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A Tree Grows In Belmar…..

Or will soon!

It was a grand union of the DeSanctis clan, the girls of Chi Omega (U of Delaware), the local Element and Joy’s other friends.  Several of us spoke to the group about our relationships with Joy, recounted some of our experiences with her and explained our reasons for loving her so much.

Unfortunately Council President Brian Magovern – who’s job at the Shade Tree Commission would entail making sure nothing goes wrong when somebody wishes to plant a tree in Belmar – let things go wrong and apparently either didn’t understand, or didn’t bother to explain, the rules set by his own administration.  He had told Angela DeSanctis’ sorority sister, who made the plans, that her request was approved by Shade Tree and told her later that everything was set for the time and place of the planting and even marked where to dig the hole.

But the Friday before the planting the mayor, probably after reading my blog post about it, notified Magovern that the tree planters were missing a permit they needed and that he would not allow the tree to go in as scheduled.  He apparently also thinks that a tree planted as a memorial is somehow different than a tree planted for some other reason and gave that as grounds also for his refusal.  That part is total nonsense.

Brian reportedly tried to get the mayor to change his mind but he didn’t try hard enough.  This event was about someone so loved by so many people, someone taken by cancer far too young.  She had only just become a grandmother. People came from as far away as Germany for this event.

If I were Brian, I would have told Matt I was resigning from the Council if he refused to allow the planting to go forward.  I’m quite certain that if this were one of Matt’s friends, and not Joy DeSanctis, the tree would be in the ground.  Brian gave Angela’s friend bad information when she trusted him, and then didn’t stand up for her against our mayor the bully.

I also would like to note that Councilman Walsifer called the mayor twice but was unable to persuade him to let the planting go forward.

Anyway, this group was too resilient to let some mean, vindictive mayor ruin their day, so they hauled the tree to its future location, had their event, hauled the tree back to the DeSanctis’ house and went to Federici’s and had pizza!

Tomorrow the permit that Angela’s friend was never told about will be applied for.

 

The family

 

With the girls of Chi Omega.  The cutout with the football jersey is of one of the girls who couldn’t make it here today.

40 Comments

  1. PJ wrote:

    It was a beautiful tribute to an amazing woman, looking forward to admiring the tree once it’s planted!

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 6:37 pm | Permalink
  2. SEASHELL wrote:

    I don’t want to take away from this heartwarming tribute, but once again, the vindictive actions of this mayor disgusts me. If Brian Magovern cannot see the divisiveness this mayor continues to cause in this town, he is truly blind.

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 7:18 pm | Permalink
  3. SEASHELL wrote:

    Anyone with a heart should be outraged by this. And to all you Doherty cheerleaders, what do you have to say about this?

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 7:48 pm | Permalink
  4. Fleeced wrote:

    Total d – – k move. But it’s ok to land a helicopter when u feel like it or do just about anything else the town feels like doing with out permits or approvals (marina building/cafra). First the bar crawl for the hungry now a tree in memory : all about the permits. Get these people out of office

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 7:50 pm | Permalink
  5. Blue skies wrote:

    #3 I hear crickets.

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 8:09 pm | Permalink
  6. Guest wrote:

    I hope this is not really the facts and if it is..well.

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 8:35 pm | Permalink
  7. Really? wrote:

    Two words – utterly disgraceful

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 9:39 pm | Permalink
  8. Belmar dude wrote:

    That’s effed up. Was there a permit for the butterfly garden for Brian’s wife?!? She did nothing for this towm…For gods sake please begin voting out these useless people..

    Sunday, October 15, 2017 at 10:14 pm | Permalink
  9. Rebel yell wrote:

    #4 is right, this was a d – – k move. Why would a town leader be so petty?
    Aside from the emotional significance of the tree, a new tree is a good thing for the town.
    Political BS must end. Vote them out

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 12:46 am | Permalink
  10. Joan Corallo wrote:

    Lovely tribute to a lovely woman. Thank’s Dave for your post.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 6:14 am | Permalink
  11. OLD MAN wrote:

    Both is a piece’s of human garbage.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 6:51 am | Permalink
  12. Sad wrote:

    Sad Matt Doherty. The mayor of Belmar, the only strong woman He likes is, the one who pays his mortgage every month, his wife Maggie Moran. I wonder if Maggie of Kivvit, even knows how this poor women’s family was treated. Tapinto it…did you read this one? spin spin spin.

    A STRONG WOMAN REQUIRES INTEGRITY AND CONSISTENCY.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 7:04 am | Permalink
  13. Teddy Ehmann wrote:

    You want to know why we moved to Port Charlotte? This was an opportunity to heal. Matt chose to do a payback .Where was the permit for the Port -A-Potty on Joy’s Lawn. This really stinks.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 8:44 am | Permalink
  14. Bill Straus wrote:

    Dogerty is a scum. Joy was an angel.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 9:13 am | Permalink
  15. Belle wrote:

    This is beyond SICK! Couldn’t the Mayor have let them plant the tree and then let them get the permit. Who was it hurting? No one!!!
    He has no soul. God Bless Joy’s family.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 9:41 am | Permalink
  16. Maria wrote:

    What Belmar needs more than anything is a few more trees, not rocks that replaced he palm trees on ocean ave.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 10:07 am | Permalink
  17. Anonymous wrote:

    Can you imagine how brave and selfless Joy was while quietly undergoing regular, debilitating chemotherapy treatments, using her remaining energies to bring together Democrats, Republican and Independent Belmar voters for more than 4 years only to be probed, demonized and demeaned by the mayor at every corner. Even in her death Joy’s Shadow caused distress to this mayor as evidenced by his last minute edict to sully Joy’s tree planting at Silver Lake with, by the way the Shade Tree Commission’s approval; that my friends is unconscionable or at least his actions should be so named, unconscionable.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 10:47 am | Permalink
  18. Anonymous wrote:

    How many after the fact Resolutions have been allowed by the Belmar Council? I’m sure Brian, as Council President, pleaded with the mayor to stop being petty, the woman is dead, let their family heal, please let them plant the tree and I’ll take the heat for not presenting a resolution in advance. Is it true that a sorority representative had worked on Joy’s tree planting with Brian since January, 2017?

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 10:55 am | Permalink
  19. Sad wrote:

    People who are on the Facebook program should share this story.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 11:18 am | Permalink
  20. Terry Pierce wrote:

    There is no way to divide a town the way this man has accomplished. However he should start thinking before he opens his mouth. This group of people that he has such hate for are people who saw the way the town was moving who knew the type of debt that had been acquired and were in turn called names such as Terrorists, That Element, Nay
    Sayers and more. How a grown man behaves like a 2 year old with anything that doesn’t go his way and is still voted back in office is beyond me this
    town needs a flushing and a restart to bring it back to civility.Those of you that are not aware of what has been going on I wish this could be shared but I do not know how to do it.
    May Joy’s family have the peace they deserve.
    I do not know how to do it.
    The family of this woman that never did a thing illegal was verbally abused had the only Porta Potty with the door opening on her property and God Bless the driver that delivered it and was told where to put the only one. He told the police what he was told to do and it was left there for the festival.
    This woman had nothing to do with the money or the action that led to all 10
    Law suits and decisions that went against the mayor and the Boro. She just found the information and facts and felt the town should be aware of what was going on.
    Had he known she was fighting a horrific disease would he have handled
    It differently? I doubt it.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 12:30 pm | Permalink
  21. Terry Pierce wrote:

    Admin or #19 How do I move what I wrote to Facebook from this column after it is read here?

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 12:41 pm | Permalink
  22. admin wrote:

    Do you know how to copy and paste?

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:08 pm | Permalink
  23. A Voter 2 wrote:

    #3 Another reason to make sure Brennan does not get re-elected. We can “Resist” also!!!!

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:00 pm | Permalink
  24. Sad wrote:

    This is enough reason for me to make sure I vote for Josh, in Joy’s honor.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:22 pm | Permalink
  25. Eugene Creamer wrote:

    poison the well …. email Phil Murphy and tell him how he lost your vote due to a photo with this creep

    info@murphy4nj.com

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:30 pm | Permalink
  26. Vote! wrote:

    Tomorrow, October 17, 2017, is the voter registration deadline for the general election. Voter registration forms must be submitted to the Superintendent/Registrar of Elections Office at 300 Halls Mill Road in Freehold.

    For more information, please visit MonmouthCountyVotes.com or download our free Monmouth County Votes mobile app:
    Apple App Store: http://apple.co/2wfZ6o1
    Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/2xqYLCK

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 4:50 pm | Permalink
  27. Anonymous wrote:

    The slime bucket(s) who deliberately perpetrated this latest travesty against Joy DeSanctis and her family and friends will not be forgotten.

    Now the Belmar attorney of record Cannon has, like the Belmar Administrator, no credibility.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 5:10 pm | Permalink
  28. Tom Dilberger wrote:

    #25 – Gene, we have to look at it this way I think. If Murphy wins (I’m not voting for him), he’ll most likely give Matt a big office in Trenton with a wonderful sounding title and a six figure salary. Of course, this is bad, but the little bit of good of it will be he’ll resign as mayor (I hope anyway).

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 5:45 pm | Permalink
  29. Anonymous wrote:

    Murphy4NJ.com not that stupid. Matt McToxicity is Mcdirty’s new name no matter how his wife spins it. He’s done, fried, kaput, over and hopefully out.

    Monday, October 16, 2017 at 6:19 pm | Permalink
  30. Maria Florio wrote:

    Matt, watch out for Karma.

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 12:25 am | Permalink
  31. Anonymous wrote:

    #20,Who told the employee to drop off the porto potty? Just curious.

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 9:57 am | Permalink
  32. Anonymous wrote:

    After watching Governer Christies political career go down the toilet after engaging in acts of petty vindictiveness I would never do the same if I were a politician.

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 10:01 am | Permalink
  33. Anonymous wrote:

    After hurricane Sandy building permits were overlooked so it can be done.

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 10:03 am | Permalink
  34. madame.snark wrote:

    Lots of dubious things happened in Belmar after Sandy, in my opinion. The never forgotten Shoprite gift card caper, for one.

    Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 12:23 pm | Permalink
  35. Anonymous wrote:

    Interesting: BRIAN’S brother’s plaque is missing from his tree planting. Why did you move it to your yard Brian? I think that it was a fine gesture. Looks like after his latest heartbreaking edict we will have to wait until mcdirty’s out before civility and compassion are restored to the Council.

    Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 11:59 am | Permalink
  36. admin wrote:

    Yes. Brian took down the plaque from his tree.

    Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 12:09 pm | Permalink
  37. Terry Pierce wrote:

    This situation is so unbelievable and
    So hard to comprehend. At some point as usual the mayor is wrong and something as personal as it is can’t be dealt with as adults. What possible difference could it make to him what is at the lake he never is.
    An incident happened at the mayors house which caused a lot of comments of How are the Mayors children going to handle this with concern. How are the children of Joy and Carmine going to handle this after their Mothers death?
    Here we are talking about a tree in rememberance of a vibrant lovely woman who had love in her heart for a lot of people. It is a sad day when something so spiteful is allowed to happen for no reason except for payback.I don’t know how the mayor handles disappointment like a 2 year
    old and explains it to his children. Politics should not be involved with this matter it is a human one. I wonder how he sleeps at night? This truly comes under a person being an
    Obstructionist.t

    Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 4:20 am | Permalink
  38. Anonymous wrote:

    Mcdirty must never have watched or heard the value of the Coca Cola Commercial… “I’d like to sing in perfect harmony”. Harmony is what happens when people join in together to help one another in their time of grief. We pay our respect at wakes for that reason. We all care deeply for ones loss, it’s human.

    Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 12:42 pm | Permalink
  39. the exorcist wrote:

    I think that the mayor sleeps very well at night, for he has no conscience. He has the hollow-eyed look of one possessed. Vade retro Matt!

    Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 12:43 pm | Permalink
  40. Anonymous wrote:

    The one he should be worried about is the very essence of Joy.

    Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8:16 pm | Permalink

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