County sheriff-elect steps down from boro post Borough officials to appoint new member within next 30 days BY DANIEL HOWLEY Staff Writer DANIEL HOWLEY Monmouth Beach Commissioner Kimberly Guadagno presents members of the borough's First Aid Squad with a commendation at the Dec. 11 municipal meeting for saving the life of resident. MONMOUTH BEACH - A tearful farewell to the borough she served marked Commissioner Kimberly Guadagno's final Borough Commission meeting before being sworn in as Monmouth County's first female sheriff. "I'm not going to cry," said Guadagno fighting back tears as she thanked her fellow borough officials at the Dec. 11 council meeting. "The sheriff isn't allowed to cry." A member of the audience reminded Guadagno that she was not yet officially sworn in as sheriff yet and she quickly replied, "That's right. I'm not the sheriff yet. "It is a misdemeanor to act as a sheriff before Jan. 3," she added. Guadagno was elected to serve on Monmouth Beach commission in 2005 and was elected as Monmouth County sheriff in November 2007. "Greg Kelly [a borough resident] tells me that the first sheriff of Monmouth County was Eliakim Wardell," Guadagno said. Kimberly Guadagno "I take it as a good omen that this same Sheriff Wardell purchased the land that is now Monmouth Beach. "And, of course, a Monmouth Beach resident will now be the first female sheriff of Monmouth County," she said at the meeting. Guadagno said at the meeting that she is sad to be stepping down from her borough position as commissioner, but explained that she is proud to be elected as sheriff. Guadagno will be sworn in as the 75th sheriff of Monmouth County at the annual county reorganization meeting at the Monmouth County Police Academy in Freehold on Jan. 3 at 4 p.m. The remaining commissioners, Mayor Susan Howard and James Cunniff, will be appointing a new commissioner to fill the vacancy left by Guadagno within the next 30 days, according to Borough Attorney Dennis Collins. The appointed commissioner will serve the borough until the general elections in November 2008. At that time, the elected commissioner will serve out the remainder of Guadagno's term, which will end in May 2009. Guadagno said at the meeting that she looks forward to the new challenges she will encounter as sheriff. "People have asked why I want to go when there is still so much that can be done," she said. "I have an opportunity. I worked hard to get it, and now I cannot wait to get started on my new trail." Borough Attorney Dennis Collins thanked Guadagno at the meeting for the opportunity to have worked with her. "I wish you the best of luck and I know you are going to be amazing as sheriff," Collins said. "The county is very lucky. The voters certainly got that right. "I appreciate the time and all of the things you have done for me," he said. Guadagno said at the meeting that she is extremely proud of what she has accomplished in her twoand a-half-years as a commissioner of Monmouth Beach. In her farewell speech, she said, "I am happy to report … that the borough of Monmouth Beach is better off today than it was twoand a- half-years ago. "In that time, we have stemmed the tide of oversized houses on tiny lots and we have built a baseball field at Raccoon," Guadagno said. She added that she is proud to have helped beautify the town, institutionalize a road improvement program, improve the borough's parks and stabilized the fire department's budget. The president of the Monmouth Beach First Aid Squad, Edward Peterson, thanked Guadagno for her contribution in helping the squad acquire a new ambulance. "I want to thank you personally as the president of the first aid squad, for all of your help and support," Peterson said. "As commissioner of emergency services, we have had a lot of correspondence back and forth and it has certainly been a pleasure to work with you. "I wish you a lot of luck in your new career and I just hope that your successor will be half as good as you," he said. Guadagno has practiced law for over 25 years and has worked in law enforcement for 15 years. She has served as both a federal and state prosecutor and ran the State Division of Criminal Justice, which has jurisdiction over 200 police officers. As the Monmouth County sheriff, Guadagno will head a 700-member, $60 million law enforcement agency. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for the Monmouth County Jail, the county's youth correctional facility, the 911 emergency response center and also serving fugitive warrants, Guadagno explained. At the start of the meeting Guadagno personally congratulated Monmouth Beach Court Administrator Jennifer Mendes for receiving her certification as a Certified Court Municipal Court Administrator. On hand for her recognition was the presiding judge of the Monmouth County Municipal Courts, Judge John Colannino. Following a congratulatory speech given by Colannino to Mendes, Guadagno thanked the judge for his appearance and told him she would be seeing him soon. During the meeting, Guadagno, who is also commissioner of emergency services, commended Kevin Keeshen, Craig Ryan and Ralph Johnson, of the Monmouth Beach First Aid Squad, on behalf of the borough for saving the life of a borough resident. The three men performed heart defibrillation on a resident who went into cardiac arrest while being transported to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch. The resident is currently recuperating at the hospital.