth in popularity is actually very recent.

Malbec was born in France  where it was primarily used as a blending grape in the country’s famous Bordeaux blend. While the grape had excellent potential to be made into the pure Malbec wine we know today, only the French region of Cahors did so, and until recently that wine rarely made its way outside of the country.

The main reason for Malbec’s failure to rise in stature and make it outside of France, like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, was its susceptibility to disease and rot. The roots of the Malbec vines did not respond well to a French climate, rotting easily, and a winemaker could very easily lose an entire crop just before they were ready to harvest. These weak characteristics caused many winemakers to avoid planting too much of the grape, for fear of giving up precious land to fruit that could easily die, and therefore planted just enough to add to a blend if the grape did indeed survive the growing season.

Nevertheless, in the mid-nineteenth century, when a group of Argentine winemakers consulted French agronomist Michel Pouget for his thoughts on a grape they should plant in order to improve the quality of Argentine wine, the grape he recommended was Malbec! These Argentines took vine cuttings from France and brought them back to Argentina, primarily planting them in the wine region of Mendoza. In the hot high-altitude of the region, the Malbec vines thrived, exhibiting none of the weaknesses they had in France. This caused many winemakers to believe Malbec was a grape that had truly belonged in Argentina all along.

For almost 100 years after being planted, Malbec remained a wine consumed inside Argentina, with very little being exported. As the wine remained inside the country it continued to get better and better, but American consumers still had very little knowledge of it. Then, in the early 2000s, economies around the world began to see trouble, which caused prices to rise, including the price of wine made in Europe and the U.S. Many Americans started seeking an affordable delicious alternative and thus Malbec’s time had arrived.

According to Letite Teague of The Wall Street Journal, Malbec took off in the U.S. due to its populist appeal. It was a wine not discovered by sommeliers, but by regular wine drinkers seeking a wine that was both delicious and affordable. The wine’s popularity spread via word of mouth, not wine lists, and to this day is still found more in people’s homes than in restaurants.

With the explosion of Argentine Malbec has come other regions now producing the wine, including Chile, as well as Cahors, the region in France that had been producing the wine all along, and now finally found a demand outside of its tiny region.

What makes Malbec so popular is how easy it is to drink and how well it goes with or without food. Some people love to call Malbec a working man’s Merlot, as the wine has many of the same characteristics that make Merlot easy to drink, with an added spice and acidity that makes it seem less polished. Malbec is the guy who rides the Harley to Merlot’s guy that drives the Vespa.

If you’re serving red wine to a diverse crowd, Malbec is always a safe, crowd-pleasing bet.

Posted by tammyduffy at 6:59 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

                     South Jersey women knitting 'knockers'

for breast cancer survivors

Volunteers have distributed more than 100 pairs of prosthetic breasts since December.

The complaints are not unusual, nor do they vary too much.

Prosthetic breasts provide an important resource to many women who have had mastectomies. But they tend to be uncomfortable.

"Typically, when women go to a fitting place or a medical supply store, it's a heavy, breast-shaped, silicon form that goes into the bra," said Dr. Kristin Brill, program director for The Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at Cooper University Hospital's MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

"It's meant to go up against the skin, so it doesn't move around a lot. It tends to be heavy and hot."

Now, South Jersey women have an alternative, thanks to a group of 25 volunteers who are busy knitting and crotcheting hand-stitched prosthetic breasts, affectionately dubbed "Knitted Knockers." 

The group has distributed more than 100 pairs of Knitted Knockers since December to South Jersey hospitals, including those in the Cooper and Virtua health systems, according to co-chair Denise Weinberg.

Filled with Pol-Fil, the Knockers are softer than standard prosthetics and can be worn inside a traditional bra. They come in a variety of sizes and colors.

"Some people are dissatisfied (with standard prosthetics) because they're heavy, or sweaty in the summer, or they're expensive," Weinberg said. "Clearly, these knockers are light. They're washable and they're free."

The South Jersey volunteers are an affiliate of the national Knitted Knockers nonprofit founded in Washington in 2011. The volunteers are funded by the Saltzman Foundation Life Long Learning Institute in Cherry Hill. 

"Some groups are just knitting and sending them to a central location for distribution," Weinberg said of other affiliate groups. "We're knitting and trying to keep them in South Jersey, because our funding is coming from South Jersey. And we live in South Jersey."

'WE'LL KEEP KNITTING THEM'

The Knockers have been a hit with patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Brill said.

"I wasn't really sure how popular they'd be, or how well they wore," Brill said. "We offer this to put into the post-mastectomy camisole or post-mastectomy bra. It seems to make them comfortable and they're happy with them."

Some women even request different pairs for daytime and nighttime use, Brill said. 

"I would say in a month, we're probably giving out at least 20," she said.

And the group has no intention of slowing down. Weinberg guessed the group's members have another 100 pairs ready to be distributed.

"Once our knitters start knitting them, it's hard to get them to stop," Weinberg said. "As long as we keep feeding them yarn, we'll keep knitting them." 

Posted by tammyduffy at 3:19 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

 When Is Enough Is Enough?

Falsifying documents” is a type of white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document for the purpose of deceiving another person. It can also involve the passing along of copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.

Punishment for forgery of symbols is a class A misdemeanor. This is the most serious misdemeanors and is punishable by up to a year of jail time and up to a $2,000 fine. Forgery of financial or official documents is a class C or D felony and subject to up to 10-year prison sentence and fines up to $10,000.

There was an OPRA request made as it pertained to the inspection status of the Hamilton animal shelter in Mercer County NJ. This request was sent to the Hamilton Clerk’s office on Sept 6, 2018.  See request below:

 To:      bcalderone@hamiltonnj.com; EGore@hamiltonnj.com

Subject: OPRA Request

1.   All the Shelter licenses for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2018.

2.   All Local Health Inspections for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2017.

3.   All Certificates of local inspections for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2018.

Please send these documents to this email within 7 days as required by law.

Response from Clerk’s office….

In reference to your OPRA request, please be advised per the Hamilton Township Department of Health has no responsive records.

Thank you,

'EiCeen (]ore, 'R;MC, C:MC, :M:MC

:Municipa[ cCerk,

How can this be, no records of inspections when the rules state…

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.8 (a), operators of kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds (animal facilities) must apply annually to the municipality for a license, and each license issued shall expire on June 30th of each year. Facilities that serve multiple functions (e.g., a kennel that also serves as a pound) should be licensed for each function that they perform. Prior to issuance of a license, local health department staff shall inspect the facility to ensure that the operation complies with all laws, rules, and municipal ordinances, including building code and zoning requirements. Specifically, the facility shall be evaluated to ensure that it is in compliance with the State rules governing the sanitary operation of animal facilities,

N.J.A.C.  8:23A-1.1 through 1.13. A copy of the satisfactory inspection report issued by the local health department should accompany the licensure application. Before any new construction or renovation, blueprint plans shall be submitted to the local health department for review and approval. Facility licenses are not transferrable upon sale of a business, or to another facility operated by the same owner.

Is the Township leadership saying with their response to this OPRA request that the shelter has not been inspected by our health inspector in at least 7+ years?  For Hamilton township to obtain a shelter license, the shelter is required to perform an annual health inspection. A recent turtle that was rescued from the shelter, who resided there for 5 years; the rescuing resident could not obtain any paperwork on the turtle from the shelter. She was told the turtle was male. When she took it to the vet after rescuing it, she quickly learned it was female. Female turtles even without the presence of a male turtle will annually lay eggs. When the resident called the shelter after the vet asked her to call them to understand her egg laying history, she learned the shelter never saw any eggs. The eggs are not small, they are the size of a robin’s egg. The turtle is a Red Ear Slider.

There is currently an investigation being performed by Councilman Rick Tighe and Councilwoman Ileana Schirmer that focuses on the failing animal Shelter.

Questions for the investigators could be….

1.      Did the Hamilton Township health Inspector knowingly and willingly made a conscious decision to not perform any of the required annual inspections. These inspections are required by law. (ie. NJAC 8:23A. 2)

2.     Did the Hamilton township health inspector knowingly and willingly falsely sign a Shelter License on May 21, 2018 and posted it in the Shelter, so it would be available for the WW health inspection which he coordinated?

3.     During the press conference at the shelter the Hamilton township health inspector stated he thought inspecting the Shelter was a conflict of interest, so he had West Windsor inspect our shelter.  If this is the case, why was this not done every year and why is there no record of that.

The Hamilton animal shelter needs an overall in its leadership, there is no question about that.  The animals in the shelter deserve better treatment than they are getting at the shelter.

Let’s continue with the turtle that was at the shelter. The resident who rescued this turtle had to go through quite the ordeal to get the turtle.  During the Clear the Shelter Saturday, the resident went to the shelter to see what she could do to help the animals. The news by that time was quite public on the failing shelters upkeep in the local newspapers and TV. The resident was really concerned. It was shared with her that the shelter had 2 snakes and a turtle at the shelter. She asked to see the turtle. The snakes were on display in the kitten room.  The turtle was in the back portion of the shelter, adjacent to the Animal Control officer’s office.  The animal control officer stated that they change the water every three months and showed the resident what foods the turtle was being fed. The resident stated that she would adopt the turtle. She went to Petco and obtained an aquarium double the size of the one at the shelter.  The ACO gave the resident his card and said she could call the shelter that day, Saturday, or even Sunday. They would respond and let her take the turtle.

But, this was not the case. The resident tried contacting the shelter via phone, text on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning all to no avail. No return calls or return text message to the ACO and his team. She finally learned from an employee at the shelter who’s name was Anthony who said, “ I think you may need a permit for the turtle.”  The resident thought it was odd that the shelter did not know this for sure and asked for the contact info to learn about the permits. She then contacted the NJ Wildlife and Fish sector of the state and got a 9-page regulation document and the application for the permit. The State was extremely helpful and expeditiously sent the info.

Upon, filling out the permit application, the application stated, the applicant has the responsibility to ensure that their county and or municipality does not have an ordinance on the books that inhibits having an exotic pet.

The resident’s heart sank. Will she not be able to save this turtle from a continued life of squalor at the shelter? She contacted shelter, HAMSTAT, the Director of Public Health for the township, and the Director of Land Use in Hamilton. What she learned was interesting. No one knew if there was an ordinance on the books prohibiting an exotic pet.  How can this level of incompetence exist in a town she wondered?

Lack of appropriate water level for the turtle. 3 month water changes

That evening, there was a Council meeting on the animal shelter. The turtle rescuer attended the meeting to see if the council could help her. When it became her turn, she got up and presented what you just read above. As she presented the body language of the council was interesting. They were no doubt embarrassed, shaking their heads that this level of silliness existed in their town.   The resident asked this question,” It is not reasonable to expect the ACO, after 40 years of employment, should have known the rules on the permit. Even if he read one word a day of the 9-page regulation in NJ on exotic pets, he could have memorized the document after 40 years.”  When the resident finished her presentation, the business administrator asked for her cell phone number, so he could address this issue by the next day. They did, the resident picked up the turtle the next day and brought her home.  She had already made an appointment for the turtle to get a checkup from NorthStar vets in Robbinsville, NJ.

As she left with the turtle she could smell how bad the turtle smelled in the box she carried. Over a two-day period with the same level of filtration what existed at the shelter in her aquarium the water was filthy and smelled horrible. So, it was unthinkable that the shelter, with the level of filtration demonstrated in this photo, only changed the water every three months. The resident doubled the filtration, (which she learned from the vet that for turtles the filtration in the tank must be double if not triple the size of the actual tank to create a safe and clean environment for the animal).  Even, with doubling the filtration, she still does week water changes. It’s unthinkable what the Hamilton shelter was doing, ever 3 months for water changes. The noxious levels in the tank for the turtle are unthinkable. This turtle is a survivor and living an amazing life now with the new resident.  

Where does the accountability exist for all of this?  Why was the Director of Public Health for the town allowed to ignore his duties? It would appear he willfully ignored the regulations as did his staff, the DOH inspection and other information that has surfaced has shown this.

Where is the accountability? The State of NJ cannot allow this to continue.  Every one of the people involved from leadership in the town to the township employees who created this environment must be held accountable. The animals deserve a better place and atmosphere. Falsifying government records is a felony. If that is what happened, there needs to be full accountability for those who performed those actions. The dereliction of duties at the shelter were mentioned by the DOH in their inspection, but also what has surfaced after that inspection from OPRA requests.

What does it take to remove a health inspector who does not care about public health to be fired from their job? A death? Well, there have been innumerable due to this inspector’s leadership and the lack of leadership of the Mayor. The Hamilton residents and the animals in the shelter deserve better.

If this article has gotten to your heart…send a letter/complaint, maybe that will help invoke positive change. I sent my letter, we hope you will as well. Thank you!

The Public Health Licensing and Examination Board acts as an advisor to the Commissioner of Health for all matters related to the practice of public health, including disciplinary authority. The Board’s mission is to ensure that only qualified individuals enter the profession of public health, they provide services within the profession’s practice standards and that they maintain their competence through continuing education.

If you believe that any Health Officer or Registered Environmental Health Specialist has acted unprofessionally, you may submit a written complaint to the Complaint Unit. The Board requires that all complaints be in writing and signed. You may mail your letter and any supporting documents to:

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

New Jersey Department of Health

Office of Local Public Health

Licensure, Compliance and Enforcement Program

PO Box 360

Trenton, NJ  08625-0360

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:35 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

 The Leicester Longwool Sheep

is Coming Out of Extinction

The Leicester Longwool is one of the “luster longwool” breeds, so designated for the sheen and brilliance of their wool. The sheep appear to shine just after shearing, when the clean wool next to their skin catches the sunlight and makes them glisten for a few days before the dust and dirt of their environment catches up to them and the glow is hidden for another year.

The Leicester Longwool breed is also known as the English Leicester (pronounced lester). The breed was developed in England in the mid 1700s by innovative breeder Robert Bakewell, the first to use modern selection techniques to improve livestock breeds. Bakewell transformed a coarse, large boned, slow growing animal into one that grew rapidly for market and produced a higher quality fleece.

News of Bakewell’s ideas reached the colonies before the American Revolution and so intrigued George Washington that he made reference to them in several letters. Washington was particularly interested in Bakewell’s sheep, writing that he made the “choice of good rams from the English Leicester breed” for his own flock. In 1837, the agriculturist Youatt wrote that, “within little more than half a century the New Leicester had spread themselves to every part of the United Kingdom and to Europe and America.”

The Leicester Longwool was highly prized in America, especially for its use in crossbreeding to improve “native” stock. During the 1800s, however, the breed lost favor to the Merino and other fine wool breeds. After 1900, the Leicester Longwool fell into decline and was likely extinct in the United States during the 1930s or 1940s. A very small population remained in Canada. In 1990, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a historic site in Virginia, reestablished the breed in North America by importing sheep from Australia. Several conservation flocks have now been established, and the population of Leicester Longwool sheep in North America is increasing. This is important, given that the breed remains rare globally.

Leicester Longwools are medium to large sheep, weighing 180–250 pounds. The fleece is heavy, curly, soft handling, and lustrous with a spiral tipped staple up to eight inches. Fleeces weigh from eleven to fifteen pounds, occasionally up to twenty pounds. Leicesters are eager grazers, making good use of abundant pasture. When mixed flocks of Merinos and Leicesters are driven along road sides in Australia, all of the Merinos have their heads up, watching what is going on, while the Leicesters are busy with their heads down, chomping down the succulent roadside grasses. Leicesters are docile and easy to handle, but they do not care for herding dogs. Herding with dogs is likely to result in the whole flock proceeding to the barn backwards – facing down the dog!

The Leicester Longwool has been of great historic and genetic value, having a part in the founding or improving of many other breeds, including the Border Leicester and the Corriedale. While distinguished by its past, this breed’s future is far from secure, and it is a conservation priority.

 Depressed wool prices, desire for leaner carcasses, decline in consumption of mutton and the popularity of new breeds of sheep caused the Leicester Longwool numbers to decline and disappear in the 20th century in the USA.

In 1990, 10 purebred Longwools from Tasmania where brought to America in an attempt to revive the species.  There are now 1000 Longwools in the USA currently.   This incredibly rare species that are only found in Great Britian, New Zealand, Australia and now again in the USA. 

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:56 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink