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ASBURY PARK PRESS :: MONMOUTH EDITION

THURSDAY 04.16.15

Christie gets
rave reviews

Shaken-baby
syndrome
debated in
trial closings
KATHLEEN HOPKINS @KHOPKINSAPP
FREEHOLD A defense attorney on Tuesday implored a jury to let a Toms River babysitter go home to
her husband and children, saying the woman is onethousand percent innocent of the shaken-baby murder
of a toddler in her charge, and questioning the very existence of the diagnosis.
But a prosecutor told the same jury the only way 14month-old Mason Hess could have suffered injuries at
the base of his brain was if his brain was scraping
against his skull while being violently shaken by babysitter Michelle Heale.
Attorneys summed up their cases Tuesday in Heales
monthlong trial for the murder of Mason, who died at
Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia on Sept. 1, 2012, four
days after falling limp while in Heales care in her Toms
River home.
Heale, 46, is on trial before Superior Court Judge
Francis J. Vernoia, charged with Masons murder and
endangering the welfare of a child.
Michelle Heale is absolutely, one-thousand percent
innocent of these charges, defense attorney S. Karl
Mohel told the jury in his summation. Her dream is to
go home, to live out her life with her twins and her husband.
Marc LeMieux, first assistant Monmouth County
prosecutor, asked the jury to convict Heale.
Theres only one conclusion, LeMieux said. Mason Hess injuries are consistent with the fact that he
was shaken violently, and it caused his death, and be-

Governor receives warm reception at

town hall meeting in New Hampshire
BOB JORDAN @BOBJORDANAPP

he first-in-the-nation primary state added to its town hall tradition with a visit
Wednesday by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, known for warning town hall attendees in his home state that if you give it, you are going to get back. e But
Christie, instead of duking it out with those in the New Hampshire crowd of 200,
punched away at President Barack Obama for most of the 90 minutes. He dinged

Obama on matters from foreign policy to corporate inversions, saying, We have a president who

See BABY, Page 8A

thinks hes so smart that no one is worth listening to, because he has all the answers.

Who dropped the

ball on Asburys
community park?
NICQUEL TERRY @NTERRYAPP
ASBURY PARK After six years, theres been little
progress in building the citys west side park and
policymakers want to know why.
The city had unveiled the land to build a community
park along Springwood Avenue in 2013, with plans to
construct a playground, a fountain, field for recreation
and a walkway with benches and trees.
But today, more than one month after officials said
the park was supposed to be finished, only a set of a
playground equipment and a sign that reads Future
Home of Springwood Park sits on the grassy lot.
This is a total embarrassment on everybodys end,
Mayor John Moor said at a recent council meeting.
I think what we need is we need to jump some type
of committee on this right way and straighten out this
mess.
Springwood Park would have been the first community park ever built on the west side, where many residents often complain of a lack of activities and safe
places for youth to go.

The conservative-leaning crowd ate it up.

He was very presidential, local resident Liz
Thomas said.
Christie insisted he isnt ready to commit to a run to
succeed Obama as the 2016 Republican presidential
nominee, despite a reminder that he will be back on
Friday for another Granite State town hall and an appearance at a summit for GOP contenders for the
White House.
In terms of my decision about announcing any
candidacy, Ive got a bit of a job to finish in New Jersey. My budget doesnt get done until June 30 so Id say
by late spring, early summer, Ill probably make a decision, he said.
Christie has hosted 134 town halls since becoming
governor in 2010. This was his first outside New Jersey. He hosts another one today in Bergen County.
In New Jersey at times, some of you may have
seen some the town hall meetings Ive done on You-

I loved him. I hope he runs. I think hes

a straight shooter and a standup guy. I
think hes conservative in some ways
but also socially responsible.
DENNIS MARTIN,

OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (above) takes questions during

a town hall meeting with area residents in Londonderry, N.H.,
Wednesday. Christie introduced himself to New Hampshire
voters in a format he knows well a town hall meeting. He
opened the event by talking about his life story.

See CHRISTIE, Page 8A

INSIDE: Governors focus on entitlement reform raises important if

unpopular issues. EDITORIAL, 17A
ONLINE: To see a recap of Statehouse reporter Bob Jordans Twitter
coverage and join the conversation, visit APP.com/NHtownhall

See ASBURY, Page 12A

VIOLENT ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS ROSE NEARLY 40% GLOBALLY LAST YEAR PAGE 1B

ShopRite opening
in Howell, closing
in Lakewood. 13A

5 things you
wish your
school board
could do. 11A

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VOLUME 136
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