OK have at it guys..but LEAVE SQUAN TAVERN PIZZA OUT OF IT !!!! :)
What does the price of (really good) pizza have to do with anything?

Yeah, why doesn't the newspaper PLAY FAIR,,,,,,,that picture was not a picture taken last evening. All it takes is an 8th grade education to understand that you are using an un flattering picture of Mr. Grasso to influence your community. Does the PAPER have ties to the Mayor? does he fund them, that they cannot voice an unbiased statement of facts? IS NJ THAT IGNORANT..........

Why did my comment about squan pies disappear? don uncovered this and reported it then was intimidated and chased off? these are facts, check the meeting minutes and police reports. squan tavern "sponsors" the pizza contest yet bills the taxpayers for the pizza for more than they charge.

It is flat out disgusting how the governing body of our town has become. Hopefully now that Grasso is gone, and Connely to follow, the council can focus on more important matters like not raising our taxes this year (like Belmar did) - Stop the spending.

Grasso v. Bassone, 3 round cage match on Main Beach 4th of July weekend- no olds barred. Proceeds to charity.

well maybe if those who "sponsor" events actually do so instead of billing the taxpayers for their "generosity" our expenses could be less?

Mayor takes on winner of Grasso v. Bassone

Cage fights to be followed by all council members participating in competitive eating contest- Councilperson that devours the most raw clams in 2 mins will be deemed councilperson of the decade and will get a nice bumper sticker to be proud of.

@Charlie,,,,,,,I am quite aware that the photo used was from stock of professional or past use by the newspaper. You avoided the issue I raised that addressed using a current picture. The choice to use an unflattering picture SHOWS BIAS. News that SHOWS BIAS is clearly THAT. BiASED NEWS. Words are mere words unless we start painting a picture with them or using a picture with them. The picture the Patch published implies its opinion. DID You NOT GET THAT????

Like where your heads at Charlie- lets do this.

Grasso v. Dempsey in the following:
1. Competitive eating;
2. Arm wrestling
3. One on one basketball
4. Beer Pong
5. Greco-Roman Wrestling

Bossone's would be happy to "donate" the clams and then bill the town for them.

"I DIDNT THINK I NEEDED TO" That was the answer Mayor Dempsey gave to former Councilman Grasso when he asked the mayor. Did you read my report and why didnt you ever get back to me about it. Mayor Dempsey responds, "I always read your reports and I didnt get back to you because "I DIDNT THINK I NEEDED TO" UNBELIEVABLE!!! Mr Mayor, doesnt this come under your job description to read reports and proposals from governing body members? Was Mr Grasso's report in the best interest of the people of Manasquan or was it in your best interest? Please tell us, Mr Dempsey and by the way, tell us your interpretation of your job description. Thank you

Flattering photo or not, Manasquan is desperately in need of an unbiased news source. Please keep the reports unbiased.

@Lindemer, you're out of order just like Don was, be his neighbor or not. That's the Mayor you're speaking to / at and he deserves respect. Just because your cronie choice Pat only received 13 votes doesn't mean you should disrespect any public official. Don was wrong the other night and no doubt he knows it. Why don't you show up and make your statements and you too can be escorted out by the police. As far as unbiased reporting, Charlie's article is spot on and he even key logged it with tweets during the meeting which are available right here. If you want one-sided read the coast star.

It seems I hit a sore spot when I voiced my opinion regarding an article I happened upon about a man I know well. "Me thinks thou protest too much" ahahhahah. If you could hear yourselves from my ears,,,,,,,,,"Lindemer, you are out of order",,, hahahah WHAT? this is a trial here? And My3sons, you proved my point with your statement that only people that go would know that. (news is for those that didnt' go). And Charlie, you don't have to agree, I am glad you have alot to do, if you cant take the constructive comments, why do you have this set up to do that??? And Paulie, I have seen him too, and I have also seen heated arguements reported in the news and the photos are not similiar to a mugshot taken upon an arrest. Good luck to you all.....

Mariann - you're wrong and you know it. The picture of Don is from Council chambers. It's not a photographer / editors job to make sure someone shaves and smiles. Veronica, you aren't so tough, and you ARE wrong, and note that I said Don was too. Go to the meeting in a couple weeks and act like he did and see where it gets you, free escort service to the parking lot I bet.

In spite of the comments made by Blake, Don was NOT escorted our of council chambers. So Blake, either start attending meetings and get the facts straight or really start reading The Patch. You really should stop your vendetta against Don, it is not becoming. By the way I wouldn't be so sure that Veronica isn't tough.
Time for you to stop being a bully.

Please. The view from our seats was this. Don was asked to cool it a couple of times by the Mayor. He didn't. Chief Correia went out the side door using his phone. In between, Don sat back down and the session ended. When it did, Joe Bossone came at Don telling him not to be "pointing at me." Chief came back in thru the main door and barely got between Joe and Don, as did Mr Summers. 3 on duty officers flanked him. Don followed them out, trailed by others including the Mayor. The officers walked Don down the stairs and out the door to his truck. This happened in front of pretty much everyone and the entire police force who was in the hall awaiting the upcoming swearing in ceremonies. If you report it any different than that, you either were not there, or are lying.

NO FREE ESCORT SERVICE TO THE PARKING LOT

I was a very close witness, within feet away from this scene. As I left, I saw 3 policemen in the hallway. I walked down the stairs and walked to my car which was parked 2 cars away from Mr Grasso's truck. As I got into my car,I saw Mr. Grasso leaving the building. He was alone. No police escorts, no Mayor...ALONE As I slowly pulled away, I saw a woman approach Mr Grasso as he was about to get into his truck. He stopped and apoke with her. That's how it really happened, THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS!!!!

I guess the Tax Payers are the real sponsers of the Pizza Eating Contest based on the definition of a sponsor

SPONSOR:. a person or group that provides funds for an activity, esp
a. a commercial organization that pays all or part of the cost of putting on a concert, sporting event, etc.
b. a person who donates money to a charity when the person requesting the donation has performed a specified activity as part of an organized fund-raising effort

My3sons how did you manage to see Don being escorted to his truck from your seat? I was at the meeting but couldn't see the truck from where I was sitting. Both The Patch and The Coast Star reported that Don left (there was no escort to his truck). I suggest you stop getting the "facts" from you imagination.

To all you Desciples of Don open your eyes. The man has ruined his personal life, professional life and political life and now even though you hang on his every word like he's a municipal government god, don't expect us to. Don needs to get his own house in order before expecting people to listen to him about getting our borough house in order. Don showed a complete inability due to his arrogance and total lack of people skills to get anything done. He assumed he knew it all rather than asking questions and learning from others. Challenging people and belittling people rather than cooperating with people was his hallmark and style. And now he's getting what's coming to him. He respected no one so now no one's respecting him except the Don Groupies who choose to remain blind to his faults and ignorantly support him. Drink Don's Kool Aid all of you. Just don't serve it to the rest of us.

$3.00 for a pizza? Ingrediants, preparation, cooking, delivery to the beach and keeping the pies warm all for $3.00 sounds cheap. I bet they break even at that price or maybe even lose money. Most places charge $3.00 for a slice. Elios frozen pizza is more than that. But this is what Don does best. Turn a fun event that the Tourism Commission operates into an imaginary scandal. Pizzagate in Don's mind. Puts him right up there with Woodward and Bernstein I guess for some of you. Don is blind with hate for another councilman so dragging him, the family name and business reputation thru the mud is fair game for Don. How ethically and morally bankrupt he is.

Give it up Lindemer, if you walked out into the hallway like many, or even left like others (which you claim you did) you would know. You can't say you're in your seat and can't see it, then say you're outside and did.

$3 for a pizza is cheap, but why bill the town $5? And more importantly why bill the town AT ALL if you're the "sponsor." And Mr. Lonestar aka cowboys fan aka councilman I already stated what Don did was wrong but what you've been doing isn't any better. Yes it's obvious who he doesn't like and from Monday the feeling is mutual but stay out of it and do the right thing and you'll come out on top.

As a resident, its really appalling our council was this divided. Was the division the reason for the increase in our property taxes of 4.6%? That's the real issue that should only matter, our taxes keep going up and up with no end in sight.

Lonestar is correct, how can anyone admire anything that guy did or does? Coming back from his great new opportunity to make a public seen by insulting the mayor again, it seems a bit cracked....? We can only assume that the two supporters have limited contact with him or he has schmoozed them somehow. This behavior has to have plagued him throughout his career.

OK Can we get this straight. (1) I am not Veronica. (2) I only responded to certain comments to clear up the misconception that Don was escorted to his truck.
Not interested in the Kool Aid, make it wine and throw in a pizza (bill it to the council) and I"m in. Kevin is right we should be looking at the 4.6% increase in taxes. SInce we all seem to have pet peeves here is mine. Do we need a $100,000.00 Bike Path To Nowhere as proposed in the Sqaun Plaza Project?. Hope everyone attends that meeting.

@My3sons; The flawed logic you employed in reaching your erroneous decision as to who I am is comical. So quick to jump to a conclusion based only on a sports team symbol. Making assumptions based upon imagination and nothing else sounds very Grasso minded to me. Didn't the NJSP teach you better deductive reasoning skills and to not make judgements based on no evidence or even worse, false evidence? Knee jerk reactions can be damaging and dangerous. Yes you have 3 sons but they aren't Chip, Rob and Ernie. And no Uncle Charley minding the homefront either.
And I've heard two prices for the pizzas bandied about, $3 and now $5. My argument stands, that even $5 is cheap for a small pizza including ingredients, labor, energy costs and delivery. And I trust the people on Tourism to make the right decisions and not get involved in any pizza scandal or other tawdry affairs. That's something that seems to be lacking since the Grasso/Connolly regime, lack of trust in each other. Aren't those people on Tourism your friends my3sons? Sad that you've bought into that mentality and decided to besmirch the reputation of a fine family and great business both who have always supported this town. They don't deserve to be villianized over the likes of the backwash spewing from the mind of Don.

@Veronica Lindemer; you obviously missed my not so subtle reference to the Reverend Jim Jones and the 1978 Jonestown massacre of over 900 people who followed that false desciple to the death by drinking his poisoned Kool Aid.
And your entire reference to polishing Don's sandals and pressing his designer robes is just repulsive. But hey, if after a few Dos Equis beers you chose to see him as a prophet and idolize him, well you have fun with that. But maybe you should push the Dos Equis away so you can clearly see Don for what he his and not through the beer goggles you wear around him. Enjoy his Kool Aid......

You sure get touchy about "pizza gate" as you called it, don't you?

Just do the right thing. Surprise us. Bashing Don isn't anything new, we've seen you do that for years.

Repost at the start of this train wreck of a comment chain. I repeat:

paulie
10:39 am on Wednesday, May 9, 2012

It is flat out disgusting how the governing body of our town has become. Hopefully now that Grasso is gone, and Connely to follow, the council can focus on more important matters like not raising our taxes this year (like Belmar did) - Stop the spending

Sorry Paulie, but those are unrealistic expectations. You would like order and structure in an environment where none exists. We have a very small group of Don fans who despite him having tossed out a good idea or two, once or twice, still defend the antics he engaged in. To make it worse, you have a couple councilman who won't let it go and continue to bomb him, and now his fans, versus clean up their own issues. This negative breeding ground won't help our spending or taxes because its not a focus. Other towns are capable of controlling expenditures while adding services and revenue streams. The "traditions" rule here - run some races, eat some pizza's, pop off some firecrackers and light a few fires. If someone embarrasses you, spread vile comments until they move out of town. If you don't like it, the solution is simply to move because it's not going to change.

What a bunch of defeatists. That is exactly what council wants. Why don't you invest $2.10 and get a copy of the Budget and see where the Big Bucks are really being spent.