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Editor, the Asbury Park Sun:

Twenty years ago, when I moved into this town, I didn’t think things could get any worse. There were no stable businesses in the downtown, the properties were all distressed, the boardwalk was a ghost town, and the city was held hostage by a developer.

I quickly realized how wrong I was when a ticket of candidates called Asbury United got elected into office and things quickly deteriorated even more. However, after three indictments and jail time for most of that council, we finally elected honest, hardworking City Council members who made a difference. Now twelve years later, Asbury Park is a vibrant city on the verge of having its best season ever.

The One Asbury ticket talks a good game but what are their accomplishments? Amy Quinn is a grassroots organizer on some level but I can’t think of one issue she has truly followed through on. I’m still waiting for that second meeting on the pit bull fighting issue. In my opinion, Joe Woerner is a one-issue guy… Bradley Cove. He doesn’t bring anything else to the table. John Moor and Myra Campbell are long-time citizens, both of whom served on the Housing Authority. Unfortunately, I believe the Housing Authority is really nothing to be proud of since it has been marred by scandal over the years. Lastly, Talesha Crank was one of the individuals behind the recent failed recall attempt with Duanne Small of the A Team ticket. These are not the individuals that I trust to run this city.

Unfortunately, the A Team ticket will likely benefit from those individuals who choose to split their votes between Forward Asbury Park and the One Asbury ticket. As much as I believe it is possible for people to redeem themselves, I do not believe that individuals with past criminal histories, such as Remond Palmer and Duanne Small, should be able to serve as elected officials. In addition, Jim Keady has already been given his chance to serve as an elected council member in Asbury Park. The only accomplishment I can list for him is that he is a quitter.

There have been so many positive changes in this city since John Loffredo, Kevin Sanders and Sue Henderson have taken over. They bring a wealth of experience while gaining a fresh perspective and new ideas from Will Potter and Greg Hopson. On a personal level, my property value has more than quadrupled, my neighborhood has turned around, there is a solid feeling of community, and I feel confident with the stability of our city government.

Citywide, I see growth on all parts of this town from the boardwalk to the downtown district as well as Springwood Avenue. This is the leadership we can count on and that’s why I support Forward Asbury Park in the upcoming election.

Let’s choose to move forward and vote with confidence for Forward Asbury Park!

— Donna DeNoble, Asbury Park

[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here. Do not send attachments.]

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