Unger and ticket: Give city back to the people

Unger and ticket: Give city back to the people
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer
Long Branch Councilman Brian Unger showed up at City Hall last week with a full slate of candidates who hope to unseat longtime incumbent Mayor Adam Schneider in the upcoming municipal election.

Picking up candidates’ packets at Long Branch City Hall on Feb 9 are: Brian Unger (third from left), who is running for mayor, and his slate of candidates for City Council, (l-r) Sharon Wise, John Gregory, Kent Thornton, Diane Zuchnik and Joseph Mauriello. KENNY WALTER Picking up candidates’ packets at Long Branch City Hall on Feb 9 are: Brian Unger (third from left), who is running for mayor, and his slate of candidates for City Council, (l-r) Sharon Wise, John Gregory, Kent Thornton, Diane Zuchnik and Joseph Mauriello. KENNY WALTER Unger and his ticket picked up candidates’ packets at City Hall on Feb. 9, with the one-term councilman officially announcing his intention to run for mayor in the May 11 election.

Unger was joined at City Hall by his slate of five candidates for the open City Council positions: Kent Thornton, Joe Mauriello, Diane Zuchnik, Sharon Wise and John Gregory.

Unger was elected to the City Council in 2006 and has frequently been at odds with the Schneider administration over policy issues. He has championed the preservation of the historic Takanassee Beach Club buildings, called for a citywide ban on eminent domain, pushed for a historic preservation ordinance and an ethics board, and called for televising council meetings.

But the Elberon resident didn’t discuss platform issues at City Hall, instead introducing the team of council hopefuls he has assembled.

According to Unger, Thornton is a north Long Branch resident taking classes at Brookdale Community College after two deployments to Iraq as a U.S. Marine corporal. Thornton has earned and qualified for the N.J. Distinguished Service Award and the N.J. Meritorious Service Award.

“He served two deployments and received about five medals for his service and many other accolades,” Unger said of Thornton, also acknowledging the contributions of his family.

“Kent’s aunt is Lisa Thornton, the Superior Court judge, and his cousin is Yvonne Thornton, who wrote a famous book called ‘The Ditchdigger’s Daughters,’ ” Unger said. “His father, Milford, was a sewage commissioner in Long Branch. He is so very proud of Kent’s service in Iraq. It is really just inspiring.”

Thornton isn’t the only decorated candidate on Unger’s ticket.

“Joe Mauriello was a highly decorated police officer for 30 years and received the highest honor for bravery from the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police,” Unger said. “I am proud in getting to know Joe Mauriello and his great service in the line of duty.”

“Mauriello, a West End resident, is a retired police detective,” Unger said in his résumé. “He received the New Jersey State Lodge Valor Award, the highest award granted by the state lodge, and the Leah Vigdor Memorial Award from the Honor Legion of the State of New Jersey ‘for heroism displayed with outstanding bravery and devotion to the police profession.’ ”

Mauriello is also president of the board of directors of Sea Watch Townhouses on Ocean Avenue.

Gregory, a Red Bank attorney with the law firm Keefe, Bartels and Clark, will bring valuable skills to the team, Unger said.

“John’s going to bring some much-needed legal skills to our team,” he said. “It will be good to have an attorney on the team.”

Unger also shared résumés for Wise and Zuchnik.

Wise, West End, is an accounts receivable specialist with Metromedia Energy Corp., Eatontown, and a real estate agent, he said. She is a member of Long Branch Citizens for Good Government and serves as secretary of the Long Branch Condominium Coalition.

Zuchnik, a resident of Beachfront North, is a retired public school teacher and an adjunct professor at Monmouth University and Brookdale Community College, Unger said.

She is a member of the Long Branch Citizens for Good Government, the Long Branch Historical Museum Association, and the American Littoral Society, Sandy Hook.

Unger, who formerly ran for state Senate and county freeholder on the Green Party ticket, alluded to his battles over some of the policies of the Schneider administration.

“You know me, trouble-maker and fiercely independent member of council,” he said. “We are here at the ‘people’s house’and we are here to take the ‘people’s house’ back.”

Unger and his slate of council candidates expressed faith in the future of the city.

“It is a great day, and we are here to take it back, and it’s a new day and a great future for the city of Long Branch,” Unger said.

“We want to be the voice of the citizens of Long Branch,” Zuchnik said.

“I just want to give the city back to the citizens of Long Branch,” Wise added.

Unger’s campaign is being managed by Ocean Township resident David Petrovich, and Unger said the group would be working on a campaign platform in the coming weeks.

“We are not going to go into any platforms today,” Unger said. “We just want to say basically that we feel the city needs change; we want to work as best as we can for the residents and taxpayers and do a great job.

“We have campaign staff working on the platforms. We will have a fleshed-out campaign platform posted on the website.”

According to City Clerk Irene Joline, candidates who have picked up packets so far include: Robert Krebs, an investment adviser who has announced his intention to run for mayor; Councilwoman Mary Jane Celli; Long Branch Veterans Coordinator Michael Winnick; former Board of Education President and 2006 council candidate Michael Sirianni; community activist Marco Diaz, and resident Alan Menkin.

Schneider has indicated his intention to run for re-election but has yet to pick up a packet. Celli is the only current member of council seeking re-election.

Candidates have until March 18 to pick up a packet and gather petition signatures to qualify to run in the Long Branch municipal election, which will be held May 11.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.