ASBURY PARK PRESS APP.COM $1.00

MONDAY 10.19.15

VOLUME 136

NUMBER 250

SINCE 1879

ADVICE 4CBUSINESS 10ACLASSIFIED 6CCOMICS 5CLOCAL 3A

LOTTERIES 2AOBITUARIES 11AOPINION 13ASPORTS 1DWEATHER 10D

Bucs rising inhigh schoolfootball Top 10

Red Banks winover RBC gives itanother boost inour rankings. 1D

Ocean County officials say they are concerned aboutpotential liability to county government stemmingfrom allegations of official misconduct leveled at Free-holder Joseph H. Vicari in civil litigation.

Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett Jr. told the As-bury Park Press that county labor counsel Robert T.Clarke has been authorized to assess the countys expo-sure from counterclaims against Vicari, after Vicarifirst sued his political opponents for defamation follow-ing a bitter election contest last year.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2014, the Demo-cratic campaign of Timothy E. Ryan accused Vicari, alongtime Republican incumbent, of being under inves-tigation by the FBI for political corruption an allega-tion Vicari vehemently denied.

Two weeks after Vicari won re-election, he filed suitagainst Ryan and the Democrats entire campaignteam. Ryan and the other defendants then filed acounterclaim against Vicari, alleging that the freehold-ers suit represented an effort to stifle their constitu-tional right to free speech. During the discovery phaseof those counterclaims against Vicari, a county contrac-tor deposed in June testified that he was extorted by Vi-cari in the 1990s and 2000s. The contractor, who stillworks for the county, said under oath that he has beencooperating with an FBI probe into Vicaris conduct as afreeholder, according to his deposition. The FBI has notcommented on the allegations.

Bob Clarke has done our labor negotiations on thetough stuff, Bartlett said. We have asked him for anopinion as to whether the county has any potential vul-nerability in the countersuit against Joe Vicari, and thathas yet to be determined.

Bartlett made the comment in response to state-ments from the former Ryan campaign that the countygovernment was paying Vicaris legal bills a charge

ERIK LARSEN/STAFF PHOTO

Ocean County Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari (right) and hisattorney, Robert C. Shea, at a news conference in 2014.

Counselto gaugecountysliabilityOcean freeholders worryabout Vicari allegationsERIK LARSEN @ERIK_LARSENAND JEAN MIKLE @JEANMIKLE

See VICARI, Page 4A

The developer for a proposed solar power project at Six FlagsGreat Adventure has presented new plans cutting the sites sizefrom 90 acres to 66 acres, but officials and activists whoopposed the initial proposal say its environmental impactwould still be too great. 3A

Six Flags shrinkssolar farm plan

U.S., JAPAN SHOW NAVAL STRENGTH PAGE 1B

An ongoing series that examines how our local com-munities are evolving.

FREEHOLD - When Magdalena Romero first openedher deli here 10 years ago, she says there werent anyplaces to buy ingredients like nopales, poblano peppersor squash blossoms staples of traditional Mexicanplates.

La Malinche Deli, tucked on West Main Street be-tween a barber shop and a money-exchange store, offersa cave of comfort to those born in a country more than2,600 miles away. Small Mexican flags and sombreroshang overhead, handmade beaded bracelets to ward offnegative energy drape one side of the store, and rows ofpinto beans, black beans and garbanzo beans line the op-posite wall.

These are our things, our customs, says Romero,who emigrated from Mexico in 1998. People alwayssearch for their products, what theyre used to.

Less than 500 feet down the brick sidewalk is Feder-icis Family Restaurant, a Freehold fixture and one ofthe oldest family-run businesses in the area.

Weve been in town 94 years, said co-owner MichaelFederici. Here, 65-year-old ovens still crisp pizza pies

GROUND ZEROFOR A HOT TOPIC

TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Fourth-grade teacher Kelli Leonardi works with student Pedro Reyes at Park Avenue Elementary School in Freehold.It is one of the more overcrowded schools in the district.

Among Freeholds growing pains amid influx of Latino immigrants: Overcrowding in schools

KAREN YI @KAREN_YI

CHANGING FACES

See FREEHOLD, Page 7A

TOM SPADER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Day laborers wait near Throckmorton and Rheastreets to be hired last month.

BEACHWOOD - Orson is a 9-year-olddog who opens doors and fetchesdrinks. He can take off someonesjacket or their shoes. He even emptiesthe dryer.

On Tuesday, when Kim Bratnikdropped a pen, Orson scooped it upwith his teeth and gave it back to her.

These are not YouTube stunts. Theyare essential tasks that make life easier for the 25-year-old Bratnik, who is wheelchair-bound with cere-bral palsy.

Hes basically my hands, Bratnik said. What I

cant do, Orson picks up and can do. With him, myquality of life has been awesome.

Orson arrived in Bratniks life seven years agocourtesy of Canine Companions for Independence, anational nonprofit that provides assistance dogs freeof charge. CCI has a strong presence in North Jersey,and the Bratniks are trying to spread the word in Mon-mouth and Ocean counties. Kim and her parents, Den-nis and Louise, raise money, make public presenta-tions and even train a future assistance dog, 6-month-old Sutter.

They are such wonderful ambassadors, said Deb-ra Dougherty, CCIs executive director. We need to be

Amazing dogs are changing livesJERRY CARINO CARINOS CORNER

See CARINO, Page 4A