Resident: Take debate to public forum

What's with [former Democratic Township Councilman] Fred Underwood? It is more than 1 1/2 years since he announced he would not seek re-election because he feared a dirty campaign. He stated that it had already begun.

As a regular attendee of the Brick council meetings and frequent attendee of other township meetings, I recognized the truth of the statement. I also recognized what was not said. Before, during and since that time, all the mud was being thrown by Mr. Underwood and other members of his party, and the target of the mud was always Councilman Stephen C. Acropolis.

When I first started attending council meetings, Councilman Acropolis was the lone Republican and therefore powerless to effect legislation unless the other party listened to his opinions and weighed them as they should and found merit in them. Rather, every time Councilman Acropolis voiced any opinion, he was attacked, particularly by Mr. Underwood and Councilwoman Kathy Russell, as "piling it on" or "grandstanding."

Now who is doing the "piling it on" or "grandstanding?" Is there a campaign for office in Brick of which I am not aware? Mr. Underwood is cowardly attacking Councilman Acropolis. If you have problems with Councilman Acropolis' opinions, take him on in a public forum. Come and offer your opinions at a council meeting or hold a public debate. As a Friend of the Library, I suggest it as neutral territory.

A second indication of something afoot is that from my seat in the peanut gallery it appears Councilwoman Russell is still waging a campaign for public office. Could it be that she is again running for office of mayor and being supported by Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli? I have noticed that whenever he is absent, Mayor Scarpelli has her present proclamations instead of the acting mayor - the business administrator.

Let's end this now and work for the good of the taxpayers of Brick instead of our own vanity.

Nan Coll

Brick